Acupuncture can help Migraines – Self Acupressure Point for Migraines

Infographic about Migraine Headaches

Do you have migraines or know somebody who has migraines?

Migraine symptoms include:

  • Sharp, pounding pain, often on one side of the head
  • Visual disturbances
  • Dizziness, nausea and vomiting
  • Sensitivity to light and sound

Migraines can be triggered by:

  • Stress or anxiety
  • Hormonal changes
  • Certain medications
  • Food allergies, especially cheese, chocolate, alcohol, cured meats and sweets
  • Disturbed sleep patterns
  • Bright or flickering lights

We have treated many, many clients who have migraines over the years and I do not remember any of them who did not benefit in some way.

Initially we suggest twice per week Acupuncture treatments, then decrease to weekly, eventually to every other week, then monthly. We have evaluations to monitor their progress and adjust our treatment frequency recommendations accordingly.

If the migraines occur around the menstrual cycle often one treatment just before the cycle and one during the first one or two days of the cycle have shown to be very effective.

Usually any or all of the following migraine parameters improve:

Frequency: For example if the client had them initially x1-2 per week, after a number of treatments they may have them one to three times per month.

Intensity: If their worst migraine pain on a pain scale from 0 to 10 initially was a 10 or a 10+, their worst migraine pain may be a 7 after a number of treatments.

Time: Initially their migraines might last 1-2 days, and after a number of treatments they might last a few hours to a half day.

Medication: Initially they may take prescription medications, after a number of treatments they are able to manage their migraines with over the counter medications and may report that those are actually more effective than the stronger medications were in the past.

Acupuncture can treat an acute Migraine

Acupuncture can also be effective not only in preventing but also in at treating a very severe migraine. One of our clients had gone to the Emergency Room three times in two months for their migraines. While the medications were helpful, these visits were expensive and stressful for our client.

During the first week of being seen in our clinics they had another very severe migraine. Since both of our clinics are very close to the Emergency Rooms in Hood River and in The Dalles, they decided to try an Acupuncture treatment first, knowing that they would be very close to an Emergency Room if needed.

Their migraine was significantly better right after their treatment and they managed without another Emergency Room visit and were able to return to work the next day!

Acupressure Point which can help Migraines

This Acupressure Point can help Migraines

One great Acupressure point which can help migraines is called Heart 8. It is on the palm side of the hand between the bones of the pinkie and the ring finger. Feel for the depression which the “V” those bones create inside the palm. It is best to use the thumb and index finger to squeeze this area firmly, by pressing the opposing area on the back side of the hand and on the palm side of the hand. Try pressing this area on either hand, if it feels tender to touch, it is the correct area, but press in the depression, not on top of a bone.

Learn more about which other conditions Acupuncture can treat here.

“ I haven’t felt the need to see an Acupuncturist.”

Carola Stepper, LAc doing an initial medical intake prior to the client’s first Acupuncture treatment. Due to COVID we are currently doing medical intakes while the client is in their car in our parking lot.

I have been to many outdoor events with a booth, talking to people about Acupuncture.  “ I haven’t felt the need to see an Acupuncturist.” was one of the lines I heard often.

I understand where they were coming from. They look at me as a medical provider, maybe a “specialist” of some sort. My guess is many people see their Primary Provider yearly for a physical, however many will see their Primary Provider mainly when they have symptoms. If people have never seen an Acupuncturist, they may or may not have information about when to see an Acupuncturist.

For example people would probably know that ongoing foot pain is not normal, they would hopefully see their Primary Provider and then possibly be referred to a Foot Doctor (Podiatrist).

Symptoms trigger many people to see their medical providers.

So, many people don’t seem to have a “symptom” which they associate with a need to see an Acupuncturist!

The World Health Organization has a long list of conditions which Acupuncture can treat, proven by evidence based studies.

Our clients see us mainly for pain or stress related conditions

Our clients come to see our Acupuncturists  mainly for pain anywhere in the body (low back, sciatica, neck, upper back, hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist, headaches, migraines, abdominal pain, menstrual cramps and more) as well as anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, menopause, respiratory and digestive problems, food and environmental allergies and more.

Acupuncture is holistic

Acupuncture has been a holistic medicine for over 3000 years! This means to me that a client might come in for back pain, after a few treatments they report their back pain is improved, but they also noticed they sleep better, they don’t feel so stressed anymore and their digestion is improved!

It is fine to see an Acupuncturist without having a symptom!

We welcome clients who do not have major symptoms, but want to stay at their optimal level of health and use regular Acupuncture treatments as part of their health and self care routine. We welcome clients who “just want us to treat their stress”! That’s great and very wise, since stress typically makes any existing health concerns worse, so getting help with how stress affects one’s body and mind is a great preventative measure! We welcome clients who are simply curious about Acupuncture and want to try it out.

We offer Relief, Correction and Maintenance Care

All of them affect the level of functioning of the body. Maintenance Care is offered after the highest level of functioning is reached. We suggest monthly treatments, and compare this to the oil change in the car or the teeth cleanings at the dentist – one wouldn’t just stop them thinking they are done now and don’t need them any longer.

Acupuncture is part of Complementary or Alternative Medicine (=CAM)

Our clients use us either as a complement or as an alternative to their regular medical care. I firmly believe in using the best of what either Western Medicine or any Alternative Medicine has to offer, sometimes that means both and sometimes that means one first, then the other. It also all depends on the personal choice of the client, their phase of healing or rehab and on financial choices.

All of our clients have a Primary Care Provider, since Acupuncturists in Oregon and Washington cannot be Primary Care Providers. (For example in California they can be Primary Care Providers, they have a different state law).

We are honored to receive referrals from local Medical Offices 

We co-treat many clients with their Primary Care Providers. The vast majority of our clients self refer to our offices. Only two insurances (Worker’s Comp and Oregon Medicaid /PSCS) require a referral, however we really appreciate working in conjunction with other local providers.

Can you help me / my husband / my wife / my child / my co-worker with allergies?

Don’t we all know somebody who has seasonal allergies?

Various Vaccines

These are our test vials we use to test and treat clients with allergies. They are never opened, or injected, the clients only holds them in their hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We get these questions often, our answer is: Yes!

We offer three different modalities, all of which can help seasonal or environmental allergies:

Acupuncture, Custom Chinese Herbs and Allergy Elimination.

Additionally, Allergy Elimination, together with Acupuncture can help with food allergies.

This Time Magazine article summarizes some studies comparing Acupuncture and antihistamines for the treatment of seasonal allergies.

This article in Acupuncture Today shares information about a study which evaluates the treatment of seasonal, allergic rhinitis with Acupuncture as well as Chinese Herbs.

We offer customized Chinese Herbs in granule (powder) form in our clinics; this style of dispensing medicine is comparable to a compound pharmacy in Western Pharmacology: The medicine / herbs are mixed specifically per client to address their health concerns.

Allergy Elimination

Allergy Elimination is based on NAET which stands for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique.
Devi S. Nambudripad, MD, DC, LAc, PhD, (Acu.), the originator of this remarkable technique wrote this book, amongst others:                                     Say Good- Bye to Illness. It has countless client testimonials from clients who’s allergies in all different organ systems were helped by NAET treatments.

Seasonal Allergy Testimonial

One of our clients had life-long seasonal allergies. They received Allergy Elimination treatments for trees, weeds, grasses and dust, a total of four sessions. They reported 80% improvement in their usual allergy symptoms, while they were using 70% less over the counter medications and their worst symptoms only occurred over two months, which was shorter than prior to receiving their treatments. Most ideally treatments for seasonal allergies are received when no pollen are in the air, such as January and February. However we have helped allergy sufferers every month of the year!

Food Allergy Testimonial

Another client had Chron’s Disease, a severe inflammation of the small intestine. They came to us, eating a very limited diet, which still flared up their symptoms at times. Additionally they were pale and had lost weight. After ten sessions in ten weeks of Allergy Elimination and Acupuncture, addressing many food sensitivities and food allergies they had, they had gained weight and muscle, had a healthy skin color, more energy than they had in years plus were eating more different kinds of foods than they had eaten in years. They were able to reduce the strong prescription medications as well as the flare ups they used to have.  From our experience, clients with milder digestive symptoms will need fewer sessions.

What does an Allergy Elimination Session entail?

This is my own summary of how we practice Allergy Elimination at Cascade Acupuncture Center.

The technique we use, typically only needs to clear each allergen once. The following session is focused on a different allergen or group of related allergens, such as all grasses which are allergens for a client.
To our knowledge, we have not had clients in our clinics who have had side effects from their allergy elimination treatments.
We muscle test different vials, this is also called Applied Kinesiology.
The vials contain water and alcohol and the electromagnetic signature of the allergen, serving as a placeholder for the actual substance.
These vials are never opened and our clients only need to hold them gently.
We have 750 different vials available for testing and clearing allergens in our clinics.

We have treated many children with seasonal or food allergies and helped them feel better.

Adults receive an Acupuncture treatment after their Allergy Elimination session, children receive Acupressure instead.

Many of our clients have been happy and often surprised by the fast and significant results of their treatments!

Immune Boosting tips and products, provided by Janet Wrege, LAc, ND and Carola Stepper, LAc, RN retired

This is Carola’s daily routine:

  • 8 or more hours of sleep
  • Meditation, stretching
  • On an empty stomach: 1 tall glass of warm water with a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (raw, unfiltered)
  • Morning shake to take her supplements (all of which are available at Cascade Acupuncture Center): 
  • Supplements, all of which are available at Cascade Acupuncture Center:                      
  • Tibetan Herbal Foot Soaks, x2/3 week to boost her immune system, help with stress, sleep and any aches.
  • In order to get ½ her body weight in oz to stay hydrated she cooks a large thermos with licorice and kava tea in the morning and makes sure she finishes it.
  • Organic fresh fruits and veggies and organic poultry as much as possible with the help of Local Rhoots and Farm Stand in the Gorge. (No gluten, dairy, soy, nightshades, low sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, as she is working on healing an autoimmune disease and this decreases inflammation)
  • 45-90 min of outdoor walking (often while talking on her phone to friends!)

Janet Wrege, LAc, ND recommends the following:

This information is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical care.

This is not intended to prevent, treat, or diagnose COVID-19

Always consult with your doctor before any changes to your medications.

Supplements and Herbs for Immune support:

  • It is not recommended to take or purchase all of these. They are all listed to provide options, as availability is limited and unpredictable. 
  • Doses are general guidelines for adults and not medical advice
  • Always consult your doctor before taking new supplements or herbs, and check for drug interactions
  • General recommendation is 5-10 of most relevant or available choices, as directed by your doctor

* symbol used to designate my top choices

The following supplements and herbs support the immune system, and increase the  integrity of the mucous membranes throughout the body. Your mucous membranes are the first line of defense against pathogens. Keeping mucosa cell walls strong, can reduce the ability for viruses and other pathogens to enter. Some supplements are getting hard to find, but you can look for food sources and be creative. 

  • *Vitamin D: 1,000 IU/day taken w food, Immune system modulator, anti inflammatory, prevents excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines
  • *Vitamin A: 10,000 IU/ day taken w food, Immune system modulator; consult with your doctor first if there is any chance you can get pregnant
  • *Vitamin C: 500 mg 2 x per day, Collagen synthesis, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immune enhancing, antiviral
  • *Probiotics and /or fermented foods: dose variable, depending on preparation method and brand

The following are herbs and supplements that support the immune system and have broad spectrum antiviral properties: dose are variable, depending on preparation method and brand

(It is not recommended to take all of these nor to purchase all of these. They are all listed to provide options, as availability seems unpredictable)

  • Garlic: Raw garlic that has been crushed and left to sit for 5-10 minutes releases the highest concentration of Allicin (the most studied antiviral compound in garlic)
  • Lemon balm: tea or tincture
  • *Zinc: 30 mg 2x per day (take after meals to avoid nausea) Inhibits viral replication 
  • Quercetin: 500-1000 mg/day.   Dietary sources: Apples and onions, Inhibits viral attachment and replication,anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
  • Green Teaor EGCG:, Inhibits viral attachment and replication, antioxidant
  • Licorice: Tea

The following Supplements are NOT recommended during an acute COVID-19 Infection:

It is not recommended to take herbs with strong immune stimulating actions if you think you may have a COVID-19 lung infection. Echinacea, elderberry, and astragalus can be useful for prevention, but should be discontinued during active infection to avoid potentially increasing inflammatory cytokine release from your own immune system

  • *Elderberry: (berry and flower blend is ideal), Inhibits viral attachment and replication. Synergistic w green tea (meaning, their properties are enhanced when you have both)
  • Astragalus: tincture or capsules, Traditionally used to prevent pathogens from entering cells. 
  • Echinacea: tincture or tea. Immune stimulating and antiviral.

 

Our clients share their experience about Allergy Elimination for environmental and food allergies

Devi S. NAmbudripad, M.D., D.C., L.A.c, Ph.D. (Acu.) is the founder of Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET).

Carola Stepper, LAc has been trained by Robin Cupp, LAc in Allergy Elimination, Applied Kinesiology (AK) and modified Tapas Acupressure Techniques (TAT).  He studied with Dr. Devi Nambudripad and with Tapas Fleming, LAc, who developed TAT, and found that using both of those techniques together allergy clearing results of over 95% could be reached!

Here are some more infos about Allergy Elimination as practiced in our clinics.

These are some of the stories of our clients:

Seasonal Allergies – OTC Allergy Medications possibly linked to increased risk of dementia

One of our clients with seasonal allergies came to us because they read an article published by WebMD in 2016, which linked over the counter allergy medication to a possibly higher risk of dementia. They came to our clinic for Allergy Elimination sessions for trees, weeds and grasses and reported an 80% improvement of their symptoms, the symptoms occurred during a two month time frame, usually it was three months. They were also able to reduce their usual use of over the counter allergy medications by 70% and came back this year to receive the same three sessions to see if they would be able to avoid using over the counter allergy medications all together!

Year around Allergies

A client in their 60ies, had allergy injections for 15 years, plus they took Aller-Tec daily for year around seasonal allergies. One year after starting Allergy Elimination, they stopped the allergy injections and continued the Aller-Tec and they experienced the same amount of symptoms as previously when they were taking the allergy injections. After 4 years of just taking Aller- Tec and some more Allergy Elimination sessions, they also stopped taking the Aller-Tec and did not experience their usual symptoms!

Poison Oak Allergy

After one Allergy Elimination session with Carola my sensitivity to poison oak has decreased dramatically. Prior to treatment I would get a bad rash and be itchy for days, now I only have a slight itch for a couple of days and no rash!~ M.G.

Wheat Allergy

Imagine … a 50-year old woman who looked pregnant every time she ate wheat.

That was me. And it was awful. Every time I ate my favorite foods: pasta, bread or crackers, my belly would swell until I literally looked 7 months pregnant. After the 3rd embarrassed woman apologized for asking when I was “due”, I realized I WAS due — to do something about my wheat allergy.

One session of Allergy Elimination cured my imbalance, and I now eat all my favorite Italian offerings with gusto. I don’t have to plan what I’m going to wear when I decide to indulge. I simply eat what I love with no worries about inflammation and swelling. What a relief and a joy. ~ P. B.

Winter weather injuries

IMG_0154

What a winter it has been! We have had quite a few of our clients tell us they have achy backs, shoulders, necks or elbows due to too much shoveling. We have also had a few who fell and injured themselves. We have had one who fell at work and will receive Acupuncture under their workman’s compensation insurance coverage (referral needed!) One had a car accident due to inclement weather and will receive Acupuncture treatments which are covered under their car insurance personal injury protection policy, no referral needed! While all of this is unfortunately all too common, we can safely help all of them with Acupuncture treatments, especially with our very effective style, only needling below the elbows and knees, never needling directly into the painful area.Please call us if you have questions or would like a free consultation and please share – somebody else might be grateful they heard about this information! Thank you.

 

WELCOME BACK, BLOG POSTS!

CAC team pic 2016 big file

Happy New Year!

Yes the title is a bit of a pun on the fact that I have not written a blog post in over one year. Writing blog posts always seemed a bit daunting, so I procrastinated…Have you ever had some New Year Resolutions and didn’t follow through after a while? If so, we are in the same boat! So, writing goals down while being witnessed and supported seems to work for many – it worked for me! I finished all the 2016 goals I established with my business coach within one year, so I wrote new goals for 2017. One of them is to write a monthly blog post. My plan is to share short paragraphs about CAC, health related topics, business topics and client stories in each blog post. Thank you for being my witness. Please sign up to receive them!

#HappyNewYear #NewYearResolutions

CASCADE ACUPUNCTURE CENTER NEWS – 2016 IN REVIEW

(Clinic news, stories and experiences, our outreach activities, my own thoughts and stories as well as stories from our team members)

2016 was a big year of change for us. In March we sold our Stevenson Clinic to Tom Meade, EAMP and he is now successfully operating it under the name Skamania Acupuncture Clinic. In July we let go of offering Massage. We had offered Massage for the last 5 years in both clinics but decided to re-focus on Acupuncture,  Allergy Elimination and Custom Chinese Herbs. We are looking forward to serving the Gorge with our clinics in Hood River and The Dalles for many more years to come!

#SkamaniaAcupunctureClinic #Acupuncture #AllergyElimination #Allergies #Chinese Herbs #CascadeAcupuncture #CascadeAcupunctureCenter

CLIENT STORIES – ADRENAL FATIGUE

(Client stories from our two clinics – off course no identifying information will be used)

One of our clients was diagnosed with Adrenal fatigue by her Naturopathic Doctor (ND). There are different stages of severity and initially theirs was very severe, they were experiencing extreme fatigue amongst other symptoms. Coping with any amount of stress, even smaller stressors was very hard for them emotionally and on their body. They committed to weekly Acupuncture treatments for many months, adjusted their lifestyle and diet, resting a lot, took the supplements prescribed by their ND and we got to watch them slowly recover. They were able to enjoy hikes again they couldn’t have imagined in the initial phase. They shared with us that the Acupuncture treatments did provide them with energy, helped with body aches but were especially helpful for their ability to cope with stress.

Per Dr Axe, up to 80% of people in the world are affected by Adrenal Fatigue, many are unaware and not diagnosed. Learn more here.

#AdrealFatigue

HEALTH THOUGHTS – THREE “P’s” TO HEALING

(Health related articles, my own experiences with Alternative Medicine as a recipient and as a practitioner)

Short and sweet: I always tell my clients there are “Three P’s to Healing”:

P for Patience, the body often takes longer to heal that the mind hopes or projects.

P for Persistence, meaning keep doing different modalities, supplements and good lifestyle and diet habits – ongoingly!

P for Prayer / Positive thinking

#Patience #Persistence #PositiveThinking

BUSINESS THOUGHTS – VISION

(I have taught a one day business class to Acupuncturists since 2009 at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, OR. I plan on sharing information and thoughts on one topic in each blog post)

In my last post I talked about Purpose. Today I want to talk about Vision. Vision to me means filling in the purpose with attainable,  measurable goals. Here is some more information on S.M.A.R.T. Goals. At CAC we adjust our Vision once a year, we compare last year’s goals with our actual achievements and then set goals for the next year. We do this as a team and all agree on the goals and that we feel we can reach them. Then we all do our best to attain them. As Lisa Shirk, our Operations Manager for the last 9 years likes to say: “Teamwork makes the dream work!”

#Purpose #Vision #SMARTGoals

LATEST NEWSLETTER

(We send our newsletter every two weeks on Mondays. I am linking the most current newsletter here, sign up to receive our newsletter here)

January 2nd Newsletter

UPCOMING LECTURES

(I teach lectures each month through Hood River Community Education and will list them for the upcoming month)

Weight Loss – Monday, January 9th in our Hood River clinic, 7 pm

Learn why diets don’t work and how your metabolism works at this workshop being offered in Hood River.  Call Hood River Community Education at 541-386-2055 to register.

National Farmer’s Market Week and We can eliminate Food and Environmental Allergies

August 2nd through 8th is the 16th annual Farmers’ Market Week

“Farmers Markets benefit communities by offering healthy, wholesome food while local farmers and ranchers benefit from new ways to present their products to customers,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in Washington, DC.

We are proudly sponsoring all eight Gorge Farmer’s Markets this season:

Hood River Saturday Market

Saturdays in Hood River

Horse & Hound British Pub (4th and Oak)

10 am – 2 pm, through September 26

Goldendale Farmers’ Market

Saturdays in Goldendale

Ekone Park (Broadway and Wilbur)

9 am – 2 pm, May 9, through September 26

The Dalles Farmers’ Market – Visit our booth on Saturday, August 8th!

Saturdays in The Dalles

City Park (Union and E 5th)

9 am – 1 pm, through October 3

 Stevenson Farmers’ Market

Saturdays in Stevenson

Courthouse lawn on Hwy. 14

10 am – 1 pm, through October 10

Mercado del Valle

Saturdays in Odell

Mid Valley Elementary School

3 – 6 pm, through September 26

Mosier Farmers’ Market

Sundays in Mosier

The Rack & Cloth

4-7 pm, through September 27

White Salmon Farmers’ Market – Visit our booth on Tuesday, August 4th!

Tuesdays in White Salmon

Feast Market (320 E Jewett)

4 – 7 pm, through September 29

Hood River Farmers’ Market – Visit our booth on Thursday, August 6th!

Thursdays at Hood River Middle School

4-7pm, through August 27

Thursdays at Springhouse Cellar

4-7 pm, September 3 – November 19

Visit Gorge Grown  for more infos!

 

Did you know we can we can eliminate Food and Environmental Allergies?

Learn more here.

4 Allergy Elimination Sessions just $135 in August!

Ray Perkins Photography-3Ray Perkins Photography-4

Lisa Shirk, our Operations Manager for the last seven years shared this story with us:

I made it through baseball season-I didn’t have to sit in the car, I pretended the cottonwood was snow, and even laughed!  Why does this matter?  Last year, I suffered through these games, by the end of the season, my eyes were so swollen under my sunglasses that it hurt to be outside. I took herbs and pharmaceuticals, but at the height of the tree pollen season, my system had had enough, evidently.  I don’t pretend to understand the mechanics of allergy elimination, but I feel the results.  My throat was still slightly sore, but other than that?

I have to wonder how much more fun our children are going to be able to have through their lives.  My son has already had several things tested and eliminated. He couldn’t breathe or play outside easily through spring for a couple of years before we finally gave this a try.  Now he tells me when he thinks he needs to go to acupuncture, or when his body just needs some rest (perfect school attendance the last two years).  How cool is that?

Gratitude for not being paralyzed

 

GRATITUDE FOR NOT BEING PARALYZED

Today, ten years ago I fell off my mountain bike and injured my neck. It was the same mechanism of injury which can lead to paralysis – I was just incredibly lucky. During the following weeks I did everything I knew to help heal my neck: Energy work, Massage, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Physical Therapy, Chinese Herbs, Chinese liniments, rest and lots of prayer and envisioning complete healing.

It worked – and I have told this story to many clients and suggested a multi disciplinary treatment approach to them. Some were a bit surprised and thought it was “extreme”, well I’d rather call it “a conservative treatment approach focused on fast and complete healing”. Many have thanked me later, they followed my advice and received more than one modality at the same time and healed better and faster.

Ten years ago I asked “What am I supposed to do with my life, which I could not have done if I would have been paralyzed? What is my purpose?” The answer came really clearly: “ Do more of what you are already doing!”

I had been practicing as an independent Acupuncturist in a few locations for four years prior to this injury. Two months after the injury I opened Cascade Acupuncture Center in Hood River, one year later in The Dalles and two years ago in Stevenson, WA. Today I am in gratitude for my health, all the support I have had during the last ten years, our amazing clients and off course our Cascade Acupuncture Center team of employees – all 12 of them!

CASCADE ACUPUNCTURE CENTER NEWS

(Clinic news, stories and experiences, our outreach activities, my own thoughts and stories as well as stories from our team members)

 Our whole Acupuncturist team, Carola, Mike, John, Brittani and Scott attended a weekend seminar on a specialized Chinese Medical Pulse Diagnosis and herbs in WA with Robert Doane, EAMP, LAc. He runs the largest Acupuncture practice in the US. He also teaches Doane’s Pulse Diagnosis as well as Distal Needling Style to Acupuncturists. It was an amazing opportunity to study with him and only 14 other students, so we had lots of practice time and one on one attention.

IMG_5082 (1)

 CLIENT STORIES

(Client stories from our three clinics – off course no identifying information will be used)

 Every ten visits we do a Re-Exam with our clients. Last week one client told me: My pain is 50 % better, initially I was unable to adapt to stress, this is now 75 % better, my neuropathy is 25% better. “I feel like a different person!”

 HEALTH THOUGHTS

(Health related articles, my own experiences with Alternative Medicine as a recipient and as a practitioner)

 Multiple clients told me that they slept really well after starting to take Magnesium at night, per the Magnesium handout for our clients. Other’s reported great results with feeling more relaxed and having much less restless legs at night. I finally tried it myself – I am sleeping so well since I am taking Magnesium, it actually surprised me!  We sell Tri-Magnesium by “Integrative Therapeutics” 90 caps, 300 mg each per bottle for $20.90. Available to anybody, one does not need to be a client of Cascade Acupuncture Center.

 BUSINESS THOUGHTS

(I have taught a one day business class to Acupuncturists since 2009, including at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, OR. I plan on sharing information and thoughts on one topic in each blog post)

 The class I teach has 36 business topics. I will start with the first one here:

First things first: What is your purpose? Your purpose for your profession, your purpose for your business? Is your purpose posted in your business, visible for your clients and others who work with you? How is it stated, meaning what is it focused on? No matter which phase you are in with your business, if you do not have a written purpose, I suggest consider spending some time to write one. If you have one, consider reading it again to see if it still feels right or might need some changes. Here is our purpose.

LATEST NEWSLETTER

(We send our newsletter every two weeks on Tuesdays. I am linking the most current newsletter here)

 UPCOMING LECTURES

(I teach multiple free lectures each month and will list them for the upcoming month)

 The Dalles – Wednesday, June 15th

Eliminate Low Back Pain & Sciatica

While nearly everyone will experience low back pain, there are several factors that can be controlled to prevent or eliminate it. Attend this FREE workshop and discover what measures you can take so low back pain doesn’t take its toll on your body and diminish your heath.

This workshop, which starts at 7pm, will be held at the Cascade Acupuncture Center clinic, located at 1712 E 12th Street. Call 541-298-2378 to register, or email Best@CascadeAcupuncture.org.

Stevenson – Monday, July 20th

Improve Athletic Performance & Repair Injuries

Adventurers have a special spirit and zeal for life. Unfortunately, your body does have limitations.

Knowing how to prevent injuries for the active person is the best defense for staying at the top of your game. This workshop is designed to show you how to drastically enhance your athletic performance and how to significantly reduce injuries so you DO NOT lose those gains. This FREE workshop, which starts at 7pm, will be held at the Cascade Acupuncture Center clinic in Stevenson, located at 40 SW Cascade Ave, # 40. Call 509-637-3163 to register or email Heal@CascadeAcupuncture.org.

 

Welcome to our updated website and new blog!

Welcome to our updated website and new blog!

My name is Carola Stepper and I am the owner of Cascade Acupuncture Center. Originally from Germany, from a town in Bavaria, the size of Hood River I have made Oregon my home since 1995 and the Gorge since 2002.  I have many different roles in our company: Visionary, CFO, Human Resources/Employer, Acupuncturist, Public Relations and I just added a new one: Blogger!

What can you expect from our blog?

My goal is to post relevant clinic news and images, health related articles, information about our free lectures, links to our bi-weekly newsletter little bits of information about myself in my different roles (expect alternative medical as well as business topics) client comments (without names) , stories about our community support as well as articles and information from our team members!

Did you know we are a team of thirteen? Learn more about us here.

Our team! Mike Svoboda, LAc is missing in this image.

Our team! Mike Svoboda, LAc is missing in this image.

I plan on posting two to four times per month. Multiple topics will be combined in each post, so you don’t get email notifications for just one topic.

Please bear with me as I grow in my newest role as blogger and feel free to let me know which topics would be of interest to you. After reading a few “how to blog” articles I’d actually like to keep each post below the “suggested” 700 words – I value your time, oh and mine!

It is done: Our updated, mobile friendly website – We are very excited!

I am saying good bye to an extra 4-6 hours per week of working on the website remodel project since March – many thanks to Lauren, Matt, Dave, Susan, Mike and Van for your help, Peter Marbach  for the stunning image of the Gorge, Melanie McCloskey, Ray Perkins, Danielle Levario and Peter Paul Rubens for the other images.

We hope you like it – please let us know what you think!

I am planning on spending some of those newly regained hours at the weekly training of the Columbia Gorge Tri club – three sports: swimming, biking and running in one evening seems to make perfect sense to me, after all I created and now work in three clinics each week! (Yes, I am laughing at myself, and no, I did not say I was fast at any of those sports.) I appreciate the camaraderie and support of this group of people and I wouldn’t do those three sports in one night on my own!

Upcoming lectures

Improve Athletic Performance & Repair Injuries

Wednesday, June 10th in The Dalles

Knowing how to prevent injuries for the active person is the best defense for staying at the top of your game. This workshop is designed to show you how to drastically enhance your athletic performance and how to significantly reduce injuries so you DO NOT lose those gains.

Call 541-298-2378 to register for this FREE workshop.

Learn To Treat Trigger Points

Monday, June 15th in Stevenson

Pain sufferers are invited to come learn how to reduce muscle tension through Trigger Point Therapy. Those attending will learn natural approaches to the treatment and prevention of pain and discomfort.  You are encouraged to bring a partner if you can.

Call 509-637-3163 to register for the FREE workshop.