Articles and Reference Materials on Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

The lovely weather brings with it lots of different pollens and irritants that can cause real agitation to our immune systems!

Seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hayfever as it’s commonly known, is an immune response to allergens in the air (like pollen) causing inflammation of the nasal passages.

An estimated 21% of women will experience some sort of urinary tract discomfort at least once a year. Women are more susceptible than men but men (particularly over 50) can also experience discomfort. Usually it will be a bacterial infection of the urinary tract (UTI) or the bladder (cystitis).

Prevention is our first line of defence and as we head into the colder months, strengthening our immune system by eating well, staying hydrated, exercising appropriately and getting plenty of rest will all help to support our health and immunity.

I’ve recently treated a number of competitive runners and endurance athletes with Acupuncture in the clinic and I’m seeing very similar patterns of disharmony.

The new Wholebody Health clinic is now open in St Peter, Jersey, offering Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine consultations to all. I look forward to welcoming you!

Some big news, Wholebody Acupuncture is relocating to Jersey, Channel Islands. It’s been a pleasure and an honour to have worked for so many years in Plymouth, Devon but for family reasons I am relocating to Jersey in the Channel Islands.

In TCM, blood is considered to be one of vital substances we need in order to survive. Not only does it carry vital nutrients to the body (like oxygen and glucose), it carries all the nutrition we need to nourish ever part of ourselves physically and mentally.

Sleep is a hugely important time for your mind and body to relax, replenish and regenerate. A perfect night of sleep involves easily falling asleep shortly after you go to bed, sleeping peacefully all night and waking replenished and energized in the morning. Unfortunately, many people have difficulties falling asleep, suffer from restless nights, dream-disturbed sleep, wake often and feel just as tired in the morning!

Ovarian reserve refers to the number of eggs or follicles a women has left in her ovaries. This decreases naturally with age but for some women (roughly 10%) their ovarian reserve is lower than expected for their age (known as premature ovarian aging).

Stress is the body’s reaction to some kind of pressure. This can be emotional, physical, even environmental. Stress is a normal response where the sympathetic nervous system is activated and the body enters ‘fight or flight’ mode. When the stress is gone, the body returns to normal.

TCM is a holistic system of medicine that places huge importance on diet and lifestyle in order to maintain health. In fact, food can be considered as medicine that can help you to heal faster and prevent any illness.

Menopause is defined as the permanent stoppage of menstruation, marking the end of a woman’s ability to conceive. It is a completely natural and normal process which occurs when the ovaries decrease the production of oestrogen and progesterone.

Avoid over-straining the area, elevate (eg put your feet on a pillow, try to have the injured area level with or slightly higher than your heart to help with fluid drainage and reduce swelling) and keep warm (ice may be beneficial in the first 24 hours rest-ice-compression-elevation but thereafter keep the area warm)

If you’re trying to get pregnant, it really important to get to know your cycle so you get a good idea of your hormonal fluctuations and when you ovulate.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when your blood pressure reads above 140/90. This means the pressure of the blood inside your arteries is high and your heart has to work harder to manage circulation around your body. Often there are no clear signs that you may have hypertension and the only clear way to know is to get it checked.