I have a different perspective about wrinkles.  I like them.  I think lines can be attractive and show that you've lived life.  Getting them is inevitable, but you do have control over how many you have and where they are.

Wrinkles are caused by many different things, from the amount of oil in the skin, the climate, or sun damage to repeated facial expressions.  So what makes some people get so many wrinkles and others so few?

The first type is the person who doesn't feel very much and therefore doesn't express much.  These people are not emotionally present.  They may stay unwrinkled longer, but the drawback to living this way is that they are usually unprepared for emotional traumas and have trouble coping.  When these people do suffer a trauma, they seem to age overnight.  This is an advantage to suffering while you are young.  It may cause early lines, but it will keep you from getting lines later because you learn how to deal with life while you are still resilient.

The second type of person who doesn't wrinkle much is the one who is reclusive and lives away from the stresses of the world.  Monks and nuns are a good example.  Because their biological needs are taken care of, their lives are sheltered.  Stress definitely accelerates the aging process, and it is almost impossible to live in the modern world without stress.  A balanced life might include frequent retreats to destress and dewrinkle.

The third type of person is one who does not hold onto past trauma.  Many people cling to the wounds of the past and torment themselves daily.  It doesn't really matter what happens to you in life, what matters is how you feel about it and how you deal with it.  There is no such thing as a bad emotion.  The only bad emotions are stuck emotions.  This inability to release emotion can cause many health problems and lines on the face.

If you can, learn to love the features you have.  All features have special meaning and, when looked at as a whole, have a beauty and symmetry that needs to be honored and understood. 

And if past trauma is marking your face, consider cosmetic acupuncture to soften those lines and heal from the inside out.

For more thoughts: Face Reading in Chinese Medicine, Lillian Bridges

Acupuncture is a go-to therapy for many elite athletes, but you don't have to be going to the Olympics this summer in order to experience its benefits in your athletic adventures.  Whether you're a crossfitter, yogi, weekend warrior, or young athlete, acupuncture can help you feel stronger, healthier, and more aware.

We all know that acupuncture works great for sports injuries by decreasing inflammation (swelling, bruising, redness), relaxing muscles and tendons, calming spasms, improving circulation, and lowering the body's pain response.  And this is wonderful for athletes who go through a lot of wear and tear on their bodies.

But you may be surprised to learn that acupuncture is actually most beneficial when incorporated into training and recovery regimes, before an injury surfaces.  Those who do notice better performance, fewer injuries, and more enjoyment!

5 Reasons to Start Using Acupuncture for Athletics

• Speeds recovery time

Acupuncture helps you bounce back from intense workouts by accelerating the healing process.  Research shows that athletes who exercise to exhaustion and then receive acupuncture 24 and 48 hours post workout reported significantly less pain than those who did not receive acupuncture.

• Reduces stress and anxiety

Acupuncture's harmonizing effect on body and mind through the nervous system helps you to become more focused and less anxious.  Being more focused and relaxed will improve athletic performance across the board.

• Improves sleep

Acupuncture is a safe and natural way to stop sleep issues such as difficulty falling asleep or waking through the night.  Consistent treatments will have you starting your day feeling rested and ready to take your workout to the next level.

• Strengthens the immune system

Studies show that acupuncture raises T-cell counts, even days after a treatment.  T-cells are responsible for destroying harmful bacteria and viruses.  By preventing sickness, you'll miss fewer workouts and be able to improve performance.

• Increases awareness

Most people notice that acupuncture helps them tune into their body, mind, and emotions at subtler, deeper levels.  Being mindful of yourself and your surroundings is not only a great tool during competitions, but also for increasing enjoyment of life.

There's no denying it.  Acupuncture is an excellent modality for all aspects of any athletes' health and well-being.  Find an acupuncturist you vibe with and give it a try!

The ability to adapt to the stresses of life is fundamental to life itself. Adaptability is the root of evolution and the rate limiting factor to biological success.  Fortunately, human beings are one of the most adaptable creatures on earth.  We have adapted to almost every climate.  People live in some of the hottest, driest, dampest, coldest, and most barren parts of the earth.

In this age, a healthy person easily adapts to a wide range of normal stressors, such as changes in weather, nutrition, emotions, or physical activity.  Success could be measured by how well we handle stress.  Those who manage stress well generally take on greater challenges, overcome more obstacles, and get more accomplished.  

Successfully adapting to change is the truest way to grow in experience, knowledge, and wisdom.  The more adaptive an individual, the more vigor with which one can meet the challenges of life, and the greater that person's heath. 

But if we lose this fundamental ability, we stiffen and lose our ability to change.  Therefore, we easily become imbalanced and stagnant, and dangerously susceptible to disease. 

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the importance of flowing with nature's changes; constantly harmonizing, always maintaining balance to avoid the extremes.  By knowing when you have gone far enough, you will lead a less stressed, less draining life.  Additionally, by living close to nature and changing gracefully with your environment, you can avoid disaster and slow down aging.

One of the greatest secrets of a satisfying and happy life, according to traditional Chinese medicine wisdom, is to focus on promoting health instead of managing disease.  Physical health is irrelevant if it is accompanied by unhappiness, trouble, or failure.  It is necessary and possible to cultivate an attitude of holistic health so the body, mind, and spirit can flourish.  Total success takes determination, knowledge, and discipline. 

But we don't have to do it alone.  While we already have excellent adaptive systems in place, such as the work done by our liver, kidneys, and digestive tract, sometimes we can use a tune up to function optimally.  Regular acupuncture and tonic Chinese herbs are wonderful resources to promote physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.  Traditional Chinese medicine can help you look and feel your best.  Try out a system of healing that's full of wisdom and perfect for the modern age.

Inspiration: The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs, Ron Teeguarden

Recently, I saw an Under Armour ad showing Michael Phelps receiving fire-cupping.  It's a cool ad showing the training, strength, perseverance, and recovery required to be an Olympic athlete.  Watch closely at 44 seconds in and you'll see it as part of Phelps' recovery!

Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine technique used to treat many different conditions.  Acupuncturists commonly use cupping as an adjunct to acupuncture, but cupping on its own also provides great benefits.

Cupping involves creating a vacuum-like seal on the skin using bamboo, plastic, or glass cups.  There are different techniques to creating this vacuum, such as lighting an alcohol soaked cotton ball inside the cup to create heat or using suction cups.

This suction can affect tissues up to four inches deep- effecting blood vessels, muscles, fascia, and scar tissue.  For athletes, cupping speeds recovery after workouts and competitions.  No wonder Phelps is using it!

Benefits of Cupping:

• relaxes brain and body
• improves circulation, leading to oxygenation and detoxification of blood
• improves lymphatic drainage
• flushes out metabolic buildup in skin, fascia, and muscles
• increases range of motion
• breaks up adhesion
• improves scar tissue

Conditions for Cupping:

• sore and stiff muscles
• chronic low back pain
• neck and shoulder pain
• fascia issues- plantar fasciitis, IT band
• headaches and migraines
• anxiety and stress
• respiratory conditions

What most people recognize about cupping are the circular marks left on the skin.   These marks are caused by the cellular waste stuck in the muscles being pulled up and deposited under the skin where it can be drained away via the lymphatic system.  From an acupuncturist's perspective, the darker the mark, the more waste there is stuck in the muscle.  Eventually, with consistent treatments, a person will not have any marks after cupping.

Despite the marks, receiving cupping feels like a pulling away of tension from tight and stiff areas on the body.  It can range from gentle to "hurt-so-good."

Have you tried cupping?  Any questions before you do?

I have been getting this question a lot recently, especially at my Ft. Morgan location.  Patients want to know the difference between dry needling and acupuncture.  So, I have created this chart to compare the two modalities.

Acupuncturists, Doctors, Physical Therapists, did I overlook anything?  Patients, what has been your experience, good or bad, with either modality?

Yesterday, I made chicken bone broth.  I drink bone broth to improve immune function, support the endocrine system, heal the digestive tract, increase blood cell count, and a source of dissolved minerals.  And there are many other health benefits to drinking bone broth, too!

While traditional Chinese medicine views each person as unique, bone broth is one thing that every person can include in their diet without harm.  It's not too much of an inconvenience to make at home and definitely worth the effort.  Making your own bone broth is one of the more affordable ways to remain healthy, especially since you can use kitchen scraps.

I take a whole roasted rotisserie chicken and remove the skin and meat from the bone.  Of course, a higher quality chicken will yield higher quality bone broth.  I put the bones and a few pieces of skin to a slow cooker and add leftover veggies like celery greens and ends, onion and garlic with skins, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions.  I also added some excellent herbs and spices such as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaves.  I didn't have any on hand this time but star anise and cinnamon are also wonderful additions.

Then I cover with water and set the slow cooker for 24 hrs.  After about 24 hours, I pick out the larger veggies and bones, then drain the broth through a colander into a glass container and store in the fridge.  It's that simple!

This morning, I had a cup with whisked eggs (a modified eggdrop soup), a large handful of spinach, and some avocado. Bone broth is also fantastic for soup bases, braising veggies, or sipping by itself.

Notes For Cooking

• Can use any type of bone: ribs, pork chops, fish with heads, etc
  
• Bigger bones (cow, pig, sheep) contain more marrow
  
• Smaller bones or small amount of connective tissue will yield little broth
  
• Avoid adding starchy or cruciferous veggies
  
• Wait until end to add salt to taste
  
• Skim any froth that comes to the surface.
  

Neiguan is one of the most important points in traditional Chinese medicine due to its many different functions.

It opens the chest, and therefore, can be used for any chest problems causing pain, stuffiness, or tightness.

It helps to harmonize the stomach and subdue the upward rushing of energy manifesting as nausea or vomiting.  It also helps with acid regurgitation, belching, dizziness, and hiccuping.

Neiguan has a powerful calming action on the mind and can be used to help with anxiety or irritability.  It is excellent to promote restful sleep and help with pre-menstrual depression and moodiness.  Not only does it help you digest food but emotions as well.

Interestingly, this point is effective in alleviating neck aches originating from the back of the head, especially in women.

Lastly, an acupuncturist might choose this point to help regulate irregular or painful menses.

Use Neiguan for pain management, stress, and digestion.  Let me know if you've tried it and how it worked.

Battlefield Acupuncture was developed by Dr. Richard Niemtzow in 2001 for quick relief of pain.  Dr. Niemtzow came up with the term Battlefield Acupuncture because it could be easily used on the military battlefield.  The method involves the insertion of five needles into each ear in situations when narcotics could not be used.
 
This technique delivers significant pain reduction in just a few minutes.  The amount of time a person experiences pain relief can be anywhere from a few hours to days or weeks.  More complex pain patterns generally require more frequent treatments.  For these cases, it is best to treat twice per week for one or two weeks.

Battlefield Acupuncture works by changing the brain’s pain response via the hypothalamus, thalamus, cingulate gyrus, and cerebral cortex structures.  I have successfully used this technique work for many different types of pain, such as fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, residual pain from past injuries, digestive pains, and headaches.  Call to see if Battlefield Acupuncture could help you get out of pain for good!