Entries by Steve Hoffman

Acupuncture for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

November 14, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , /by

What is Ulcerative Colitis:

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes ulcers and inflammation in your large intestine. Most people suffer with mild to moderate symptoms and some have long periods of remission. The disease can, however, be debilitating and can sometimes result in life threatening complications. Symptoms include:

  • Abdominal cramping and pain
  • Rectal bleeding or pain
  • Diarrhea with pus or blood
  • Urgency and inability to defecate
  • Lethargy and fatigue
  • Weight loss
  • Elevated temperature

Causes of Ulcerative Colitis:

The cause of ulcerative colitis is not known. The most likely cause is an inappropriate immune response where your immune system attacks your own tissues in the large intestine. Heredity, diet and stress are all thought to play a role in this disease.

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Your doctor will have to confirm a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Often, multiple tests are required to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment typically involves drugs or even surgery in severe or non responding cases. Drugs range from corticosteroids to immune modulator drugs to biologics and others depending on your symptoms and location of the ulcers. The goals are to reduce inflammation, manage symptoms and, in some cases, suppress the immune system. Surgery can often eliminated ulcerative colitis but it involves removing your entire colon and rectum.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and even promote healing. Specific electro-acupuncture protocols can also get to the root of the problem and address the immune response that is causing the problem in the first place. In this way, acupuncture can arrest the progression of the disease while reducing specific symptoms. Reducing or eliminating the need for drugs or surgery can be a life changing intervention for ulcerative colitis sufferers.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis With Acupuncture

November 6, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , /by

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is best known for causing joint pain and even deformity. In some cases the disease can cause eye, skin, lung, heart and blood vessel problems as well. RA is an autoimmune disease. This means that the inflammation and damage is caused by your bodies own immune system over-reacting and attacking your body’s tissues. This is different from osteoarthritis which is caused by gradual wear and tear and mainly affects joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine.

Treatment Options:

RA is often treated with medications. NSAIDs, steroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological agents are often employed to reduce inflammation, slow the progression or suppress the immune system. There are side effects to all of these medications and they can include stomach irritation, kidney damage, thinning bones, diabetes, liver damage, severe lung infections and increased risk of infections. Doctors are challenged with balancing between reducing RA symptoms and dealing with side effects. It is often a quality of life issue and the choice between the lesser of two evils. Physical or occupational therapists are often employed to help keep joints flexible and modify daily tasks to make them less stressful on painful joints. Surgery may be a last resort due to the risks of bleeding, infection and pain.

Acupuncture & Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Acupuncture can treat RA is two ways. The first is to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. This can be a wonderful intervention and reduce the dependency on medications. The problem with this type of treatment is that it does not address the cause of the problem: the over-reactive immune system. Fortunately, there are acupuncture protocols that will do just that. These protocols reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), Interleukins and HMGB1. In studies of the protocol, a single 60 second stimulation of the prescribed points with electric stimulation suppressed TNF for 24 hours and 42 days of daily stimulation (1 minute each day) reduced TNF fro 14 days. With longer treatments, acupuncturists are able to arrest the progression of the disease. Using a two pronged approach, acupuncturists can address both the symptoms and provide a lasting solution.

No Quick Fix:

The course of treatment is not short. Approximately three months of treatments are needed to reduce the inflammatory process. Continued “maintenance” treatments are then be required to keep the process at bay. The frequency of these maintenance treatments varies from patient to patient. Acupuncture will not repair damage that has already been done but it can stop further degradation. For most, the ability to not only find relief, but to reduce or eliminate medications makes the process well worth the investment.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Acupuncture, Carpenters & Pain

October 16, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

You know who I hate treating? Carpenters. Not that I have anything against carpenters, Jesus was a carpenter after all, and he was a pretty good guy. No, I hate treating carpenters because the never get better. Huh? Why is that? Well, what do you think carpenters come in for to get treatment?? Elbow pain. Golfers elbow, tennis elbow, elbow tendinitis, whatever you want to call it, it is elbow pain and it affects how and even sometimes IF they can work.

Repetitive Motion Injury

Doing the same motion, under strain, over and over, puts stress on the joint being used. Often, these are not “organic” movements meaning that they are done in only one plane of motion that people would not have normally performed during our development. They are repeated and in the case of carpenters they are often done under increased strain (weight, vibration, impact). This puts strain on the tendons and ligaments for 8-10 hours a day often 5-6 days a week. Tendons and ligaments have relatively poor blood supply, so they heal slowly. Depending on the severity of the damage, tendons and ligaments can take months to heal. Broken bones normally take 6-8 weeks to heal by contrast. You also have to keep in mind that when you have a broken bone, you get a cast that completely immobilizes the break so that it can heal properly. What happens when a carpenter’s elbow starts barking? That’s right, they just keep on working.

Healing

The best thing for healing is rest no matter what the injury or illness. In the case of a carpenter, the irritation is a nuisance, at least at first. So, they continue working. If they had a broken bone it would force them to stop working for a period of time so that they could heal. With inflammation of a tendon or ligament the body just does not have enough time to heal the damage that is being done on a daily basis.

Acupuncture

This adversely affects any healing modality when trying to treat this type of patient. Acupuncture will provide relief but in the case of a carpenter, the inflammation, pain and discomfort will always return because they are continually aggravating the injury. They normally walk away, thanking me for the relief but disappointed that I cannot provide them with a lasting solution. Acupuncture can and will help the body heal completely, but rest is a key component of a lasting solution.

What Does This Mean for You (and Jesus)?

What this means is that any injury or illness you are dealing with will heal better if you give your body the rest that it needs to heal. If you are coming in for acupuncture treatment, do yourself a favor, give your injury or ailment a chance to heal. Otherwise, just like the carpenter, permanent relief will be elusive. And Jesus? Well I guess that it is good that he made a career change!

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Colostrum, Your Gut & Your Health

October 4, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , /by

I wrote a recent blog on how your body heals Acupuncture & How The Body Heals and one of the biggest factors in health and healing is your digestion. Without the proper building block, it is impossible to repair and rebuild the body. These repair and rebuilding processes happen every day. ALL parts of the body are being rebuilt, repaired and regenerated every day. If you are not taking the right nutrients in or, if your body is not absorbing them properly, problems start to happen. Here is a short list of problems that can happen as a result of poor digestion:

Improper digestion of fats can lead to gall stones. Fats are necessary to regenerate neural cells (nervous system). Fats also make up hormones and hormonal imbalances can be a result of poor digestion.

If proteins are not broken down properly into the amino acids that make up neurotransmitters such as serotonin and gabapentin, mood disorders can result.

Autoimmune disorders and allergies can often be traced back to improper digestion causing the immune system to react and then overreact.

Skin issues, such as eczema and rosacea can similarly be a result of an immune system that is over reacting.

So, how do we ensure that the food that we eat gets digested properly. Acupuncture can help, I’ll talk about that in a bit. Colostrum is another way to not only improve digestion, but colostrum can heal things like leaky gut, Crohn’s disease, IBS and colitis.

What is Colostrum:

Most mothers will know that colostrum is “first milk”. It is thicker, more yellow and is packed with immunoglobulins, natural antibiotics and growth factors. Two of the last systems to be finished during gestation are the immune and digestive systems. Babies immune systems take years to fully develop and they rely on their mother’s immunity to stay healthy. We also don’t come out ready to eat pepperoni pizza. The colostrum helps “finish” these systems. It is no different for other mammals and most mammals cannot even survive without the colostrum. Cows are essentially born with leaky gut. Their small intestines (where most nutrients are absorbed) are too permeable and this is on purpose. It allows the colostrum, and its immune and growth factors to be absorbed more easily. The colostrum then helps tighten the junctions that allow nutrients to pass into the bloodstream.

How Colostrum Can Help You

If you suffer from leaky gut or any of the above-mentioned digestive disorders, just like in cows, colostrum will tighten the junctions in the small intestine, making sure that things that are not supposed to get into the bloodstream do not “leak” out. All of the above problems related to poor digestion. They improve or are eliminated with the use of colostrum. Colostrum helps “re-seed” the gut with good bacteria (essential after antibiotic use). With growth factors, colostrum can help anti-aging and sport performance. Colostrum helps regulate blood sugars for diabetic or pre-diabetic patients. Colostrum will also boost an under active immune system.

Acupuncture Combined with Colostrum

I have been recommending colostrum to most of my patients, almost no matter what their chief complaint is, it is just that powerful. When I combine it with acupuncture treatments, patients heal better, faster and more completely. At Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, we carry pharmaceutical grade bovine colostrum that is ethically harvested. Bovine colostrum is not species specific and can even be use on pets. It is also far more potent than human colostrum. Call today for details and see if colostrum is right for you.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Searching for Substance

September 18, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

We are all settling into our fall routines after summer, but I have one last post about a summer trip. We took our annual two-week summer vacation at the end of August and I was a bit disappointed with the location. I don’t want to disparage any place and the location was admittedly not my style, so I’ll just say that the location rhymes with girdle reach. What struck me was that the main road that paralleled the coast was littered with pancake houses, candy shops, beach shops, donut shops and vape shops. There were seriously at least two of each on every block. I like a good pancake every now and then but seriously, there had to be 10 of them within a 2-mile stretch. The beach shops all sold the same cheap, plasticky, disposable junk and touristy memorabilia. And it is no wonder that we have gone from consuming 5 pounds of sugar per person per year 200 years ago, to about 150 pounds per person today.

Instant Gratification:

I was talking to my wife, as we were driving that road one day and I said that there had to be a niche that all these shops were not filling. I suggested that a yoga studio might do well. Almost as soon as I said it, it struck me. A yoga studio would fail miserably in this environment. EVERY shop, store and restaurant had to do with one thing: instant gratification. The problem with instant gratification is that, well, it is instant. And then it is instantly over. It leaves you feeling hollow and searching for the next thing to instantly gratify you.

Lasting Gratification:

Practices like yoga and tai chi are just that: practices. It takes time, effort, perseverance and commitment to improve or see physical benefits. Artistry, playing an instrument or earning a degree all take a similar amount of time and effort. But what these pursuits leave you with is a deep sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and self-worth. They are meaningful and lasting.

Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine:

OK, ready for this, I’m going to tie all of that into what I love to do. Acupuncture is typically the antithesis of instant gratification. It can take 6-8 or even 10-12 treatments in chronic cases before the patient starts seeing results. Have I had cases where someone has hopped off the table and looked at me with wonder saying, “My backache is completely gone!”, yes, I have! But these are few and far between. Most of the time it takes commitment, time and financial, to achieve lasting results. But the results are just that, lasting. Most of us are used to the instant results that western medicine provides. Have a headache, take an Advil, an hour later, the headache is gone (for most people). Have heartburn, take a tums, your tummy feels better. Now I’m not going to compare western medicine to the ode to instant gratification I saw on vacation, but I think we have been conditioned to expect this from our health care. The one similarity is that, in many cases, western medicine does not actually fix anything. The results are fleeting. If you are fed up with the results you are getting for your problem and are finally ready to achieve lasting results and leave your problem behind, call today and set up a consultation.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

TAXI RIDE IN NYC & YOUR STATE OF MIND

August 30, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , /by

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my impending trip to NYC. Great trip, my twins saw a Broadway musical for the first time, and we had a nice visit to the American Museum of Natural History that they tolerated reasonably well. I’m always observing human behavior (might be why I found myself helping people heal) and this trip was no different. We took a cab to get to and from a couple of places and I had two very different experiences that really struck me.

Typical NYC Cab Ride

I’ll talk about the second cab ride of the day first. We all pile into the cab and the driver starts our ride by cutting right in to traffic. As we drive, we get behind a car that is hesitating to turn at an intersection. “Bleeping Uber drivers, that’s why they shouldn’t be allowed!” as our cab zooms around the car, making a left turn from the right lane. There’s music going on, the driver is chugging some energy drink and I notice some other broadcast going in the background. I’m in the front seat and I notice the driver looking down into the door handle well, where there is a phone going with a soccer game playing! I grab the “oh, crap” handle and hang on until we get to Penn Station. Fairly typical cab right in the city, no?

Zen Cab

What made the second cab ride all the more remarkable was the contrast to our first cab ride. We get in and the driver is singing, kind of under his breath. A pretty, lifting melody that I couldn’t quite make out the words to, not even sure if he was singing in English. We pull up to a light and have another cab next to us in the right lane. I notice that a car is parked in the right lane ahead of us, past the light. I brace myself for a jack rabbit start when the light turns green so that the cab to the right of us would be cut off and have to merge in behind us. The light turns green and the driver hesitates…yes, he hesitates so the cab next to us could start and easily merge into the lane ahead of us. Huh, did that just happen? The driver continues his melody and then notices that there is construction ahead of us. He very calmly asks me if I would like to take 52nd or 54th instead. Wait, did he just ask me my route preference?? What a nice, peaceful ride.

Stress in The City

The contrast was stark. What it made me think about was how these two different people handled the stress of one of the most harrowing jobs in the world. Was it their upbringing, genetics or life experience that made them handle things so differently? Probably a combination. But what it showed me was that no matter your environment, it does not have to rule how you react to it. Stress, change, joy, sorrow; these things are inevitable, they are part of life. How you respond to and process those events determines how much of an impact they can have on your health and wellbeing.

I have blogged in the past about how much acupuncture can help you deal with stress and how it can help your body process the inevitable ups and downs that you run in to. If you find it hard to be like the Zen cabbie and you find it affects your job, your sleep and even your family, call for a free consultation today and we can help you “get on the road” to feeling better!

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Red Yeast Rice & Cholesterol

August 19, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , /by

A regular patient at Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine was recently advised by their doctor that they should start taking a statin because their cholesterol was elevated. The patient is a 50-year-old female in otherwise good health. Statins do have side effects, some of the serious, especially for females. I recommended that she try a natural product, Red Yeast Rice (RYR), that has been shown to reduce cholesterol with far fewer side effects.

Concerns

“Jane” did a little research on her own and had a few concerns. Jane found an article that she said that the side effects of RYR were the same as for statin medications. I reviewed the article and the author said that he assumed that the side effects would be the same, he was not basing this off clinical data. I did some more digging and found the side effects profile for both statins and RYR and have listed them below. As you can see the side effect profiles are different although RYR has not been studied nearly as much as stain medications. Nevertheless, as I said to Jane, even if the side effect profile was identical, I would choose the natural product over the synthetic product every time. Having discussed this, Jane decided to try the RYR.

Side Effects:

Red yeast rice can cause mild side effects, including:

Abdominal discomfort

Heartburn

Gas

Headache

Dizziness

​(Above information from the Mayo Clinic website)

​Common side effects of cholesterol drugs include:

Diarrhea

Constipation

Nausea

Stomach cramps

Muscle soreness, pain, or weakness

Vomiting

Headache

Dizziness

Drowsiness

Fatigue

Problems sleeping

Rash or flushed skin


​
More Severe Problems

Statins are a common cholesterol medicine, but for some people they can cause severe side effects like muscle damage, dark-colored urine, liver damage, increased blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, and memory loss or confusion. It’s unclear why these issues happen.

(Above information from WebMD)

Results

I have attached a copy of Jane’s bloodwork and the results are amazing. The before and after bloodwork was performed approximately 5 months apart and she did not start taking the RYR until 5/18.

2/15/19:

Total Cholesterol:        236

HDL Cholesterol:          44

LDL Cholesterol:         148

7/19/19:

Total Cholesterol:        178

HDL Cholesterol:          50

LDL Cholesterol:         100

Total and LDL “bad” cholesterol both dropped significantly, and HDL “good” cholesterol improved. Jane is thrilled with the results, has experienced no side effects and her husband, who is on statin medications, is asking if the RYR could be right for him. While Jane is in very good health, she did start exercising more regularly and reduced her intake of sugars and carbohydrates on my advice. These lifestyle modifications can help reduce cholesterol on their own and certainly help either statins or RYR work better but I have never seen this type of difference, in this short of a time period, from lifestyle modifications alone.

Cautions

While these results are remarkable, RYR is not for everyone. As with statin medications if you experience muscle pain, tenderness or weakness you should call you doctor immediately. Pregnant women or those with active or chronic liver disease should not use statins or RYR. The other precaution, whether you are taking a statin or RYR, is that you should also supplement with CoQ10. Statins and RYR will lower levels of CoQ10, a nutrient that is cardio-protective and is implicated in lowering cardiac risks.

Bottom Line

If you are taking a statin or have been advised that your cholesterol should be lowered, RYR could be a good option for you. Consult with your physician and health care practitioner before you start any supplement regimen. It is also important to make sure that the RYR supplement that you are taking is of consistent quality and has third party testing to insure strength and purity. Supplements that are bought online can often be fake or of questionable quality. At Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, the RYR supplement that we carry is purchased directly from a third-party certified manufacturer. The supplement is also available with CoQ10 already in it so that you do not have to take a separate supplement.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

The Sale of Central Park

August 6, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , /by

I was talking with a patient recently about earthing (​you can read my post about it​) and connecting with nature and the resultant health benefits (a good article about nature walks and depression ​). As I had a trip to New York City coming up it got me to thinking about Central Park and how we, as a society, put an emphasis on preserving nature even while progress marches on.

How much is Central Park worth

It is estimated that the sale of the land that Central Park covers would be worth about $35 billion (give or take a few billion). Let that settle in for a moment. Billions and billions and billions of dollars, just for the land. The park was developed in 1857 but even then, the land would have been worth $350 million. Any government could use that kind of cash infusion.

Why not cash out

So why was the property never developed for real estate or commercial use. I don’t think there were enough “tree huggers” back then (or even now) to stop that kind of temptation. Today, we know, with scientific certainty, that practices like grounding and communing with nature have tangible, measurable effects on our health and wellbeing but we didn’t back then. We didn’t know with scientific certainty, but I believe, on some level, we (as a society) knew. We knew on some intrinsic level that this was not only good but necessary for us to thrive as a species. I am sure that there were those back then (and now) who salivate over the prospect of putting a hotel or attraction smack dab in the middle of the park. But most of us, even those who are not “tree huggers” both then and now, know how vital these spaces are to us.

Acupuncture

So, Steve, what does all of this have to do with acupuncture and oriental medicine? Nature heals. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself and with the help of nature, we can maintain or restore balance allowing the body it to heal itself. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine is a prime example of taking advantage of what nature provides. Acupuncture, especially when used with electric stimulation, provides the very electrons that are provided by practices like earthing or grounding. Electro Acupuncture goes beyond this though, allowing a skilled acupuncturist to target specific areas of the body or even internal organs with the healing power of electrons and precise neurochemical stimulation to effect healing. So, take advantage of what nature provides. You have everything you need to heal yourself all around you. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be a major part of the healing process.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Acupuncture: When to Look Within

July 22, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , /by

Patients come to me looking for answers. Answers for their pain, mood, energy, infertility, the list goes on and on. This is a huge and important first step in any healing process. First, admitting that there is a problem and second realizing that they need help with the problem. Often, however, patients are looking to be “fixed”. They are seeking out a “magic” cure for their problem. They are looking for that one supplement, that one herb, that one type of treatment that will make their problems go away. This sets unrealistic expectations and sets patients up to failure and frustration. Any healing, first and foremost, comes from within.

Too much noise

Most of us are conditioned, through societal, family and even cultural pressures, to expect a quick fix. Have a problem, take a pill. Feeling blue, eat some comfort food that spikes your blood sugar and gives you a rush. Accomplish something, you deserve to indulge or have a few drinks. Want to feel better, buy something, heck you don’t even have to get off your couch to do that anymore. And when that package comes to the front door the next day, it’s a quick hit of endorphins. All of this sets us up for highs and lows that tend to leave us looking for the next high. It also conditions us to look outside of ourselves for our well being.

Striving for more

You are enough. Just as you are, right now in this moment. Flawed, imperfect, mistakes, blemishes and all. You don’t need that gadget or that drink or that new car or that next goal to make you more than you are. Once you firmly believe this, true and lasting healing can take place. Constant striving, dissatisfaction, frustration and belief that your need something outside of yourself can lead to a lifetime of searching for something that is already inside of you.

When to seek help

Societal pressures, stress, lack of proper nutrition and exercise can throw our bodies out of balance, even in the best of circumstances. This is the society and life we have chosen for ourselves, so we are left to deal with the consequences to our health and well being. Acupuncture can help you cope better with stress. It can help you digest your food better and get the most out of the nutrients you are putting in your body. Acupuncture can help you sleep better and reduce or even eliminate pain. But I think the key word here is help. Patients who take an active role in their healing process simply respond better to treatment. They spend less time and money coming to see me. How well will that fancy diet plan work if you don’t follow it. How much good is that gym membership doing you if you don’t use it. How well will that physical therapy work if you don’t do the exercises in between appointments. Help, guidance, support is there if you need it. Just remember, there is no magic cure. Healing takes work and a willingness to change. These things come from you.

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


​Contact

​Traditional cultures have known for centuries the myriad benefits of drinking bone broth. This is something that has been lost in modern times but now you can return you and your family to this time-honored tradition of both maintaining health and even healing yourself simply by nourishing yourself properly.

Acupuncture & The Mouse?

July 9, 2019 /0 Comments/in , , , , /by
Acupuncture and the Mouse

Wait, is this about veterinary acupuncture? Nope. So, what does acupuncture have to do with mice you are asking? Take a few minutes and find out!

Saving Up

I owned a house in Boonton New Jersey and one fall I went to get my work boots out of the closet to do some yard work. I put one on no problem but when I went to put the other one on, I couldn’t get my foot in! I look in the boot and it is FILLLED with dog kibble!! I look at my dog...she looks at me and we both shrug our shoulders. I lived in a wooded area and after thinking about it, I realized that it must have been mice who moved the food from the dog bowl to the boot for storage! Thinking about it further, I realized that there was enough food in the boot for 10 mice for 10 lifetimes. Why the heck didn’t the mouse take a look, realize that he or she was set for life and kick back with a mai tai.

Survival Instinct

I since spoke to a physiologist friend and related the story and they said that the behavior was driven by a primitive portion of the brain that has to do with survival. Humans still have this portion of the brain, but we also have higher level functioning that lets us look at this behavior or drive and shut it off. In essence, say enough is enough, I’m going to relax. The mouse didn’t have this ability and therefore couldn’t stop the behavior. Silly mouse. I often think about this with people who have more money than they could possibly spend in 10 lifetimes yet continue to work 80-hour weeks to get more. Ostensibly, they are working for their security and maybe the security of their family but at what cost. How much time do they get for their own pleasure and how much time are they sacrificing with their family, the things in life that really matter! Silly human.

Umm, What About Acupuncture?

I’m getting there. Whether we work 80 hours a week or not, this instinctual drive can cause things like anxiety, and depression on the flip side. By using acupuncture in conjunction with electrical stimulation, we can induce the brain and body to produce certain neuro-chemicals that relax the central nervous system, engage the parasympathetic nervous system (you can read about the divisions of the nervous system and how they affect you in my 2 part blog ​Are You Sympathetic Part 1 and ​Are You Sympathetic Part 2) disengage your adrenal glands, giving them a much needed rest and reduce stress hormones. These are powerful treatments that work with your body to reduce anxiety and depression and give you much needed sleep to recover from the rigors of your life! When I relate this story to my patients, I tell them “Don’t be like the silly mouse”!

​Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

​Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!


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