Jennifer Jellis RAc.

'Moxa' , 'Moxibustion', or 'Moe Kusa' in Japanese which translates to 'burning herb' is-- that exactly! -- a herb that is burned to heat a specific area of the body for the purpose of treating disharmony. Moxa is Mugwort or chinese Wormwood that comes from the 'sage' family and is also called Artemesia  vulgaris  or Artemesia  argyi . It is wonderful to use as it is the most readily available combustible that does not flame and can provide a temperature of 670 degrees centigrade. Recent analysis indicates the chemical richness includes; protein, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, aluminum, magnesium, adenine, choline, and Vitamins A,B,C and D. Crazy!! Moxa is awesome for: warming cold conditions, expels dampness, opens up the meridians and boosts Qi (energy) and blood! Excellent for conditions like; arthritis, asthma, vomiting, diarrhea, rheumatic and abdominal pain. Awesome for menstrual cramps! Moxibustion directed towards UB67 (corner of

Ginger root -- Zingiber officinale --also known as Sheng jiang (in Chinese Medicine) or Galanga (if you happen to be in Thailand) is such a great herb for so many reasons; it is a natural, cost-effective way to stay healthy and keep warm this Autumn season! 1. Ginger is used as an AntiViral:  there's nothing better to fight the cold and flu season than with a steaming cup of ginger root tea. Boiling a small pot of water with grated ginger is excellent to help ease a sore throat and sweat out toxins. 2. Ginger is great for lowering Blood Pressure and improves Circulation!  Ginger works to thin the blood which ultimately lowers blood pressure and reduces the chance of blood clots. Ginger also dilates the blood vessels and prevents platelets from sticking to blood vessels. 3. Ginger is a natural antispasmodic  which helps ease menstrual cramps or abdominal cramping with IBS. 4. Ginger is the best thing out there for Nausea!  Any kind of nausea, whether it be motion sickness or m

Menopause  is a naturally  occurring  phenomenon that will affect all women at some stage in life (typically around 45-63), and is a natural part of aging. But the transition doesn't have to be a dreaded process, symptoms of menopause can be managed with acupuncture and traditional chinese herbal medicine. Hormone imbalances can be maintained often with as little as a few treatments. Menopause occurs when there is a decrease in the amounts of estrogen and/or progesterone being produced in the body. This can result in symptoms as varied as; hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, memory loss, headaches, joint aches/pain, insomnia, decreased libido, increased urination, and weight gain. Physicians usually prescribe hormone replacement therapy ( HRT ) to aid in the symptoms, however there are often serious side-effects that go along with this.  HRT  can increase the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers, increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Women may also experie

Many people seeking out acupuncture treatments may find it extremely confusing when trying to decide on a practitioner. There are many health care practitioners who offer 'acupuncture treatments' or 'needling' and in B.C., this list includes; medical doctors, naturopaths, physiotherapists, etc. The problem that often arises, is most of the training programs offered to other practitioners are often condensed in theory and practice where occasionally only a few acupuncture points are learned and knowledge of TCM diagnosis and treatment protocols are limited. Some treatments may utilize needling practices such as; intra-muscular stimulation (IMS or iSTOP) or 'dry needling' which are loosely based on acupuncture and TCM principles but in practice-- very different. These techniques may target hyper-sensitive areas in the muscle or 'trigger points' for chronic pain. While eliciting a 'twitch' response in the muscle-- may help to release soft tissue,

It seems like this is the time of year when muscles are more prone to contract, pain in the upper back and neck region sets in. Whether it's due to colder temperatures causing us to bring our shoulders up around our ears, or forgetting to close windows at night allowing muscles to contract when the body temperature lowers as we sleep, or stress that compounds in that area-- neck and shoulder tension sets in! Acupuncture is a great tool along with a lot of different modalities for easing musculo-skeletal pain in the upper body. * Acupuncture  itself helps to release local Qi (energy) and blood stagnation which can manifest as neck rigidity and tension, compromising movement. *Cupping techniques allow for more oxygen to flow through the area and improve circulation of the tissues to release tension. *Moxabustion aids by warming the needle and bringing more energy into the tissues to also help release tight muscles. *"Tuina" is a form of massage that manipulates

And in with the new! Welcome to my new blog! I will be posting new stuff soon!