Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be explained in scientific terms. By inserting a sterile thin-as-a-strand-of-hair needle into the skin, a number of physiological effects occur in the body.

How does acupuncture work?  Want the short and sweet?  Okay…

Acupuncture increases blood flow to promote healing.

There.  Got it?  Next time someone asks you how acupuncture works or why you receive it, this is what you say.  Acupuncture increases blood flow.

Want the more detailed answer to how acupuncture works?  Here goes:

Acupuncture stimulates the brain to release endogenous opioids – our natural pain relievers – that’s why acupuncture is good for both acute and chronic pain.

Acupuncture stimulates the brain to release neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine – our “feel good” chemicals – that’s why acupuncture is good for anxiety, depression, and stress-related symptoms.

Acupuncture stimulates our central nervous system to release a cascade of anti-inflammatory chemicals throughout the body. As modern research begins to draw a connection between inflammation and many major diseases, researchers are looking more and more toward acupuncture as a drug-free approach to decreasing inflammation in the body.

There are thousands of randomized control trials – the gold standard of research – investigating how acupuncture works.

Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture is the only cosmetic procedure that improves your overall health while making you look better. People who receive a series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments report that their fine lines disappeared, their deep wrinkles softened AND their sinus problems clear up, they sleep better, their digestive system gets stronger, and they feel more relaxed than they have in years. That's because we treat a person's whole health picture in addition to their face and neck.

Dr. Elie Cole has been trained in two different styles of cosmetic acupuncture, one by the founder of the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture and the other by Michelle Gellis. 

Special needling techniques are required in order to affect the dermis which is 3 mm under the surface of the skin.  The tiny acupuncture needles create a micro-trauma in the dermis which then stimulates the skin's fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin in order to heal the area, thereby reducing fine lines and softening deep wrinkles.

Read what the New York Times has to say about cosmetic acupuncture.

Nourishing Medicine's Anti-Aging Treatment is:

• Safe
• Effective
• Non-Invasive
• Drug-free
• Deeply relaxing
• Whole body-focused

Click here for a more detailed description of the 10-week anti-aging program at The Nourishing Medicine Clinic.

Benefits of Nourishing Medicine's Anti-Aging Treatment:

• Reduces fine lines
• Softens deep wrinkles
• Relieves muscle tension in face & neck
• Decreases inflammation
• Increases micro-circulation to the face
• Generates inner health & outer beauty

What to expect from Cosmetic Acupuncture

• Improved complexion
• Improved state of the dermis
• Invigorated elasticity
• Reduction of wrinkles and fine lines
• Leveling of deeper wrinkles
• Improvements in the beginning of jowls
• Reduction of acne and rosacea
• Reduction in puffiness
• Effective for Bell’s palsy and post-stroke paralysis

Beneficial Side Effects

• Reduction in hot flashes
• Lower anxiety
• Reduction in mild depression
• More energy
• Better sleep
• Reduction in sinus congestion
• Overall body rejuvenation

How does it work?

The dermis takes at least 4 weeks to change and repair.  Acupuncture treatments are once a week for 10 weeks.  For best results, a treatment can not be missed.  In addition to the acupuncture treatments, a patient is asked to perform proper skin care at home, stop the use of cigarettes and alcohol, avoid unprotected sun exposure, and possibly take Chinese herbs to address any internal imbalances which will affect the healing of the skin.

Once monthly maintenance treatments are strongly encouraged after the original 10 sessions.  With maintenance treatments, results may last 1-2 years for people who are 60 years old or greater and may last 2-5 years for people who start in their mid-30s to 50s.  The ideal time to start is in your mid-30s.

Cost

Each treatment is $225 and lasts 60-75 minutes.

To see before and after photos from Mei Zen practitioners around the country, click here.

Cupping

Cupping, or fire cups, has been used around the world as an effective folk remedy for various ailments.  Most commonly, we use cupping to release chronically tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, upper, middle, and lower back.  It is also used to strengthen the immune system and to clear out congestion in the lungs.  It is also helpful to detoxify the lungs of those quitting smoking.

Muscle fibers should loosely fit together so that fresh blood can get into the area and nourish the muscle and so that old blood can get out and bring with it chemical buildup like lactic acid.  The stress of sitting at a desk all day will cause those muscle fibers to tighten up so much that it stops proper circulation to the area.  This means that fresh blood can not get in to nourish and old blood can not get out to clear the cellular debris.  Those tight shoulders then become a stuck little garbage dump.  And that hurts!

Cupping changes this.  It allows those tight muscle fibers to let go and for proper circulation to be restored.  Cupping is like a reverse massage.  While massage is compressive by pushing into the muscles, cupping sucks the muscles outward by creating a strong suction on the skin's surface.  Most people's response is that “it hurts so good!”

Chinese Herbal Therapy

Wouldn't it be nice if you could take a medicine to get rid of one symptom and it also made another one go away?  Like the time I treated a woman for migraine headaches and her menstrual cramps went away along with them.  That's because Chinese herbal therapy doesn't just knock out your symptom, it digs out the root of what's causing them.  In the case of the PMS lady, her blood was not circulating properly – not in her head and not in her uterus – so I prescribed her Chinese herbs that strongly move stagnant blood.  Voila!  Feeding two birds with one hand.*

Now imagine a pharmaceutical medication doing that…Nope, you can't.  Because they don't work like that.  They mask a symptom (which, we all know, can be a godsend when you're really hurting) but they don't fix the problem.

Chinese herbal therapy is the original Chinese medicine, it was practiced before acupuncture was even a thing. An herbal formula is a group of herbs – from 2 to 50 – combined together to treat specific patterns of illness. Most of the traditional formulas we use in our clinic were developed thousands of years ago. Some were even discovered by archaeologists in river beds as carvings on turtle shells and animal bones.  Now that's ancient!

Modern research has shown efficacy of Chinese herbal formulas for things like Hepatitis C, acid reflux, migraines and so much more.

At The Nourishing Medicine Clinic, we prescribe herbs in two different forms: capsules and granules.  Our patients can choose between capsules which are easier to ingest but can not be individualized to the patient’s unique condition or granules which don’t always taste good, but can be individualized and easily tweaked for best results.

*This is the non-violent version of killing two birds with one stone.  

Pain Treatment

Dr. Elie Cole

We love treating pain!  It’s so satisfying because we get such great results. It's our specialty.  If you've got pain, you've come to the right place.

Medical Pulse Diagnosis

The pinnacle of Chinese medical diagnostic tools, pulse reading is an art that takes years of practice.  Dr. Elie Cole has studied extensively with Robert Doane, the world-renowned teacher in medical pulse diagnosis.  She uses the pulse to determine the most appropriate and effective Chinese herbal therapy for her patients.

Many health conditions are revealed through the pulse including thyroid conditions, sinus infections, hemorrhoids, acid reflux, mitral valve murmur of the heart, coronary blockage, fatty liver disease, history of infections such as mononucleosis, kidney stones.

The Winter Wellness Treatment: “San Fu Moxa”

What is it?

The Winter Wellness Treatment is a Chinese herbal topical procedure done 3 times, ten days apart, on the hottest days of the summer in order to prevent colds, flus, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses that we get in the winter.  For best results, do this 3 years in a row.

Photo Credit Lovie Acupuncture

What’s a treatment like?

An herbal paste is placed on specific acupuncture points on the upper back that affect the immune system and the respiratory system. The paste is left on, covered by a band aid, for 1 hour on children and 5 hours on adults and then washed off.  This is safe for both children and adults.

Where does this come from?

What we call the Winter Wellness Treatment is technically called San Fu Moxa.  It has been used in China since the 1600s. More recently, there have been clinical studies that have found it to be very effective in preventing upper respiratory diseases in the winter.

When do you receive the treatment?

There are very specific dates to receive the Winter Wellness Treatment. The treatment includes all 3 applications.

For 2024, I will be offering a treatment on the following days:

• Monday July 15th from 8am-10am
• Thursday July 25th from 3-5pm
• Monday August 8th from 8-10am

It is feasible to do them the day before or after these dates, but clinical research has shown that the best results happen when the specific dates are followed. Contact us if you aren't able to make it on these dates or during these time frames.  It's important to schedule as close as possible to these dates and we will work with you to make that happen.  

How much does it cost?

For the series of 3 herbal applications, it is a total of $100.  Bring the whole household together for $160 total.  Each application takes about 5 minutes.  Please wear a loose fitting shirt that you can either remove or pull down from the neck.  The treatment is done in a private room.

How do I sign up?

Please schedule your appointments here and then follow these instructions:

1. Choose to schedule for an “Individual” or “Family”.
2. Scroll to the first date above on the calendar shown to you and choose your preferred time.
3. Sign in (if you've used this system before) or add your demographic info to create an account.  
4. Click on “Proceed to Payment”.  This will redirect you to PayPal.  
5. You must choose a time and pay three times.  (I know, it's annoying but there's no other way).
6. Check your email for an immediate confirmation message.  If you don't receive this, then the appointments are not confirmed.  Try again or call us at (503) 860-8998.

Acupuncture for Veterans