More Effective, Efficient Relief for Back and Neck Pain
The McKenzie Method The McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT) offers solutions for the common problems of neck, back and extremity pain. Much of the musculoskeletal pain so many of us deal with has a mechanical nature. In other words, everyday movements and certain postures cause us pain. With stressful lifestyles and hours spent over computers and phones, more and more of us suffer needless pain. Through the methods of...
Naturally Reducing the Dangers of High Cholesterol
The Chinese consider high cholesterol to be a modern disease that goes along with a wealthier lifestyle. Essentially, in our modern society we generally eat a higher fat, higher calorie diet. At the same time, we tend to have less physical work and daily movement. However, heredity can also be a reason for high cholesterol. The High Risks of High Cholesterol High cholesterol is one of the risk factors that can lead...
Addressing the Different Types of Stress Common to Shanghai Expats
Stress, Time and Self-Management Most people associate “stress” with “too much”…too much to do and the heart-pumping sensation of pressure and deadlines. But “too little” can leave us mentally stressed as well. Small or large changes can also cause stress. We don’t always recognize the symptoms of this kind of stress, or take them seriously. When we don’t have extreme pressure but are suffering from the stress of “too little” we...
The Real Cause of Back Pain: It’s Not Back Strength
Often patients with back pain come in to see us and explain they’ve been working on strengthening their back with their trainer. Yet, their back pain isn’t getting better. The truth is that the back is usually the strongest part of the body. The abdominal, hamstring and back muscles work in unison. Often, there’s an imbalance causing them not to work in harmony in keeping the back stable. Often, the abdominals...
Physical Pain: The Emotional Connection
Any physical issue or pain you experience is a symptom of what is going on in the body and mind. It is all connected, so body and mind cannot be separated. TCM has long understood this wholeness. Focusing solely on symptom treatment has kept a lot of people in a cycle of masking what the body is saying and therefore continuing to suffer. BioNeuroEmotion (BNE) is a method that studies a...
New School Year, New You: Achieving Your Goals
As the school year starts and many of us return from summer holidays, we start to think of plans for the time ahead. Some will be starting a new job, or coming to Shanghai for the first time. And, many of us will be ready to settle back into a routine and think about things we’d like to change or accomplish. This is the perfect time to set goals, whether short-term improvements or long-term plans. Here are some key tips for setting and achieving your goals:
Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder Impingement Syndrome SIS (shoulder or subacromial impingement syndrome) is also sometimes called swimmer’s or thrower’s syndrome. The tendons of the rotator cuff muscles become irritated and inflamed as they pass through the subacromial space. Common symptoms are pain, weakness and reduced range of movement for the affected shoulder. The pain typically feels worse at night when lying on the shoulder or when reaching/making overhead movements. Causes of SIS SIS is often related...
When the tongue speaks for your body
Along with pulse taking, tongue analysis is of the main pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine and therefore an essential part of the diagnosis. The human tongue is seen as a “map” of the internal body, standing not only for the blood and Qi fluency, but also for the harmony of all organs. Each part of the tongue mirrors an organical system according to the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). But how can someone come up with a diagnosis just by looking at a person’s tongue?
Keeping Your Feet Healthy This Summer
Certain foot issues tend to be worse during the hot, humid summers in Shanghai, including: Fissures (small cracks in the skin on the heels and toes), exacerbated by wearing open shoes in the dusty, polluted environment of Shanghai Fungus (toenail and “athlete’s foot”): nail fungus can appear as thickening or discoloration of the nail (if you aren’t sure have it evaluated, since normal aging and other issues can appear similar),...
Feeling Extra Sweaty?
Everybody knows that sticky feeling in hot or stressful situations. You start to sweat, your hands are wet, wet patches form under your arms, your forehead starts to glisten. This form of sweating is a normal and temporary bodily reaction to an extreme situation. Of course, physical exercise, high temperatures and overly warm clothes also lead to temporary perspiration. We’ve probably all been extra sweaty this summer!