Everyday Acupuncture Podcast

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 the rest of your life. 

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.    

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 the influence of the mind plays a profound role in our wellbeing.

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 labor.  Our guest in this show has first hand experience with the use of acupuncture and acupressure as she used these methods herself when pregnant. And she works with students and midwives in a hospital setting helping pregnant women with these safe and effective treatment modalities.  Listen in for some surprising research on how acupuncture during pregnancy can help to prevent postpartum depression, and why it is important for a woman to get several weeks of good rest after giving birth.

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 helpful. But also discusses the various methods of using and applying cups. We also talk about the surprising use of cups for conditions that you will not hear about in the mainstream press. Cupping is not difficult to learn. It’s the rare grandma or auntie in China that doesn’t know about how to use cups to treat a variety of common ailments. You can learn how to do this yourself. Listen in for the details!  

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 on Tai Chi, as told through the pictures and stories of his students.

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 to the pantry. If you have sugar cravings, or find you need a sweet pick me up at some point in the day, then listen in as we discuss the less than sweet side of sugar, and what to do about it.

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. 

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 emergent situation.   

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 remarkable changes that cycle monthly through a woman's body. 

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.

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 unwind the habits of tension and imbalance. How our breathing can naturally fall into a deep full body respiration. And how everyday we can practice stillness through seemingly mundane activities such as carrying groceries, boiling water, or waiting in line at the bank. 

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.

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 engages Michael Max with the questions most you probably have about the use of Chinese herbs, along with their sourcing and safety issues. Listen in and find out how an acupuncturist thinks about Chinese herbal medicine, and some of the questions you should ask your practitioner if you are considering using Chinese herbs.

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 endocrine system is intimately married to perceptual framework. If you have kids and want to help them build a natural vitality, this show is for you!

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.

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 taking up the study of acupuncture.

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 we explore methods and practices that can help you to sleep better naturally. 

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. 

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 steps forward, one step back" dance of progress and relapse. She discovered that even 5-10 minutes a day of gentle spinal decompression could make a big difference in her patient's well-being.  Listen in and find out how to treat your back pain overnight.