Ronica Eve Perez, L.AC

Yes. After women have babies, it depletes the energy, In Chinese medicine, this is called the "Kidney" energy. Kidney energy is what is used to make and deliver a baby and takes some time to replenish after birth. Kidney energy works together with the lungs to take a full breath. The lungs bring in the air and the Kidneys bring it deeper into the body. A skilled acupuncturist will be able to help replenish the Kidney energy and strengthen the lungs and immune system which should help with the asthma symptoms.

Acupressure uses stimulation of the acupuncture points either by applying pressure to a specific point or using tools such as tuning forks on specific acupuncture points. Acupuncture typically involves penetration into the skin with a sterile needle to activate the acupuncture point. If you have a fear of needles, I highly recommend acupressure or laser acupuncture.

Everyone has a different recommendation for treatment plans. I typically see a patient once a week for 3 weeks and then make follow-up appointment recommendations based on what we are treating. Acupuncture is a form of preventative medicine so it is great to make it a part of your healthy life style. I think of it as a car getting an oil change...the better you keep up with the maintenance, the fewer problems you are likely to encounter.

If the pain is severe, I would make sure to get things checked out by your doctor. Better to rule things out that may be serious before trying the acupuncture. Acupuncture is designed to be a "preventative" form of medicine which means having acupuncture done regularly can prevent some of these things from occurring. However, pain is one of the main reasons people get acupuncture and it works amazing for pain relief. Once you get some relief, I would advise seeking a practitioner that can help you to get to the root of the problem, so that you can prevent future issues.

Acupuncture does not treat western diagnoses but we do treat any of the symptoms one is experiencing due to any condition. When we eat, the food is supposed to go down to the stomach. If food gets stuck or comes back up, then there is a blockage in the system. Acupuncture points are used to correct the flow of energy and to restore energy to the organs that "weak" and therefore not able to perform their jobs. I also incorporate nutrition into my practice and usually see that the stomach is actually not acidic enough to digest foods properly and I use supplements to help restore any damage done and then to properly acidify the stomach, maybe adding in some enzymes to make sure our food is being properly digested and available for energy.

There are many reasons why people struggle with weight. Once we find where the struggle with weight is, we can address the issue. For some, it is physical issues in the body which may be connected to thyroid or adrenal stress. Acupuncture is used to balance the entire endocrine system. Other times, it is a habitual response to how one handles stress and the acupuncture can be used to help the emotional issues. I combine my practice with nutrition and also help people to identify which foods are best for their body and make sure to identify and eliminate any foods that may be causing inflammation or some type of immune response in the body.

Because the condition is chronic, I would absolutely try the acupuncture to build up lung function and the the immune system to prevent it from occurring every year. It is great that you have a treatment plan that works when you need it but it would be even better if you could find some answers as to why this keeps coming back. These are the principles of Chinese medicine...shedding light on why these things are happening and understanding that every body is different with different needs, dietary choices, etc...Plus, from my experience, children love the acupuncture to help calm and de-stress the body. The children I treat tell their parents when it is time to come see me :)

I believe diet is the number one thing that is going to help with cholesterol. However, acupuncture can help to determine which organ system is needing more "help." For example, sometimes I see people with "Spleen" meridian system symptoms. If cholesterol is high with these patients, I recommend watching sugars in the diet including breads and pastas. If the condition seems to be more in the "Liver" meridian system symptoms, then the dietary foods would include the sugars and higher fat foods and greasy foods. With the dietary recommendations, I would suggest the acupuncture to help with the functions of these organ systems.

Acupuncture is not used to treat western medicine-termed conditions like GERD, but looks at the symptoms that are present and treats those symptoms. For example, digestion moves down the body and acid reflux is a sign of the stomach energy moving in the wrong direction. There are acupuncture points to help the energy in the digestive tract to move down, strengthen the stomach, and calm the stomach. Personally, I would add some supplements, such as aloe and digestive enzymes, to help speed the recovery.

Acupuncture is used to restore balance to the body. If symptoms improve with the acupuncture but return then we have to look at other things that may be contributing to the symptoms such as foods or other things that may be causing inflammation in the body. Eliminating certain foods or adding supplements to help strengthen the immune system or reduce inflammation can help prevent symptoms from coming back.

Absolutely worth a try! I have many clients who have experienced relief from headaches using acupuncture.

The major risks are needling into the lungs, other organs, or arteries, but any licensed acupuncturist will know about all the risks and proper needle insertion to avoid any of these areas. Usually, if one places a needle where there is pain, it will help the pain, but a skilled acupuncturist, one who is trained to understand the whole medical philosophy and theory about the meridian systems and relationship between the organ systems will be able to put together a very effective needle prescription not only to help the condition being treated, but also to aid in finding the root cause of the problem.

Absolutely. I have successfully treated many patients with different types of blood disorders. The organ systems mostly involved are the spleen and liver. Acupuncture can help the function of these organ systems. I would probably recommend some good supplements or dietary recommendations as well.