http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/ Meeting Point Community Acupuncture en jessica@meetingpointacupuncture.com Copyright 2011 2011-11-30T19:41:24+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/winter_wonder_yin/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/winter_wonder_yin/#When:19:41:24Z By Laurel Kallenbach The final few months of the year often find us in a frantic state of shopping, decorating, traveling, and other high-energy activity. Yet instead of having fun, we often end up feeling ill, anxious, or depressed. The reason, according to Taoist philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine, is that the action-packed schedules we keep at this time of year fall out of sync with the earth’s natural cycles. “We naturally have less energy to burn during the winter,” explains acupuncturist Carolyn Cohen, L.Ac., who teaches at Yo San University, a college of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Santa Monica, California. “So when we engage in behaviors more appropriate for summer—staying up late and dashing around town—it’s no wonder that the forced cheer of the holiday season can wear a bit thin.” Taoist philosophy conceptualizes universal balance in terms of yin and yang, complementary forces that govern the universe. Yin characteristics are cool, wet, slow, feminine, and quiet, whereas yang is the opposite: warm, dry, fast, masculine, extroverted. Winter, the yin season, is a time for storing and conserving energy in the way a bear retains fat by hibernating, or a farmer stores food for the cold months ahead. In agrarian cultures, people spend the shortest, darkest days indoors by the fire, eating warm, slow-cooked, nourishing food and sharing stories with their families. The incongruity between winter’s restful, introspective, yin nature and the frenetic way many Americans spend their holidays can contribute to seasonal affective disorder, depression, exhaustion, and other manifestations of what is known in TCM as shen (or spiritual) disharmony. “Winter solstice, just three or four days before Christmas, is the darkest, most yin day of the year,” says Cohen. “Instead of turning inward, we’re celebrating with excess and yang activity. This artificiality creates stress, and many people dread the season as a result.” To stay balanced during winter, suggests Cohen, conserve your yang energy. Restorative yoga, tai chi, qigong, and walking are best suited for yin season, as they safeguard your energy reserves. “Think of these practices as an investment of your ‘energy paycheck,’” says Cohen. “Don’t use up what little winter energy you have with overactivity and added stress.” Eating cooked, spicy yang foods provides another good way to replenish energy. Prepare yang-strengthening soups, slow-simmered stews, beans, roasted root vegetables, and warm drinks. Add yang spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, cloves, and basil to increase the warming effect. Minimize your intake of yin foods such as raw vegetables, salad greens, and cold drinks. If you find quiet, more modest ways to celebrate the holidays, you’ll stay in tune with the season and feel less need to release tension by overeating or rampant spending. You’ll also have more time and energy to connect with close friends and family. If you’re out of sync with the mall mobs with maxed-out credit cards, chances are you’ll find yourself in step with the quiet, nurturing yin nature of winter. 2011-11-30T19:41:24+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/how_to_stay_healthy_in_a_world_full_of_radiation/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/how_to_stay_healthy_in_a_world_full_of_radiation/#When:16:20:17Z There’s been a lot of talk about radioactive fallout covering America from the Japanese Nuclear Disaster. Here is a link that explains what how radiation is measured, and how the threat is conceptualized. http://xkcd.com/radiation/ The truth is, we get radiation from many everyday sources such as. .. Microwave Towers Microwave Ovens the Screen you are reading this on Cellphones some heating devices such as some models Electric Blankets X-rays Mammograms Sunshine - which is good for us, despite the radiation Climate-carried radiation in “acceptable levels” * IrRADIATED food - which may not be so marked at your store Check-out Scanners Airport Scanners Automatic door openers “Wireless” connections including internet, television remotes, garage door openers…. Naturally occuring Radiation Unknown Radiation The way I can wrap my head around it without completely coming unglued is to understand how we can create the environment within each on of us that is vital healthy and radiant, Quite simply, a happy, contented,  alkaline internal environment which is unfriendly to cancer cells. Herbal medicine expert and noted author Brigitte Mars (http://www.brigittemars.com) to says thatv people can protect themselves from radiation through food, nutrition and natural medicine. Excerpts from her recommended list, posted on her Facebook page and on her website, is as follows. Read the full article on Brigitte’s website. •  Buckwheat and brown rice •  Seaweeds rich in iodine and microminerals, such as Hiziki, found in macrobiotic or Asian food sections •  Wheatgrass and barley grass •  Sulfur rich vegetables including broccoli, cabbage and mustard greens •  High-pectin foods including carrots, sunflower seeds and apples •  Liver-cleansing foods such as artichokes, beets and radishes •  Fermented foods such as miso and unpasteurized sauerkraut •  Nutritional yeast •  Garlic, burdock, dandelion, milk thistle seed, nettles, yellow dock •  Echinacea •  Green and black tea •  Eleuthero •  Vitamins A, beta-carotene, B complex and C; and zinc, calcium and magnesium At times like these, when people do not know whether there is a large risk or not, whether thier family is safe or not, I think now more than ever we need to remember that BEing WELL is the best defense to any threat to our wellbeing!   Johns Hopkins University recently published a statement in their newsletter which describes just such a body. “Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins” 1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more     cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime. 3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc., and can   cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7.. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and   complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy.  Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. *CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute     would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in   color. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt. B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting   off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building   healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40   degrees C).. e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, it needs to be alkalined if you drink it   The natural way to alkaline it is to squeeze fresh lemons in it. Lemons are an alkalining fruit. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, inability to forgive and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells. Rules to live by. . . 1. No plastic containers in micro. 2. No water bottles in freezer. 3. No plastic wrap in microwave.. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Please share this with your whole email list…...................... Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.— Be well! 2011-03-23T16:20:17+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_and_how_it_can_be_the_natural_cold_and_flu_remedy/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_and_how_it_can_be_the_natural_cold_and_flu_remedy/#When:20:00:35Z While the misery of cold and flu season might be inevitable, one thing is changing: where we look for relief. Acupuncture to Get Better Faster - If you have already come down with a cold or the flu, acupuncture treatments can help relieve symptoms you are currently experiencing including chills, fever, body aches, runny nose, congestion, sore throat and cough. While bringing some immediate relief, treatments will reduce the incidence of an upper respiratory tract infection and shorten the length of the illness. Acupuncture for Prevention - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flu by strengthening the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body’s energy pathways. In Oriental Medicine, disease prevention begins with a protective layer around the exterior of the body called wei qi or defensive energy. There are acupuncture points known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them. If you catch colds easily, have low energy and require a long time recuperating from an illness your wei qi may be deficient. Acupuncture Point: Du 14 One particularly important point to attend to is Du 14. Located below the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebrae, approximately where the collar of a T-shirt sits on the neck. Du 14 activates the circulation of blood and Qi to strengthen the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (wei qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them. This point is often used to ward off as well as shorten the duration colds and flu. Seasonal acupuncture treatments just four times a year also serve to tonify the inner organ systems and can correct minor annoyances before they become serious problems. So come see us at Meeting Point Acupuncture to boost your immune system before you get sick or if you already have gotten sick, we will help you push through it faster so you don’t spend another winter with the cold that seems to last forever!  2010-12-01T20:00:35+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_for_sports_injuries/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_for_sports_injuries/#When:00:56:12Z Are you a weekend warrior or simply trying to get or stay in shape?  Do you sometimes find that you do too much too fast and push yourself beyond your limits? In the fast paced world we live in today, this is a common occurrence in which all to often, injury is the result.  And if we are so busy that we push too hard in the first place and get injured, who has time to give the body the proper amount of rest it needs to recover?  So instead we tend to grab the anti-inflammatory medications or painkillers to dull the pain or reduce the inflammation and get right back at it. Unfortunately, this is a short-term answer that masks the signals that our body is giving us and causes more problems in the long run.  For instance, you have been playing a lot of tennis or golf and your elbow starts to ache after you are done playing.  You take an aspirin and go back out there and play some more.  You wake up the next morning and your elbow is stiff and sore all day long.  But you are planning on playing after work tonight so you take another aspirin an hour before you are scheduled to play.  The aspirin masks the signs and symptoms your body is giving you that it needs to heal and you have now made the “tennis” or “golf” elbow worse.  Regular use of medication may add to further injury and have effects that greatly impact your overall performance, endurance and vitality. Acupuncture is a time-tested, safe, natural and drug-free approach to treating your whole body and providing immediate relief and long lasting benefits.  It can help you return to your exercise regimen pain-free and without sustaining additional injuries by regulating the proper and continuous flow of energy called Qi (pronounced Chee). Qi circulates within a series of pathways called meridians or channels.  These channels disperse Qi throughout the body, providing nourishment to every muscle, tendon, sinew and tissue.  The circulating Qi supports, strengthens and enriches your whole body, supplying you with good pain-free health and the power to perform. The injuries you sustain when working out whether it is a sprain, strain, over-exertion, repetitive injury or other physical trauma causes the flow of Qi to be disrupted in various ways.  For example, you have a drip hose running to your garden giving your plants the proper amount of nourishment that they need for optimal growth and development.  A branch from a nearby tree falls on the hose causing the supply of water running to those plants to be blocked.  If this blockage remains, over time the plants won’t have adequate nourishment and they wither and waste away. Likewise, if the flow of Qi is disrupted, blocked or out of balance, it will not be able to circulate freely within the channels.  When this occurs, it can cause a variety of signs and symptoms including pain, swelling, stiffness, limited range of motion and fatigue.  This can result in less than optimal health and most likely hinder your performance or ability to continue with your workout and you too will “wither and waste away”.  Acupuncture is just one modality in a broad-based system called Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Treatments may be combined with other modalities such as Chinese herbs, which continue the healing process after you leave the acupuncturist’s office, guasha, a form of Chinese massage that enhances soft tissue healing and exercise such as Tai Chi that increases muscle strength and joint mobility. This ancient and effective form of health care is a viable form of treatment for acute sprains, strains and bruises.  It can reduce swelling, improve range of motion, strengthen your body, speed recovery time and address any underlying issues that could lead to a future injury.  Come see us at Meeting Point Community Acupuncture! 2010-10-29T00:56:12+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/celine_dion_uses_acupuncture_and_ivf_to_get_pregnant_with_twins/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/celine_dion_uses_acupuncture_and_ivf_to_get_pregnant_with_twins/#When:22:05:51Z Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2010.  “I will be the happiest one to tell you when I’m pregnant,” she told Winfrey. “And if not, I’m the luckiest artist, especially wife and mother of a wonderful son. So I’m glad.” But now their sadness has turned to joy with the news that Dion is pregnant with twins. Speaking to People magazine, her husband says, “We’re ecstatic! Céline is just hoping for a healthy pregnancy. She was hoping for one baby, and the news that we are having two is a double blessing.”  Next month Dion and Angélil will find out the gender of the twins that were conceived using IVF. What is IVF? The American Pregnancy Association describes In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) as the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryo is then transferred into the uterus. Some may be surprised that Dion turned to an unconventional treatment such as acupuncture to benefit her IVF experience. But many scientific research studies show that there is a powerful connection between acupuncture and IVF success. According to Mayo Clinic, this ancient remedy has a definite positive effect on the success rate of IVF. During acupuncture, needles are inserted into key points in the body to improve the flow of energy and the balance of certain body chemicals. Acupuncture also has been shown to increase optimism and reduce anxiety during the IVF process. The British Medical Journal, the London Daily Mail, and the London Times report that numerous additional scientific studies subsequently confirmed that IVF, when used simultaneously with acupuncture, can increase the success rate by 65 per cent. Researchers documented the connection between acupuncture and IVF success rates in multiple published studies. Although researchers are not completely certain, they speculate that the increased IVF success rate may have to do with the ability of acupuncture to lower stress levels in women undergoing IVF treatment. Stress has been demonstrated to have a negative effect on fertility rates. So it seems obvious that acupuncture, while lowering stress rates, will subsequently increase pregnancy rates. Acupuncture combined with IVF certainly worked for Céline Dion! The news that Dion and her family will soon be welcoming twins is certain to increase the popularity of acupuncture among those undergoing IVF treatments. 2010-07-22T22:05:51+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_releases_natural_painkiller/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_releases_natural_painkiller/#When:22:31:22Z THE GIST   * The natural pain-relieving chemical might help explain how acupuncture works, at least in mice.   * Understanding how acupuncture affects humans is trickier because of how complicated pain is.   * Uncovering the biological secrets of acupuncture could help legitimize it and convince more insurers to pay for it. Read the Full Article Here: 2010-07-20T22:31:22+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_treatment_for_pain_management/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_treatment_for_pain_management/#When:22:43:50Z Acupuncture for pain management has been used for centuries. Because it treats your body as a whole, acupuncture not only reduces pain immediately but it can help you avoid future pain in the same areas. It’s so effective that conventional medical doctors often suggest acupuncture treatment for pain. The most popular form of pain relief that Western medicine has to offer is pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. If you’ve spent a lot of time in pain, you know that these medications have unreliable results. After a while, their effectiveness wears off. The side effects from prescription medications can often be worse than the pain conditions you are dealing with. Acupuncture for chronic pain is a powerful and natural treatment. The needles stimulate points on your body that release endorphins and other natural pain relievers. They also, according to research, increase the electromagnetic signals between the different cells in your body. This can encourage healing and eliminate pain. Acupuncture increases blood circulation to different parts of your body and relaxes your muscles. It also helps promote emotional well-being and can increase the effectiveness of your immune system. Instead of bringing the rest of your health down in order to reduce pain (like conventional medications do) it raises the level of your whole body health. There are many different types of pain that people can experience, and acupuncture is an effective treatment for them all. Back pain is very common and is a result of sprains or strains. Your acupuncturist may use local needles on your back to treat your pain, but most treat it with distal needles placed on other parts of your body. Your acupuncturist may use cupping or electrical stimulation along with needle insertion. Arthritis is another common form of pain that can be treated with acupuncture. Arthritis can affect many different joints in your body. Depending on where you are experiencing arthritis pain, your acupuncturist may insert needles directly at the site or at other important points along the meridians. If you think acupuncture is limited to treating skeletal or muscular pain, think again. It’s also been proven effective in treating migraine headaches. You can use acupuncture to relieve pain and even prevent future migraine attacks. By targeting areas that regulate blood flow to your head, your emotional state and hormonal balance your acupuncturist can eliminate migraines entirely. No matter what types of pain you are experiencing, acupuncture has the solution. During your first consultation, your acupuncturist will work with you to identify your pain and create a treatment that is designed to heal your body. In a matter of just one session, you’ll feel the benefits of using acupuncture to treat pain. 2010-06-16T22:43:50+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupunctures_molecular_effects_pinned_down/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupunctures_molecular_effects_pinned_down/#When:18:14:53Z Scientists found that the chemical adenosine is very active in deeper tissues affected by acupuncture. The Rochester researchers looked at the effects of acupuncture on the peripheral nervous system – the nerves in our body that aren’t part of the brain and spinal cord. The team made a number of observations regarding adenosine: ·In mice with normal functioning levels of adenosine, acupuncture reduced discomfort by two-thirds. ·In special “adenosine receptor knock-out mice” not equipped with the adenosine receptor, acupuncture had no effect. ·When adenosine was turned on in the tissues, discomfort was reduced even without acupuncture. ·During and immediately after an acupuncture treatment, the level of adenosine in the tissues near the needles was 24 times greater than before the treatment. “It’s clear that acupuncture may activate a number of different mechanisms,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. “This carefully performed study identifies adenosine as a new player in the process. It’s an interesting contribution to our growing understanding of the complex intervention which is acupuncture.” Abstract: Nature Neuroscience May 30, 2010 2010-06-02T18:14:53+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_may_help_ease_hot_flashes/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/acupuncture_may_help_ease_hot_flashes/#When:23:04:34Z Study Shows Acupuncture Offers Relief to Breast Cancer Patients With Hot Flashes By Jennifer Warner WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Dec. 31, 2009—Acupuncture not only cools hot flashes that occur as a result of breast cancer treatment but may offer a host of other benefits to boost women’s well-being. A new study shows acupuncture was as good as drug therapy with Effexor (venlafaxine) at easing hot flashes in breast cancer patients, but it also improved sex drive, energy levels, and clarity of thought. “Acupuncture offers patients a safe, effective and durable treatment option for hot flashes, something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors. Compared to drug therapy, acupuncture actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects,” researcher Eleanor Walker, MD, division director of breast services in the department of radiation oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, says in a news release. According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Typical treatment for breast cancer involves chemotherapy and five years of hormone therapy that often causes unpleasant side effects, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and decreased sex drive and energy levels. Researchers say these side effects of breast cancer treatment significantly decrease a woman’s quality of life and may cause some women to discontinue treatment. Acupuncture has already been shown to reduce hot flashes in menopausal women, but researchers say this is the first study to compare acupuncture to drug treatment in easing hot flashes in breast cancer patients. The results appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Fifty breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or drug treatment for 12 weeks. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatments twice per week for the first four weeks and then once a week for the remaining eight weeks; the drug group received 37.5 milligrams of Effexor each night for the first week and then 75 milligrams per night for the remaining 11 weeks. All participants stopped their treatment after 12 weeks and kept a diary to record the number and severity of hot flashes; they were surveyed about their overall physical and mental health for one year. Both groups experienced a 50% decline in hot flashes and symptoms of depression, but the acupuncture treatment appeared to have more lasting effects with fewer side effects. For example, two weeks after the treatments stopped, the drug therapy group experienced an increase in hot flashes; the acupuncture group did not experience any increase in the frequency of their hot flashes until three months after treatment. In addition, the Effexor group reported 18 instances of negative side effects, including nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, and anxiety, compared with no adverse side effects reported among the acupuncture group. Most breast cancer patients treated with acupuncture also reported an improvement in their energy, clarity of thought, and sense of well-being. About 25% of women in the acupuncture group also reported an increase in their sex drive. 2010-05-26T23:04:34+00:00 http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/our_hours_are_changing/ http://www.meetingpointacupuncture.com/cms/full_page/our_hours_are_changing/#When:20:36:25Z As of Monday, May 17th 2010, our hours will be changing. Lisa will be having her baby and will be taking some time off to replenish herself. We wish her a speedy recovery! Our new hours will be as follows: Monday through Thursday we will be receiving patients from 10am til 1pm and 3pm til 6pm, Friday and Saturday we will be receiving patients from 9am til 12pm and 1pm til 4pm. Jessica will be treating on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; and Maura will be here on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. We will also have massage appointments available on Tuesdays from 1pm to 6pm with Ginette, and on Fridays and Saturdays with Allegra from 10am til 7pm   2010-05-13T20:36:25+00:00