Acupuncture

We all know that pain medicine is addictive and has harmful side effects. If you are in chronic pain, you should try acupuncture.

Oriental medicine is the oldest professional medical practice in the world. Its medical literature stretches back almost 2,500 years and includes writings on internal medicine, gynecology, trauma, and more.

In all, there are over 2,000 acupuncture points on 14 main meridians of the body.

Does acupuncture hurt? Unlike the needles used to give injections, the needles used in acupuncture treatments are extremely fine– only two times the width of a single hair. Acupuncture needles are designed to enter the skin with the least resistance. Most clients are surprised to discover that treatments involve little or no pain and are very relaxing. You can expect to feel a light tingling, a feeling of heaviness, warmth, or numbness at the acupuncture site.

Are the needles sterile? All needles are sterilized, disposable and individually packaged

How many treatments will I need? Everyone is different!  Acute problems may be resolved in a single session. Chronic problems will usually respond significantly within 4-6 treatments. The total number of treatments depends upon:

1. The severity of your condition.
2. How long your condition has existed.
3. Your overall state of health, energy and motivation for lifestyle changes.

After an acute problem has resolved, most people like to receive preventive treatments every few months.

What does acupuncture treat?
The World Health Organization has released a list of health conditions for which acupuncture is beneficial.

• Musculoskeletal & Neurological: Arthritis, bursitis, tennis elbow, Bell’s Palsy, numbness, neuralgia, postoperative pain, headaches, migraine, fibromyalgia, general pain.

• Women’s Reproductive Issues: PMS, cramping, lack of libido, inability to orgasm, vaginismus, pain with sex, endometriosis, complications of pregnancy, menopause, infertility, UTI.

• Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders: Sinusitis, ear infection, laryngitis, ear ringing, swollen glands, tonsillitis, toothache.

• Gastrointestinal Disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon, colitis, constipation, diarrhea, food allergies, ulcers, gastritis, abdominal bloating.

• Male Reproductive Disorders: BPH, prostatitis, impotence and infertility.

• Psychological Disorders: Anxiety, insomnia, depression, post-traumatic stress.

• Respiratory Disorders: Asthma, bronchitis, colds and flu, chronic cough.

Mayan Abdominal Therapy

What is a Maya Abdominal Therapy (MAT)?
MAT is a non-invasive, external, massage technique. It helps guide internal abdominal organs into their proper position to relieve blockages and improve the flow of the circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems, improve organ function and release physical and emotional congestion from the abdomen.

How does it work for women? This external massage gently lifts and guides the uterus into its optimal position in the lower pelvis. The uterus is held in position by over 10 ligaments. These ligaments, when stressed or strained, can cause the uterus to become malpositioned. If the uterus is out of place, women can experience a multitude of symptoms.

What are the symptoms of a displaced uterus?
• Difficulty getting pregnant/fertility issues
• Chronic miscarriages
• PMS/ depression
• Painful, irregular periods or ovulation
• Dark or brown menstrual blood
• Painful intercourse
• Difficult menopause
• Headache or migraine with period
• Varicose veins of the legs and/or tired, weak or numb legs
• Low back pain
• Endometriosis
• Uterine Fibroids
• Frequent urination; bladder infections, incontinence
• Recurrent vaginal infections
• Chronic constipation

What could cause a displaced uterus?
• Trauma to the sacrum or tailbone from a fall or car accident
• Pelvic ligaments that have weakened due to overstretching during pregnancy and birth
• High impact exercise, running on cement surfaces, high impact aerobics
• Lifting & carrying heavy objects before or during menstruation and too soon after childbirth
• Time and gravity
• Past surgeries
• Weak pelvic floor muscles
• Chronic muscle spasm around the low back and sacrum
• Emotional armoring from abuse

How quickly should I expect a change? Depending on the severity of the problem, it may take as little as one session or as long as many months for the uterine position to correct and for the ligaments to gain enough strength and elasticity to stay in place. Three sessions are usually the minimum. Women often report a rapid improvement in symptoms and sense of well being when self-care is performed regularly.

What is “self-care” and why does it help? Each client is instructed on how to perform the abdominal massage for herself. By doing self-care massage daily for 2-3 minutes, it provides the individual with the ability to improve her symptoms while working with the practitioner.

Does MAT support fertility? Many women who have been unsuccessful in conceiving eventually conceive after a succession of MAT treatments. Once the uterus is in its optimal position, there is improved homeostasis to support and enhance fertility.

What to expect in a session:
• Review of your personal health history and current health care needs.
• Acupuncture (if necessary) to balance your meridians of energy and motor points.
• Abdominal massage focused on aligning reproductive and abdominal organs.
• Evaluation and application of structural alignment of spine with attention to the sacrum, lumbar and thoracic spine.
• Instruction in self-care home techniques to enhance your professional treatment session.
• Hold/relax stretching.

I’ve had a hysterectomy — how does MAT help? Women who have had hysterectomies benefit greatly from MAT as well. The technique improves circulation in and around the area of the scar and allows for proper flow of the lymph, which often becomes blocked after surgery, resulting in swelling, burning and deep aching pains in the pelvis. Women can use MAT techniques regularly to prevent scar tissue from forming in the pelvis after surgery. Ligaments and other remaining organs benefit from improved circulatory flow to the pelvis.

How does MAT help with digestion? Many anxieties and emotions are stored in our body’s tissues and organs. A very common place is in the organs of the digestive system. Stress and emotions cause the small intestine and colon to be “twisted or kinked,” leading to blockages in the flow of peristalsis. Surrounding fascia creates adhesions that malposition organs and impede proper blood flow and enzyme secretions. MAT helps to break down facial adhesions, scar tissue and removes any “kinks” in the digestive tract. Often there is a dramatic improvement after just one session when combined with proper diet and self-care.

Contraindications
MAT is not recommended under certain conditions:
• During active menstruation
• An IUD or pessary is present
• Immediately after abdominal surgery
• Active infection or cancer present in pelvic area, or while undergoing active treatment of chemotherapy
• During the first trimester (19 weeks) of pregnancy
• Within the first 6 weeks following a normal vaginal delivery or the first 3 months after a C-section
• Hiatal Hernia (gentle massage required)