This episode is a short introduction to a new podcast site that I've recently launched that is specifically geared towards the needs and interests of Chinese medicine practitioners. When I first began Everyday Acupuncture Podcast I envisioned this to be a show that would introduce everyday people to the concepts, methods and possibilities that Chinese medicine offers for naturally healing a wide variety of health concerns. I purposefully avoided technical language and professional jargon. It's b...
Oct 23, 2017•8 min
Acupuncture is often used with good effect to treat psycho-emotive issues such as chronic anxiety and depression. And it is also helpful in the treatment of various psycho-emotive challenges that arise when someone is faced with their world being turned upside down by natural disaster. There is a particular method of treatment that helps people to regain some equanimity in the face of disastrous circumstances. In this episode we speak with an acupuncturist in Israel who is using these methods to...
Oct 02, 2017•39 min•Ep. 72
You can’t think you way out of thinking. And constant ruminative thought is often at the root of a variety of issues from anxiety and depression, to issues with anger, body image, and the limits we place on ourselves. Our physiology is not disconnected from our emotional lives or endocrinological systems, and so our states of mind are reflected in our bodies. Lots of people think they can't meditate because their mind will not settle down and be quiet. But meditation is not about having a quiet ...
Sep 07, 2017•23 min
Our guest when we recorded this show, had just completed a year working in the Wounded Warriors program at Walter Reed hospital. There she used acupuncture to treat veterans for PTSD, trauma brain injury and other chronic conditions that soldiers face after being injured in the line of duty. As with so many complex and difficult conditions, there is no simple cure for PTSD, as trauma of this sort entangles its way into so many aspects of a person’s life. While we do discuss the role of acupunctu...
Aug 03, 2017•1 hr
Most men will have some issues with their prostate as they age. And the vast majority of men will die with some form of prostate cancer, but most will not die from it as most prostate cancers are slow. Figuring out which kind a person has and how to treat it is one of the emerging questions in men's health. Especially as the negative sides effects of treatment can have a big impact on quality of life. Increasingly there is a question as to whether or not the slow forms of prostate cancer are a c...
Jul 08, 2017•1 hr 9 min
Acupuncture is a go-to treatment for musculo-skeletal pain and a commonly used modality for treating sports injuries. NFL stars, Olympic swimmers, basketball players and other top athletes increasingly turn to acupuncture to help with recovery from injury as evidenced by the occasional headline or picture that gives acupuncture another 15 minutes of fame because some sports hero has needles in them. Our guest in this episode takes a different view of acupuncture. She is investigating how it can ...
May 28, 2017•42 min
Chinese medicine does not just have a 2500 year history of written and practical application of treating illness and disease. It also has an equally long tradition of cultivating health and well-being. Here in the West we say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," so like the Chinese, we have this notion that a little attention to our well-being on a regular basis can help us to sidestep major health issues. The Chinese have long observed nature and used that to inform how to live in...
Mar 20, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Sugar addiction is something that usually gets laughed off with a wink and smile. And yet, as Gary Taubes says in his latest book, The Case Against Sugar, if the increasing rates of diabetes were related to a pathogen instead of a lifestyle, we would be in the midst of an all out "war" on the disease. In my acupuncture practice I've seen sugar as an underlying factor in so many problems that bring patients to my clinic. To that end, I've created a guided inquiry that helps people to transform th...
Feb 21, 2017•39 min
Growing up we used to laugh about great-grandma's can of schmaltz that lived in the corner of the kitchen. It's taken the turn of more than a few decades to recognize the value of her peasant wisdom. And might have something to do with her making it into her 90's. In this episode we chew the fat on, well...., fat. After being exiled from the "healthy" American diet since the 1950's, a new generation of metabolic researchers are finding that our fear of fat might be a bit misplaced. Listen in as ...
Feb 06, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Some of us know from an early age we are cut out for medicine. Others never saw it coming; life in its wily wisdom throws us a curve ball, or in this case a bicycle accident. Our guest in this episode sought out acupuncture for a debilitating injury and ended up in a 12 year apprenticeship. Listen in as we explore how acupuncture doesn't just mask, but fundamentally get people out of pain, why the fluids are so important when it comes to healing, and some eye opening neuro-anatomy that throws a ...
Jan 11, 2017•44 min
We know that beauty is more than skin deep, but the truth is that skin is more than just skin deep. While it is easy to think that skin conditions are simply a problem of the exterior portion of our body, in reality dermotological problems are frequently the result of internal imbalances. In this episode we discuss the Chinese perspective on treating skin conditions that get to the root of the problem, so you don't have to use dangerous medications, or be on drugs that only control symptoms for ...
Dec 09, 2016•57 min
Acupuncture is well known in the Western world for its effectiveness in treating pain. In this episode we take a multilayered look at orthopedic acupuncture. While acupuncture is often considered to be an "energetic" medicine, our guest today takes us deep into the structural, neurological, chemical and functional aspects of why things hurt and what you can do about it. Mentioned in this episode: Real Mushrooms For Everyday People Are you looking to improve your health? Are you tired of being ti...
Nov 08, 2016•1 hr 2 min
We often think of germs, genetic abnormalities, poor lifestyle choices or plain bad luck as being the cause of illness and disease. We go looking for the "smoking gun," for the one thing that was the source of our troubles, but often the health issues we face arise out of a much more complex stew of causes and conditions. In this episode Greg Bantick and I discuss the various ways that both illness and health can arise, how at times the symptoms we are troubled by are helpful messengers and how ...
Oct 11, 2016•1 hr 3 min
It's fairly common knowledge these days that acupuncture is helpful in promoting fertility and pregnancy. But acupuncture is not just helpful for getting pregnant, it has a track record in easing the discomfort of back pain, digestive, urinary and emotional issues that are often not well treated by conventional medicine. Additionally, acupressure can be of tremendous benefit to a woman in labor, and this kind of support can be provided by a family member or other person assisting during the labo...
Sep 15, 2016•40 min
With American Olympic athletes suddenly sporting red and purple cupping marks, this ancient healing modality has set the Internet and traditional media ablaze with questions and surprise about those big circular marks. Of course, cupping is not new. It’s been used in Asia for millennia. And if you were paying attention to Chinese swimmers in past Olympics, you would have noticed the same sporty marks. Today’s show goes not only into what these marks are about and why they are therapeutically hel...
Aug 11, 2016•24 min
Tai Chi is one of the more well known Chinese health practices that has made its way to the West. But there was a time when this gentle movement art was unknown outside of the Chinese world. In the 60's Cheng Man-Ching "The Professor" came from Taiwan to New York and began to do something unheard of; teach this ancient movement practice to Westerners. Today's guest is a writer, filmmaker and long time Tai Chi practitioner who has helped to capture the story of Cheng Man-Ching and his influence o...
Jul 08, 2016•31 min
People often joke about being addicted to sugar. After all, how could something as cute and celebratory as a cupcake be bad? But it is not just the cupcake, or the sugary energy drink, it is that sugar has found its way into most foods and the combined effect on our metabolism has spawned an epidemic of obesity, diabetes and mood disorders. What's more, we think of sugar as a treat, a reward, something comforting. And yet it is as addictive as cocaine and as readily available as your next trip t...
Jun 14, 2016•49 min
There are a number of chronic degenerative eye problems that respond to acupuncture. In this episode, our guest discusses his experience using acupuncture to effectively treat macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt's and diabetic retinopathy. We discuss not only treating the eyes, but how the eyes are a part of the nervous system and using acupuncture helps the entire body to find a deeper level of health and wellbeing. Mentioned in this episode: Real Mushrooms For Everyday People...
May 25, 2016•45 min
We often hear about acupuncture being used as an “alternative” when conventional biomedicine has failed to bring relief or resolution to a problem. So it seems a bit counterintuitive to think about acupuncture being used as part of first line care in an emergency room. And that is exactly where this episode’s guest practices— in the ER of a hospital. Listen in for how he works as an integrated member of an emergency room team, and how acupuncture is helpful to patients transiting through an emer...
May 10, 2016•52 min
Contrary to the view of conventional medicine, women's menstrual cycles can be smoothed and regulated with natural methods. In this episode we look at how a woman's monthly cycle is a vital indicator of her overall health. Additionally, we see how the "periods" that accompany hormonal birth control are not periods in the true sense, and how suppressing ovulation with synthetic hormones has a profound effect on a woman's true hormonal tide. Listen in and gain a whole new appreciation for the rema...
Apr 27, 2016•56 min
We often hear about the so-called "mind/body connection," but have you noticed that the very phrase already assumes some kind of disconnect? In this episode we discuss over tea, Chinese medicine's view of how body and emotion are profoundly intertwined, what to do about worry, and how art helps with healing. Listen in for a wandering conversation that starts with how our body/spirit unknowingly slips into the groove of habit and eventually meanders its way into modern physics. Mentioned in this ...
Apr 11, 2016•56 min
In our electronically enhanced speed of silicon world we are easily lured into believing that faster is better, and motion is more productive than stillness. But, think of the cat crouched and ready to pounce, the coiled snake still with a spring load of potential, or the sprinter settled into her blocks. Indeed explosive movement can arise from a dynamic stillness. In today's episode we explore the dynamics of standing still. How settling into our physiology allows antagonistic muscle pairs to ...
Mar 17, 2016•51 min
We often think that our hormones drive our emotions. And while there is some truth in that, it is equally true that our emotions, states of mind, and the stories that we tell our selves also have a profound impact on our hormones. In today's episode we look at how our thoughts and emotions are intimately connected with our endocrinological system. How "balancing hormones" is more than simply supplementing estrogen or testosterone. And how our states of mind powerfully effect our physiology. Ment...
Mar 04, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Westerners honestly come by their apprehension, discomfort and distrust of Chinese herbal medicine. After all, we didn't grow up with this stuff. Our mother's didn't feed us "Cinnamon and Peony Decoction" when we had a cold, we got tomato soup and grilled cheese. Our culture has us going to the drugstore instead of the herb market. Plus, why should we take a medication we don't know anything about? Today's guest is a patient from Yong Kang Clinic, and he's turned the microphone around and engage...
Feb 14, 2016•43 min
If you are thinking there has to be a better solution for the ails of childhood than antibiotics, anti-anxiety meds, ear tubes and amphetamines; you're right! Our guest in this episode has his feet firmly planted in both conventional biomedicine and Chinese medicine. Listen in for a conversation on how a shift in perspective can help to resolve issues that medications can't really touch, the importance of a properly functioning digestive system (and how to tune it up), and a detour into how the ...
Feb 02, 2016•57 min
Fertility issues are more than simply being able to get pregnant. Cultivating a fertile internal environment, having a healthy pregnancy, carrying a child to term and being able to give them a healthy vitality all are part of the process of bringing a new life into the world. In this episode we explore how acupuncture, Chinese herbs, functional medicine, stress reduction, nutrition and some good old common sense all can help couples who are dealing with fertility issues. Mentioned in this episod...
Jan 19, 2016•57 min
Today's show is a bit different from the usual dialogue between practitioners. Due to listener demand Michael Max offers up a solo show as a way of commemorating one year of Everyday Acupuncture Podcast. Listen in for his thoughts on how acupuncture works, why Chinese medicine practitioners look at your tongue, an overview of some of the common Yang Sheng (life nourishing) practices that he has seen be helpful in his clinical practice, and a few things you should consider if you are thinking of ...
Jan 12, 2016•1 hr
Sleep. It is one of those fundamental aspects of life that we take for granted, until we find ourselves writing and editing lists in our mind, or rehashing conversations at 3am. Sleep is a simple and natural process, except for when it's not. And then all our efforts at a slide into slumber only takes us further from the rest we seek. Our guest in this conversation has made a deep study of sleep. And assisted many former insomniacs in finding a night full of rest and rejuvenation. Listen in as w...
Dec 31, 2015•1 hr 11 min
Sometimes we don't even know the rut we're in. Until a symptom, accident or diagnosis snaps us into into an unexpected moment of presence. We can chose the route of "fixing" our bodies, or engage a process of looking into "how we got here" and make more informed choices about the road to take from here. In this episode we explore how the choices we make can land us in a difficult situation, and some options that Chinese medicine provides for regaining our balance and vitality. Mentioned in this ...
Dec 15, 2015•49 min
An overnight treatment for back pain? Yes. But, as with so much in life, it's not a "one and done." It is process. A slight shift in habit and practice that allows your body to unwind postural kinks and find a space of ease and comfort. And from that neutral place of comfort help to promote the healing of stressed and damaged tissues. Today's guest noticed that her patients were getting results from acupuncture, but lifestyle habits caused stress or injury to their backs, thus leading to a "two ...
Dec 01, 2015•49 min
