7 Reasons I can Provide You with A Unique Service
7 Reasons I Can Provide You With a Unique Service
Let’s work in partnership where you find your solution, your purpose, reignite it, and go after exactly what you want. Life is short lets make it the best quality life you can live.
1. I can work with you using a multi faceted approach. It’s a one stop shop!
2. Get rid of your physical pain with Acupuncture. At the same time, use it as a really powerful tool for any underlying stress and/or anxiety, which is very much part of modern day living. Often that is not what you are portraying to the world, but don’t you find it exhausting wearing that “I’m fine’ face…
3. Provide you with a nutritional plan that’s simple to follow, won’t restrict you socially and is completely unique for you. Nourishing your body is so important, in order to have any kind of balance in your body. Examples: hormonal imbalances, excess weight, excess inflammation. Repairing your body after a period or poor health. And finally a very common reason people work with me, years of putting everyone else first, and neglecting your own self.
4. I can support both physical and mental emotional issues with herbal formulas that are tailored to your needs.
5. My background in Practice Nursing, has provided me with years of invaluable experience, working one on one, with people just like you.
6. Finally, I have the life experience, from my younger years or going from perfectionism to denial to completely rebuilding my life. My life is now filled with purpose and a love of life, no matter what is happening in it.
I see health as a Spectrum. wherever, your baseline is, I can support you in moving closer to where you want to be and ultimately achieving your goals. I also work with you, on your health perceptions, and guide you through any limiting beliefs you may have.
My purpose is to help you, if you are ready to give you, your all.
Pour - Stir - Dissolve - Drink - Easy
Pour - Stir - Dissolve - Drink - Easy
Our lifestyle has dramatically changed since Chinese Herbal Medicine first became available in the West. When I first qualified, clients had to boil up, what resembled leves and twigs for hours, spreading an ‘interesting’ aroma throughout peoples living accommodation including hallways!
You then strained and separated the liquid decoction and stored it in the fridge. This odour permeated your fridge and it’s contents.similar to hallways it seemed… The final step involved warming the amount you needed to take. This process had to be repeated every 3 days, with every batch. Of course the herbal decoction still worked but it simply isn’t practical nowadays.
There are a few potential issues with this. Here’s three examples. If you are nauseous for whatever reason, even the thought of the aroma makes this an impossible task. If taking on anything else into your hectic day feels overwhelming, it can impact consistency in taking herbs. Nothing works if you don’t commit and in this scenario another commitment feels impossible. Thirdly, the people you live with might object to the odour. This is another issue you won’t want to spend your limited energy on. People who want solutions, don’t want additional problems and I’m totally onboard with that. KISS principle for every client. Keep clients commitment simple to onboard, easy to use and practical to implement. The smartness is in the complexity of formulas I can provide.
Nowadays, it simply requires that final step above. The herbs I provide just require a mug/cup, a kettle of boiled water and a teaspoon. Pour, stir, dissolve and drink. The formulas are individualised to each client. They are transportable, easy to use, hassle free and equally as effective.
If herbal medicine is an option you have been thinking about, or you are looking into different solutions to your problems, remember , implementing your choice is as important as the choice you make.
Food, Fan or Foe?
My own unhealthy experience with food in my younger years, is part of what enables me to work on a human to human level. For that reason, I don’t work solely with food plans and people ever
Food, Fan or Foe
Weight loss or gain, body image and a healthy body requires more than just a food plan!
I have seen many people over the years struggle with weight management and weight loss.
My own unhealthy experience with food in my younger years, is part of what enables me to work on a human to human level.. For that reason, I don’t work solely with food plans and people ever. There’s far too much emotion and/or belief systems attached to food for people. Weight loss, body image and a healthy body requires more than just a food plan.
People often tell me, they have no emotional attachment to food, “it’s fuel” and yet they control almost every morsel of food they ever eat. Alternatively, they have no idea how food impacts their health. For people who forget to eat because they are time limited. I hear what all those people say. My job is never to judge. My job is to make transitioning to a healthier way of living in partnership with the person in front of me.
With I guess the wisdom of age! And, with hindsight, wasted living time… eventually, I got sick and tired or wasting valuable energy I needed for living my life fully. I found what works not only for me but what could also work for you too. It’s always a choice.
I really wanted to provide a way of eating for clients that has an evidence base. Having studied nutrition for 3 years… oh boy is there a lot of marketing that surrounds the reality of real food. I realised very quickly how much evidence exists for most mainstream marketed ways of eating. Vegan or Paleo. pescatarian, vegetarian, fasting in any direction you want to go, that list goes on…
Clients don’t want to hear all the minutiae or marketing, research studies and endless explanations. People want practical. Can I introduce this into my life right now and can you support the uncomfortableness I feel with change. The answer is yes I can do that with you.
The bottom line for a person who doesn’t want to drive themselves crazy is, use the KISS principle. Keep it Simple Smart. What this says to me is keep it practical, don’t complicate you life, it has to be easy to buy in any supermarket and don’t kid yourself around food.
If you would like to know how the principles behind low carb for weight management and loss work, I’ve done a short video for you to watch. All you need to do is email me for access. It’s on You Tube. I’ll send you the link which enables you to view it. Then you are either ready for change and you are off to the races yourself, no support needed. Or you are a person that needs more. A person who has issues with their health as a result of eating habits or a medical diagnosis you have received. In that case watch the video and/or just get in touch.
I don't have burnout. I'm just tired.
Burnout is almost accepted as a ‘normal’ part of modern life. We moderate our use of words to describe it, so it sounds like it is something that happens to us, a politically correct use of words that are more palatable to ourselves and often those around us.
Burnout is almost accepted as a ‘normal’ part of modern life. We moderate our use of words to describe it, so it sounds like it is something that happens to us, a politically correct use of words that are more palatable to ourselves and often those around us.
I am tired all the time, my body aches, I can’t think straight, I can’t sleep, I am busy all the time but I don’t seem to get a lot done, I’m frustrated and I don’t know why, I can’t make decisions easily, I question myself all the time, I can’t remember where I put my phone, my concentration is kaput! I have no energy and I feel wired. I simply cannot switch off. I get emotional and I don’t know why. I’m anxious for no reason sometimes. I’m just so tired.
All signs of burnout, but if somebody described you as a person experiencing burnout, you immediately rationalise how you feel and talk about the changes you are going to make. Deep down you know this won’t happen. Not because you don’t want to make changes, but you simply feel like you haven’t got the energy to start.
I run a Zentastic 6 weeks Acupuncture with Mental fitness Training Courses on an ongoing basis. Specifically with you in mind. Acupuncture supports the physical recovery as well as mental emotional. Acupuncture is great at relaxing the nervous system, supporting your immune system and getting rid of inflammation in the body. Together with an app for daily exercises which instantly calm, improve clarity of thinking, increase you energy levels and enable you to experience joy in your life on a regular basis.
Cumulatively the acupuncture and mental fitness brings you to a place where you feel stronger & happier in a very real way. Living with tools you can use enabling you to navigate life with all it’s challenges.
Holidays, Where next and Integrative Oncology Practice
I hope you have all enjoyed some time out over the holiday period getting lost in a movie , or laughing out loud at a daft comedy, chatting to friends on Facetime or old school phone conversations. I hope you were able to indulge in some deliciousness and savour time out from the craziness that can invade our headspace regularly. I hope some of you were as lucky as I am to walk many miles/kms with 2 of the best dogs globally (I'm making that official, 2 very special canines in my life).
It's been a while since I made any appearance on social media. Life and work have limited my time to post.
I work a lot with people who have or who have had cancer and whilst I had plenty of training and academics under my belt, I wanted to do a specialist course in Oncology (cancer care) that met my needs, both as a nurse and an acupuncturist. I have learned quite a lot which means I am now ready to share some of my learning with you. After an awful lot of work it was a great gift to recive this particular certification on Christmas morning!
My blog page will reflect some of the work I do with clients and information that you will find interesting if you or someone close to you is living with cancer.
It is important to make it very clear, I support people with cancer who are receiving or have received chemotherapy and or radiation and/or surgery. What I do significantly improves quality of life alongside hospital based care. I also support people who have finished their treatment and are in the recovery phase of their illness. I use an integrative approach. This involves either one or all of the following: acupuncture, chinese herbal medicine and mental fitness building.
This work I do applies regardlesss of whether you living with a diagnosis of stage 1 or stage 4.
2022 I am looking forward to experiencing whatever life unfolds and working with and supporting as many people as I can.
Bells Palsy
Bells Palsy can be a very frightening experience for people, as the symptoms mimic that of a stroke. Always go and see a medical doctor for a diagnosis first. Once you have your diagnosis, call your acupuncturist! Acupuncture can be very helpful and rapid for a persons recovery. The sooner you go for your first treatment, the faster it resolves and the better the longer term result for you. In the first week frequent visits are necessary. These are the spaced out depending on progress.
Lets first describe what Bells Palsy is and then as always some of the science.
Bells Palsy is a rapid, one sided weakness to paralysis of the face, that happens suddenly. It can then progressively worsen over the following 48 hours. It is a temporary condition. Generally, it is slow to heal taking 2 weeks, 1 months to 6 months on average. The more severe it is, the longer it takes to heal using a medicated approach. Occasionally it is permanent.
The treatment is usually a course of steroids, prescribed by your GP or a hospital doctor. There is ample evidence to support it's effectiveness (1). The steroids have to be taken within days of the first symptoms occuring.
Of course, the people we see as acupuncturists are generally those that it hasn't worked for. I would strongly suggest you consider using both concurrently, if you are taking steroids. There is no negative interactions between the two. Sometimes, the person simply does not want to take steroids because of their potential side effects. That is a discussion they have with their doctor first. The other people we see, are our clients that have been visiting our clinics regularly for different issues. Their faith in acupuncture is not blind faith, it is experiential with a very positive results for them.
Anti virals have not been found to be beneficial (2), even though a viral infection may be the cause of the Bells Palsy. Surgery that was used previously to relieve pressure on the facial nerve is not recommended, because of the risks in having the surgery.
The precise reason Bell's Palsy occurs isn't clear. It's often preceded by having a viral infection. There are at least 8 viruses that have been associated with Bells Palsy. There is also a list of other chronic health issues and traumas that can be associated with a person having Bells Palsy. Finally, there is thought to be a genetic component in some cases, where there is a family history and the person has repeated attacks.
It's believed to be the result of swelling and inflammation of the nerve that controls the muscles on one side of your face. The facial nerve controls a complex array of functions, so when it is damaged, the symptoms can vary in type and severity.
Signs are extensive and a person does not necessarily experience all of these. They can be very mild or severe
Change in the ability to taste
Difficulty speaking
Dizziness
Drooling
Eye or mouth dryness
Excessive watering in one eye
Headache
Hypersensitivity to sound
Pain in the jaw or behind the ear
Ringing in the ears
Trouble eating or drinking
There are various studies showing the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for Bells Palsy. Some of them recommend electroacupuncture (3). This involves a very mild electric current between needles, which is not a painful process. This study suggests it, as an add on to medication and physio. I personally have found Distal Needling Acupuncture alone very effective for people. It does not necessitate any needles in the face or the use of electro. Distal simply means away from the problem area. I have used electro acupuncture in the past and observed many treatments using electroacupuncture. All were very effective. The enormous relief it brings to people is understandably pure joy or very emotional.
There is a beauty in using two systems of medicine and the results of using both together, can improve a persons outcome dramatically (4). In some countries it is routine, to use the strengths of both Western Medicine and East Asian Medicine. Perhaps if there wasn't a hierachical view towards medicine, by some, there would be potential for a lot of money to be saved in healthcare, and enormous benefits to the taxpayer. A system where choice is accessible to everyone, would be very welcome by many people.
Seek immediate medical help if you experience any type of paralysis because you may be having a stroke. Bell's palsy is not caused by a stroke, but it can cause similar symptoms.
References
1. Madhok VB, Gagyor I, Daly F, Somasundara D, Sullivan M, Gammie F, Sullivan F. Corticosteroids for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD001942. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001942.pub5.
2. Gagyor I, Madhok VB, Daly F, Sullivan F. Antiviral treatment for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2019, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD001869. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001869.p
3. Gökçe Kütük S, Özkan Y, Topuz MF, Kütük M. The Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture Added to Standard Therapy in the Management of Bell Palsy. J Craniofac Surg. 2020 Oct;31(7):1967-1970. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000006537. PMID: 32472874.
4. Effectiveness of strengthened stimulation during acupuncture for the treatment of Bell palsy: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2013 Apr 2;185(6):473-8
Menopause Series Cognitive Decline & Alzheimer's Disease
Without your brain who are you?
Without your brain who are you?
It gives you the ability to think, to learn new things, to remain independent, to maintain loving relationships, to know where you are, your location and time. Your brain provides you with the freedom of choice that you have currently. Conscious thinking forms part of your personality, some people might even say it is your personality.
Brain health is becoming increasingly more important, as we are living longer. Here are some tips on what is important to include, on a daily basis, for your brain health. Physical activities, brain activities, eat good quality nutrition, get good quality sleep, and significant social interaction. The latter is generally a task women are particularly good at. I appreciate COVID19 has put a bit of a spanner in the works for social meet ups, but there are plenty of online virtual social events to get involved in. It is not the same and doesn't provide the same experience, but the neurons (where all that physiology of thinking occurs) in your brain will benefit regardless. Getting a socially distant walk/run or swim in for now is available to all of us.
I hope you are ready for some of the science. Memory problems associated with menopause are multifactorial. Some of these factors are hormonal changes, such as differing oestrogen levels, higher cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, blood pressure, stress levels, if you have a chronic disease, energy levels, sleep quality etc
Ok first the bad news. The incidence of memory problems in menopause transition is reported by up to 2/3s of women! And the good news, it is thought that these are transient and do not become chronic postmenopausal issues. There is also no evidence that these, what are referred to as functional deficits, are indicative of dementia. (Wagner et al. 2020)
Thats great to know but can acupuncture help you during those years when you feel frustrated and for some women also fearful. You might be that woman who recognises a difference in the following areas of your life. Your mood might be low, your relationships might be difficult, finding the right words sometimes can be difficult and often remembering where you left your keys, your phone and your wallet are a challenge! The great news is yes. Acupuncture is incredibly helpful for brain health.
If you are to look at, Alzheimers Disease which is a disease that affects the brain, then yes acupuncture is effective. Most of you know someone of have met someone with this disease. A meta analysis study on this specifically (which is an examination of many independent studies on the same subject, in order to see trends) by Huang et al. 2019, found that acupuncture provided benefits for cognition (understanding and thinking). They found that acupuncture alone was better than conventional western medicine for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease. Just for clarity, I need to say that a diagnosis of Alzheimers is only given by a medically qualified doctor.
This was a rigorous excellent quality review of the evidence. They compared the use of acupuncture in people who were diagnosed with Alzheimers disease (which causes cognitive decline and is a cause of dementia) to those that were treated with medication alone. The results were conclusive. Acupuncture is better.
Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful in many of the factors, or areas, that are considered to play a role in declining brain health.
Menopause, Acupuncture and Osteoporosis
Acupuncture when used in conjunction with Western Medecine is hugely beneficial if you already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis. It also makes a lot of common sense, for a woman who is entering the menopausal years to avail of a therapy with known benefits to bone health.
None of us can imagine getting older but ageing is inevitable . What you do today matters for your older years. How do you want to live them?
Menopause, Acupuncture and Osteoporosis
Acupuncture when used in conjunction with Western Medicine is hugely beneficial if you already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis. It also makes a lot of common sense, for a woman who is entering the menopausal years to avail of a therapy with known benefits to bone health. Menopause is a known risk factor for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis puts you at a higher risk of bone fractures. This can leave you with a disability later in life. It is why it is such an important topic.
Including acupuncture as part of a plan of action for your overall health is very worthwhile considering. There are no harmful side effects and lots of additional beneficial effects when you choose to see an acupuncturist, who works with women during the peri menopausal, menopausal and post menopausal years.
Of course, there are lifestyle modifications you can do yourself which your healthcare professional can advise you on, including many acupuncturists who are qualified and informed.
As always, it is important to reiterate menopause is a risk factor for osteoporosis and not an inevitability of menopause.
Here is a simple version of some of the science. I'd like firstly to clarify for you what osteoporosis is, elaborate a little on why it is so important, with the addition of a few Irish stats and then provide you with information as to why acupuncture is a useful therapy for menopausal women at risk.
Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being removed and replaced. As we get older, more bone is naturally lost than is replaced, but people with osteoporosis lose more bone than people who do not have the disease. Osteoporosis causes bones to become fragile and therefore they break easily e.g. through a minor bump or fall from a standing position or less.This came from the Irish Osteoporosis Society which was set up by Prof Moira O’Brien in 1996.
There are no symptoms, until you have what's referred to as a fragile fracture. A DEXA scan is the test that is used to check bone density.
Without wanting to frighten anyone, but also wanting to emphasise the importance of bone health and doing what you can to prevent this becoming an issue for you, here are some stats. Ireland has one of the highest osteoporosis rates globally. Research from Edwards et al, which was published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (2007), showed that up to half of all patients suffering a hip fracture have had one or more previous fragility fractures. Ireland also has the sixth highest rate of hip fracture in the world today.
So where can acupuncture play a role?
There are several large scale reviews that indicate acupuncture can help. A 2018 systemic review and meta analysis (an examination of data from a number of independent studies) by Pan et al included 35 studies with 3014 participants. It found compared to pharmaceutical (medications) treatment alone, warm needle acupuncture increased bone mineral density of the femur (large thigh bone) and the lumbar spine (bones that go all along the midline of your back). It also increased blood markers (there are certain body chemicals related to bone health that can be measured in a blood test)and reduced pain. There was a further review in 2020 by Xue et al that supported those results. They found high quality evidence that acupuncture and moxibustion (a heat therapy your acupuncturist uses)can improve bone mineral density (so stronger bones) in primary osteoporosis. Primary just means that its cause is only due natural process of ageing.
Technology and Your Health
Until then I am so grateful to be working via...possibly a word that will go down in history as double edged! ZOOM. It enables us to connect. It also challenges the human part of us that requires presence.
It's been a long haul for everyone. I work with people, who are people with unique human qualities and challenges.For now it needs technology.