Fertility with PCOS

PCOS is the most common fertility issue for women, but being diagnosed with it doesn't mean that you can’t get pregnant.  It just means that you need a longer time line to prepare to get pregnant.  If you want to have a baby, then we recommend starting treatment a minimum of 6 months before you want to be pregnant. 

And yes, that does seem like a long time when you’re in a hurry to have a baby, but PCOS is a multi-layered fertility issue that has to be treated from all angles to ensure the greatest chance of success.  Normally, there are a number of different goals we have for acupuncture and herb therapy.  These consist of reducing insulin resistance, reducing testosterone, reducing estrogen dominance, weight loss, stimulating ovulation, and boosting progesterone. 

All of those issues have to be treated in tandem for the best results.  This is why treating only one, or two of those issues such as in what is happening when you take Clomid or Metformin is often not successful. 

What most people don’t realize is that there is an ebb and a flow to hormones in the body.  Hormones are chameleons that can turn into one another under certain conditions in the body.  Under stress your body can take progesterone and turn it into cortisol.  Progesterone can also flip flop and become testosterone.  Too much insulin can also stimulate your body to produce more testosterone.  This is how your hormones can become wildly imbalanced!

And this is why acupuncture and herbs are so helpful in treating PCOS.  They stimulate your body to produce, and balance your hormones on its own.  There is a delicate symphony of different hormones being produced, released, and utilized in your body.  Acupuncture “tunes” that symphony, enhancing fertility, and naturally allowing you to become pregnant. 

If you have PCOS and you’re having difficulty getting pregnant come see us at Blue Jean Acupuncture.  We have many years of experience treating women with PCOS for fertility issues.  We can guide you through every step of the process to getting more balanced, getting healthier, and getting pregnant.

9 Ways to Age Slower than Your Friends

Just because you keep having birthdays doesn’t mean that you have to look or feel your age.  There are marathon runners, models, yogis, body builders who are well into their 80’s and beyond! So how do these super agers do it?  How do you keep mentally and physically healthy as you get older?

Here are our top 9 tips.

1.      Sunblock!  You have to wear it.  Believe it or not you get more damage from UV rays than from the process of aging itself. So make sure that you wear some daily, and that you get a good natural sunblock free of parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals that can actually erode your skin.  And don’t forget to re-apply!  Even super high SPF sunblocks only really work for 2-3 hours so take sunblock with you when you leave the house on sunny days.

2.      Keep your brain sharp by learning new things!  And here’s the fine print.  You have to learn something that challenges your brain. Vegging out in front of your favorite Discovery channel show isn’t going to cut it.  Just like with working out, it has to hurt a little to work best.  Your brain has to actually feel like it’s working.  So learn a new language, learn to tango, how to sail a boat, or whatever floats your boat!

3.      Avoid sugar.  It gives you wrinkles, yes seriously.  Sugar attaches to the collagen in your skin creating appropriately acronymed compounds called “AGES”, accelerated glycation products. This makes your tissues less elastic, and more brittle, which is bad news for your skin, blood vessels, kidneys and basically almost every part of you.  So be good to yourself and pass on the donuts next time.   

4.      Take Ubiquinol.  It’s a more active and absorbable form of Coq10, that helps your body make ATP, which is the energy that your cells produce.  You may have already noticed this happening, but after you turn around 30 your energy production starts to drop, and suddenly you can’t stay out until 2am anymore.  We’re not saying that it’s healthy to stay out until 2am, but Ubiquinol can help you get the energy back that you had when you were younger.  And bonus, it’s also a super potent anti-oxidant, which keeps your cells from taking on oxidative damage that lead to aging effects.

5.      Aim to eat nutrient dense foods.  Nutrient dense foods are foods that are packed with nutrients despite having few calories. The reason that most Americans are sick and unhealthy is because they are doing the opposite, eating low nutrient high calorie food.  And they are missing the wonderful nutrients available to us in whole foods.  Nutrient dense foods are like nature’s doctors.  They nourish and take care of our bodies on every level.  So make sure that your food is full of nutrients, not calories!

6.      Pump iron.  After age 30 inactive people can lose 3-5% of their muscle mass every decade, so you have to use it or you will lose it.  And studies have shown that resistance training actually reverses gene expression of aging.  Yes, you heard that right, you can actually reverse, not just slow, but actually reverse the aging process on the DNA level by weight training. So get on it!

7.      Get enough sleep.  About 7 hours is the sweet spot for most people, with either more or less producing reduced benefits for longevity.  Sleep isn’t only about getting rest, when you’re sleeping you regulate your hormones and metabolism, which keep your body running at optimum. Growth hormone initiates cellular repair, and it’s produced while you are getting deep sleep. Sleep is an absolutely essential, non-replaceable component of health.  If you’re having trouble sleeping it’s important to find the underlying cause of the issue and treat it. 

8.      Eat foods that have healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, such as salmon, avocado, and flax seeds.  These fatty acids make up your cell membranes, essentially the “skin” of your cells.  So getting a healthy intake of these will help your skin retain moisture.  Also, they help your body maintain the correct hormone balance, as you get older which prevents premature aging. 

9.      And of course, get acupuncture!  Acupuncturists are trained to detect imbalances, and health issues in the body, by looking at your tongue, feeling different aspects of your pulse, and looking at a wide variety of other signs and symptoms. If health issues are treated early on, future illnesses and disability can be prevented. 

Acupuncture with IVF, the Perfect Match.

Very often couples will ask why they need acupuncture if they are already getting IVF.  Are they both necessary?  The answer is yes, a resounding yes, because they both play vital roles in ensuring a successful pregnancy. 

If you think of planting a seed in the ground to become a tree, you know that putting the seed in the ground is only one component of the seed’s development.  This is somewhat like what IVF does for you.  It plants the seed at the appropriate time.  However, in order for a seed to thrive, other conditions must be cultivated to ensure the tree will grow.  There must be enough water, but not too much water, enough sunlight, but not too much, the right temperature, the right soil PH, etc.   And this is where acupuncture and herbs come in.  They make sure that you have the right conditions in your body for a pregnancy to occur and to thrive.

Just as a farmer has to cultivate her fields before planting crops, you must cultivate your “field” before trying to conceive.  That is why we recommend coming in for acupuncture and herbs for a minimum of 3 months before doing any IVF procedure.  Six months may even be needed for anyone with more serious fertility issues.  This will ensure that you correct any hormone imbalances before going into the procedure, improve egg health,  improve uterine circulation, build the correct thickness of your uterine lining, calm the mind, clear stress, and many other benefits. 

IVF can be costly both financially, and emotionally so you want to give yourself the best chance that you can for a healthy pregnancy.  Acupuncture and herbs can greatly improve your chance of not only becoming pregnant, but also sustained health for both mother and baby throughout the pregnancy. 

Here at Blue Jean Acupuncture we specialize in women’s health and fertility.  If you’re not sure if acupuncture and herbs are right for your situation we invite you to come talk to us.  You can make an appointment for a complimentary consultation at bluejeanacu.com. 

Bloated? Foggy headed? Tired? You may have Candida

Do you often feel tired, foggy headed, bloated, and generally unwell?  If so you might have an overgrowth of candida.  What is candida?  It is a form of yeast that lives in your body, mostly in your digestive system.  A small amount will help you digest your food, but too much will lead to health issues.

One of the big ways that candida affects your health is that it compromises the lining of your intestines which then causes “leaky gut” syndrome.  It means that the lining of your intestines has become more porous than it is supposed to be.  And particulates of undigested food, microbes, and toxins leak through into your blood stream. Eek!  As you can imagine, entry of foreign particulates into your blood stream is not good news.  This can lead to new food allergies, autoimmune conditions, or chronic inflammation.  It can trigger Crohns disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. 

When your body senses something in your blood stream that shouldn’t be there it goes into high alert, activating autoimmune reactions that can manifest as gas, bloating, indigestion, rashes, joint pain, fatigue, and several other issues.

Often times you may have several of these symptoms at once, and think that they are separate issues when really they have all come from the same source.    Our modern lifestyles encourage the growth of candida so this is an extremely common problem to have.  High stress lifestyles, drinking alcohol, consuming sugars, or simple starches, and taking birth control pills all encourage candida to rapidly multiply.

If you think you may have candida but aren’t sure you can try this simple test at home.  Put water into a clear glass.  Spit into the glass.  Wait for half an hour and then take a look.  If the water is clear then you likely don’t have candida.  If you see instead, something that looks like a jelly fish, a blob with little tendrils coming off of it you likely have candida.  Another telling sign can be a thick coating on your tongue. 

A candida cleanse may not be enough to clear health issues associated with candida. Leaky gut, auto-immune issues, and allergies are something you should really go over with a physician who can help you re balance your gut flora, restore healthy digestion, and reverse autoimmune issues.  If you’re sick of feeling “under normal” give us a call at Blue Jean Acupuncture, where we have experience treating all issues surrounding candida overgrowth. 

Thaw Out Your Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder, otherwise known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that can really creep up on you.  First you feel some discomfort in your shoulder, and stiffening.  Gradually it gets worse and suddenly you’re finding that it’s too painful to sleep on your side, that you can’t put your shirt over head, that you can’t wash dishes, put up your hair, or do any task easily that requires two hands. 

You become hyper aware of all the tasks that require two hands because it’s now ten times more difficult to do them!  You might wonder what is happening because you didn’t injure your shoulder, at least not recently. So what is going on?

If you are between the ages of 40-70, and this is happening to you, it’s quite possible that you are experiencing frozen shoulder. Some people refer to this condition as “fifties shoulder” because it usually occurs right around that decade of life.  

Often times people that have this condition have had a previous shoulder injury.  And also commonly people with chronic diseases such as diabetes can develop frozen shoulder too.    The common theme is that both injuries and chronic diseases, such as diabetes can limit circulation to the shoulder causing the tissues in and around the shoulder to “freeze” up. 

And this is why acupuncture is the PERFECT treatment for frozen shoulder.   Acupuncture directs blood flow around the body through stimulating the nerve pathways.  Circulation returns to the shoulder tissues, restoring mobility, and reducing pain.

Here at Blue Jean Acupuncture we have treated several cases of frozen shoulder throughout the years, with very successful results.  Most people experience relief and restoration of normal functioning after just a few treatments. 

The prognosis for frozen shoulder without treatment is that most people get better after one year.  However, it has been our experience that most people would rather not wait that long to get the use of their arms back! 

If you’ve been suffering with frozen shoulder, don’t wait to get help.  There is no need to suffer with pain and immobility. Give us a call and get started with treatments today. 

Stop Suffering from Migraines

Roxy's Blog

Do you have migraines?  If you do, you know that they can ruin your day, or worse, several of your days at a time.   Yesterday one of my patients mentioned to me that she had a migraine.  Apparently, this happens to her quite regularly.  Out of the blue a killer migraine will sucker punch her and she’s down for the count.  Her day is basically over.  She has to go home draw the blinds, and curl up in a ball of pain.

The truly miserable part is that she’s had to deal with this at least once a month for at least 10 years.  Counting that up, that’s a lot of days that she didn’t get to go out with her friends, work on her garden, play tennis, or do anything else she enjoys.  That’s a lot of missing out!

Oddly enough, though I’ve been treating this patient for 2 months now, this is the first time she had ever mentioned this problem to me.  She has been seeing me for a entirely different health issue.  When I asked her why she hadn’t mentioned her migraines before, she said that she didn’t know that acupuncture could help. 

This moment struck me like déjà vu.  This exact same scenario has happened to me before.  It always goes the same way.  I’m treating a patient for condition X, Y or Z, and then when they’re getting better and I ask them how they’re feeling with other aspects of their health, then off-handedly they tell me that they get migraines.  Usually it’s said an air of futility almost as if they’re talking to a dentist about foot pain. 

I decided I couldn’t let this happen again.  So here I am letting you know, so you won’t be the next person to tell me they didn’t know, acupuncture is WONDERFUL for treating migraines.  In fact, it’s one of the conditions where acupuncture is the most helpful. 

I know this personally because I’ve been treating people with acupuncture for 12 years now, and in that time I’ve taken many people from the point of having chronic migraines, to having barely any, or none at all. 

Why does it work?  And what does it have over medication?  If you’re like most migraine sufferers, you probably take NSAIDS or Triptans to control your symptoms.  Like most pharmaceuticals these can come with some not to nice side effects.   Long term use of NSAIDS can cause bleeding of the stomach or Leaky Gut syndrome.  Triptans can cause nausea, dizziness and fatigue.  And what’s really ironic about migraine medications is that they can lead to rebound headaches.  That’s right!  You can actually get headaches from long-term use of migraine medication.

Also as you were probably aware, migraine medications don’t actually treat your problem.  They just cover up the symptoms.  Acupuncture, on the other hand communicates with and balances your nervous system.  It “retunes” your body.  In other words, acupuncture works on the root cause of your migraines, providing naturally stable and long lasting relief.  It is the most sustainable and healthful treatment for migraines you can find anywhere.   That's why migraines are one of my most favorite things to treat.  If you need help with migraines, it's time to stop suffering.  Give me a call and let me help you get back to a normal pain free life.  

Why your Thyroid Test could be Wrong

When one of our patients comes in needing help with fatigue one of the first things we look at is the tongue.  Scalloped edges indicate what we, in Chinese medicine would call “spleen chi deficiency” or a lack of energy in the body. 

Interestingly enough, a scalloped edged tongue is also a mark of an underactive thyroid.  Fatigue is one of the hallmarks of hypothyroidism, so is “foggy brain”, constipation, feeling cold often, dry hair and skin, heavy periods, etc.  If some of those symptoms seem all too familiar, but you’ve gotten a thyroid test and it came back normal, you were probably confused by the results.

What your doctor may not have told you is that thyroid hormone blood testing is often inaccurate.  The reason that is, is because several factors can throw off the results, obesity, aging, stress, chronic fatigue, diabetes, etc. 

And even if you have the right amount of thyroid hormones circulating in your blood your body might not be responding to them.  So even though your thyroid hormones look great on paper, you could still be functionally deficient. 

Looking at thyroid diseases from an Eastern medical perspective, our patient’s signs and symptoms determine diagnosis.  Or in other words, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck.  We say it’s a duck, and treat it as such!

Because Chinese medicine is the original functional medicine, we understand that the hormones in the body are most delicately balanced.  They can be thrown off by stress, environmental chemicals, aging, diet, and other factors. One hormone imbalance, such as cortisol deficiency can quickly become another one, like hypothyroidism. Chameleon like, hormones even turn into one another, progesterone becomes cortisol, DHEA becomes testosterone, etc.  So treating hormones is never as simple as replacing deficient ones.  The whole picture of how each hormone is functioning and affecting the others must be examined. 

If you’re feeling like “something just isn’t right” and you need some help getting back on track give us a call at Blue Jean Acupuncture.  We will start you off with an extensive hormone health questionnaire, look at your tongue, pulse, and health history and we will go from there.  Acupuncture and medical herbs restore natural balance to your hormones so that you can start feeling like you again.

Men, Not feeling like Yourself Lately? This may be why.

If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, you might have low testosterone.

1.     Low libido

2.    Difficulty getting erections

3.    Fatigue

4.    Muscle loss

5.    Gaining body fat

6.    Loss of body and head hair

7.    Depression

None of that sounds like much fun. But the good news is that these are not just “normal” symptoms of aging.  When your body is in balance you can feel, and perform the way you did when you were younger. 

In Chinese medical theory testosterone production falls under the “Kidney” system.  And just as a side note, the names of the systems in Chinese medicine are not to be taken literally.  They are named after organs, but actually describe a series of functions.  

Sexuality, and hormone function fall under the Kidney system, and as such there are generally there are 2 basic types of testosterone deficiency.  One is a “hot” type called Kidney Yin deficiency.  If you have this type of deficiency you might feel “tired but wired.”  You’re anxious and a bit restless, but tired at the same time.  You might have hot hands and feet, and have trouble sleeping. 

The second type of deficiency is a “cold type” called Kidney Yang deficiency.  If this is you, you will generally feel very tired, get cold easily, may have a sore back or poor appetite.  This is a more serious type of deficiency than Kidney Yin deficiency.  It means the problem is more chronic and you’ve had it for longer.

But whichever type of testosterone deficiency you have, acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs have a long history of helping men increase their testosterone. So if you want to feel as good as you used to give us a call at Blue Jean Acupuncture.  We can help you get there. 

Acupuncture for Weight Loss, Yes Really.

If you are like most people in America trying to lose weight, you’ve tried every diet, exercise program, and supplement on the market.  But the likelihood is that you are still struggling with the weight.

The question you have in your mind is, I’ve tried everything else, can acupuncture work?  The answer is yes, but it is important to understand that it is not a magic bullet.  You still have to make lifestyle changes, and dietary changes to lose that weight and keep it off.  But once you make that decision to step forward and really dedicate yourself to being the best version of you that you know you can be, then come see us.  This is the turning point, the point at which dynamic change can happen.  We will work with you on building a customized plan for a new healthy lifestyle.  We will help you choose exercise, and a diet that works with your life, and your tastes.

How can acupuncture help?  Consider it like the training wheels on your bicycle when you were first learning how to ride.  Acupuncture will regulate your metabolism, and hormone activity to make it easier for your body to shed that weight once you have the momentum going.  Acupuncture will also help calm your appetite, and stress levels as you adjust to changes in your diet, so that you don’t get “thrown off your bicycle.” 

In the paradigm of Eastern medicine we work off of the idea that there are usually multiple causes for the same imbalance or disease.  For some, psychological stress could be the source of overeating.  For others weight gain could be due to menopause.  Still others could be struggling with metabolic fatigue.  The strength of acupuncture and Eastern medicine is that it recognizes and targets the root cause of the problem for YOU.    Acupuncture is the original "functional medicine" so your acupuncture treatment will always be customized to be the most effective for you and your specific condition.   If you would like to know more please give us a call and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Sciatica, an Unnerving Problem

If you’ve ever had sciatica you know it can be quite an “unnerving” problem.  The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body.  It’s approximately as thick around as your thumb, running from your lower back down to your feet.  So when something is pinching or blocking that nerve, that can cause a whole lot of pain.

Disc herniations, arthritis, bone spurs, pulled muscles, spinal stenosis, and pregnancy are just some of the ways that sciatica can start.  At Blue Jean Acupuncture we have treated every version of sciatica in hundreds of different patients.  It is one of our most commonly treated symptoms. Most of our sciatica patients have treatments with us, and leave feeling noticeably better after even their first session.

Even the World Health Organization recognizes and lists acupuncture as one of the best treatments for this condition. How does it help?  Acupuncture significantly boosts circulation to the injured area, increases endorphin production, reduces swelling, and relaxes muscle tissue, all contributing to reduction of pain.  And unlike pain killers, acupuncture treatment actually heals as it reduces your pain vs. just covering up the pain. 

Another strength of the Chinese medical system is that we look beyond just treating the point of pain itself and also investigate any underlying factors which may be contributing to the pain, or are inhibiting healing.  If your body is energy deficient, or has weak blood, has poor circulation, or poor energy, internalized dampness or mucous from eating the wrong foods, internalized coldness or heat, constitutional weakness, those are all issues that can cause pain or keep you from healing.  We practice a holistic medicine and therefore recognize that many different factors influence the outcome of treatments for pain.  We treat your body as a whole system to help you get naturally sustained pain relief.