What does a 3,000 year-old healing modality have to do with busy women in 2012? A lot!  Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was used thousands of years ago to keep the emperors strong and was a cost-effective way to keep everyone healthy.  Today, in 2012, most of our health issues can be blamed on diet, stress, lifestyle, trauma, and the aging process. Acupuncture and TCM, which includes dietary therapy, tui na (massage), herbs, tai qi and qi gong, (exercise) are all very pertinent to today’s women.  Most of us work outside the home, put everyone else first, and believe taking care of ourselves is "selfish."

Historically, after giving birth, women would stay home, nurse the baby, and rest, while their own mothers and grandmothers cooked, cleaned, and took care of the new mom, so that she could take care of the infant.  How many women today have that luxury?  Acupuncture, herbs, and TCM could be the answer for today’s busiest women.  TCM supports our body, mind, and soul.  Acupuncture keeps the energy moving in the right direction.  Herbs help support the movement of our blood and energy and enhance our ability to sleep deeply to re-charge our energy stores. Much research has been done recently on the benefits of TCM to enhance fertility.

TCM supports the good as opposed to just fighting the bad.  The medical establishment is now recognizing that we need to do more than fight disease.  We need to support wellness and good energy, which TCM does.

Acupuncture works on many levels and it is based on the movement of “qi” (energy) and the concept of balance.  There are different levels of energy.  Some people believe that disease begins as energy and and progresses to become more and more tangible.  For example, constant stress is an irritant to the body.  Irritation causes inflammation, which can be localized or systemic. This constant irritation can lead to many different ailments.  More and more MD’s are validating the role of inflammation in many chronic degenerative diseases.  Acupuncture and TCM can bring the body back into balance before the irritant or inflammation progresses into a degenerative condition.  For example, we may be going along just fine and one day notice that we don’t have the usual energy and our sleep is off.  This is the start of an imbalance. If this lasts more than a few days, we may start to notice more issues and so on. This is where acupuncture and TCM can be our first line of defense to bring us back into balance.

In addition to stress or injury, we can also use TCM on a deeper level.  The technique can help us hone into our purpose in life and support our journey inward as well as our day-to-day activities.  By enjoying 10-60 minutes of deep relaxation while receiving acupuncture, we may get messages from our subconscious that may help support our journey here on earth.  Whatever level you choose to explore, acupuncture and TCM are a modern woman (and man’s) best friend.  Try it and see for yourself!

*Mary Beth Armstrong has a Master's Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Licensure in both New York and California, and currently practices in Sag Harbor, New York.  She studies with Jeffrey Yuen, a 40th generation Taoist Priest in NYC.  Mary Beth's practice focuses on women's health, including fertility, menstrual, postpartum, menopausal issues, acute and chronic pain syndromes, stress and mental emotional ailments, substance detox, and digestive complaints.