Christine Keller LAc

07/24/2024

"Why do they call it 'ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE' when it is the original medicine that humans have been using for thousand of years? Chemical medications were discovered about 100 years ago!"

03/26/2024

If severe enough, medical treatment for endometriosis may include laparoscopic surgery to remove or excise endometrial implants, scar tissue, and adhesions. For women who are not looking to become pregnant and if the condition is very severe, the most drastic form of surgical treatment involves a complete hysterectomy.

Obviously for those wanting to create a family or expand an existing one on their own, the last option takes that ability away.

In Chinese medicine, endometriosis is viewed as a blood stasis pattern and can be complicated by other existing constitutional patterns. Herbal formulas and acupuncture can help immensely with existing symptoms as well as address underlying root causes of blood stasis.
Diagnosed with endometriosis or not, if you present with any sort of menstrual irregularity or pain, a trained and skilled acupuncturist can help identify your pattern and create a treatment plan to help.

03/19/2024

Endometrial implants respond to the different phases of the cycle, these implants also grow, and bleed outside of the uterus which causes pain, irritation, and inflammation. Chronic inflammation can create scar tissue and also create a state of chronic pain and mental distress.

03/14/2024

Foods to avoid with endometriosis:

Gluten - Often is a cause of inflammation and with existing inflammatory conditions such as endometriosis, gluten can exacerbate symptoms. Whether it is the wheat sugar that disrupts insulin and throws hormones into a tizzy, or whether it is the sensitivity to GMO and commercially farmed protocols, gluten should be avoided.

Dairy - Dairy also creates an already inflamed state to be worse. Dairy may also create “stickiness” which for a blood stasis pattern in Chinese medicine, will also exacerbate inflammation, discomfort, and pain. In theory, dairy may worsen endometrial adhesions and implants.

Red meat and Pork- Commercially raised beef has been shown to contain xenohormones and antibiotics which are known hormone disruptors and considered to be toxic to the body. Endometriosis is an estrogen dominant condition so to ingest xenohormones, hormonal balance may potentially worsen.

Soy - Soy contains phytoestrogens which again, can worsen an existing estrogen dominant condition and worsen symptoms of endometriosis.

Non-organic foods - contain several hormone disruptors if exposed to pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.

03/12/2024

The four stages of endometriosis

Stage 1: Consists a small amount of endometrial implants found outside of the uterus and possible adhesions.

Stage 2: Consists of slightly deeper endometrial implants as well as present, or increased adhesions.

Stage 3: Consists many deep endometrial implants, implants and cysts can be present on the ovaries, and scar tissue may be present.

Stage 4: Consists of several deep endometrial implants, cysts known as chocolate cysts or endometriomas are present on the ovaries and several thick adhesions on nearby tissues and organs.

03/05/2024

March is endometriosis awareness month.

According to WHO:

"It is a chronic disease associated with severe, life-impacting pain during periods, sexual in*******se, bowel movements and/or urination, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety, and infertility."

To get diagnosed with endometriosis is by way of an invasive laparoscopic exploratory procedure. Many women go their whole lives with such severe symptoms and do not get diagnosed, and sadly, women are often treated with dismissive attitudes from the medical community, school, work, and even family members who have not gone through it. It truly impacts life on many levels.

In Chinese medicine, endometriosis is viewed as a blood stasis pattern and can be complicated by other existing constitutional patterns. Chinese herbs and acupuncture can help immensely with existing symptoms as well as address underlying root causes of blood stasis.

Diagnosed with endometriosis or not, if you present with any sort of menstrual irregularity or pain, a trained and skilled acupuncturist can help identify your pattern and create a treatment plan to help!

03/05/2024

02/16/2024

Can being on all-fours (hands and knees) help a baby rotate? Actually not more than other positions. So why do so many birthie folks say it does?
This advice comes from a 1980s study that was never able to be replicated. Six more studies showed no statistical difference.
Can being on all-fours help a labor? Yes! First, it’s more comfortable compared to lying on one’s back or sometimes, one’s side. The sacrum is more mobile than lying down. A massage or therapeutic bodywork on the back and pelvis feels “great” in this position. What feels great during labor is relative to labor, right? Keep all-fours on the list of birth positions but not on the list of recommendations to turn a posterior or breech baby.

01/18/2024

Milk thistle is one of the prettiest herbs that you will find growing.
This herb, often called a w**d and treated as such, produces sharp leaves, grows quite tall, and has a spiky purple flower. Milk thistle has been used as a natural remedy, specifically an herb that helps to detoxify the liver, and also provides high levels of vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids, that helps support the body’s immune system,protects the skin, and eyes, and helps to prevent damage caused by oxidative stress.

Because it is able to prevent damage by oxidative stress, milk thistle helps to cleanse the blood, keep the digestive tract healthy, and slow the aging process.

Milk thistle is said to help rebuild liver cells and simultaneously reverse damage done to the liver from lifestyle factors and internal and external toxic exposure. Milk thistle has also been studied extensively and has shown that it is helpful in conditions such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.

In addition to its renown affinity for the liver, milk thistle has also been shown to help lower inflammation in relation to lower cholesterol levels, and helps to improve both insulin and blood glucose levels in those with insulin resistance.

If you are thinking of doing a “detox” this January, make sure to add in milk thistle. An easy way to get it in is to add a tea bag to your coffee, your favorite tea, or drink alone. It is bitter in flavor but added to your morning cup of joe will often disguise the bitterness, especially if you add your favorite additions like cream or sugar. Often, “detox” herbal teas contain milk thistle as an ingredient in combination with other detoxification herbs like dandelion or nettles.

01/17/2024

In Chinese medicine, winter is associated with the water element, the kidneys, and a time of “hibernation” where things move much slower and energy moves inwards in efforts to be conserved for the rebirth of energy in spring. Winter is a great time for inward reflection, restoration, and healing. The kidneys in Chinese medicine are considered to be the storehouses of our “jing”, or life essence.

Get cozy, grab a blanket, a cup of tea and enjoy relaxing with the natural rhythm of the seasons.

01/16/2024