Gut Health & Metabolism: Three Reasons Why It Matters & How Chinese Medicine Can Improve Yours

What do you think about gut bacteria and the microbiome that lives inside your insides? Do you view gut health in terms of function and form?  In other words: proper function (things working well in your midsection) leads to a desirable form (goal weight)?  A lot of people do.  And everyone knows what weak digestion … Continue reading Gut Health & Metabolism: Three Reasons Why It Matters & How Chinese Medicine Can Improve Yours

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine For Pain Relief and Healing, Part I: Sprains, Strains, and Broken Bones

~~~~~ Healing from a sprain, a strain, or a broken bone can be a slow, challenging process that does not always turn out the way you’d want.  If only more people knew what acupuncture and other modalities of Chinese medicine (CM) can do for acute injury!  From speeding the healing process to helping you to … Continue reading Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine For Pain Relief and Healing, Part I: Sprains, Strains, and Broken Bones

A Musician’s Health, And Magic At Home: A Conversation With John Largess

~~~~~ Question of the day: what are you doing to keep yourself healthy and, on top of that, to expand your horizons even though you may be confined to home more so than you might wish? As a scholar and healthcare practitioner, now, for me, is an intensified time of both thinking–reading, writing, researching–and focusing … Continue reading A Musician’s Health, And Magic At Home: A Conversation With John Largess

On Stay At Home Orders And Shifting Sands: Thoughts, And Some Questions For You

~~~~~~ Where do you stand on the matter of shelter in place orders?  Here in Austin, Texas, we were told to remain at home in mid March. Here and now, like everyone else, there are some who are determined to go out and take full advantage of the relaxed standards surrounding the mandate to stay … Continue reading On Stay At Home Orders And Shifting Sands: Thoughts, And Some Questions For You

Wearing A Mask: Some Thoughts On Loving Thy Neighbor And On Being Fabulous During A Pandemic

~~~~~~ Where do you stand on the mask question?  I have been asked by patients about my thoughts on whether or not to wear a mask and it feels like the time for a quick blog post on the topic.  It seems like there are a lot of pros and cons, so I’ll give three … Continue reading Wearing A Mask: Some Thoughts On Loving Thy Neighbor And On Being Fabulous During A Pandemic

Find An Acupuncturist: How To Find The Best Chinese Medicine Practitioner For What You Want To Accomplish

~~~~~ Finding the right acupuncturist for you can be a bit of a challenge. One question that I get asked a lot by people who contact me after reading my blog posts is about how to do just that.  They want someone with sterling credentials.  They may be leery of needles or herbal medicine and … Continue reading Find An Acupuncturist: How To Find The Best Chinese Medicine Practitioner For What You Want To Accomplish

Chronic Stress: Ways to Protect Your Mind, Body, and Spirit for the Long Haul

~~~~~ Stuck in traffic.  News cycle gives you nightmares.  Hot weather leaves you with hives.  Old traumas rear up and knock you right in the lumbar spine.  Maybe you have a chronic condition.  Who knows?  It could be any number of things.  What matters is that your situation has left you in a state of … Continue reading Chronic Stress: Ways to Protect Your Mind, Body, and Spirit for the Long Haul

Scar Removal, Part II: Two Reasons To Remove Your Scar And Two Good Reasons To Keep It

~~~~~ Scars are a natural expression of the healing process.  Injuries that produce them develop in three steps at wound site: inflammation, then proliferation, and then remodeling.  Sometimes this works out nicely and other times, depending on circumstances, the scar can be debilitating or genuinely unsightly.  What, then, to do about your scar tissue? I … Continue reading Scar Removal, Part II: Two Reasons To Remove Your Scar And Two Good Reasons To Keep It

Scar Removal via Traditional Chinese Medicine: Repairing Skin The Holistic Way

~~~~~ Scar removal (also known as scar repair) is generally a matter of laser treatment or surgery.  But did you know that you can soften and even dissipate scar tissue via traditional Chinese medicine?  It’s true! And the benefit of this approach is two-fold: not only do you diminish your scar but you also bolster … Continue reading Scar Removal via Traditional Chinese Medicine: Repairing Skin The Holistic Way