How Acupuncture Helps with Grief, Sadness, and Loss

This is the time of year we pull winter boxes marked "sweaters" out of storage, replace chilled soups with hearty stews and gather around fireplaces in warm, cozy living spaces with our closest friends and family. 

It feels appropriate that in Chinese medicine, the emotion that is associated with the Autumn Metal element is grief, for it represents a time of consolidating and bringing things closer, like a big hug, that were scattered around during the summer.

There are a total of five emotions in Chinese medicine, one for each season and element:

• Fall - Metal - Grief
• Winter - Water - Fear
• Spring - Wood - Anger
• Summer - Fire - Overjoy
• Late Summer -Earth - Worry

All are appropriate for certain circumstances for a certain amount of time.

It is only natural for someone to grieve when they suffer the loss of a loved one, a pet, or the end of a relationship or physical ability. So, what makes any of these healthy emotions pathological or hazardous to our health? It is difficult to say just when someone should stop grieving, for it's such a personal issue and different for each individual.

Generally, as acupuncturists we see an emotion as pathological when it is in too extreme a state for too long a time, and the body will tell us when this is happening. Signs of imbalance will show up on the tongue and within the pulse. Acupuncture can be of incredible help to those suffering from grief or sadness, whether immediately after a loss, when it is a challenge to carry out daily activities; or months or even years later when one still feels the pangs of grief and struggles to "move on." 

By strengthening the Lung organ system and balancing the Qi, or energy, in both the emotional and physical body, the patient will began to feel more grounded, held and better able to cope with the loss.

Real Patient Experiences: 

I think of a young patient who came to see me two years after being in a plane crash. She survived but the pilot did not. For the first time in her 19 years, she was having asthma symptoms. It was clear after talking with her and reading her pulses that her sadness about the pilot's death was beginning to affect her lung function.

With regular acupuncture treatment and additional work with a counselor, she is back to playing softball and running. 

There has also been several instances when a patient who had come in for something unrelated, cried during a treatment. I've experienced this firsthand. Silent tears filled up my ears as I lay face up on the treatment table listening to the sound of soft waves crashing and thinking, "what is happening, why am I crying?," not knowing the cause of the release. 

Sometimes grief is lodged deep within and only when we "open the channels" and get the energy moving, do these emotions dislodge and rise to the surface on their way out. I remembered feeling lighter and having a great sense of peace after that treatment, as other patients have also shared who've experienced this. 

It is a belief in Chinese medicine that every physical condition has an emotional cause. 

With most sadness or loss, time is the best healer. Acupuncture can help make that time feel less overwhelming, more livable and help keep the body balanced during the transition. 

If you are interested in trying acupuncture for grief, sadness, or to overcome an old deep hurt our acupuncturists at Jade Star Acupuncture will be able to help. You can call 520-881-0827 to find out more or to schedule an appointment. Another great benefit is we do take insurance so we can take care of all the billing for you. 

Seasonal Changes as we Welcome Autumn in Tucson

Autumn is the time of year to consolidate, store up and prepare for the quiet and stillness of winter. It is the transition period between the most yang time of year (summer) and the most yin time (winter). It is time to be less active and scattered than previous months and more reflective and grounded. 

In Chinese medicine, the Fall season is represented by the color white, the climate of dryness, the Lungs and Large Intestine organs, the skin and body hair and the emotion of grief. If one has allergies, this is the season to fortify the lungs and prepare for the upcoming spring season. It is also an especially effective time to process grief and boost the immune system.

If you do feel symptoms of a cold, flu, or grief and sadness this time of year, please come see us. Acupuncture is great at helping ease the transition of the seasons and prevent sickness from developing. We also have an herbal pharmacy with great remedies and teas to help too. 

Eating foods that are more concentrated, slow-cooked and that grow beneath the earth are most beneficial in autumn; as are sour foods, since this flavor is more contracting in nature. 

Some great foods to include this time of year are root vegetables, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, apples, olives, pickles, leeks, plums, grapes, yogurt and white pungent foods like garlic, turnip, cabbage and horseradish. Also warming foods such as ginger, cinnamon and clove help fire the furnace, so to speak, for the cooler days ahead.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to help ease the transition of seasons and avoid sickness please call us at 520-881-0827. You can also visit our website at www.JadeStarAcupuncture.com. 

New Associate Acupuncturist

Here at Jade Star Acupuncture we are excited to announce that we recently added a new team member! Danube Jacobs is a licensed acupuncturist and has nearly 4 years of clinical experience.

Danube graduated from Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 2010 with a Masters in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. She is nationally certified in Chinese Herbal medicine, NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol certified, and One Thousand Hands Buddha Qi Gong and Reiki level III certified as well. She teaches Qi Gong and other public classes on Chinese medicine in Tucson.

"After overcoming my severe seasonal allergy symptoms with the help of Chinese medicine, I was determined to learn this all-encompassing ancient medicine and share the benefits of acupuncture with as many people as possible." - Danube Jacobs

In the fall of 2010, Danube spent three months in Nepal volunteering at a no-cost medical clinic with the Acupuncture Relief Project. There, she provided acupuncture to over 500 patients, treating a variety of conditions such as asthma, sequella of stroke, gastritis and all types of pain.

When she’s not in the clinic, Danube is mostly likely exploring the outdoors, trying a new vegetarian recipe, painting or helping out on her boyfriend's farm.

Danube will be working the following hours:

• Monday 11am-7pm 
• Wednesday 10am-4pm 
• Thursday 11am-7pm 
• Friday 9am-5pm
• Saturday 9am-4pm

These hours will help our patients be seen in the evenings and on the weekend as we know this is important to a lot of people. To schedule an appointment with Danube, or Jennifer, please call 520-881-0827. 

Danube is very good at explaining Chinese medicine to patients and making it clear how acupuncture will be able to help them, as well as how the patient can help themselves with lifestyle changes. We are very excited to have Danube on our team and give our office the chance to touch more lives. 

We invite you to come meet Danube at our Open House on Friday November 14th from 5-7pm. If you come to the open house and schedule an appointment with Danube you will get half off! For more information about the event visit our Facebook event page. 

Office Updates!

Hi Friends,

If you have not been to our office lately then you haven't seen our beautiful new lobby. Here is a few glimpses of what it looks like now. 

We decided the office needed a fresh new look so we sectioned off half the lobby with a room divider from Ikea so now the lobby is smaller and cozier. The colors are all very calming, soothing, and relaxing so the space is much nicer. We now offer free wifi to our patients and their friends or family who are waiting for them. We also have a nice selection of teas to enjoy before or after your treatment. 

Here is a few photos so you can see a little bit of what it looks like.

Also since Maurianne moved on to open her own practice, Jennifer now has two treatment rooms to be able to see more patients. We will share new photos of the treatment rooms soon as well. Both rooms now have a calming zen like feeling and we also have made the walls sound proof! So you will hear less of the outside noise or neighboring business noise, which is great to help you relax and enjoy your acupuncture treatment. 

We would love to have you back in for a treatment to see the fresh new look of the office and enjoy a relaxing balancing treatment. Give us a call at 520-881-0827! 

How Big Are The Needles?

Who likes needles? Not most of us!

Surprisingly only 20% of people have a true fear or phobia of needles. Source

The rest of us just don't like being poked very much. I still don't like to have my blood drawn with that big needle, and I avoid shots in general but if I ever do have to get one it's not the most fun experience. But I am here to tell you that acupuncture needles are so much smaller and not even near as painful. If you have never had acupuncture then you are probably wondering "Does it hurt?" and I am here to tell you it does not!

The needles the acupuncturist uses are actually in the filament, or filiform, category instead of needle. They are not hollow like a needle to draw your blood. The thin needles are made of stainless steel so they are flexible but will not break. After each use the needles are disposed of them so they are never reused. Usually before the needle is placed the area is wiped with alcohol to sterilize the skin.

Here is a great comparison of the acupuncture needle to a sewing needle, syringe, and match stick:

Size of the acupuncture needle can vary from 13 to 130mm in length. At Jade Star Acupuncture, Jennifer usually uses a mm needle for most uses. When doing facial acupuncture, also known as Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture, she uses mm needles. The diameter of the needles ranges from .16mm to .46mm, and the face needles are mm wide.

Here is a variety of different needles used for different areas of the body and for different reasons:

What is most important to note I think is the fact that needles do not go deep into the skin usually. Most people seem to have a fear that the needle is going to go too deep or cause pain inside but generally the needle is only 1/4 inch into the skin. In areas where you have thin skin like your face or wrist the needles are even more shallow, they are just barely set into the skin and will sometimes even fall out. Areas with thicker tissue such as the buttocks will take a much longer needle and go in 3-4 inches to treat sciatica.

In my experience with acupuncture, what makes the biggest difference is the practitioner and how they insert the needles. From what I have learned there are different methods to how the needle can be placed and an acupuncturist that is very skilled will cause the least amount of pain with insertion. The areas that still hurt are usually areas that need treatment. Such as if you are having intestinal issues and a needle is placed at a point that is meant for digestion problems, then it may be painful, but the pain subsides quickly.

My hope is that this information will help ease your worry about the size and potential pain from the acupuncture needle. If you have any questions, comments, or are ready to schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 520-881-0827. 

Dragon’s Blood Stops Bleeding and Heals Wounds

Dragon's Blood

Also known as Xue Jie, Daemonoropis Resina, or Draconis Sanguis.

I’ll admit it… I’m a nerd! I love the idea of dragons and when I learned about this herb I was instantly in love! Not only does it have a great name but the visual of Dragon’s Blood is beautiful! Dark red, iron-like and shiny, it’s just amazing!

Dragon’s Blood is actually the resin secretion from Daemononrops draco. Mature fruit is collected and dried, then put in a basket with rough sea shells. The basket is shaken so all the resin falls off the fruit, then it is sifted and wrapped in a cloth bag and boiled until it melts. After it melts, it is removed from the bag and cooled and often stamped with a gold mark to identify the product.

Dragons blood fruit is used in Chinese medicine to heal skin wounds and stop bleeding. 

You will find Dragon’s Blood (xue jie) in Alpine Herb’s remedy called Myrrh Liniment. The reason I added this in my recipe is because the resin generates flesh, assists sores and wounds to heal and stops bleeding. When combined with Olibanum aka Frankincense (ru xiang) and Myrrha (mo yao) they all promote movement when blood as stagnated, stop pain, generate flesh, reduce swelling, and assist the healing of sores.

Myrrh Liniment is used for any sprains, strains, brusies and more. 

References: Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E. (2004). Chinese Herbal Medicine material Medica. 3^rd Edition. Eastland Press, Inc.

Acupuncture Treatment for Children

Did you know that acupuncture can help children too? I have a 5 year old boy that came in for treatment for acid re-flux that was extremely painful and deeply worried his parents on what to do for him. After only 3 treatments and an herbal formula, the re-flux is gone and he is pain free.

I've also treated a 9 year old for juvenile arthritis which is dramatically worse during his growth spurts. In conjunction with his rhumatologist, we have developed a treatment plan that eases his pain during times of growth and has eliminated it otherwise. This child came in for treatment daily for the first week and then twice a week for a couple months. Now I see him during his growth times. 

As most of us know kids seem to get a lot of colds and I see many children for this. Often I do cupping therapy for colds on children.

A 11 year old girl has been receiving treatment for the sadness she feels from being bullied at school. She is able to process these emotions through acupuncture. 

A 15 year old boy with cluster migraines for several months came in and through pulse balancing his migraines have not returned and he said to me, "I feel like I can just be myself again".

I think as adults we often think children have it easy, but they get stressed and have pain and heartache too. Through the treatment of acupuncture they can better process and digest their lives so they well adjusted people as they get older, instead of holding onto baggage that they don't need.


Jennifer Parks, L.AC.
Jade Star Acupuncture

Pulse Diagnosis

I just recently took a CEU class(Continuing Education Credit) to learn how to balance the pulses better and I'd like to share a little about pulses since this is something we learn as a foundation but it is important to hone our skills as acupuncturists. Dr. Martha Lucas from Colorado taught the 3 day class and she really opened my eyes to what we the objective truly is when reading pulses. Pulse balance is the exact objective of an acupuncture treatment.

To me, the goal as an acupuncturist is to open pathways to let the patient be able to create their own healing process.

Through pulse diagnosis we can see many aspects of a patients life, from childhood to adulthood. When feeling the pulse in the Spleen position it not only tells about the current digestion of the patient but also if the patient has had spiritual nurturing in their life or not. By understanding the root or core of a patient via their pulses it allows me to treat current conditions fully and to the best of my ability. Point selection is still important however instead of using protocols out of text books, pulse balancing allows me to truly treat each person as an individual each time they come in for the imbalances they have at the moment. When your pulses are balanced your Qi is balanced and you feel like the best version of yourself. If you want to feel what balanced is liked, give us a call to schedule your appointment.

Do you have health insurance?

Since healthcare is a trending topic lately, we wanted to let you know that many plans cover acupuncture treatments now.

Surprised? We were here at Jade Star Acupuncture!

The majority of patients we see have a medical insurance plan that covers their acupuncture visits. The patient doesn't have to pay a penny! Not every plan pays for it but many do and it's very simple to find out about yours. Have you tried acupuncture and loved it but couldn't afford it on a regular basis? This will make things very simple, we bill your insurance, they pay 100%, you pay nothing. Super easy for you to get the healthcare you need.

Here a few big employers that provide insurance that we can bill:

• Federal Employees with BCBS plan 104 & 105 = 24 acupuncture visits a year (2 visits a month, all year) this applies to any federal employee with this plan including Border Patrol, and Post Office.
• Raytheon - United Healthcare pays 100% after small deductible for unlimited visits per year
• Freeport McMoran - United Healthcare give unlimited visits
• Pima Community College - Cigna covers 60 visits per year!

If you have ever wondered if acupuncture could help you, now is the time to act by calling us at Jade Star Acupuncture to schedule an appointment at no additional cost to you if you have coverage. We will collect a few pieces of information from you via phone or email and let you know in 2-3 business days if your plan will pay for acupuncture. It's so easy to be your healthiest self! Call today to find out if you're covered!