East Wind Acupuncture

Restoring Health Naturally

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The Benefits of Yoga and Massage

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The Perfect Combination for a Balanced Body

One of the greatest benefits of getting a massage is that it can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, allowing the muscles throughout the body to relax, while yoga improves respiration, energy, and vitality. Together, they are the perfect duo for us to relieve the stress we carry within ourselves. While it’s important to relax the body, it is just as important to relax the mind. Especially with how hectic the world is around us currently. We need to tune back into our bodies and nourish our minds so we can combat the stress as well as disease and sickness around us. The long term practice of yoga helps rid the body of toxins, just like massage, as the specific movements and breathing patterns help create a massage-like effect on the organs, moving the lymph nodes which rids the body of these toxins. This allows the body to regenerate, boosting our immune systems. Research has also shown that receiving regular massage therapy helps boost the immune system, as well as flushing the body of toxins and increasing the blood flow and circulation throughout the body. Massage also increases the activity of white blood cells that help our body fight off diseases! So incorporating just these two simple practices into your life can dramatically change these crazy times. Making sure that not only our body is in good condition, but also our minds!

Here are 10 Yoga Poses you can try out to improve the natural function of our bodies:

Cat and Cow- Beneficial for digestive and reproductive systems

Sphinx- Soothes nervous systems and alleviates constipation

Camel Pose- Improves digestion and respiratory ailments

Fish Pose (or Supported Fish)- Boosts immune system, aids constipation and respiratory system

Bridge Pose- Opens chest, heart and calms the body and improves digestion

Shoulder Stand- Improves vitality, prevents cough, cold and flu and improves digestion

Plow Pose- Improves liver and kidney function, activates digestion and balances metabolic rate

Wind Relieving Pose- Improves digestion, relieves wind, constipation and massages internal organs

Happy Baby Pose- Helps relieve stress and increases vitality  

Legs Up the Wall- Lowers stress, anxiety and insomnia. Increases circulation and quiets the mind.

-Paige R.

Massage for Children

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Massage therapy has positive effects on several pediatric conditions such as: psychological problems, gastrointestinal problems like constipation and diarrhea, painful conditions including burns and sickle cell, muscle tone disorders including cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, and chronic illnesses including diabetes, asthma, cancer, and HIV. Here’s a link to a great article supporting these claims.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617372/

-Madelyn K.

Ways to Help with Infertility

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Did you know 1 in every 8 couples, or 15% of American couples will have trouble getting pregnant? 

April is infertility awareness month. Throughout this month we like to raise awareness about infertility and introduce some ideas for you to naturally help your fertility rates! Listed below are some ways you can start to take charge of your body once again.

  1. Get to know your body as best you can. Getting a clearer picture of your menstrual cycles will help you better understand your most fertile times or need for fertility treatment.
  2. Have your partner tested. Having the proper tests done on both partners is beneficial when trying to get pregnant. Addressing both male and female fertility concerns with your doctor can help you get on the right path towards pregnancy.
  3. Kick bad habits. Reduce or simply stop the use of alcohol and tobacco. Optimizing your health is the best thing you can do to boost the chances of conceiving.
  4. Exercise and eat healthy. Simple changes such as eating more vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats can help to regulate hormone levels and increase your fertility. Light to moderate exercise is good for your heart, which is good for your fertility.
  5. Mind your emotions. Infertility can be a stressful and emotional journey. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your doctor and consider joining a support group for a little extra support during this time.

From here acupuncture and regular fertility massages would be an amazing way to help relax the body and resolve possible obstructions inside the body in a natural and non-invasive way.

-Paige R.

Reciprocal Inhibition

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I feel reciprocal inhibition is a simple concept to grasp but most people are just not aware of what it is. Simply put, reciprocal inhibition is the process of a muscle or group of muscles on one side of a joint having to relax so the the muscles on the other side of the joint can contract creating movement. There is some more in-depth processes that go along with that but hopefully you get the idea. If you suffer from chronically tight muscles or loss of range of motion than that means your nervous system is not allowing this reciprocal inhibition to happen. There are different ways to correct the imbalances of the muscles but massage is always a good start so come see one of our massage therapist to talk about any areas you might be having troubles with.

Sean LMT

Types of Massage Therapy!

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Regular Massage – Helps with pain relief, decreases anxiety, depression and stress. Improves flexibility and range of motion. Not to mention that great feeling after each massage and knowing next month you will get another one.

Swedish Massage – This type of massage is a great choice for anyone wanting to relax. During this massage you will experience – soft, long, kneading strokes, light, tapping strokes on occasion.

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Glute Amnesia

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Yes, you read that right. Glute amnesia is a condition and I’m going to briefly go over here. So hopefully this information helps you in taking steps to correct this condition or prevent it all together

Glute amnesia is when your glute muscles (those are the muscles of you butt) stop firing. The problem with that is when we do movements, that this powerful muscle group is supposed to do, we recruit different muscle to do the movement. In turn this overworks the other muscles causing them undo stress. It is prevalent, but not limited too, people who sit a lot or are leaning forward for long periods of time. The concerns that arise from this is dysfunction in the in the low back, along the hip, and into the quads. So typically I see 2 types of low back pain. One is above the PSIS (Posterior Superior Iliac Spine) and usually is caused by problems along the lumbar and sacral spine area. The other is pain below the PSIS that is usually dysfunction in the gluteal muscles and typically is under activity of this group. Massage along with some simple exercises can help improve this condition.

If this sounds like something that you might be dealing with come see one of our massage therapist and we can help determine if you are suffering from glute amnesia or if there is something else going on and what you can do to help the situation.

Thank you for reading

Sean LMT

4 Tips for Daily Stress Management

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Mindfulness Breaks- Take a few minutes 3-4 times a day to destress. First close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Start to relax your shoulders, let the rest of the body follow. Take a few deep breathes in and exhale all the tension.

Give Love- Experts say physical contact helps encourage you to see new solutions to problems that can appear difficult and studies show petting an animal can decrease stress and lower blood pressure. Give a few hugs a day to reduce stress levels.

DANCE- For 2-3 minutes put on your favorite upbeat song and DANCE like no one is watching! Let out all the stress and tension. Listen to the music and focus on how it makes you feel.

Exercise- Releasing your endorphins feels energizing as you move. Take 30 minutes to 1 hour, 3-4 times a week to help release your endorphins. If you are just starting out take 10-15 minutes every other day and see how you feel afterwards. Then make it your goal to reach 30 minutes to 1 hour, 3-4 times a week.