Want to Look Younger? Try Acupuncture

Acupuncture can make you look younger.

I’m not talking about cosmetic acupuncture, although that can be effective, too. I’m talking about using acupuncture to strengthen your five most essential organ systems—Kidney, Spleen, Liver, Lung, and Heart—so that you are systemically healthier.

This can not only make you feel younger but actually prevent physical signs of aging.

Remember that “organ” in acupuncture is different from organs as we think of them in Western medicine. An organ system in acupuncture includes the anatomical organ as well as the meridians that connect to that organ, the functional or energetic qualities of the organ, and even the associated emotions of the organ.

Here’s how each of the five essential organ systems influences the aging process. Keep reading

The Story Behind The Needles in Kim Kardashian’s Face

By Sara Calabro

My Google Alerts are set up to notify me every time a mainstream media outlet mentions acupuncture. For the past two weeks, I’ve been getting pinged more often than usual.

That’s because on March 24—brace yourselves—Kim Kardashian got acupuncture and Instagramed a picture of her face full of needles!

Of course, no one cares about this nearly as much as the media would have us believe. However, when celebrities publicize their use of acupuncture, it generates a lot of new interest and questions about acupuncture—and that’s something we do care about.

So, why did Kim Kardashian have so many needles stuck in her face? Keep reading

Why All Athletes Should Use Acupuncture

By Erika Prinz Freed

NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck does it. So does hockey superstar Jaromir Jagr. Olympic high-jumper Amy Acuff likes it so much that she learned how to practice it herself. New York City Ballet dancers swear by it.

Acupuncture is a go-to therapy for many of the world’s leading athletes—but you don’t have to be a pro to experience the benefits of acupuncture.

Whether you’re a die-hard marathoner, devoted yogi, gym rat or weekend warrior, acupuncture can enhance your performance by fortifying your overall health. Keep reading

Relieve Headaches and More With No Drugs and Zero Effort

By Sara Calabro

We’ve been talking a lot about acupressure lately. In just the past couple months, AcuTake has run articles on acupressure for the flu, acupressure for stiff muscles and joints, and acupressure for post-nasal drip.

Previously, we’ve covered acupressure for hangover, acupressure for asthma, acupressure for stress reduction, acupressure for low back pain, acupressure for travel and acupressure for allergies.

And next week we’ve got another acupressure piece coming your way. We’re obsessed with acupressure! Keep reading

Boost Your Immunity With This 2-Minute Acupressure Routine

By Sara Calabro

Acupuncture strengthens natural resistance to disease.

I recently came across that sentence when I was leafing through some old notes from acupuncture school. It was underlined twice and highlighted.

Although I don’t remember writing it or which of my teachers said it, the words clearly resonated with me at the time. Rereading them now, especially during peak flu season, they still do.

It’s a simple idea and yet profound. Forget endorphins. Forget improved blood circulation. Forget placebo. This is how acupuncture works—by strengthening our natural resistance to disease.

Whether we’re talking about the flu, and hence its immunity-boosting ability, or back pain, acupuncture makes us stronger so that we can naturally resist illness and pain. This is true whether it’s happening due to fired up neurotransmitters or a practitioner with exceptional bedside manner. Keep reading

Digest This: You Can Manage Extra Weight, Constipation, Bloating, Reflux and Bad Breath With Acupuncture

By Nancy Byrne

We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat.” It’s true, but acupuncture lends further insight into our relationship with food by suggesting that we are also how we eat.

On some level, we know this already. Think about the times when you’ve skipped breakfast and then gorged yourself much too quickly on a huge lunch. Chances are, you felt a little irritable and anxious before stuffing your face, after which you probably felt uncomfortably full and bloated.

Low blood sugar followed by undue stress on your digestive organs is one way of looking at this scenario. However, acupuncture offers an explanation that’s much more interesting and broader in scope. Understanding this perspective is an initial step toward avoiding weight gain, constipation, bloating, acid reflux and even bad breath. Keep reading

Save Your Eyes from Computer Use With This Simple Exercise

By Sara Calabro

Ever get that thing where your eyelid won’t stop twitching? Annoying, right? It comes on unexpectedly and makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.

Recently, AcuTake contributing writer Eric Kerr had this experience, known as myokymia in Western medical parlance. His eyelid had been twitching for three months straight! He suspected it was caused by excessive computer use, a likely theory given the known ramifications of too much screen time. These include eye pain and fatigue—which can cause involuntary spasms in the eyelids—as well as vision loss, dry eyes and headaches. The Western medical world now has a name for this, Computer Vision Syndrome.

Inspired to help others deal with their own computer-induced eye problems, Eric made this video on acupressure for eye health. All points mentioned in that video are highly recommended for anyone suffering from eye problems.

But when I heard Eric’s story and watched his video, it reminded of me an even simpler technique for reducing eye strain that one of my teachers shared with me while I was in acupuncture school. Keep reading

Got Post-Nasal Drip? Press This Point

By Sara Calabro

‘Tis the season for post-nasal drip. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Post-nasal drip occurs when the normal mucus that’s produced in the nasal passages fails to transform and move as it should. Either it’s too thick or something, such as throat swelling, obstructs its movement. In either case, the mucus cannot flow normally, which causes it to accumulate in the back of the nose and drip down the throat.

Since post-nasal drip is caused by faulty flow rather than a foreign invader vulnerable to antihistamines—which, by the way, can actually make the problem worse because they dry out the nasal passages, further thickening mucus—acupuncture and acupressure are effective remedies.

Acupuncture and acupressure eliminate the underlying causes of symptoms by restoring flow. This enables physiological processes to occur normally. In the case of post-nasal drip, there is a specific acupuncture point that transforms mucus so that it moves easily throughout the body. Keep reading

How to Lower Stress and Survive the Holidays With Acupuncture

By Sara Calabro

Acupuncture is well known for its ability to lower stress. Many people use acupuncture for stress reduction. And even those who don’t admit to or notice stress in their lives report a greater sense of lightness and evenness to their moods after having acupuncture.

During the holiday season, many of us could benefit from the stress-reduction benefits of acupuncture. But who has the time? Or the money?

If you can swing going for acupuncture this time of year, more power to you—regular acupuncture treatments are the best way to stay healthy and mentally balanced during high-stress times. But if you, like many people, are on a tighter schedule and budget for the coming month, we’ve got the next-best thing. Keep reading

Ear Acupuncture For the Masses

By Ryan Bemis

Acupuncture is becoming more accessible—one ear at a time.

Ear acupuncture, also known as auricular acupuncture, is the most widely used form of acupuncture within Western health settings in the United States and Europe.

This is due in part to the fact that some ear acupuncture protocols can be performed by non-acupuncturists. Standardized ear protocols are safely taught to existing healthcare workers who can easily integrate them as part of their clinical practice within hospitals, and mental health and addiction clinics. In the military, personnel are trained in ear acupuncture protocols to address pain and trauma symptoms in soldiers.

Perhaps the most established model of ear acupuncture today is a protocol known as NADA. Keep reading

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