Treating Migraines Naturally

By |2023-06-28T10:23:28-04:00June 15th, 2022|Categories: Acupressure, Pain, Take Home TCM|Tags: , , , , , |

Migraines are one of the most debilitating neurological disorders worldwide. A crippling headache, migraines are known for their intense, throbbing or pulsating head pain coupled with light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, with possible auras or flashes of light. Notably, they strike one side of the head unlike other headaches. What causes such agony? While a medical explanation is somewhat limited, it’s believed that a complex combination of neurological, hormonal, vascular, and metabolic malfunctions are to blame. Genetics may also play a role. Ultimately, the best way to combat migraines is to prevent them from happening in the first place. The [...]

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Choose Your (Immunity) Fighter

By |2022-11-15T14:05:18-05:00November 9th, 2021|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , , |

Astragalus (Huang qi), Atractylodes (Bai Zhu), and Siler Root (Fang Feng).  These 3 ingredients make up the powerhouse formula Yu Ping Feng San a.k.a. Fall Mend Blend + ImmuneScreen.  This formula is a major immune tonic. Astragalus is renown in both the East and the West for its immune and qi boosting properties. When combined with Bai Zhu and Fang Feng, this formula works to dry damp and expel wind as well. (Think morning sniffles and that stiff neck feeling of changing seasons).   It’s important to strengthen the body during times of health, BEFORE symptoms appear. This formula is [...]

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Dr. Bob’s Medicated Oil

By |2022-11-15T14:05:18-05:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: Pain, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , , , |

I'm so excited that Mend’s clinic rooms and retail shelves are now stocked with one of my favorite topical products, Dr. Bob's Medicated Oil. Though the name always makes me think of a carnival barker selling a magical cure, this really is a lovely product with a variety of uses and a history connected to that of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practice here in the US. Opening a bottle of Dr. Bob's fills the room with the bright smell of peppermint and tea – two of the oils used in the mixture. It's easy to pour and [...]

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Introducing: Marissa and Herbs at Mend

By |2022-11-15T14:05:19-05:00September 28th, 2021|Categories: Acupuncturists, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , |

For those of you who don’t know me yet, I’m Marissa.  As the resident herbalist at the Quarry Lake location, I’ve been working to assemble this clinic's herbal inventory and apothecary over the last few months.  And….. It’s HAPPENING!   Just an FYI: I have advanced clinical training in Western herbalism and am nationally certified in Chinese herbology (more info HERE). Herbs are actually the reason I went to acupuncture school in the first place. So, WHY see an herbalist? Properly recommended herbs can create BALANCE when the body is out of alignment. SUPERCHARGE your acupuncture visit! A licensed herbalist [...]

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Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer 

By |2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 16th, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , , |

The season of late summer is associated with the Spleen organ, which is related to dampness. (If you live in Baltimore, you are no stranger to the pathogenic factor of humidity!) Dampness in late summer injures the Spleen organ and can affect us with symptoms of fatigue, heaviness in our bodies, foggy heads, low appetite, bloating, loose stools, UTIs and yeast infections. In this context, we are talking about how the climate of dampness can affect us, however, it must be said that we can also have symptoms of dampness due to our constitution or from diet (most notably [...]

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Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter

By |2022-11-15T14:05:36-05:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Pain, Take Home TCM|Tags: , , , |

Photo by Sohel Patel from Pexels Bladder 58 is a point I was trained to consider when a patient describes feeling “scattered,” specifically when the scatter comes after a period of overwork or stretch of active anxiety. From this overtired place we can scatter our energy ineffectively, the mind can fly off in a thousand directions, and we can catastrophize all that could happen unless we do something about it all. This point is thought to restore order and containment and calm the urge to react and over-do.  A glass of water is only a useful resource when in [...]

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Ba Duan Jin: The Eight Brocades

By |2022-11-15T14:05:37-05:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Movement, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , |

Medical Qi Gong for Health & Vitality  I was recently digging through my things and found some old notes on the Ba Duan Jin (also known as The Eight Brocades) from my Qi Gong classes in acupuncture school. A set of eight exercises that my classmates and I often used in between classes, before exams, in an attempt to slow down and tune in. I have since gotten out of the practice of doing it, but would like to integrate it back into my life because it is such a simple and relatively quick set of gentle exercises/stretches that [...]

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Alternate Nostril Breathing

By |2022-11-15T14:05:37-05:00July 19th, 2021|Categories: Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , |

Alternate nostril breathing technique (aka Nadi Shodhana) is a favorite go-to of mine for quick n’ easy centering. It’s a helpful tool to have in your pocket when you are feeling anxious, unfocused, ungrounded, or just “off.” This particular breathing technique balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and calms the nervous system. It can be used at anytime, but can be especially useful during the summer season. In Chinese medicine, the summer season is the most yang of the seasons and corresponds to the Heart organ and the element of Fire. The Heart is associated with [...]

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Ren 17

By |2022-11-15T14:05:41-05:00May 26th, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , |

Ren17, also called “Sea of Qi,”,  “Chest Center,”  or “Revealing the Heart” This is a powerful acupoint to open the chest. I tend to use it when a person has a “heavy heart” or perhaps holds tension in their chest due to anxiety. I know it will be useful when a person catches themself holding their breath throughout the day, as one of its many benefits is to “unbind the chest.” This point is indicated to clear phlegm/congestion of chest, loosen the chest, disinhibit the diaphragm, resolve anxiety or panic attack, calm heart palpitations, and because of its downward action, [...]

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Free and Easy Wanderer

By |2022-11-16T21:34:47-05:00May 19th, 2021|Categories: Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: , , , , , |

Xiao Yao San or Free and Easy Wanderer or Rambling Powder is one of the most commonly prescribed and well-researched Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas. Several of Mend’s blogs have addressed the importance of loving on your Liver either by eating sour and/or green foods or by tending to your emotional health. Consider Xiao Yao San as another tool to support the Liver. There's a good reason we recommend this beautifully balanced formula at Mend so frequently; it soothes the Liver and supports the Spleen. You may be asking “what in the world does soothing the Liver and [...]

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