Balance Point Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
303-570 Raymer AVE V1Y 4Z5 Kelowna, BC, Canada

We recently celebrated the spring festival! It is more commonly known as Chinese new year. This means many people will soon suffer from seasonal allergies. Luckily we have herbal medicine that can help to "open orifices". It has helped me manage my grass allergies.

With everything that's going on today it's not easy to de-stress. Thankfully herbal medicine and acupuncture can help. It's about time I gave myself a tune-up.

Happy Chinese New Year! Xin Nian Kuai Le!

One great way to calm nerves is to do breathing exercises, or Qi Gong. It's a kind of moving meditation that's a bit slower than Tai Chi. Here's one of my favourites to follow along on YouTube: https://loom.ly/qexCLL8

The Chinese new year is just around the corner. It's literally called the spring festival. What are some of your favourite spring time dishes? I really like dunplings. Photo by MadMax Chef via Unsplash

Take your D3 folks

In Chinese medicine we often use He Shou Wu, or Fleeceflower root, to 'blacken the hair'. It does this by 'nourishing the blood of the Liver and Kidneys'.

Gou Qi Zi, also known as Go Ji berries or wolfberries, can nourish yin (fluids) in the body. Many people will add chrysanthemum flowers, or ju hua, with it to make a lovely tea.

Studies in China showed those with the highest selenium levels had by far the best COVID outcomes while those with the lowest levels had by far the worst. 3 brazil nuts has you covered. Food is medicine.

According to Chinese medical theory there are gas channels (qi) throughout the body. When circulation stops we have pain. Therefore, to alleviate pain, we need to promote circulation.

My Sunday afternoon making bunk beds video...

We recently discovered a video series called "The Tale of Chinese Medicine" which is a documentary series translated into English! Check it out to see the many steps of making herbal medicine: https://loom.ly/eOZZUys

The ancienct Chinese described the influence of celestial changes on crops and extrapolated on that process to descrbe homeostasis in the human body. Basically these five phases are the harmony between Wood (Jupiter), Fire (Mars), Earth (Saturn), Metal (Venus) and Water (Mercury)

There are lots of health benefits to drinking quality green tea. We found some good green tea at Teaberry's and Chaibaba here in Kelowna.

In Chinese medicine we typically think that pain is due to a lack of circulation. Therefore, we don't think ice, which slows circulation, is very helpful. Try to keep warm this winter. :-)

Of the five organ systems in TCM, the Kidneys are arguably the most important. They determine our vitality throughout our lives and the rate at which we age. Longevity treatments in TCM focus on supplementing and protecting the Kidneys. #AcupunctureKelowna #WellnessKelowna #ChineseMedicineKelowna #BalancePointAcupuncture

Acupuncture and MicroAcupuncture help treat patients with glaucoma thereby protecting the eyes as we age. #AcupunctureKelowna #WellnessKelowna #ChineseMedicineKelowna #BalancePointAcupuncture

In Chinese medicine one method of diagnosing is through inquiry. Once we've made a diagnois we discuss a treatment plan. How many treatments are needed really depends on what's going on.

Each acupuncture needle is about the size of a human hair. You can fit roughly 6 of them in a needle used to take blood. Sometimes it may feel like a mosquito bite, but that quickly goes away. The purpose is to relieve suffering, not cause it.

Vertical lines on the nails are an indication of Liver Qi stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine. Liver Qi stagnation is a syndrome in TCM where the Qi and blood are not moving freely in the liver affecting the entire body. #AcupunctureKelowna #Chinesemedicinekelowna

When we take the pulse, we're looking for at least 29 different qualities. The pulse gives us an idea of what may be going on inside the body. Here's more detailed info: https://loom.ly/3A_IDtE

Beau's lines are horizonal ridges on the nails and are an indication of interrupted nail growth commonly caused by trauma, diet, heart disease or chemotherapy. #AcupunctureKelowna #chinesemedicinekelowna

In addition to herbs acupuncture, decent shoes or boots, keeping your knees warm in winter, and doing tai chi to build muscle memory can all help with knee problems.