tigerlily's blog

The other day in the Paper I read of a practitioner calling themself an “acupuncturist” and it struck me as odd as they were in fact a Chiropractor. In further research I discovered that they had never attended acupuncture school, had no acupuncture license and really only put needles where you hurt on your back. This is NOT acupuncture. This typically gives all of the real people who practice this art for a living a very bad reputation.

Spring in Austin Texas is one of the best places to live in the world. The weather is great, there are tons of marathons, triathlons, 5 and 10k races, kite festivals, and, of course, great live music outdoors. So I think it is safe to say that there is plenty to be happy about. Spring is a time of growth and in Chinese medical theory it is the time of the Liver. The Liver is the organ that moves Qi in the body, which is one reason why in spring it is easy to get out of the stagnant funk of winter. As your Qi begins to move, people generally feel less depressed and happier.

Yes we do accept insurance. More and more insurance companies are now covering acupuncture as a medical therapy. We are happy to check your benefits and discover what your policy specifically covers, what your deductible is, how much if any is left on your deductible to meet before your benefits begin, what your co-pay is and how many visits/ year you are allowed. We can usually get this checked while you receive your first treatment. Or if you would rather call us and provide the necessary information we can inform you of the details by phone prior to your first visit.

Driving can be a great adventure in Austin TX. Traffic can be brutal and really delay our daily lives. Imagine for a little while that you were stuck on Mopac in a bad traffic jam in August, in the afternoon and you’re a/c just went out. Imagine the heat, the exhaust, the BEING STUCK with little to no way out of it for say a mile or so. I’m sweating just thinking about it. This is the same inside your body. When a ”traffic jam “ happens of qi and/or blood, you heat up and get symptoms like irritability, hot flashes, ringing in your ears, headaches, and finally a flushed red face.

Gou Qi Zi also known s goji berry or Chinese wolfberry, has been a documented medicinal since the first century A.D. The original Materia Medica for Chinese Herbology was written in the first century and later revised in Tibet in the mid 4th to mid 5th centuries. In these ancient texts lies the information that we base our Chinese herbal protocols on today.

Considering the facts regarding the nutritional content in our food supply today can be a daunting task. Most of our patients are not aware of the lack of nutrition in the foods they consume with the best intentions of eating a healthy diet. For instance, 1 cup of organic spinach is equal to 60 cups of conventionally grown spinach in so far as nutrition is concerned. That is one example of hundreds of foods that we eat daily. Good nutrition is the first focus on improving our health and helping our immune system’s function.

As we age and experience life to the fullest, our essence wanes. This is the Chinese medical view on aging and the effects of aging on our bodies. Having grey hair is one of those effects and within Chinese medicine lies an effective therapy to turn it around. We use a Chinese herb, He Shou Wu, to do what the Chinese have done for centuries to return their luxurious black hair to well, being black. This herbal therapy takes about 3 months to have a complete effect, is very safe and historically effective.

If you are feeling a little more of yourself as we approach the holiday feasting season, than read on. Losing weight can be a heavy thought on the mind especially if you’re a busy professional with little time to exercise and even less will to diet. Even though Austin provides the outdoor possibilities of trimming down, like Lady Bird Lake and the greenbelt, finding the time can be tough. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be a useful ally in the battle with our bulge. We can help you find the will and lose the weight in a short 21 days.