moxa moxie

My acupuncturist has introduced me to something I can do at home, to extend an acupuncture treatment — a moxa stick. It is used a bit like incense. Light the stick and hold it over a specific acupuncture point, to warm the area. Moxa sticks, used in moxibustion, are made from dried mugwort.


I have recently been burning it over a point on my lower leg, on acupuncture point Stomach 36, to help build immunity. The smoke is a bit of an intense smell, but I have come to really like it. Not so sure the kids and the cats agree on the aromatherapy aspects of moxa, however.

baby's first acupuncture

I have done acupuncture for years. I find that it has helped build my immune system as well as relieve a lot of my tummy issues. The kid has been battling a cold for the past few days — that coughy, phlegmy, sneezy thing that seems to be going around — so I debated whether to go to my regular appointment yesterday or just hunker down. But she and I were getting stir-crazy by the afternoon, so I thought, what the heck, I'll bundle her up and take her along.

The acupuncturist I have been seeing lately is a mom (of three girls, one the same age as my daughter), and she took one look at the kid and asked me if I would consider letting her do a few acupuncture points on her, to help speed up the progress of the cold, shorten its duration. I told her it was totally up to the kid. I was surprised when she actually said yes. The acupuncturist was great, explaining every needle and what it would do. She's always gentle, I rarely feel a thing, but I think she was showing some extra TLC with my little one. Most of the points were on her legs and arms, but there was one point which she wanted to do, on the face, that is traditionally used to break up congestion. When the kid seemed a bit scared of that prospect she told her not to worry, and instead massaged the spot and then placed some magnets in the area.

The kid said she actually felt a bit better after the treatment, although the acupuncturist warned me that she might feel worse that night as the cold takes its course. The kid was delighted to hear that she  also advised that she stay home one more day (I had been leaning in that direction, but that clinched the deal). She had some dark circles under her eyes when we arrived and I had to note that they seemed to clear up during the treatment.

Can acupuncture (or anything) cure the common cold? Of course not. But it can ease the symptoms, which is wonderful, especially when the sufferer is a kid. My kid. I'm really proud of how open she was to the experience.

at acupuncture ...

There isn't just treatment, but some interesting things to look at.

ten ways to good health

This poster hangs in my acupuncturist's office. I find it amusing, but also inspiring. Sometimes just some simple changes can have great results. Less salt, more vinegar. Less eating, more chewing ...

there are more things in heaven and earth ...

Yesterday my chiropractor, who is as much a naturopath as he is a chiropractor, performed an interesting test on me. He practices muscle testing, which "... involves testing the body’s responses when applying slight pressure to a large muscle, to provide information on energy blockages, the functioning of the organs, nutritional deficiencies, and food sensitivities, among other things. It can also be used to test the body’s responses to herbs and other remedies."

Like acupuncture, another practice that I know has helped me over the past few years, I'm not sure that I really understand how muscle testing works, but I have to admit that it does seem to point out some of my strengths and weaknesses. My gall bladder kept checking weak in muscle testing when my gastro-intestinal doctor continued to say my stomach pains must just be IBS. A CAT scan confirmed gallstones and a sonogram a gall bladder with a thickened wall, indicating that it hadn't worked correctly for a long time. Muscle testing seems closely tied to Traditional Chinese medicine, as my chiropractor tests a lot of acupuncture/meridian points.

Anyway, today he tested my scar - the incision site in my belly button where my gall bladder was removed. It tested weak - a "leakage" site - leakage of qi. He used a little device that had a laser light for a few moments on the scar and then tested me again and I tested strong.

I have always been attracted to alternative methods of medicine, to a whole body concept of healing as opposed to Western medicine's focus on the individual parts. Some may find these practices strange, too remote from what they are used to when they go to a doctor, but to quote Beetlejuice's Lydia Deetz, "I, myself, am strange and unusual."

Of course I choose to combine Eastern and Western practices. I did opt to have my gall bladder removed. But after a Western operation I see no harm, but instead great benefit, in Eastern and alternative therapies to help rebuild my strength. Western medicine basically gives you a script for pain killers and sends you on your way, not telling the patient that just because the operation was a one day in and out procedure that the burden of recovery would be on said patient. And that the healing time would not be "just a few days," but rather a few months.

Is my body no loger leaking qi? Only time will tell. But I have to admit that I find the idea of qi leakage points pretty fascinating.

everything ends

I have been doing acupuncture for quite a few years now. When I lived in DC I saw two different practitioners. The main one practiced a very traditional version, using a minimum of needles, only placed at the areas of interest, some herbs on the body, and a heating lamp. He was frankly a miracle worker. I knew I could go see him when something felt out-of-wack and he would help get me back on track.

The second acupuncturist, who I would see from time to time when the first was out of town or just for a different take, was schooled in Japanese acupuncture and would place more needles — they had to be symmetrical on the body  — and never used heat. When I asked him about the heating lamp, he just rolled his eyes as if I had mentioned something from the Dark Ages. I think both doctors and acupuncture were beneficial to me in helping me feel more balanced, have more energy.

Acupuncture doll

When I moved to Florida two years ago I looked around for a combination of the first two doctors and found someone who did the symmetrical needle placement but also used heat. He wouldn't put herbs on the body, but would prescribe Chinese herbal medicine and teas if needed. I had been feeling, a few months ago, that maybe I needed to look into trying a different acupuncturist. The medicine and the acupuncture just didn't seem to be doing much for me, no matter how often I went. I'm not sure if he sensed my frustration, but one day he suggested I try tai chi, and offered to teach me. That has been a boon, but he is very "old school" about the style of tai chi one should practice and the Yang style 108-form is simply too much for me. I don't want to spend two hours every morning doing tai chi  — who has that sort of time?

As wonderful as it has been to have the opportunity to start learning tai chi I have still been thinking that it might be time to try another approach. To be honest, I would have already moved on if not for the tai chi lessons. The deciding factor was my last acupuncture session. A line was crossed. I'm still processing how I feel, but I have no desire to go back anytime soon. The doctor has known me for quite some time, but I don't think that gives him a right to comment on my life or what I need, or try to give me a massage when I'm not sure I want one. I don't want to be his friend. I'm always, bottom line, a client, there for treatment. It's a slippery slope, and I think that cultural differences and communication gaps also play a part, but I suddenly didn't feel comfortable. And to let someone put needles in your body you need to feel safe and comfortable at a bare minimum.

I guess what's different about seeing a doctor like this vs. a "regular" doctor, besides the Eastern medicine vs. Western medical approach is that you see them a lot more frequently, so there is bound to be some sort of bonding. I really like my gynecologist and have been seeing her enough to feel she actually knows me and doesn't have to check my chart to ask how I'm doing, but we're not going out for coffee anytime soon, and I don't think she'd try to tell me what I need or don't need to do. Boundaries.

It's time for a change.

opening up the spleen highway

I've been having a recurrence of some tummy troubles lately, so have been visiting the acupuncturist to try and get some relief. At my last visit he was adjusting needles and he placed a few in positions on my body he hadn't before, and explained that he was, "Opening up the spleen highway."

The idea of a highway in the body is not very different from more traditional explanations of meridians and why acupuncture works. I like the sound of that, and I hope that my spleen highway is soon free of any annoying traffic.

woman of science, woman of faith

We've had a run of illnesses this spring—wacky cold viruses, fevers, ear infections, stomach bugs. Every time I have to watch my daughter go through one of these sieges, no matter how minor, it is torture for me. Seeing her doubled up in pain, groaning and clutching her tummy, I feel so helpless. One part of me wants to rush her to a doctor, wants some medicine that will take all of the pain away. Another part of me knows that we both have to ride it out, until she can purge whatever bug is bugging her. Science versus faith.

My Sicilian great-grandfather, after he retired as a chef in New York City in the 1920s, got the calling—he was a healer. Many people, especially recent immigrants from Sicily and Italy that had heard of Don Peppino through his patients' word-of-mouth, came to see him at his downtown apartment on the east side of 14th Street for his healing touch. He dispensed old-world wisdom and caring, but there were also medicaments, especially the "green salve," which family lore says contained quinine among its many ingredients. I kid myself that Vicks Vapo-rub, which I'm not afraid to apply to my own aches and pains liberally, is my modern-day green salve.

 Don Peppino surrounded by his grandchildren, c. 1929

Science is wonderful, but it can only help so much, whether it is dealing with a child's tummy ache, a more serious illness, or a smoke monster on a mysterious Island. My father used to say that the more he studied science, the closer he got to a higher power. I'm too practical, action-oriented, and hard-headed to opt for prayer as the solution to my problems, for it to give me all the answers. But I do know that prayer can soothe, help me let go of some anxiety, maybe even sometimes give me some mental clarity. I have also discovered that acupuncture, for me, can help align what's out of wack, speed recovery from illness. Don't ask me how it works, I just know that it does that for me. Faith.

The best healers, doctors, and acupuncturists not only practice their craft with a touch of science, but they have a kindness, a touch, that inspires peace in their patients. It's hard in this hustle and bustle world to not be impatient of illness, to want a quick patent medicine fix. But it is worthwhile taking a breath, applying a balm, taking a quiet moment to reflect. To not rush back into the fray, but to take the time to heal. Whatever green salve or quiet words works for you—it just might heal what ails.

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sunday you need love, monday be alone

What. A. Week. And yes, I'm still reliving my Trio album...

Monday: Yoga, during a stretch I felt a :ping: in my lower back, so I immediately stopped what I was doing, to not overstretch. Ouch.

Tuesday: When I was doing my before-bed evening stretching, lying on my back with my legs straight up, I couldn't fully straighten my legs, the muscles were so tight. Uh oh.

Wednesday: I was sitting at a long morning meeting in a too-cold office and suddenly my right leg muscle around the knee seized up tight. I could still stretch it and walk on it, but my whole leg was sore and uncomfortable for the rest of the day. An evening warm shower and Vick's Vapo Rub (the miracle cure for anything that ails you) did seem to help. Yikes.

Thursday: My acupuncturist said that all my aches and pains (including my new [!] left shoulder ache) were a result of that :ping: When I asked him why so many people store pain and tension in their neck and shoulders he replied, "That's Good!" "Why?" "Because the neck is strong, it can take the pain - what if it was your stomach?" Well, as he well knows, sometimes it is, but this week the muscles are neck-and neck with my usual aches and pains. Heh.

Friday: Hopefully can sleep in and tension will be on the wane, as it's a no-work day for me...Yay.