Notes from Your Acupuncturist: Conversations on Acupuncture, Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health – Details, episodes & analysis

Hey podcast listeners, I’m putting an indefinite pause on Notes from Your Acupuncturist. This quick episode talks about why, or you can read the written update on Substack here. Thank you for listening!

Patients have been asking my opinion on acupressure mats for years. I finally got tired of saying, “I don’t really know,” so I decided to try one out for myself.

If you don’t know what an acupressure mat is…picture a thin rectangular mat, like the kind you used to lie on at nap time in kindergarten, and it’s covered with rows of plastic circles, each about the size of a quarter, and each plastic circle has several short plastic spikes sticking out of it, and you lie on it. It’s like a plastic bed of nails.

So I bought an acupressure mat, and then I thought…why stop with mats? So then I bought a whole bunch of other acupressure tools and asked my coworkers to test them out and report back.

And that’s what we’re diving into in this episode—how these tools work, and why you might want to use them for yourself. You’ll learn:

The fascinating history of the acupressure mat, and how I’ve incorporated mine into my daily self-care routine

The principles of acupuncture meridian and point therapeutics that support the use of acupressure mats

Uses for other acupressure tools such as rings and rollers (including special guest appearances from two of my coworkers, Ali and Sandra!)

I’ll be honest…I went into this little acupressure mat experiment a bit skeptical. I’ve seen some pretty grandiose claims on social media. I don’t think acupressure is a cure-all, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve come to love my acupressure mat. Acupressure is a safe, easy, inexpensive, and effective form of self-care, so I hope this episode inspires you to try it out for yourself!

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You know an herbal supplement is having a moment when it’s mentioned in a New York Times headline. I’m not on TikTok, so I had no idea berberine was a rising social media star until the attention-grabbing NYT headline landed in my inbox, asking “Is Berberine Nature’s Ozempic?” And that’s how I learned that influencers on TikTok, Instagram and who knows where else were touting it as the newest and hottest weight loss aid—a natural, cheaper version of Ozempic. But let’s be clear: berberine is not nature’s Ozempic. There’s no such thing as “nature’s Ozempic,” because Ozempic is a pharmaceutical drug and berberine is a chemical compound found in some plants.

But instead of getting all cranky about the never-ending co-opting of plant medicine to push an unachievable beauty standard and feed the beast of capitalism, I decided to use berberine’s 15 minutes of fame to talk about how cool it is…when it’s prescribed by a qualified herbalist. Berberine may be the latest TikTok fad for weight loss, but in this episode we’re separating hype from reality, and talking about what it actually is.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

* What berberine is, where it’s found in nature, and some of its documented uses, including for the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and polycystic ovarian syndrome

* How the flavor and temperature properties of Chinese herbs reflect their action in the body

* The fascinating connection between the Chinese herb Huang Lian, aka coptis rhizome, and one of the major medical breakthroughs of the 20th century

* The story of another Chinese herb, Ma Huang, aka ephedra, which illustrates the disastrous results of extracting single compounds from whole herbs

* Why herbs should always be taken under the guidance of a qualified health practitioner, and not a social media influencer

So…is berberine nature’s Ozempic? The short answer is no, but the long answer meanders through centuries-old Chinese herbal practices and principles, modern allopathic medical breakthroughs, and a whole lot more. Just remember: TikTok is for entertainment and not medical advice.

And while we’re on the subject of weight loss, checked out episode 15 of the podcast if you haven’t already done so. You’ll learn why it’s good to be skeptical of the hype anytime a product or practice is touted as a weight-loss miracle.

References:

Can Berberine Really Help You Lose Weight?

Nobel Prize for H. pylori Discovery

Barry James Marshall - Discovery of Helicobacter pylori as a Cause of Peptic Ulcer

Reduction in Ephedra Poisonings After FDA Ban

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Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

At every stage of pregnancy, acupuncture benefits parents and babies, and offers natural, drug-free relief from common ailments in pregnancy.

Back in episode 11, Jerusha DeGroote Stephens and I talked about the benefits of Chinese Medicine for infertility and IVF support. Today, we’re talking about what happens AFTER the positive pregnancy test.

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also be a time of great anxiety, particularly for someone who’s been through a pregnancy loss. As Jerusha says, acupuncture creates the space for your brain to downshift and let go of the stress of appointments and schedules and medications. An acupuncture treatment is a time to let someone else take the wheel and take care of you (and a time when no one will ask you for a snack!)—a respite that’s desperately needed for pregnant patients and parents of young kids.

In this episode, Jerusha and I discuss:

Redefining self-care as a survival and not a luxury, and why self care is so crucial during pregnancy

How acupuncture can treat common health issues that arise at each stage of pregnancy, including nausea morning sickness, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, joint and ligament pain, sciatica, gestational diabetes and hypertension

Research studies supporting the use of acupuncture for cervical ripening and labor preparation, and moxibustion for turning a breech baby

How acupuncture can help during the “fourth trimester” or post-natal period, by calming anxiety, replenishing qi and blood, reducing inflammation, minimizing pain and even facilitating lactation

Towards the end of the episode, Jerusha and I discuss two of my favorite things about treating pregnant patients. One is that they almost always report a lot of fetal activity during a treatment. Turns out babies in the womb love acupuncture! And increased fetal activity kind of blows that whole “acupuncture is just a placebo” argument out of the water. Another is that pre- and post-natal treatments often make for some of our best acupuncture stories, like the time my patient had her baby in the car on the way to the hospital after getting acupuncture. Jerusha shares a few of her own powerful patient stories of acupuncture doing the seemingly impossible.

I hope you enjoy this discussion on the many ways acupuncture helps support mothers, families, and new life.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist

P.S. We do discuss pregnancy loss, so if that’s a difficult subject for you, you might want to skip this episode.

You can keep up with Jerusha online at Sprouted Heart Acupuncture and Wellness, learn more about her collaborative, integrated fertility treatment model online at Paradigm, follow Sprouted Heart on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Jerusha by email.

References:

Moxibustion for Correction of Breech Presentation: A Randomized Controlled Trial:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/188144

Acupuncture for Cervical Ripening and Induction of Labor at Term - A Randomized Controlled Trial:https://europepmc.org/article/med/11802511

Stay in touch with Notes from Your Acupuncturist on our website, Substack, Facebook and Instagram.

Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com

Thanks to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode.

Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month on Substack.

Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

Meridians. They’re where the qi flows, where the acupoints are located, and what we tap into with acupuncture needles… But like, what ARE they?

Acupuncturists tend to use analogies to describe meridians. Meridians are like blood vessels, but they carry qi instead of blood. They’re like a system of roadways. They’re rivers of energy flowing through your body. They’re all of these things and more.

Meridians are hard to define because they’re immaterial, yet they do so much. Without them, we’re not alive. They flow in predictable patterns, and yet we can manipulate them with needles, massage, movement and breathwork, or even mere thought.

And there are LOTS of them—different types, with various purposes, carrying qi to every cell of your body. And they’re interconnected, a completely closed circuit. You could even say that your body is just one big meridian with a million different branches.

Meridians are fascinating! And this episode is all about what they are, how they work, and why we acupuncturists love them so much. I hope it inspires you to love them too.

Check out my guest interview on the Midlife Fulfilled podcast!

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Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month on Substack.

Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

Recently my daily Google news alert for acupuncture has been blowing up with headlines about new research showing that acupuncture may help you lose weight. Can it really? Today’s episode of the podcast takes a closer look.

A press release by researchers in Japan, and accompanying presentation at the 2023 European Congress on Obesity, is what kicked off the latest flurry of news stories about weight loss and acupuncture. In their study, researchers concluded that “acupuncture on the ear may aid weight loss when paired with diet and exercise. It’s likely that acupuncture has a positive effect by curbing cravings and appetite, improving digestion, and boosting metabolism.”

But is it really that simple? (It’s not)

Also, why do researchers and doctors fixate on body mass index, aka BMI? Is it a true reflection of a person’s state of health? (Not really)

But isn’t being overweight bad for your health? (That’s debatable)

Why is our society so weird about weight anyway? (Blame capitalism)

This episode tackles the question of whether or not acupuncture can help you lose weight…and a whole lot more.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist

Stay in touch with Notes from Your Acupuncturist on our website, Substack, Facebook and Instagram.

Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com

Thanks to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode.

Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month on Substack.

Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

References:

2023 press release: Ear acupuncture with beads may help shed the pounds

2020 study: Auricular acupuncture with beads helps support sustained weight loss

Summary of auricular acupuncture research

Maintenance Phase: The Body Mass Index

Maintenance Phase: The Obesity Epidemic

Maintenance Phase: Is Being Fat Bad for You?

Global Weight Loss and Weight Management Market Size

Can acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and simple self-care techniques can help you prevent, manage and even eliminate pain? Yes!

Albert Vaca and I met literally on the first day of acupuncture school. We started as part of a small cohort of students in the summer term, and most of our classmates were already a semester or two ahead of us in their studies. I remember feeling like I was at the bottom of a very tall mountain, trying to catch up to other hikers who had already gotten a head start. Fortunately I wasn’t alone—Albert was a fellow bewildered adventurer there at the bottom of the mountain with me.

That was more than two decades ago, and in the ensuing years Albert has gone on to establish his practice at the world-renowned Tao of Wellness in southern California, and has co-authored the book BACK to Pain-Free Health: Secrets of Natural Healing for Back Pain, along with our teacher and school’s co-founder, Dr. Maoshing Ni. He’s completed advanced studies in Acupuncture Orthopedics and specializes in helping people live pain-free with Traditional Chinese Medicine. He takes a multifaceted approach to pain management, emphasizing self-care practices such as movement, nutrition, acupressure and stress management.

As a lifelong athlete and practitioner of martial arts, Albert has had his share of injuries, and knows firsthand how pain can sideline you and affect every area of your life. The knowledge he shares comes from his experience as both a practitioner and patient. He truly practices what he preaches, and his own advice has helped him stay active and healthy as a practitioner, athlete, and father.

In this podcast episode, Albert and I discuss:

* The healing power of breath work and movement, including simple breathing exercises to support your back and massage your internal organs

* The connection between stress and pain, and how emotional healing facilitates physical healing

* The role of nutrition in fighting inflammation and pain, and the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet

* Simple, daily practices for preventing back pain and musculoskeletal pain, and self-care tips to treat pain naturally

My biggest takeaway from this conversation with Albert is that so much of the power to heal, and live a life free from pain, comes from within.. As Albert says, “You CAN get better, but you have to be patient with it, and you have to do the things that will push you towards a pain-free life, little by little.”

Albert shares so many free and low-cost resources too. His book, BACK to Pain-Free Health: Secrets of Natural Healing for Back Pain, guides you through a comprehensive, holistic approach to preventing and managing pain. His qigong and stretching videos are available on the Tao of Wellness YouTube channel, and he shares more articles and tips on the Tao of Wellness Pasadena Facebook page.

I hope this episode helps you see that a life with less pain IS possible, and that the power to heal is in your own hands.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Stay connected with Albert:

Buy Albert’s book!

Tao of Wellness

Tao of Wellness newsletters

Tao of Wellness on YouTube

Tao of Wellness Pasadena on Facebook

Tao of Wellness on Instagram

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Thanks to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode.

Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month on Substack.

Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

Last episode was all about science! This one not so much.

You might recall that last episode of the podcast explored the science of how acupuncture works. Research articles were cited, physiological processes were discussed, long words were used. Today we’re ditching all that and talking about how acupuncture REALLY works. We’ll dive into qi and blood, heat and cold, yin and yang, and all sorts of other interesting concepts that help acupuncturists understand what’s happening in the body. Think of this episode as Year One of acupuncture school condensed into 25 minutes.

So just a refresher…episode 12 discussed the physiological effects of acupuncture in a few key areas: improving circulation, reducing inflammation, regulating the nervous and endocrine systems, increasing endorphins, and modulating brain waves. In today’s episode we look at those key areas and explain an acupuncturist’s perspective on how exactly acupuncture produces all those changes in the body.

While the physiological changes that happen in response to acupuncture are fascinating, it's the theory and philosophy behind it that truly explains its efficacy. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this completely unscientific explanation of the science behind how acupuncture works.

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Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader-and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month on Substack.

Endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

Today on the podcast I’m answering another frequently asked question about acupuncture: How does it work? Now, I love talking about qi and meridians and Chinese Medicine theory, but today’s show is all about exploring the science of acupuncture.

Patients know that acupuncture works, and researchers are keen to understand its physiological effects on the body, so acupuncture has been extensively studied, to help scientists and doctors understand how and why it works. In this episode, I’ll talk you through the scientific research in a few key areas. Specifically, acupuncture has been shown to:

* Increase blood flow in key arteries and improve circulation throughout the body

* Reduce inflammation

* Regulate the nervous system, including the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which encompasses sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) modes

* Increase endorphins, our body’s natural painkillers and “feel-good” chemicals

* Regulate the endocrine system, including blocking chronic, stress-induced elevations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones

* Modulate brain waves

The physiological effects are well-researched and documented. So the next time someone tells you acupuncture is unscientific…just have them listen to this episode.

Thanks to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode, and endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader- and listener-supported publication. If you enjoy my work, you can become a paid subscriber for just a few dollars a month at https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com

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Loved this episode? Leave a rating or a review!

References:

Evaluation of the Effects of Acupuncture on Blood Flow in Humans with Ultrasound Color Doppler Imaging: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3388479/

The Effects of Acupuncture on Cerebral Blood Flow in Post-Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial :https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4739128/

Acupuncture enhances generation of nitric oxide and increases local circulation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17242084/

The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation: https://www.dovepress.com/the-anti-inflammatory-actions-and-mechanisms-of-acupuncture-from-acupo-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JIR

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture at ST36 Point: A Literature Review in Animal Studies: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.813748/full

Acupuncture and Related Techniques for Pain Relief and Treatment of Heroin Addiction: Mechanisms and Clinical Application: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7755848/

Acupuncture and Endorphins: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15135942/

Series of studies first to examine acupuncture's mechanisms of action: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/676751

Deqi Induction by HT7 Acupuncture Alters Theta and Alpha Band Coherence in Human Healthy Subjects: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/7107136/

Impacts of acupuncture at twelve meridians acupoints on brain waves of patients with general anxiety disorder: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23885609/

“After my first IVF patient got pregnant, I was so inspired by helping people grow their families. I was like, this feels like I’m really helping people, in a way that’s beyond placebo, beyond pain. It’s a continuation. It’s a legacy for this family.” -Jerusha DeGroote Stephens, L.Ac.

Jerusha DeGroote Stephens and I first met in 2008, when we worked together at a group practice in Memphis, TN. She’s since built her own practice, Sprouted Heart Acupuncture and Wellness in Flowood, MS, specializing in fertility. She’s even collaborated with a local reproductive endocrinology clinic to provide acupuncture services onsite for patients during in-vitro fertilization (IVF), before and after their embryo transfer. As someone who has experienced the pain of infertility herself, Jerusha is passionate about using acupuncture and Chinese medicine to help patients grow their families.

In this podcast episode, we discuss:

* How acupuncture improves fertility from a physiological standpoint, including stimulating blood flow and follicle development, releasing endorphins, and stimulating nerve tissue

* What patients can expect when using acupuncture to help improve fertility (for both females and males!), whether they’re trying to conceive naturally or through the use of Assisted Reproductive Technology such as IUI or IVF

* What happens after the positive pregnancy test - how acupuncture supports a healthy pregnancy

* Practical advice for anyone who wants to improve their fertility, including her favorite book on the subject, Making Babies by Sami S. David and Jill Blakeway

One of the greatest benefits of acupuncture for infertility is the emotional support and stress relief it provides during what can be one of the most difficult and painful periods of a patient’s life. As Jerusha says, “This is slow medicine. This is not take a pill and fix it in a snap. This works with your body, not against it, and we have to give that time.”

Towards the end of the episode, Jerusha and I take a little walk down memory lane and reminisce about the time I shook hands with the governor of Mississippi, as he promised to sign into law Mississippi’s inaugural acupuncture practice act. Jerusha spearheaded the effort to pass an acupuncture licensure law in her state, and was the first Licensed Acupuncturist in Mississippi.

Even though we discuss a serious topic in this episode, Jerusha and I laugh a lot too. She’s an absolute delight, and I hope you enjoy hearing about her compassionate and committed approach to patient care as much as I did.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist

Notes from Your Acupuncturist is a reader- and listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can keep up with Jerusha online at Sprouted Heart Acupuncture and Wellness, learn more about her collaborative, integrated fertility treatment model online at Paradigm, follow Sprouted Heart on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Jerusha by email.

Huge thanks to Jerusha DeGroote Stephens for the great conversation, and to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode.

And endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!

References:

Paulus study: The influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction technology

Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility by Sami S. David and Jill Blakeway