Unfortunately, falls are one of the leading causes of death and disability in older people. Something as random and quick as a fall can change the entire life of the person who fell and their caretakers. My grandmother-in-law, with whom I was very close, lost her independence following a fall; she couldn’t live alone anymore and had to go to a nursing home. This was the beginning of the end for her — within seven months, she had passed. I still miss her a lot.

One of the best ways I found to develop and maintain the stability to prevent falls in the elderly is by starting to do strengthening exercises while you are younger. Tai Chi is excellent for this. It may seem that the people aren’t doing much when they do tai chi, but this kind of exercise develops strength in the legs. It can help with confidence (a big part of it, actually) and stability. Start early with this — it does become too late. A 90 year-old-patient I see, a man, tried to start tai chi at 86, and by then, he couldn’t hold himself up properly. I felt bad for him but if only he’d started earlier, he could have really seen some benefit. For more information, see the CDC report called, “Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview”http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/falls/adultfalls.html and go to Youtube and check out the following video for an example of a woman doing tai chi. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBvF6r6DOvc

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist with a practice in Atlanta, Georgia’s Buckhead area. If you are interested in learning more about how acupuncture can help you or your loved ones, please call 404-949-0550 or send email to kerri@acuworks.net.

Often, during the course of the interview with a new patient, the tables turn such that the patient starts asking me a few questions about how I became interested in acupuncture. It’s a fair question and one that I am happy to answer. I usually try to keep my reply short in the context of the appointment setting, but here, I can elaborate a little. Sorry if it’s a bit indelicate at times, but here it goes.

When I was younger, I had problems with my menstrual cycles. Looking back, many of the problems I experienced were probably largely related to my emotional states at the time, but nevertheless, the problems were real and debilitating. I had painful menstrual cramps for two weeks of every month throughout my teen years and twenties. Once the bleeding “hit”, as I referred to it, like a natural catastrophe, I was down for the count with unrelenting nausea, vomiting, spasmodic cramps, fever and chills, and sometimes diarrhea. I couldn’t drink or eat anything, couldn’t take pain medication (because I’d throw it up), couldn’t go to school or work, couldn’t even sit up in bed, sleep, or do anything to take my mind off of the excruciating pain. It was horrible, and I didn’t understand why it was happening or what to do about it. My whole life revolved around my period. Nothing could be planned for the expected dates of the monthly scourge’s next Days 1-2. After trying everything I knew in terms of changing my diet and taking advantage of what Western Medicine had to offer, I tried acupuncture. My acupuncturist, Dr. Yajuang Wang of Seattle, opened a new world for me. I noticed differences in my cycle immediately once I started getting treatments from her and taking the herbs that she prescribed. For once in my post-pubescent life, the cramps and the vomiting seemed to let up somewhat. The bleeding started and stopped on a dime instead of trailing on and off with days of spotting at the beginning and end of it. When I was not as much better as she thought I should be after a number of treatments, Dr. Wang referred me back to my Western physician for additional testing. Soon afterwards, I was scheduled for laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Stage 2 endometriosis was discovered and removed (for the most part; some of the endometriosis was left behind because it was deemed too close to vital structures in the pelvic cavity for safe removal), resulting in what turned out to be one or two months of relief. The pain and vomiting returned, but my condition was not as debilitating every month as it had been before the surgery. I was really disappointed, but I kept seeking natural cures for my health problems. I soon accrued a bookshelf full of all manner of natural health-related texts. I continued with acupuncture, and eventually I got better. Now, I don’t vomit, and the cramps are not too bad most of the time. Still, I take painful and disruptive periods as a sign that something needs to change. It really is not supposed to be like this. I’ll write more about how I decided to become a licensed acupuncturist in Part 2.

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist at Acupuncture Works in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, GA. If you would like a consultation about how acupuncture can be of help to you or someone you care about, please contact her at 404-949-0550 or kerri@acuworks.net.

Most people have experienced headaches at one time or another, although occasionally I meet the patient who, upon routine questioning, says, “I have never had a headache in my life”. According to Harvard Medical School’s ‘Everyday Health: Understanding Headaches’ website, headaches can result when sensory nerves in the head are activated as local muscles, blood vessels and nerves temporarily stop functioning correctly (1). This is not in contrast to the way we think of headaches when we consider their causes and the solutions that acupuncture holds for stopping or curing them. From an East Asian medical perspective, headaches (along with dizziness, high blood pressure, and certain other health conditions, by the way) can occur when there is too much ki (energy) in the head and thus an imbalance in ki circulation in the rest of the body, where the ki can be put to productive use. Thus, one of the first goals in the treatment of headaches using acupuncture is to determine where the ki is overly concentrated and use the methods of acupuncture and moxibustion to redistribute it.  Certainly though, there are times when it is in order to seek the care of a qualified physician as the first course of action when experiencing certain symptoms, namely:

▪ a sudden, severe headache with or without neck stiffness

▪ a persistent headache in someone who was headache-free

▪ a headache with eye or ear pain

▪ a headache with fever

▪ a headache following a blow to the head

▪ a headache that interferes with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

▪ a persistent headache in a child, especially if occurring at night or upon waking in the morning

▪ confusion or loss of consciousness (2).

Additionally, Ikeda Masakazu sensei suggests seeking Western care if the entire head hurts, if it is the first time the person has ever had a headache with a severe quality, if there is vomiting with the headache, or for intractable headaches for which pain relievers offer no help whatsoever (3).  He finds acupuncture extremely useful for the type of headaches that occur at the temples and for the type of headaches that happen a couple of times per month; particularly those that occur in relation to the menstrual cycle in women of childbearing age (4).  Headaches can be treated effectively using acupuncture, both to stop a headache from coming on to full-fledged degree and also to help prevent future headaches by influencing the free flow of ki. For patients who come into the office with an existing headache, it is important to judge the value of the treatment by asking one simple question – “Is the pain gone, or at least substantially decreased, by the end of the session?” For me as a practitioner, the patient’s headache pain should be gone. I want to make sure that each patient who comes in with a headache leaves without one.

(1-2). “Everyday Health:  Understanding Headaches.” http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/headache/understanding/index.aspx

(3-4). Ikeda, Masakazu. ‘Acupuncture for Acute Conditions’. Lecture. Carrot Tower. Sangenjaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. July 6, 2008.

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., has a strong record of successfully treating headaches many other issues using acupuncture. If you would like to make an appointment with her or speak with her specifically about your case, please call Acupuncture Works at 404-949-0550 or write her at kerri@acuworks.net.

As a health care practitioner who spends lots of time with patients one-on-one behind closed doors, I hear a lot of confessional statements from them about situations in their lives. A patient the other day said, “Acupuncture makes a person talk! It’s been a long time since I opened up or even thought about the topics I’m discussing with you.” Sometimes, I feel that I have heard it all, from admissions about affairs that they are considering having to what they really do for a living (high-priced call girl, etc.) to health conditions they have that they haven’t mentioned to their spouses yet. When placed in this role, it is my job both to listen without judgment and, in some cases, to make the suggestion the patient see a trained, licensed counselor or therapist for additional assistance. But most importantly, I have to assess how what they’ve just disclosed to me is affecting their health that day. Often, there’s something; some link that can be drawn between what we have discussed in hushed tones and the condition of their body. Our emotions show up all over our bodies and it serves us to know what to observe. I am honored to be able to act as a sounding board for them in that way. Sometimes people just want to be heard. Especially when they’ve sought acupuncture for some kind of a pain condition, these patients usually get better fast.

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., has a strong record of successfully treating many issues using acupuncture. If you would like to make an appointment with her or speak with her specifically about your case, please call Acupuncture Works at 404-949-0550 or write her at kerri@acuworks.net.

I have recently returned to Atlanta from visits to Japan for most of December 2007 and for about 12 days in July 2008. Both trips were wonderful. I went to learn from my teachers, and came back infinitely richer in many ways than before I left. My Japanese language skills seem to be both improving and getting rusty at the same time. I always know when I plan to return to Japan that I will be so glad I made the journey, and I am never disappointed.

Some of you who have been in for treatment or who know me personally have heard some of my stories about my adventures in Tokyo and Imabari, a small town on Shikoku Island where my senior teacher lives and practices. Life is so modern there in many ways but so different from living in the United States. In Tokyo particularly, people live very close together, in public and private. Here in Atlanta, and in the United States in general, people spread out and take up lots of personal space around our bodies and around our possessions. It can be startling to ride crowded trains, walk along packed sidewalks, and, when indoors, be very closely surrounded by four walls at all times. However, these conditions can be adapted to easily and then I start to wonder why I feel the need for so much space at home anyway. In Japan’s countryside areas, people take up more room but still, the life is physically compact by American standards. There is order everywhere, though. Passengers boarding trains wait patiently until every departing passenger steps off. On the escalators, standers stand to the left and walkers walk up on the right. I get riled up myself to see some oblivious Westerner standing on the escalators, blocking the way for others to get by! At traffic lights, pedestrians wait for the light to change before crossing. Of course there are exceptions, but the order I observed astounded me. It was as if everyone knew the rules for being in crowds and followed those rules to the letter. All the space we’re used to in the States must allow some of us to disregard such courtesies in order to get where we’re going or get our bearings; we’re just thinking about our own little paths, not about how orderly transportation could run for everybody if we just paid more attention to our surroundings and to efficiency. Societies become reflected by glimpses such as these.

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., has a strong record of successfully treating many issues using acupuncture. She visits Japan for training on a regular basis. If you would like to make an appointment with her or speak with her specifically about your case, please call Acupuncture Works at 404-949-0550 or write her at kerri@acuworks.net.

A few definitions are in order before discussing an East Asian medical approach to sprains and strains. First of all, what are they, and what are the differences between them? A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament, the connective tissue between bones at joints (1). A strain is a stretched or torn tendon (tendons connect muscles to bones), or a stretched or torn muscle (2). Most of the time, these kinds of injuries are characterized by sudden activities that disrupt protective body mechanics; in a reactive attempt to correct the loss of balance or application of force, the person with either of the above types of injuries has usually had an accident that resulted in a stretch or tear of the relevant structure. The most affected areas are the ankles, knees, and wrists (3). In acupuncture practice, I see ankle sprains far more often than any other type of sprain or strain. Depending of the severity of symptoms, it is recommended that the injured party see a physician as soon as possible to rule out or confirm the possibility of broken bones, fractures, or other serious conditions. During all aspects of recovery, acupuncture and moxibustion can be helpful to reduce swelling and the need for medication. These techniques can also help to speed the healing process.

Commonly, people want to know what they can do at home to help themselves get back to the activity level they were used to before the injury occurred. A question that is often asked is, “Should we be using ice or heat?” on the injured area. According to Drs. Roizen and Oz, of the You: series of (Western) medical reference books, it is best to ice for 48 hours following an injury to reduce swelling and pain, although the use of ice after 48 hours is for the generation of heat after the ice is taken away (4). They further suggest the use of heat to warm the muscle for increased range of motion as healing commences (5). In seeming contrast, Masakazu Ikeda sensei reports the use of heat during the phases of recovery to discharge heat from the area, employing cooling only if the area of injury is very hot (6). When we think about it, the goals of these two apparently opposite approaches is to clear excessive, pathogenic heat and to replace that heat with a healing form and amount of heat. They are really both saying the same thing. So, the advice to those who insist on continuing to use ice long after the initial phase of injury, is that they please do so in strict moderation with the intention of generating heat to actually heal the sprain or strain. To prevent these kinds of injuries from taking place in the future, there are many exercises that can be done to strengthen the ligaments, tendons, bones, and muscles. If a person is prone to such problems, it is of paramount importance to incorporate strengthening exercises on a regular basis.   (1-3). “Health Topics – Questions and Answers about Sprains and Strains.” National

Institute of

Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.  http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/strain_sprain/strain_sprain.htm(4-5). Roizen, Michael, and Oz, Mehmet. You: The Owner’s Manual.

New York: Harper Collins Resource, 2005. P. 112. (6). Ikeda Masakazu. The Practice of Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, trans. Edward Obaidey.  Seattle: Eastland Press, 2005. pp.116-117.

Kerri Winston, Ph.D., L.Ac., has a strong record of successfully treating patients for a variety of conditions, including injuries. If you would like to make an appointment with her or speak with her specifically about your case, please call Acupuncture Works at 404-949-0550 or write her at kerri@acuworks.net.

In today’s American society, an alarming percentage of people are taking pills. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, as of their latest survey in 2002, almost half of the population had a record of prescription drug use within the past month (1). Sometimes, especially in the senior population, people can end up taking several different medications, some of which are supposed to treat the same conditions. The main problem that can result is that with most any pharmaceutical drug, there is a risk of side effects. Read the rest of this entry »

“But that’s the way I have eaten my whole life. I am not going to change it now.”

“Man, if everything’s bad for you, at least I am going to enjoy what I’m eating. You have to die from something.”

“Well, you can keep your rabbit food. I need meat.”

Do any of the above statements sound familiar? They do to me. I hear these kinds of comments from patients and acquaintances all of the time concerning their dietary choices. Sometimes, just knowing exactly what to eat and in what quantities is not that easy. The epidemic of overweight and obesity in America stands testament to the fact that people here have lost their connection to the basic ideas of nutrition that were part of the cultural inheritance of pre-modern times. People seem to be eating unconsciously and accepting the negative effects of those choices as inevitable. A new study coming out in JAMA tomorrow (August 15, 2007) discusses the strong link between Western diets – those filled with red and processed meats, refined grains, fats, and sugars – and colon cancer (1). What we are consuming as a society is making us sick and killing us, and it’s time we did something about it. Read the rest of this entry »

Here are two related topics that are often mentioned to me in hushed tones, after we have talked virtually all of the other health issues the patient wants to address using acupuncture: erectile dysfunction and low libido. For men, erectile dysfunction can be a difficult subject to broach, especially from the affected patient to a female practitioner. Still, bringing it up is the first step towards dealing with this potentially stressful issue once and for all. In my experience, once a male patient who has this problem starts talking about it, he seems relieved and hopeful for change. Erectile dysfunction seems to be talked about more in the mainstream these days, with prescription drugs Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and all different types of male enhancement products flooding the consumer market. The inability to achieve and/or maintain erection can be a side effect of another health concern like diabetes or prostate cancer treatment, or it can be from psychological causes. Ikeda Masakazu sensei describes treatment that will

Childrens