​By Dr. Carolyn Laney, DACM, Dipl.OM., L.Ac., CMT

Mental illness is a common occurrence in the US. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 51.5 million people, or 1 in 5 adults, in the US suffer from a mental illness. Specifically, 40 million people experience an anxiety disorder in any given year, including PTSD, and 17.3 million adults had at least one episode of major depression in 2017 alone. Furthermore, with suicide being the tenth leading cause of death from untreated depression, patients need appropriate support and effective treatments to overcome their depression. 
 
Unfortunately, the exact causes for anxiety, depression, and PTSD are unknown, but based on research, there are many working theories on how each manifest and which parts of the brain are affected. Many of these theories center on dysfunctions of the biochemicals serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and BDNF and certain parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex (i.e., rational thought, reason, planning, personality, and proper social behavior) and limbic regions (i.e., survival behaviors and emotions).
 
First-line treatments for anxiety, depression, and PTSD are medications (SSRIs), psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. Medications are the most used method of treating mental illness but take time to achieve their peak effectiveness. Sometimes up to a month or more. On top of that, prescribed medications only have a 40%-60% effectiveness rate (compared 20%-40% improvement without medication) with a long list of side effects that can be a major deterrent to taking them successfully. Psychotherapy has similar success rates of 55%-60%, but it is not as frequently utilized. Lastly, combining the two modalities together yields the most success at 60% within 24-week period.
 
Fortunately, there are more options available to treat mental illness. Based on research, acupuncture, added as an adjunct therapy (or used alone for mild conditions), can be helpful in treating mental illness. Acupuncture improves mental illnesses by directly stimulating the same regions of the brain by altering the same biochemicals mentioned above, responsible for causing anxiety, depression, and PTSD. For example, a 2019 study revealed that patients who were given acupuncture treatments three times per week as an add-on therapy to antidepressants showed significant improvement in their moderate to severe depression compared to the patients who were using antidepressants alone by the sixth week of treatment. At six weeks, most antidepressants are just reaching their therapeutic effectiveness level. But with acupuncture, that effectiveness is reached much quicker and is more effective.
 
Have more questions about how acupuncture treats anxiety, depression, and PTSD? Reach out or set up a FREE 15-minute consultation. We’d be happy to answer your questions!

by Danielle A. Sadler, L.Ac Dipl. O.M.

Pain is interesting, and tricky. We have theories that describe the physical processes of pain, how our cells go through chemical changes when they are injured and how those chemicals are taken up to the brain and interpreted as pain. The brain responds by increasing blood flow to the area, causing the symptoms of inflammation and swelling. But most of our theories work to explain acute, recent pain and don't fully explain long-term, complex pain. (1)

In addition, the study of the psychology of pain has established all kinds of factors that can affect how much pain we feel. Our perception of pain can be influenced by the context in which the pain happens, the amount of anxiety we have, our expectations about how much pain we should be in, and many other factors. (2)

​So you can see that while we need to address the physical symptoms of pain, a more effective approach to the treatment of pain involves the mental and emotional components of it as well. We can learn to modify our brain's responses to pain, and decrease the pain we feel, at the same time. When practiced over time, the tools we use to decrease pain naturally have benefits that extend into other areas of our health: better digestion, better sleep, and more energy.

Three Tools To Treat Pain Naturally

• Diet changes: Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar. White flour, white rice, processed cereal grains, and sugar (which goes by many other names: fructose, sucrose, maltose - any additive that ends in "-ose" is a form of sugar) can all increase inflammation in the body (3, 4). Systemic inflammation is often a cause of or a contributor to pain, especially in joints and muscles.
• Mindfulness exercises: These can help change your orientation toward pain from passive to active, giving you a set of steps you can take when you experience pain. Instead of pain being something that happens to you, studies have identified mindfulness as a tool that encourages a different experience of pain, and changes how your brain processes pain, as shown in brain imaging (5).
• Acupuncture: Acupuncture causes increased circulation to decrease inflammation. It uses points on the body to treat pain at the site of injury or inflammation, and it has also been shown in fMRI studies to modify the brain responses to pain (6). This means that acupuncture treatments work on the symptoms of pain to relieve it immediately, while also treating the root causes of pain to eliminate it at the source. This combined approach is what makes acupuncture so effective at treating pain.

​
Research Findings About Acupuncture

• A comprehensive study commissioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs found acupuncture to have a positive effect in the treatment of chronic pain, migraine and tension headache. The same study found a potentially positive effect in treating dysmenorrhea, cancer pain, labor pain, insomnia, post- operative nausea and vomiting, depression, and smoking cessation. (7)
• Acupuncture outperforms placebo in relieving the most common types of chronic pain: headache, low back, neck, shoulder and knee pain. Acupuncture significantly outperforms standard care in headache, low back, neck, and knee pain. (8)
• Acupuncture is superior to most forms of physical therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. (9)
• Acupuncture can reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting after surgery, with minimal side effects. (10)
• The American College of Physicians recommends acupuncture as a first-line treatment for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain. (11)
• The Joint Commission includes acupuncture as one of the non-pharmacological strategies that has a role in pain management in hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient care. (12)

 
Don’t let pain consume one more day. If you are curious to learn how the benefits of Acupuncture can alleviate your pain, or that of an acquaintance, please contact us today to schedule a consultation with LifeStream Wellness.

By Danielle A. Sadler, L.Ac Dipl. O.M.
©LifeStream Wellness. All Rights Reserved.
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​Schedule an Appointment with LifeStream Wellness

www.lifestreamwellness.com

Call or Text: 651-338-3574

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​(1) Moayedi M., Davis K.D. Theories of pain: from specificity to gate control. Journal of Neurophysiology. (January 2013) vol. 109, no. 1: 5-12.
(2) Hansen G.R. MD, Streltzer, J. MD. The Psychology of Pain. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. (2005) vol. 23: 339-348.
(3) Schultz M.B., Hoffman K., et. al. Dietary Pattern, inflammation, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Sept 2005) vol. 82, no. 3: 675-684.
(4) Aeberli I., Gerber P.A., et. al. Low to moderate sugar-sweetened beverage consumption impairs glucose and lipid metabolism and promotes inflammation in healthy young men: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Aug 2011) 94,2: 479-485.
(5) Nascimento SS, Oliveira LR, DeSantana JM. Correlations between brain changes and pain management after cognitive and meditative therapies: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Complement Ther Med. 2018 Aug;39:137-145. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.06.006. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PMID: 30012384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30012384/
(6) Bai L., Lao L. Neurobiological Foundations of Acupuncture: The Relevance and Future Prospect Based on Neuroimaging Evidence. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Volume 2013, Article ID 812568, 9 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/812568.
(7) Hempel S., Taylor S.L., Solloway M., et al. Evidence Map of Acupuncture. VAE-ESP Project #05-226; 2013.
(8) Vickers AJ, Cronin AM, Mascino AC, et al. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2012 Sep 10:1-10.
(9) Corbett M.S., Rice S.J.C., Madurasinghe, et al. Acupuncture and Other Physical Treatments for the Relief of Pain Due to Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Network Meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Sep;21(9):1290-8.
(10) Lee A., Fan L.T.Y. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point P6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003281. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003281.pub3 - https://www.cochrane.org/CD003281/ANAESTH_wrist-pc6-acupuncture-point-stimulation-prevent-nausea-and-vomiting-after-surgery
(11) Qaseem A., Wilt T.J., McLean R.M., Forciea M.A. Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. 2017 Apr 4; 166(7):514-530.
(12) The Joint Commission. Revisions to pain management standard effective January 1, 2015. Joint Commission Online. November 12, 2014. https://www.jointcommission.org/-/media/deprecated-unorganized/imported-assets/tjc/system-folders/joint-commission-online/jconline_november_12_14pdf.pdf?db=web&hash=0DDF129FFAEDC717DD2C75EFC5CA6BD0

Hello, spring! The sun is shining. It’s getting beautiful outside, but why am I so agitated? Could be an imbalance of the wood element in Chinese medicine that corresponds with springtime. This article explains the season from a Chinese medicine perspective and offers tips to help you feel your best this spring.
 
Spring is here! 
by Carolyn Laney, BA, MCM, Dipl.OM., L.Ac., CMT
 
“Spring is the beginning of things, when the energy should be kept open and fluid.”
—Huang De Nei Jing, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine
 
In Minnesota it seems like spring will never come, and life will never appear again from the barren landscape. And all at once it seems, the snow melts. The trees bud and leaf. Flowers bloom and the grass grows once again. New life is everywhere. 
 
In Chinese medicine, spring corresponds to wood in Chinese five-element theory. Wood represents the concepts of:

• Renewal, rebirth, creativity, cleansing, flexibility, and growth
• Expansive, smooth, free and easy movement of energy and activity
• The organs liver and gallbladder, the tissue of the tendons and ligaments, and the sense of sight
• Emotions of: kindness, forgiveness, gratitude, anger, negativity, and frustration

 
I feel the wood energy of spring bubbling up every year. I suddenly want to clean and organize my whole house. I want to get outside and feel the sun, plant my garden, eat lighter meals, and move my body. 
 
One of the things that pops up for me, that I hate to admit, is irritability. If I’m not living in balance, my fuse gets short and my perspective of the world becomes quite negative. Luckily this is a common sign of wood element imbalances and can be shifted. Wood imbalances usually manifest as:

• A rigid, inflexible attitude, and body stiffness or tension in the neck and shoulders or headaches 
• Quick to anger, an overbearing approach to others, lingering depression, an inability to assert one’s self, and a general pervasive, negative point or view
• Trouble making decisions or impulsive behavior, difficulty adapting to change, and making future plans
• All of these symptoms can be made worse with stress or in windy weather

 
The good news is that all of this can be shifted with diet and lifestyle modifications, acupuncture treatments, and Chinese herbal medicine. Some things to try at home include:

• Doing a liver detox by avoiding drinking alcohol and instead drinking water with fresh lemons added or drinking peppermint tea and taking a milk thistle herbal supplement. 
• Eating foods that are sour, bitter, or pungent in taste will help balance the wood element. Try adding dandelion greens, mustard greens, turmeric, fennel, basil, ginger, mint, beets, taro root, strawberries, peaches, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts to your diet. Spring is also a good time to eat raw, uncooked vegetables and fruits, sprouts, and fresh salad greens. 
• Incorporate an exercise routine that gets your heart rate up and your body moving on a regular basis. Brisk walks, light jogging, vigorous yoga, and gentle bicycling are good choices. 
• Spring is a good time to develop a meditation practice around gratitude and loving kindness. Five to ten minutes a day is enough to reap the benefits of this practice. Here’s a link to a guided meditation to get started if you are curious about adding this to your daily routine. “Loving Kindness Meditation to Develop Mindfulness and Compassion” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d_AA9H4z9U

Getting regular acupuncture treatments and taking Chinese herbal medicine is the best way to manage symptoms of wood imbalances if home remedies aren’t quite doing the trick. Acupuncture is the quickest way to move Qi or energy in the body and releases blockages or stagnation caused by wood imbalances. The use of Chinese herbs help extend the acupuncture treatment and balance the wood element effectively by utilizing plants that directly affect the liver and gallbladder. 
 
Have fun this season! Get outside, soak up the sunshine, and go for a walk. Enjoy all the dramatic transformation the renewing spring landscape has to offer in Minnesota. If you need a boost along the way, reach out and schedule an appointment. We’d love to help you get back in balance. 
 
Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine: A New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Commentary (pp. 7-8). Shambhala Publications. 
 
Saunder, Mary. Rhythms of Change: Reclaiming your Health Using Ancient Wisdom and your Own Common Sense. Hidden Needle Press.

Nourishing food to support the kidneys: by Carolyn Laney, BA, MCM, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., CMT
​
 
Winter is a great time for eating nourishing foods that warm the body and support the kidneys. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys represent the essence or our body’s constitution, childhood development and the aging process. They correspond with the bones, marrow, and the brain, sexual function and fertility, and help us process stress. Nourishing the kidneys boosts mental clarity and cognitive function, helps us manage stress, and aids in development and slows the aging process to an appropriate rhythm. 
 
Foods that help with kidney function that are naturally salty and bitter in nature (no added or excess salt, please). These foods include:
Fruits and vegetables: 

• Turnips
• Celery
• Asparagus
• Chicory
• Seaweed
• Blackberries
• Mulberries
• Water chestnut

 
Grains and Legumes:

• Rye
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Millet
• Barley
• Black beans
• Wheat germ

 
Lean meats, seafood, and protein:

• Chicken
• Lamb
• Trout
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Crab
• Clam
• Pork
• Tofu
• Miso
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Walnuts

 
Spices and seasonings

• Cloves
• Fennel seed
• Dried ginger
• Cinnamon

 
This is by no means a list of foods that you should narrow your diet to, but ones that you can incorporate into your diet throughout the season. It is always best to eat a variety of foods. 
 
Not sure how to incorporate these foods? Here’s some links to recipes that utilize some of these foods in the dish. Enjoy!
 
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/crispy-skin-salmon-with-miso-honey-sauce
 
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/greens-and-grains-scramble-51195250
 
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/coconut-cabbage-and-tofu-with-lemongrass-and-ginger
 
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/big-pot-of-black-beans-9-meals-article
 
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/asian-vegetable-noodle-toss
 
In need of extra support in these winter months? Reach out and make an appointment. We are here to help!

​Settling Into Winter
by Carolyn Laney, BA, MCM, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., CMT
 
“During the winter months all things in nature wither, hide, return home, and enter a resting period, just as lakes and rivers freeze and snow falls. This is a time when yin dominates yang.”
—Huang De Nei Jing, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine
 
In nature, winter is the coldest, darkest, stillest, quietest time of the year. It is a time of resting, restoring, and conserving our energy or yang. Going to bed early and rising with the sun, which is later in winter, is a good way to restore your yang. Care must be taken to stay warm and avoid the cold. We should be covering our bodies and avoiding excess sweating. And mental activity should be calm, reflective, and subdued. 
 
In Chinese medicine, winter corresponds to water in Chinese five-element theory. Water represents the concepts of:

• Storage, quiet, reflection, dormancy
• The deepest of our emotions, our essence, and will power
• The organs kidney and bladder, the tissue of the bones, marrow, and brain, and the sense of hearing
• The deepest yin and cold
• Emotions of fear, fright, insecurity, wisdom, intention, courage, serenity, and calmness

 
Imbalances in the water element during winter are common and tend to manifest as:

• Weakness and soreness in the low back, knees, or diminished hearing
• Infertility, poor childhood development, or premature aging
• Low stamina, low endurance, poor concentration, or lack of motivation
• Anxiety, depression, excessive fear, or insecurity
• Symptoms may worsen with over-working, and too much exercise, sexual activity or alcohol

 
Winter is a good time to nourish your body, mind, and spirit so that you may conserve your energy and be prepared for spring and all its new growth, warmth, and movement. Incorporating practices that balance the water element include:

• Eating nourishing well cooked, warming foods, especially roots vegetables, greens, and lean proteins.
• Drink warm beverages, teas, or soups.
• Make time for more rest and down time in your schedule. Try listening to restorative guided meditations for an added element of relaxation. 
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcohol, sugar or other activities that may be too stimulating.
• Daily light exercise practices of yin yoga, yoga nidra, qi gong, or slow walks. 

 
Cuddle up with some herbal tea and a book and enjoy the time of rest that winter provides. Spring will be here before you know it. With ample rest and nourishment from winter, you will be prepared for spring and all its splendor. 
 
References:
​Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine: A New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Commentary (p. 7). Shambhala Publications.
 
Saunder, Mary. Rhythms of Change: Reclaiming your Health Using Ancient Wisdom and your Own Common Sense. Hidden Needle Press.
 

​Find the Beauty in Letting Go
by Carolyn Laney, BA, MCM, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac., CMT
 
“The trees are about to show us how beautiful it is to let things go.”
 
Autumn is upon us. Days are getting shorter. Nights are getting longer and cooler. The trees are turning color and letting go of their leaves.
 
The Chinese believe that the environment in which you live greatly influences your body, mind, and spirit. Living in harmony with the current season is one way to assure optimal health.
 
In Chinese medicine, autumn corresponds to metal in Chinese five-element theory. Metal represents many concepts, such as:

• Harvest, decline, and reduction
• Turning inward, self-reflection, and letting go
• The organs: lungs, large intestine, skin, and mucus membranes
• Dryness
• The sense of smell
• Emotions of sadness, grief, hope, and inspiration

 
Balancing our spirit and emotions along with protecting our body from the cool air and building our immune system is essential during autumn months according to the Huang Di Nei Jing, the oldest Chinese medical book.
 
But particularly the emotions of autumn can be most difficult for some to balance. Sadness and grief are more close to the surface during this time of the year. You might notice that you are more nostalgic lately. Or things in your life might be touching you in a way that might bring you to tears a little easier. This is natural and a part of the season.
 
Autumn is a time for self-reflection and letting go of habits that no longer serve us. It is a great time to be intentional with our thoughts and tune into our emotions. By letting go we are making room in our lives for other pursuits, dreams, or thoughts that haven’t come to fruition yet by creating inspiration and hope.
 
Receiving acupuncture and herbal medicine can help support and balance your emotional health through this season. Outside of the clinic, gentle practices of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, yoga, and meditation can also help regulate the mood and rejuvenate the spirit.
 
If any of this rings true for you right now, please reach out and book an appointment. We are here to support you to live in harmony with this beautiful season. 

2 Cups Boiling Water 
1/4 Cup Lavender Flowers (or more to taste)
2 Cups Cold Water 
1 Cup Ice 
1 Cup Lemon Juice 
Add in 6 Drops of Stevia  (or more to taste)
1 Lemon Sliced into Wheels or Wedges for Garnish (optional)

***Find culinary lavender at Penzeys Spices in MPLS, St. Paul or Lakeville or at thespicehouse.com.

Pour the boiling water over the lavender in a glass pitcher. Cover and allow to steep 10 minutes. Strain and discard the lavender from the water and return the lavender tea to the pitcher.  Add the cold water, ice, lemon juice and stevia to the pitcher and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Chill until serving with lemon wheels for garnish.  **Note - this tea will be an unappetizing grey-brown-purple.  But don't worry.  By adding the zest of lemon juice, stevia and water, the mixture will turn a beautiful, pale pink.  We've also tried this with homegrown blossoms and it works, though the color isn't as bright.