Balance Acupuncture & Wellness

01/27/2026

If you have been scrolling on social media, I am sure you are seeing posts and videos about the upcoming Lunar New Year. There is also some buzz stirring about February 4th and it being the solar term. So what does all of this mean & when are all of these things happening?

February 4th marks the date of the 1st solar term and the start of spring. Spring? What? There is snow on the ground (at least in much of the East). Starting February 4th you may begin to feel an energetic shift. Some people may start feeling agitated or frustrated. You may notice more horns honking when driving. You may feel agitated. Think of this 'energy' as the start of spring. Plants underground are beginning to agitate and shift long before their sprouts break ground. This beginning is spring.

February 17th is the Lunar New Year and is based on the New Moon, and it marks the cultural and familial celebration of a new year! There are many things you can do to prepare like cleaning out your home and office spaces, make sure doorways are clear and clean. Take anything out of your space that you no longer need before February 16th. Shed those things that don't serve you (physically, mentally, & emotionally). February 17th is a celebration and marks the start of the Yang Fire Horse energy.... more to come on that!

01/26/2026

Winter reminds us of the Water element — depth, stillness, rest, and potential.

After yesterday’s snow and ice storm, everything feels quieter. Slower. Paused. And yet, beneath the frozen ground and snow-covered branches, there is still movement happening. Roots are drawing in nutrients. Water is shifting underground. Seeds are resting, not dormant — gathering.

In Chinese Medicine, Water teaches us that stillness isn’t stagnation. It’s preparation. It’s wisdom. It’s the deep inhale before the next season begins.

This time of year asks us to do less, but feel more. To conserve our energy, protect our warmth, and listen inward. If you’re feeling tired, reflective, or pulled toward quiet right now, that’s not something to push through — it’s something to honor.

Winter doesn’t rush. And neither should we. ❄️💧

01/24/2026

Balance Acupuncture will be closed Monday 1/26 due to the impending snow storm.

01/23/2026

Very thankful to be interviewed by Bold Journey. We tackled a few very interesting questions that allowed me to be much more vulnerable than I usually am. Click the link below if you’d like to read through.

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Christy Giroux. Check out our conversation below. Hi Christy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again

01/23/2026

Vitamin B12 is long understood as a vital nutrient required for red blood cell formation and nerve function, but a new Cornell study suggests its role in human biology is far more intricate, with implications for aging, metabolism and disease prevention.

The research, published Jan. 19 in the Journal of Nutrition, reports previously unrecognized pathways by which B12 influences cellular metabolism and uncovers biomarkers that may identify early nutritional stress far before classic deficiency symptoms appear.

“This is the first study that shows B12 deficiency affects skeletal muscle mitochondrial energy production,” said corresponding author Martha Field, Ph.D. ’07, associate professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences and in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell. “It’s highly relevant because muscles have high energy demands. More importantly, my co-author, Anna Thalacker-Mercer from theUAB - The University of Alabama at Birmingham, wondered if B12 supplementation in aged mice would improve muscle mitochondrial function – and it did.”

Up until now, most research has focused on B12 deficiency and the resulting clinical syndromes – megaloblastic anemia, neuropathy and cognitive decline – rather than its deeper mechanistic roles.

At Cornell, a team including Field and two of her former lab members, first authors Luisa Castillo, Ph.D. ’25, and Katarina Heyden, B.S. '18, Ph.D. ’24, set out to probe those mechanisms, mapping how B12 interacts with lipid metabolism, organelle stress pathways and epigenetic regulation.

What emerged was startling: The vitamin appears to act as a gatekeeper of multiple “hub” pathways, meaning that its insufficiency may ripple far beyond the classic symptoms.

Read more at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/01/vitamin-b12-clues-offer-hope-new-therapies.

01/22/2026

During perimenopause and menopause, movement needs to shift—not disappear, and not be pushed harder.

If workouts that once felt great suddenly leave you exhausted, inflamed, or injured, it’s not “in your head.” Your body is changing how it responds to stress.

💪 Why strength training matters during this phase:

✨ Preserves muscle & bone density
As estrogen shifts, we naturally lose muscle and bone more quickly. Strength training helps protect both.

✨ Improves insulin sensitivity
This supports steadier energy, fewer cravings, and less inflammation.

✨ Supports joint health & injury prevention
Strong muscles stabilize joints and reduce aches that often show up during menopause.

✨ Boosts mood & confidence
Resistance training supports nervous system health and can help reduce anxiety and low mood.

✨ Supports metabolism—without overtaxing the body
More muscle = better metabolic support, even at rest.

🌿 How to approach exercise wisely right now:

• Prioritize 2–3 days of strength training per week
• Focus on progressive load, not punishment
• Pair strength work with walking, mobility, and breath-focused movement
• Be cautious with excessive high-intensity cardio—it can increase stress and worsen hot flashes for some women
• Recovery is part of the workout

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, this stage of life is about conserving and supporting your deeper reserves—not burning them out.

When acupuncture helps regulate your nervous system and recovery, strength training becomes more effective, safer, and more sustainable.

You don’t need to do more.
You need to do what supports your body now.

01/21/2026

Perimenopause and menopause aren’t just hormonal shifts—they’re whole-body transitions.
What you eat can either fan the flames 🔥 of symptoms like hot flashes, anxiety, and poor sleep… or help cool, steady, and nourish your system.

🌿 Nutritional support for hot flashes & hormonal balance:

✨ Prioritize protein at every meal
Helps stabilize blood sugar, support muscle, and reduce mood swings and energy crashes.

✨ Include healthy fats
Avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish support hormone signaling and calm inflammation.

✨ Eat more cooling, hydrating foods
Cucumbers, leafy greens, berries, pears, citrus, and lightly cooked vegetables can help counter internal heat.

✨ Support your minerals
Magnesium- and calcium-rich foods (leafy greens, sesame seeds, almonds, bone broth) may help with sleep, muscle tension, and nervous system regulation.

✨ Reduce common hot-flash triggers
Alcohol, excess caffeine, spicy foods, and sugar can worsen night sweats and heat symptoms—especially in the evening.

✨ Warm digestion, don’t overwhelm it
From a Chinese Medicine lens, gently cooked meals often digest better than cold smoothies or raw-heavy diets during this phase.

Nutrition doesn’t need to be perfect—it needs to be supportive. Small, consistent shifts can make a noticeable difference in how your body feels day to day.

When combined with acupuncture, these changes help your system regulate more smoothly and feel more resilient through this transition. 🌱

If you’re feeling unsure where to start, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

01/20/2026

Perimenopause and menopause can feel like your body is suddenly speaking a new language.
Hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, mood changes, anxiety, joint aches, and fatigue can show up even when you’re doing “all the right things.”

From an Eastern Medicine perspective, this transition is a natural phase of life—but one that deserves support, not suffering.

✨ How acupuncture can help:
• Regulates the nervous system, helping calm hot flashes and night sweats
• Supports better sleep and steadier energy
• Helps ease anxiety, irritability, and mood swings
• Improves circulation and reduces inflammation
• Supports hormone communication (without adding hormones)

Rather than chasing symptoms one by one, acupuncture looks at the whole picture—stress levels, sleep, digestion, emotional load, and how your body is adapting to change. Treatments are gentle, grounding, and tailored to you and where you are in this transition.

Many patients describe feeling more balanced, cooler, calmer, and more like themselves again—not overnight, but steadily.

If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and feel like your body is asking for deeper support, acupuncture can be a powerful part of your care. 🌿

✨ You don’t have to “just push through.”

01/19/2026

☮️ 💗 🕊️

01/13/2026

Taiwanese researchers discovered acupuncture triggering stem cell release healing damaged organs naturally. Scientists at China Medical University found that electroacupuncture at specific meridian points stimulates bone marrow to release mesenchymal stem cells into circulation, which then migrate to injured organs and promote tissue repair. This mechanism explains acupuncture's therapeutic effects through measurable biological processes rather than placebo.

Traditional Chinese medicine has used acupuncture for thousands of years, but Western medicine dismissed it as placebo due to lack of biological mechanism. Taiwanese researchers using advanced imaging and cellular tracking discovered that needle stimulation at specific points triggers measurable stem cell mobilization—providing the first clear biological explanation for acupuncture's effects.

Electroacupuncture (needles with mild electrical current) at ST36 (Zusanli point) and GV20 (Baihui point) causes a 300% increase in circulating stem cells within 24 hours. These mobilized stem cells express homing signals drawing them to damaged tissues—injured liver, heart, kidneys, or brain—where they differentiate into organ-specific cells and release healing factors. It's like acupuncture triggers the body's internal repair dispatch system.

Stroke patients receiving electroacupuncture within 48 hours of stroke showed 40% better functional recovery than those receiving standard care alone. Liver cirrhosis patients showed reduced fibrosis markers. Heart attack survivors demonstrated improved cardiac function. The mechanism is entirely biological—traced stem cells from bone marrow to damaged organs. Skeptical Western physicians are reconsidering acupuncture given this mechanistic evidence. We're discovering that ancient healing practices work through sophisticated biological mechanisms science is only now capable of detecting.

Source: China Medical University, Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2025

01/09/2026

It’s National Quitters Day… and honestly? That kind of makes sense.

According to the lunar calendar, we’re not fully in a “go, go, go” phase yet.

We’re still in the Year of the Yin Wood Snake — a time associated with:

🌱 internal growth
🌱 reflection
🌱 shedding old layers
🌱 quiet preparation

Yin Wood isn’t about explosive forward motion. It’s about tending roots, conserving energy, and letting insight mature beneath the surface. So if your New Year’s resolutions already feel heavy, forced, or out of sync — that’s not failure. That’s timing.

We haven’t reached the Year of the Horse yet — the phase that supports outward movement, momentum, and action. The Horse energy is when things naturally want to run forward.

Right now?

It’s okay to:

• pause
• reassess
• soften your expectations
• choose smaller, more sustainable shifts

In Chinese Medicine, forcing change before the body and spirit are ready often leads to burnout, frustration, or injury. True transformation happens when action aligns with the season.

So if you’ve “quit” something this week, maybe the better question is:
👉 What is your body asking you to do instead?

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is listen, recalibrate, and wait for the right moment to move.

That’s not quitting.
That’s wisdom. 🐍🌿

01/08/2026

If your hips feel stiff, cranky, or just off, meet one of my favorite low-key, high-reward movements: the 90/90 hip switch.

This stretch works on both internal and external hip rotation, which is essential for:
• Healthy hip joints
• Low back and SI joint support
• Knee alignment
• Efficient walking, running, and lifting

Unlike passive stretching, the 90/90 position helps your nervous system feel safe in new ranges, which is often what tight hips are really asking for.

✨ Why I love it:
– Improves hip mobility without forcing
– Supports pelvic balance
– Great for athletes and desk-sitters
– Pairs beautifully with acupuncture for longer-lasting results

🧠 Body tip: Move slowly, breathe, and keep it comfortable. Mobility comes from awareness, not pushing.

Try a few gentle switches each day and notice how your hips—and even your low back—start to feel more fluid.

Your body is always adapting. Sometimes it just needs the right input. 🌿