Many people at our clinic ask the question posed in the title to this post. Patients who have not utilized alternative medicine such as acupuncture and chiropractic wonder how they support health and bring relief for cold-related illness. They rightly wonder how massage and hands-on healing methods might elicit body change. Nonetheless, alternative medicine treatments can bring relief.

A person can suffer cold issues in the middle of freezing winter or the damp warmth of summer. Regardless of the season, their suffering is the same- sniffling congestion, neck pain, shoulder tightness, body aches, even headaches. While modern medical care promises quick resolution to these symptoms, many people do not experience the relief promised with pills and liquid tonics. Patients then seek another path to healing, one that is more personal and effective to eliminate the problem rather than cover up its symptoms.

Acupuncture works in part because it is holistic. Chinese Medicine recognizes that each body is connected within itself by a series of meridians or channels. The metal channel, in particular, influences the respiratory system and the elimination system of the large intestine. Tendinomuscular body areas impacted by the metal channel include the neck, shoulders to hands. These connected areas suffer together, and Dr. Oskardmay works on all relevant regions to elicit a lasting healing response that gets below the surface and mere symptoms.

Cold can enter the body in the form of a cold wind on a stormy night or freezing rain day. Cold can penetrate in the form of air conditioning that beats down on a person entering a frigid building in the middle of summer. Also, when one consumes cold food or beverage, these frigid fares consume body warmth and make one more susceptible to cold’s penetrating influence. Chilly weather affects the delicate metal channel, and we see it played out as sinusitis, headaches, shoulder and neck pain. Left untreated, cold will penetrate the body. It will eventually lead to further problems such as calcifications and other collections of cold. Superficial treatment with elixirs may not help the penetrating aspect of coolness.

Dr. Oskardmay utilizes warmth and massage along connected channels in the body to expel cold and invigorate the interior. Skillful acupuncture technique to the body points helps your system engage its healing response to fight off invaders, eliminate toxins, and dispel cold. She will also palpate the spine to determine affected vertebrae and then properly adjust subluxations to support the nervous system and spine health further. Please be sure to let Dr. Lisa know where you have particular areas of sensitivity so that she can attend to them.

At Acupractic, we recognize that there’s more to health than just feeling ok. Let us know when you have neck and shoulder pain or other symptoms from colds and sinusitis. Using an array of alternative medicine techniques that have proven effectiveness, Dr. Oskardmay can help.

To learn more about how acupuncture Chapel Hill, NC residents recommend can help with colds, sinusitis, as well as shoulder and neck pain. Call us today.

We sit too much. When we sit for more than four hours a day, we gain weight, lose muscle mass, we hurt more, and our mood deepens. These metabolic and mental changes affect our productivity and increase our use of pain pills and mood-altering drugs. Many people are unaware of the adverse effects of sitting because they see it all around them and perceive sitting and sedentary lifestyle as normal. Additionally, when we spend most of our time in sedentary posture, the message we send our children is that sitting for most of the day is normal. Alternative medicines such as chiropractic and acupuncture which emphasize drugfree healthcare strive to install balance all areas; the deleterious posture of sitting is an essential area of concern.

Sedentary jobs have increased by more than 83% since 1950. The Mayo Clinic concludes that sitting time and activity levels found in those who sat more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had an increased risk of dying. This risk is similar to the dangers of dying posed by obesity and smoking. When a person sits at work and then drives home to sit in a leisure activity such as tv or computer gaming, this poses a health problem with regards to stationary behavior disorder. Dr. Oskardmay will help you recognize the problem and help you make changes to improve this unhealthy situation.

At Acupractic Natural Healing Center, Dr. Oskardmay will perform a complete exam to determine how much sitting affects your health. Too much sitting contributes to neck pain and upper back pain, inflammation and spinal degeneration with its resultant dowager’s hump appearance. Nerves arising from these spinal areas innervate the shoulders to hands. Additionally, they go to internal organs such as lungs and heart. Degeneration of spinal units affects these areas over time. Excessive sitting posture exacts its toll on the lumbar spine, as well, causing low back pain and leg muscle imbalance, lumbar nerve inhibition.

Through careful exam and treatment, Dr. Oskardmay helps you understand and overcome the effects of sitting. A licensed chiropractic physician, she will mobilize irritated spinal segments in the neck and back to impact posture and pain resulting from excessive sitting. She may suggest diet changes to improve digestion and recommend other dietary and supplement additions to reduce pain and inflammation while you heal. Additionally, she can assist you with exercises and lifestyle adaptations to reduce the amount you sit and to reduce the negative consequences of too much sitting.

Dr. Oskardmay is also a licensed acupuncturist. Acupuncture can help balance and sustain the healing response and reduce stress. Dry Needling technique helps to reduce muscle spasms in tight areas that can result from too much sitting. Gu sha, cupping, and other soft tissue massage techniques soothe the tissues and restore blood flow to areas injured and weakened by too much sitting.

If you suffer from back pain due to sitting for extended periods of time, consult with an acupuncturist Chapel Hill, NC residents recommend from Acupractic Natural Healing Center.

Adequate sleep is imperative for good health, and Dr. Oskardmay strives to help you improve this life aspect through inquiry and education. She uses alternative medicine concepts to understand how to address problems in a unique way that is nonetheless effective. She can apply chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to support general body health and to reduce stress and pain in a balanced fashion. The holistic care available at our office is the perfect choice to help remove obstacles that hinder sleep.

The Chinese medicine concept of balance is integral to good sleep. As we shift from morning wakefulness to afternoon fullness to evening relaxation, we pass through all stages of yang and yin. Yang refers to the sunny warmth of the day, full of activity and thoughtfulness- our nervous system’s sympathetic tone. Yang’s opposite, yin relates to the darker, calm spirit of the night, relaxed and sleepy- our nervous system’s parasympathetic tone. Ideally, we inhabit both stages equally, just as we pass through day and night. The crucial balance of our autonomic nervous system facilitates every aspect of our being from breathing to heart rate, to digestion to sexual performance. Dr. Oskardmay uses acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and massage techniques such as gua sha and cupping as part of a treatment plan to restore the balance lost.

Acupuncture treatment may emphasize specific channel dynamics. For example, the fire channel reflects sleep and consciousness, whereas the metal channel reflects energy and grief. The water meridian correlates with the spine, nervous system, and the emotion of fear. The wood channel controls the eyes and the capacity to control, and the earth channel affects humidity, the muscles and ligaments and the sweetness of joy. Imbalance of these briefly described energy transits will affect sleep. Acupuncture treatment helps.

Similarly, chiropractic care influences body-mind balance in many ways. Central portions of the autonomic nervous system lie next to the spine; restful sleep requires the balance of the two opposing aspects of the ANS. Dr. Oskardmay mobilizes spinal vertebrae to improve nerve function of the ANS and support sound sleep. When you have neck or back pain along with a sleep disorder, the chiropractic adjustment can help you.

It is easy to see how we have lost restfulness and the ability to sleep. We live in a world where lights illuminate the nighttime sky, and televisions and cell phones and computers beckon into the wee hours. Work is taken home as bosses require us to be on-call. We do not value sleep as we do wakefulness.

Additionally, many people experience stressful thoughts that plague their dreams, and others experience body aches and pains that make sleep positions uncomfortable. Dr. Lisa will help you find options that support the evening bedtime ritual of restful sleep. She offers soothing pain reduction treatment to help you establish sound repose.

For more information about how to improve sleep using alternative medicine and acupuncture treatment in Chapel Hill, NC, contact  Acupractic today.

People come into our chiropractic and acupuncture office seeking to improve their health, and losing weight can assist in the process. Dr. Oskardmay can advise patients in the best practices for weight loss because she understands the myriad forces that affect weight loss. These include emotional factors as well as hormones, pain levels, body structure, gender, for instance. Using the alternative medicine principles embodied in chiropractic and acupuncture, Dr. Oskardmay can help you take the stress out of losing weight. To do this, she employs the principles of chiropractic and acupuncture body care and gentle coaching.

Ear acupuncture is one technique Dr. Lisa uses to help people with weight loss goals.  Also known as auriculotherapy, acupuncture applied to the outer ear supports a balanced appetite and metabolism. Many people find that this relaxing acupuncture treatment is both practical and gentle at promoting the steady metabolic state. Dr. Lisa uses this technique in conjunction with other weight loss training procedures to improve the chances of success.

Dr. Oskardmay reviews health history with patients to determine where best to utilize various weight-loss strategies. Some people benefit from chiropractic adjustments to the spine to enhance autonomic nervous system functioning to improve metabolism, whereas others need help with pain reduction to exercise more. Many people benefit from specific exercise prescription to improve posture and respiration, and others need help digestion, food choices, and proper elimination. Dr. Oskardmay is well trained in each area and can help people in a customized manner to achieve their weight loss goals. She does not believe in unhealthy quick-weight loss programs and steers away from fad diets.  She does recognize that many people strive to maintain a healthy weight in a timely fashion.

She uses several different methods to help clients lose weight, includes auriculotherapy described above. Dr. Oskardmay also employs other acupuncture methods and chiropractic adjustment to the spine and extremities to support proper nervous system functioning. Additionally, she provides massage with essential oils to promote relaxation and proper digestion, as well as diet and exercise counseling.

Acupuncture and chiropractic both support proper weight and metabolism because they are holistic programs. Acupuncture uses the placement of small needles along meridians or channels that course the body carrying qi or life energy. The goal of acupuncture is to create the free flow of qi, the result of which is abundant health and well being on all fronts.  Weight management is part of this. Similarly, chiropractic medicine strives to reduce impediments to nerve energy flow in from the brain through the spine to all points in the body. When the body and mind function well together in a balanced state, weight loss occurs naturally. A goal of therapy is to balance the autonomic nervous system so that there is less pain, and less stress, better sleep, and improved metabolism. As such, weight loss can occur more readily.

For more information about weight loss using holistic chiropractic and acupuncture principles, contact an acupuncturist Chapel Hill, NC residents recommend from Acupractic Natural Healing.

Chiropractor Chapel Hill, NC

When you come into the chiropractic and acupuncture offices of Dr. Oskardmay for evaluation and treatment of neck pain or limited range of motion, she will also evaluate other areas. Specifically, this will include the areas where nerves from the neck travel to help her to give you the full benefit of care. Regions evaluated will consist of your shoulders, arms, elbows, and hands which might experience problems such as frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, or carpal tunnel syndrome. The reason for this is that the neck contains nerves from the brain and spine that go to these upper limb regions, in addition to other internal organ regions. Full care requires that she evaluate and treat not just the neck but also the connected areas to maintain nerve flow in both directions. She can adjust the involved spinal bone units to reduce vertebral subluxation and pain there, and also take care of the shoulder or hand or regions in between. To minimize soft tissue irritation, she will use soft tissue massage, physical therapy modalities such as tens unit and ultrasound application or acupuncture. Alternately, she can use Dry Needle Technique if appropriate and at your request.

Likewise, she can help you with pain in your shoulders such as frozen shoulder or tendonitis, or pain in your elbows such as tennis elbow or forearm pain, or hand finger joint dysfunction including carpal tunnel syndrome or other conditions. As an experienced musculoskeletal pain specialist, Dr. Oskardmay will always evaluate the problematic area. She will also examine the spinal source of the nerve flow, in this case, the neck, to help you in the best way. She will palpate and examine the upper extremity range of motion, muscle strength and function, and painful area assessment to determine a proper treatment regimen.

For instance, pain in the shoulder may suggest the involvement of the fifth cervical nerve root. She will check that region of the neck for the presence of vertebral misalignment, inflammation, and abnormal movements such as instability or inflexibility. Likewise, tennis elbow likely involves the eighth or ulnar nerve, which arises under the seventh cervical vertebra. She will determine whether or not the spine is a cause or even partial cause of the elbow joint problem and treat accordingly. On your initial visit, she may give you a sheet describing where nerves go- hold onto that handout to understand more.

Each region of the body has a corresponding spinal nerve that delivers nervous system input to it. The spine is a multilevel system that provides both structured balance and nerve system source to the body. As a licensed chiropractic physician, Dr. Oskardmay takes the time necessary to evaluate both the extremity and spine to arrive at proper diagnosis and treatment so that you can fully heal.

To learn more about neck and shoulder-hand treatments, contact a chiropractor Chapel Hill, NC residents recommend from Acupractic.

Chiropractor in Chapel Hill, NC

The nerves running from the lower lumbar spine levels innervate the hips, legs, and feet. When your back hurts, these regions of lower extremity suffer as a result of nerve root irritation from these lumbar levels lumbar 3,4, and 5. Sensory and motor impairment of the hips to the feet is the result of the untreated lower back, spinal bone inflammation, and misalignment. Chiropractic physicians are the best choice to provide care to these regions to keep back and hip leg pain from lingering too long or progressing.

Spinal vertebrae are amazing multifaceted, multifunction bones. Interspersed with cushioning discs, the amazing structures support the body and serve as attachments for many muscles and ligaments that allow incredible flexibility to the entire body. Also, importantly, spinal vertebrae from head to hip, house, and protect the nerves of the spinal column. In the lower back lumbar spine, individual lumbar nerves exit from between these vertebral units and travel to the lower extremity. When you stub your toe or injure your knee, messages from those irritated areas travel back to your brain via the nerves at the lower back level and spinal cord. Alternately, when you injure your back, those same nerves that go to your hips and legs communicate with those areas. This two-way communication requires delicate care to all areas involved. A chiropractor will examine and treat connected regions such as the low back and hips and legs any time pain or injury occurs to either of these regions.

The chiropractic adjustment is a hands-on or machine-assisted procedure performed by Licensed Chiropractic Physicians to mobilize spinal vertebrae and connected joints. Following a physical examination and health history, your chiropractor will diagnose the cause of your problem and associated spinal levels. Treatment, which always involves spinal adjustment, may also include other modalities. These may include soft tissue massage, transcutaneous electro-nerve stimulation, or even acupuncture to relax muscles. In the offices of Dr. Lisa Oskardmay, DC, LAc., she will additionally utilize essential oils such as lavender or bergamot, to create a calming environment and relax the mind. We find that this layered approach to healing is the most beneficial and lasting.

Examples of problems in the lower extremity include sciatica, tensor fascia lata muscle tightness, patellar dislocation, lower leg compartment syndrome, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, or many others. Each of these conditions responds well to chiropractic care. Be sure to tell Dr. Oskardmay if you have pain in your hips, legs, knees, or feet when you come in for a spinal adjustment. She will help you get better quick.

Chiropractic Care

Even though millions of people have tried chiropractic care, there are still plenty of misconceptions about it. Most people visit a chiropractor due to joint, back, poor posture, relief from an injury, or treatment for chronic pain. However, there are so many other potential benefits of receiving chiropractic adjustments. The goal of our chiropractic office is to educate patients about the various ways their health could improve through this approach. 

Visiting For The First Time

When a patient comes to see a chiropractor for help regarding a health issue, the first step is evaluating their current and past medical history. A chiropractor may ask about symptoms, any recent diagnosis, and whether they are taking prescription medication. It is important to be forthcoming to your chiropractor so he or she can confirm that chiropractics can be helpful, in addition to creating a more personalized care plan. 

What Adjustments Feel Like

During an adjustment, a chiropractor applies gentle yet direct pressure to specific areas of the patient’s spine and other joints. The intention is to bring joints that were out of placement back into proper alignment. These adjustments do not hurt, and should not cause pain. Certain joints on the spine or extremities may feel pressure or a little uncomfortable, but once the realignment is complete the patient is likely to feel relief.

In general, most patients enjoy going to the chiropractor, since relief from tension and other symptoms can be felt shortly after the appointment. The most common side effect is soreness or tenderness in the area that was adjusted. But unless there is immense pain, patients shouldn’t worry and the aches will probably diminish over a 48-hour period. 

The benefits of chiropractic care that you may not have been aware of before can include: 

• Improves joint function and mobility
• Loosens tight muscles due to an illness or injury
• Improves cognitive and ability to think more clearly
• Improves the general health of children and infants
• Improves athletic performance for those who play recreational or professional sports
• Improves quality of life by decreasing intensity and frequency of chronic pain
• Relieves prenatal discomfort
• Increases energy
• Improves quality of sleep
• Helps an overactive mind calm down
• Improves organ function of digestive system, lungs, heart, sinuses, and more
• Strengthens the body’s ability to fight off colds, flus, and other illnesses
• Improves function of nervous system
• Speeds up the body’s healing and recovery process
• Improves circulation of blood, generating new blood and promoting flow of stagnant blood
• Decreases inflammation associated with subluxation

If you are ready to try care for chiropractor in Rockville, MD, then we suggest reaching out to a clinic right away! 

Thanks to the Pain Arthritis Relief Center for their insight into chiropractic care and its benefits.

At our office, Dr. Lisa Oskardmay offers health coaching at each office visit. Each health visit takes from 30-60” depending on treatment goals and options. The initial visit usually takes about 70” and includes examination and explanation of findings. Frequently she provides some therapy during the first visit- chiropractic or acupuncture plus soft tissue massage. One of the most valuable things she gives, however, is health coaching at each visit. She counsels clients on nutrition, exercise, and activities of daily living to enhance healing.

Each person visiting our office has health care concerns, whether they are here for back pain, headaches, stress management, weight control, insomnia, preventive care, or other issues.  Chiropractic and acupuncture techniques help in each of these areas because they are holistic treatments treat the person- not the part, and Dr. Oskardmay strives to understand the individual’s personal history and therapy goals during each visit. One person may have back pain because they just suffered an injury, and they want to get back to running for exercise to prepare for a marathon. Another person may have back pain in the same region, but that person doesn’t’ know what caused the pain, and their goal is to lose weight and be able to sleep better at night. These two people have different histories and needs. Dr. Lisa will take the time to listen and create a treatment plan that works.

During the second visit, which usually takes about 45″, she will provide both chiropractic and acupuncture treatment if desired and start a conversation related to how to improve diet and nutrition. Dr. Oskardmay is well versed in using food as a healing tool- we are what we eat, what we think, and what we do with these. Food is the basis for a healthy lifestyle, and sometimes dietary habits benefit from reevaluation. Nutrients from food provide the building blocks for tissues and are the precursors to hormones and nerve messages that comprise our nervous system. Educated food choices help.

During the third visit or so, Dr. Oskardmay will provide treatment, and additionally review exercise options to increase strength, flexibility, and overall muscle balance. Some people suffer from weak muscles in certain areas that are overpowered by stronger or tighter muscles in other regions, resulting in poor posture and unnecessary muscle tension. Dr. Oskardmay can help you choose smart exercises that focus on your body’s needs and which will increase balance and reduce the likelihood of injury or reinjury.

Treatment options available at Acupractic NHC Chiropractic and Acupuncture include chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture therapy, massage including deep and therapeutic tissue, cupping massage, and gua sha. Health coaching related to nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle adaptations helps to improve your healing response.

To learn more about acupuncture, or to speak with our licensed acupuncturist call Acupractic Natural Healing Center in Chapel Hill, NC.