Notes from Your Acupuncturist: Conversations on Acupuncture, Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health

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! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com

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 c...

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult and confusing phase of life, wishing you had a guide—someone to sit you down, pour you a cup of tea, help you make sense of it all and show you the way forward? If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause, Clarissa Kristjansson is your person. Clarissa is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, educator, and an internationally recognized e...

“I have recognized myself—as a professional, as a parent, as a partner—that the better I take care of myself, the more I can be present and connected to those that I care about.” -Jason Moskovitz, L.Ac. One of the things I love about doing this podcast is reconnecting with people I knew years ago, seeing where life and practice has taken them, and hearing some of the wisdom they’ve accumulated in...

In recent weeks a news story has been making the rounds about a woman who suffered a double pneumothorax as a result of an acupuncture treatment. A pneumothorax is just a fancy way of saying a collapsed lung, and although it’s exceeding rare for acupuncture to cause one, it is a possible adverse event. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about the risks, side effects, and safety...

Have you ever had more insomnia during a full moon? Have you ever felt more introspective or melancholy during a new moon? Have you ever wondered if the pull of the moon might be affecting your physical body, your emotional state, and your life? We know the moon affects the tides, and our own bodies contain about 60% water—so why wouldn’t the phases of the moon affect us as well? Licensed Acupunct...

“China has had many epidemics over its thousands of years of existence, so Chinese Medicine developed an exquisitely complex and sophisticated understanding of disease, especially epidemics and infectious disease.” -Luriko Ozeki, L.Ac. Licensed Acupuncturist Luriko Ozeki has specialized in pediatrics for many years. But at the start of the covid-19 pandemic, she took on a new role: offering teleme...

When 李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee contacted me about coming on the podcast as a guest, I knew that theirs was a perspective I wanted to hear and share. As a biracial member of the Asian diaspora, and a fifth-generation Taiwanese healer, Camellia has spent years trying to understand why their own Asian family members would express disdain for the ancestral healing traditions of acupunctur...

No, acupuncture is not “just a placebo.” Let’s talk about why. I can’t tell you how many times I and every other acupuncturist I know has been asked, “Isn’t acupuncture just a placebo??” Usually it’s by someone who’s keen to dismiss the legitimacy of one of the world’s most enduring forms of medicine, simply because they don’t understand how it works. First of all, don’t knock placebos. They work....

Chinese Medicine history, philosophy, and practical advice…all in one episode! What happens when you blend ancient wisdom with modern understanding? Jeffrey Schiffinelli, licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese medicine, provides an enlightening exploration into holistic disease models, the power of adaptogenic medicine, and the beauty of this ancient practice that views the body as a w...

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...

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...

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. M...

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 weig...

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...

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...

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 st...

“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...

Lots of good advice in today’s episode…courtesy of YOU! Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com Recently I posted a question to my readers and listeners on Substack and social media: what health advice would you give to your younger self? The responses I got were so thoughtful, so loving and compassionate, I thought they deserved their own podcast episode. E...

Can acupuncture help you love yourself more fully? For Dr. Natalie Kilheeney, the answer is a resounding yes. Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com Dr. Natalie Kilheeney radiates positivity. She’s an acupuncturist and qigong instructor, and the owner of Beyond Zen Studio, and multidisciplinary clinic in Granger, Indiana. When I asked her to share some of t...

It’s the most frequently asked of all the frequently asked questions about acupuncture…is it painful? Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com Today’s episode of the podcast is a listener question episode, and I’m answering the question I’ve been asked more than any other…does acupuncture hurt? The short answer is…not really. The long answer is that it depend...

What’s a medical treatment for kids that’s safe, free from side effects, completely natural, and also remarkably effective? You guessed it…acupuncture. Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com Today on the podcast I’m joined by Faune Towery of Napa Acupuncture Practice to discuss acupuncture for a very special segment of the population: kids and teenagers. Fa...

Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com When Marc Ryan decided to specialize in working with people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, little did he know that within just a few months, he himself would be diagnosed with it. Mark Ryan is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Cornell University graduate and two-time Hay House author specializing in the treatment of Hashimoto's...

Become a paid subscriber! Visit https://notesfromyouracupuncturist.substack.com T here’s no telling how many conversations Trey Brackman and I have had about acupuncture in the 10+ years we’ve been working together. Usually we’ll start by discussing something mundane, like the clinic schedule, then one of us will bring up an interesting case study, and before we know it we’re deep in the weeds on...

I’m always fascinated to learn about the many directions an acupuncture career can take. Isaac Haynes and I first met when we were both students at Yo San University in Los Angeles, when I was a senior intern and he was my observation partner. In the ensuing years, he’s practiced on a cruise ship, earned his doctorate, lived in China, become the dean of a doctoral program in the US, organized a vi...