Our amazing LMT, Sam Whyte, was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large T-Cell Lymphoma, which is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Many people have asked how they can help, so we’ve set up a GoFundMe to help Sam and his family cover the extensive medical bills. You can find more information here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-sam-battle-cancer
New Artists & First Thursday Fiesta
We are very excited to welcome TWO new artists to the Equilibrium Gallery for our spring into summer show!
Rachel Brodkey is showing her vibrant collection of paintings of all sizes.
Plus Dan Madsen of Drifted Arts will be exhibiting a few of his living sculptures.
January 2017 First Thursday Artist Reception!
Equilibrium is thrilled to welcome artist Musa Jaman and her series of botanical oil paintings titled “Late Bloomer”.
Please join us at Equilibrium on Thursday, January 5th from 6pm-8pm for an artist reception, wine, and hors d’ouevres.
Artist Musa Jaman is a “late blooming” self-taught painter residing in Portland Oregon whose primary inspiration comes from her love of nature and the outdoors. A Northwest native, Musa’s upbringing has been full of raw, unpasteurized adventure and the distinct propensity for “taking the road less traveled”. Her background in science feeds a multi-dimensional curiosity and deep inspiration for broad creative exploration. For Musa, nature is the ultimate healing force driving much of the inspiration for her paintings.
“Because there are infinite ways to approach a subject, I simply work to distill what is most pleasing to me – once the brush is in my hand the adventure begins in pursuit of the intangible abstractions revealed only through the process…it’s an annealing of sorts – a cathartic journey through the fire of the unknown.”
A quote aptly describing this creative process comes from one of Musa’s greatest influences;
“The abstraction is often the most definite form for the intangible thing in myself that I can only clarify in paint.” ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
This body of work is an invitation to bask in the brilliant color, sublime curve and deep serenity of nature through the expression of the subtle and intricate beauty of botanicals.
More of her work can be found on her website and Facebook page.
Please contact her directly for commissions, gallery invitations, and special projects at: 503.999.0202
We're finalists for Best of Portland!
We are in the running for Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2016 Best Chiropractor!! Many thanks to our wonderful team of providers and most of all our incredible patients. Now for the task at hand: VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. Voting ends May 31st, but we heard a rumor that early votes count for extra!
Click this link to vote, and take a minute to support your other fave local businesses.
Neurobiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture
By Kwokming James Cheng on ScienceDirect.com
This paper presents some previously proposed neurobiological mechanisms on how acupuncture may work in some clinical applications from a clinician’s perspective. For the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, the proposed mechanisms included microinjury, increased local blood flow, facilitated healing, and analgesia. Acupuncture may trigger a somatic autonomic reflex, thereby affecting the gastric and cardiovascular functions. Acupuncture may also change the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, thereby affecting the emotional state and craving. This mechanism may form the basis for the treatment of smoking cessation.
March First Thursday
Save the date! We’re having a First Thursday party on March 3, 2016 from 6-8 at the clinic. Come view the adventure photography of our newest artist, Steve Jackson, while sipping wine and eating hors d’oeuvres. Hope you can join us!
Acupuncture Relieves Neck Pain and Numbness
25 SEPTEMBER 2015
Healthcare Medicine Institute
Acupuncture relieves neck pain and numbness and reduces levels of proinflammatory blood cytokines. Researchers conclude that warm needle acupuncture has a 92.05% total effective rate for the treatment of pain, numbness, and radiating discomfort due to cervical spondylosis with radiculopathy. This is a condition wherein there is spinal and soft tissue degeneration in the neck causing nerve impingement with subsequent pain or numbness. The symptoms often radiate from the neck to the shoulders, chest, back, and limbs. In addition, acupuncture successfully reduces blood levels of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL1β) and interleukin 6 (IL6).
A total of 169 patients participated in the hospital study. Most of the patients experienced pain upon stretching and all patients had a limited range of motion of the neck. Patients demonstrated significant reductions in neck, shoulder, and limb pain as a result of acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture also significantly relieved numbness in these areas.
Two groups were compared. One group received conventional acupuncture and the other group received warm needle acupuncture. The warm needle acupuncture group received a combination of moxibustion with acupuncture and had a 92.05% total effective rate. The conventional acupuncture group had an 81.48% total effective rate.
The acupuncture with moxibustion group received needling at the following acupuncture points and moxibustion at the acupoints and surrounding areas:
- Jingjiaji, Jiaji points on the neck
- Jianjing, GB21
- Fengchi, GB20
- Shousanli, LI10
- Dazhui, DU14
- Yanglingquan, GB34
- Feishu, BL13
The conventional acupuncture group was needled at the following acupuncture points:
- Dazhui (Bailao), DU14
- Jianzhongshu, SI15
- Zhongzhu, SJ3
One course of care comprised one treatment per day for six days. All patients received two courses of care. Both groups demonstrated a high effective rate with significant reductions in pain and numbness. In addition, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in range of motion.
A related study finds acupuncture more effective than Meloxicam, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, for the treatment of neck disc herniations. A total of 420 patients were investigated in a randomized controlled study. Acupuncture was applied to acupoints:
- DU14, (Dazhui)
- BL11, (Dazhu)
- SI3, (Houxi)
Electroacupuncture connected DU14 and BL11 with a continuous 40 Hz, 2 mA stimulation for 20 minutes. Acupuncture was administered once per day and 10 acupuncture treatments consisted of one treatment course. A day off was taken following the first course. This was followed by another treatment course. The drug group received a 7.5 mg tablet of Meloxicam at a rate of once per day. The oral tablet was taken in the evening for a total of 20 days.
Of the 207 electroacupuncture patients, 145 patients recovered in the short-term. Of the 208 drug patients, 93 recovered in the short-term. Improvements also occurred in an additional 53 acupuncture patients and 90 medication patients. The electroacupuncture group had 9 poor responses and the drug group had 25 poor responses to treatment in the short-term.
Electroacupuncture produced significantly greater positive patient outcomes than the medication group for 95% recovery and significant levels of improvement groups. Of the 207 electroacupuncture patients, a total of 180 patients had a 95% recovery in the long-term. Of the 208 drug patients, 142 patients had a long-term 95% recovery. Electroacupuncture caused 25 patients to improve significantly. The medication caused 52 medication patients to improve significantly.
Poor results for electroacupuncture were limited to 2 patients and 14 medication patients had poor results in the long-term. The researchers note, “With a randomized controlled multi-centered large-sampled method, this study has shown that the EA (electroacupuncture) group was better than the medication group in comparing both short-term and long-term therapeutic efficacies.”
References:
Ye, Y. X., Xu, L. & Yao, J. (2015). The Clinical Observation on Acupuncture Thermal Moxibustion Combined with Convention Acupuncture in Treatment of Acute Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy. Journal of Emergency in Traditional Chinese Medicine. 24(6).
Wang WJ，Lu J，Niu CS，et a1．Effects of electroacupuncture of unilateral and bilateral “zusanli”(ST 36) Oil seixlm TNF— alpha．IL—l and IL一4 levels in rats with chronic inflammatory pain[J]．ZhenCiYan Jiu，2010，35(6)：429—432.
Pei J，Wei H，Liu ZD．Effects of moxibustion on the expression of IL—lbeta．IL一2，IL一6 mRNA and protein in the cerebral cortex in tumor beating mice [J] ．ZhenCiYahJiu，2010，35(4)：243—249.
Wu, Yao-chi, Jun-feng Zhang, Yi-jun Sun, Cheng-fei Huang, Ping Shao, and Gui-zhen Liu. “Clinical study on electroacupuncture for cervical intervertebral disc herniation.” Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science 11, no. 6 (2013): 371-374.
Sun SC, Sun ZG. Clinical Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2006: 750.
Xu LB, He YY. The effect of Du Meridian-regulating therapy on immunoglobulins in cervical intervertebral disc herniation. Shanghai Zhenjiu Zazhi, 2011, 30(9): 615-616.
Majority in U.S. Say Chiropractic Works for Neck, Back Pain
by Cynthia English and Elizabeth Keating
WELL-BEING
September 8, 2015
Story Highlights
• Two-thirds say chiropractic effective for neck, back pain
• Many adults say chiropractors think of patient’s best interest
• More than 33 million U.S. adults saw a chiropractor last year
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chiropractic care has a positive reputation among many U.S. adults for effective treatment of neck and back pain, with about six in 10 adults either strongly agreeing (23%) or agreeing somewhat (38%) that chiropractors are effective at treating these types of pain.
These findings come from the first-ever nationally representative annual survey of U.S. adults measuring perceptions of and experiences with chiropractic care. Chiropractic care focuses on neurological and musculoskeletal health, and aims to favorably affect overall health and well-being, relieve pain and infirmity, enhance performance, and improve quality of life without drugs or surgery. Palmer College of Chiropractic, the founding and largest college of chiropractic in the world, commissioned Gallup to design and conduct this study of 5,442 adults, aged 18 and older, in the U.S.
Read the full article here: 2015 Gallup study on chiropractic
Beat the Heat and Increase Your Antioxidants at the Same Time
This summer has been one of the hottest on record for the Pacific Northwest, which makes it much easier for us to become unknowingly dehydrated. During the heat waves, have you felt sluggish? More tired than usual? Have muscle weakness? Dizziness? Slow thought processes? These are all symptoms of dehydration.
Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated, but if you are getting a little bored with pounding 8-10 glasses of water a day, consider getting some of your daily water from fruits and veggies, which typically make up about 20% of our daily water intake. A favorite among the staff at Equilibrium, with the second most water content of any fruit or vegetable after iceberg lettuce, is watermelon.
Ultra Hydrating: The amazing watermelon has a whopping 93% water content. One cup is considered a serving, but it is awfully easy to chow down on twice the amount of this refreshing fruit during a heat wave.
Nutrient Dense: Don’t be fooled by this watery fruit: Leading scientific research has returned some surprising additional health benefits besides hydration. Watermelon supplies high levels of lycopene-a carotenoid phytonutrient that is essential to cardiovascular and bone health that many only associate with tomatoes. Lycopene is a well-known antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body, and is responsible for the watermelon’s reddish pink colored flesh. Watermelon is also an excellent source of Vitamin C. If you eat the seeds, your body gets added zinc and iron.
Reduces Muscle Soreness: Watermelon is rich in the amino acid citrulline, which our kidneys process and turn into another amino acid, arginine. A common enzyme in our body, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), uses arginine to produce a small molecule of gas, nitric oxide (NO). NO acts as a muscle relaxer by telling the smooth muscle in our blood vessels to relax, which decreases blood pressure and increases blood flow and muscle relaxation.
Don’t Just Survive, Thrive During the Heat Wave
Stay healthy this summer and all year round: drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, supplement your water intake with vegetables and fruits high in water content, and pay attention to the warning signs of dehydration. For more information on the health benefits of watermelon, please visit the World’s Healthiest Foods webpage at http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31
Try This: Summer Tomato-Watermelon Salad with Feta and Almonds
(Adapted from Epicurious)
Ingredients:
8 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom) in assorted colors, cored, cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon (or more) fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, and mint)
6 cups fresh arugula leaves or small watercress sprigs
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
To Assemble:
Combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired.
Toss arugula in medium bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Divide arugula among plates. Top with melon salad; sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve. Enjoy your antioxidants!
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
By Regina Chanté
I am cautious about calling out individual foods as being the source of our suffering without seeing the bigger picture. We have to also take into account additives in our foods, water, air, medications, cleaning agents and toxins in our home and office environments that may, collectively, wreak havoc on our immune systems. Having said that, many people in my practice and personal life are going gluten-free and feeling better. If reducing aggravating foods to reduce internal inflammation and histamine overload helps us think and feel better then that’s a good place to start. Reduced inflammation also means you can you can experience greater relaxation and circulation from your massage and bodywork! Below are five common symptoms of gluten intolerance:
1. Headaches and/or migraines can be common after eating gluten.
2. Gastrointestinal (GI), stomach, and digestive issues. This can show up as one or more of the following: bloating, queasiness, gas, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, constipation, or an alternating combination of both – IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
3. Fatigue can appear chronically or after every meal that contains gluten. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a syndrome, not a disease. If a doctor diagnoses you with CFS, they are simply stating they cannot locate the cause of your fatigue.
4. Sudden changes in mood and emotions. Irritability or irrational changes in feelings can also be a symptom.
5. A number of neurological issues can also be present. These include: difficulty balancing, dizziness, and peripheral neuropathy affecting nerves outside the central nervous system which results in pain, weakness, tingling or numbness in the extremities.
To read the full article please click on the link below.