acupuncturist

Dr. Tan’s Balance Method

July 10, 2018 By Karen Siegel Propis Leave a Comment

Karen Siegel-Propis , MSOM, MPH, R.Ac. Dipl CH, RD

A Different Take on Classic Acupuncture

Dr. Richard Tan was a practitioner and teacher of acupuncture. He brought old and new schools of thought together to create a powerful healing method. His family celebrates a long tradition of Chinese medicine, which gave Dr. Tan an understanding of ancient practices. He combined that knowledge with his education in engineering to create a new method that provides immediate relief for many patients.

How Does the Balance Method Work?

Chinese medicine utilizes an energetic model to provide healing and relief. Each organ in the human body and corresponding energy channels are connected to form a complex network. That means that one area can affect another.

The Balance Method requires deep knowledge of these channels to achieve a stronger effect whether the practitioner is using acupuncture, herbal medicine, or a combination of the two. For example, this method uses points associated with the channels causing discomfort. Pain on one side of the body may be treated by inserting needles into a point on the opposite side.

What is the Best Acupuncture Method for Me?

Knowing how to apply acupuncture requires significant knowledge and experience. There is a lot of potential for pain and symptom relief when working with a professional acupuncturist. The first step is scheduling an appointment with someone who understands traditional medicine and its applications. Contact Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan today to talk to and make an appointment with an expert. We can provide advice and make suggestions for holistic treatment options that could help you find a solution that best works for you.

Can Acupuncture Help Treat Headaches and Migraines?

June 4, 2018 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

Julie Shindler-Cohen, R. Ac., Dipl. OM, FABORM

Headaches are a common problem that affect people all over the world. Finding the right treatment can be difficult because headaches occur for different reasons. Many patients have found relief through acupuncture, a traditional Chinese practice that has been used for thousands of years.

Acupuncture for Tension Headaches

Tension headaches can cause significant discomfort. The symptoms include dull aching in the head, neck tenderness or tightness, and feelings of pressure behind the eyes, along the forehead, or on the sides or back of the head.

Acupuncture interacts with the nervous system to signal the brain to direct blood flow to the affected region. This helps relax muscles and reduces pain and tension. The procedure also causes the release of endorphins and enkephalins, which naturally stop pain.

Acupuncture for Migraines

A study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that involved nearly 500 adults with migraines. Some participants were treated with real acupuncture while others were treated with a fake imitation involving needles inserted at nonspecific points in the body. Participants had no idea which they received during the four-week-long study.

While both groups experienced some relief immediately, only those who received real acupuncture reported long-term improvement. On average, those who received acupuncture had reduced migraine intensity and frequency three months later while those who received the sham treatment did not.

Acupuncture for All Other Headaches

Acupuncture offers a holistic alternative to conventional medical treatments for all headaches and migraines. Contact Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan to make an appointment with one of our experienced and highly trained acupuncturists.

Creating an intention for your fertility

April 1, 2018 By Monica Mae Leibson 2 Comments

Focus the mind to reduce anxiety

Use this practice to focus the mind on what we desire, rather than letting anxiety and fear get the best of us.

Step 1: Release the past. If our mind is cluttered with memories of yesterday or anxiety regarding tomorrow, we cannot truly create from a blank slate.

Breathing in, I allow myself to come into this present moment. I choose to consciously release the past at this moment. I internally declare that the past has no power over me and I release and let go. (Deep sigh of relief.) [Read more…]

Ask a Practitioner: How do you self-care after the hectic holiday season?

January 3, 2018 By Julie Silver Leave a Comment

My self-care begins with creating a balanced schedule at work and at home. I keep up the activities that keep me healthy – exercise, acupuncture, healthy eating, sleep. I try not to deviate much from my regular self-care so that returning to them is no big deal. I don’t make many New Year’s resolutions – though I reflect on the past year and the year ahead. Finally, I work on being grateful and thankful!

Julie Silver, Acupuncturist

I schedule some time to reflect on the past year and create a new vision for the future. This is my favorite form of self-care. I often journal regarding what I’ve learned from the year, be it through my own personal experiences or from the more global shifts. I then choose a few key words and ideas to be the “theme” of the next year, so that I’m able to see life through the lens of that ideology. In the past I’ve chosen words like “Joy,” “Serenity” and “Transformation.” It is an honor and a privilege to be able to create the context of our lives and shift how we view situations. Every year during this time I enjoy newly creating my goals for myself and for the world at large.

Monica Mae Leibson, Acupuncturist

[Read more…]

To Sleep … Perchance to Dream

August 8, 2017 By Monica Mae Leibson Leave a Comment

Now’s the time to get your kids (and yourself!) back on a good sleep schedule to help ease the adjustment to the start of school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:

10-13 hours (including naps) for children ages 3-5
9-12 hours for children ages 6-12
8-10 hours for teens ages 13-18

Adequate sleep, say the pediatricians, leads to improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health. [Read more…]

Everything You Wanted to Know about Acupuncture Needles!

August 7, 2017 By Karen Siegel Propis Leave a Comment

Here’s everything (and probably more) that you always wanted to know about acupuncture needles, which are used to stimulate the flow of qi energy.

They are made from stainless steel and flexible are like a wire (but not hollow)
They’re not much thicker than hair, and much thinner than a sewing needle or the hypodermic needle used to give a shot

[Read more…]

Keep coming back!

August 22, 2016 By Julie Silver Leave a Comment

It is hard to make sense of something that is difficult to make sense of! Most people who come for acupuncture come without knowing much about “how it works”. We take time in our initial session to explain the premise behind acupuncture. In explaining it – it makes so much sense!

Acupuncture is based on the belief that our body has the ability to promote its own healing. What underlies our body’s ability to heal is an energy called Qi. We cannot see qi. It is an invisible force that is known by its effect. [Read more…]

Integrative Approach to Menopause!

July 17, 2014 By Julie Silver Leave a Comment

Menopause and peri-menopause are natural occurring processes which take place when the secretion of estrogen and progesterone in our body diminishes. As a result, menstrual cycles become irregular and eventually stop. Menopause becomes “official” when a woman has not had a cycle for one year. Symptoms of menopause can vary from woman to woman. However, typical symptoms include: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, changes to skin and hair, sleep and mood. Symptoms vary from woman to woman as does the length and severity of symptoms. There are many women who are looking for an integrative approach to managing peri-menopause and menopause and there are a number of options available.

Acupuncture

A study conducted at Henry Ford Hospital and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (volume 28, number 4) compared the use of acupuncture vs. Effexor for the management of hot flashes for patients undergoing treatment of breast cancer. In this study, 50 patients were assigned either to receive acupuncture 2 times a week for 2 weeks followed up by once a week for 4 weeks or take Effexor. Both groups experienced significant decreases in hot flashes, depressive symptoms and other menopausal quality of life symptoms indicating that acupuncture is at least as effective as Effexor; with none of the side effects commonly associated with this medication.

Most remarkably, the duration of reduced symptoms lasted much longer with acupuncture (2 months) vs. Effexor in which most symptoms returned within 2 weeks after the medication was discontinued. [Read more…]

Making friends with our emotions

February 26, 2013 By Julie Silver Leave a Comment

As acupuncturists, we sit with our clients and talk with them about their emotions. Emotions are an important part of the intake process for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Emotions affect our physical health and physical health affects our emotional well-being.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine – most organ systems have an emotion associated with them. When someone is angry or irritable, we think of the Liver and how to work to balance the flow of Liver Qi. Fear is associated with the Kidneys, Grief, the Lungs, Heart – joy, and the emotion associated with the Spleen is worry. Since we so often experience many emotions, one can speculate the effect the emotions have on our health.

I want to make a pitch for making friends with our emotions. So often, we try to push our feelings away. This may be done through drugs and alcohol, food and other addictions, exercise or medications. An informal industry has been developed in order to support us in NOT FEELING. What this ultimately does is add an additional layer to our pain and suffering. We still feel the emotions we don’t want to feel and we self medicate ourselves to get away from the feelings we still feel! Doesn’t make sense! [Read more…]

Acupuncture works: Fibromyalgia and depression

September 19, 2012 By Monica Mae Leibson 1 Comment

What was your primary concern that brought you in for acupuncture treatment?

I originally came in to see Monica Leibson for Fibromyalgia symptoms such as intense joint and back pain, exhaustion, and depression.

What were the benefits you experienced from acupuncture, expected and unexpected?

Relaxation; allergy, cold, and asthma relief, pain relief; more energy; ability to accomplish more in a day with little to no pain.

What were some of your misconceptions about acupuncture before you began treatment?

I was worried it would not work. I was afraid it would not be able to help with my chronic pain.

What would you tell people who have never had acupuncture?

I did not believe this kind of relief was possible. If I see anyone with pain or a lot of stress they should definitely try acupuncture with Monica Leibson. It has made my life 100 times better and my family sees the relief I get as well.

– Rebecca K.

White Lake, MI