Marissa Hanthorn, ND, LAc

08/11/2020

To my fellow practitioners seeking meaningful CE or even those interested in learning more about Lyme disease and how acupuncture, Chinese, and East Asian Medicine can help: please check out this affordable course instructed by some of my most beloved teachers. Link in comments.

03/07/2020

It's all about balance ⚖️💜 Ok, ok, I saw this on a mug! But it rings true in so many ways, for me as both a practioner and patient, my own patients, and others I know receiving acupuncture regularly. Honestly, I was overdue for a session myself, but finally went to aculand this week 🏵️🙏. I didn't complain about any sleep issues, in fact I didn't even think I was having sleep troubles. But whoa! did I sleep well that night! It reminded me that Chinese medicine is all about regulation. It is more than treating symptoms, and in my opinion more than even treating the person. It's about balance, and when we find balance we usually find health, too.

03/02/2020

Mind, body, and spirit ❤️

03/02/2020

Although womxn have spent generations to fight for equality, against discrimination and injustice, the battle is not over yet. And although this month highlights the history of womxn, let's not forget the amazing things we are doing all over the world today and will continue to do for generations to come



"From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this Nation. Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed." - President Jimmy Carter, February 28, 1980.

This is why today we celebrate Womxn's History Month in March. The purpose of Womxn's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of womxn's history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary womxn, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.

02/28/2020

Yesterday was one of those days where I was so busy from before sun-up until after sun-down that by then I was so exhausted I didn't get to some of my essential daily habits, like movement. At that point the best I could do was stretch to help with my hip pain that comes and goes. Recently I've had several patients tell me their pain is worse when they don't get regular movement and exercise. This all reminds me that motion is lotion for the joints, and working with aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility and balance are all ways to feel better and reduce pain


If certain activities aggravate pain, such as running causing knee pain, you might be inclined to stop running or exercise altogether. The key is actually to rest less and move more, but in a way that causes minimal to no pain. Inactivity leads to shortening and tightening of the ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which can cause stiffness and pain. Regular gentle motion will help to prevent this.

Cartilage is found in all joints in the body for protection and support, and is surrounded by synovial fluid for lubrication and to provide nutrients to the cartilage. Motion is the key for keeping the cartilage hydrated and healthy! Movement of the joints creates a squeezing action on the cartilage to absorb nutrients. Regular motion is good, but infrequent movement can lead to degeneration of the cartilage and pain, such as in osteoarthritis.

Movement will not only help your joints feel better, it will maintain range of motion. Plus, there are the many known benefits of exercise like heart health and better mood. Motion is lotion!

02/26/2020

"Of course we would choose to deactivate trigger points (TrPs) with acupuncture rather than an injection, and it has been established long ago that what you inject into TrPs makes no difference as long as you use a needle of some sort."

Specifically, the study looked at women with both painful periods (dysmenorrhea) and renal stones, two unrelated conditions, compared to those with only dysmenorrhea. They found treating trigger points in the leg related to renal stones helped improve the severity of both conditions.

"For example, the average patient with coronary heart disease and gallstones would have more frequent and intense symptoms and greater segmental (spinal level) somatic sensitivity than the average patient with only one of those conditions. Treatment of just one of the two conditions resulted in symptomatic improvements in the other, but only for conditions where there was segmental overlap."

Stimulated by Constantini et al 2020.[1] Image by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash. This is another paper from the Italian stable of Maria Adele Giamberardino. So perhaps you have guessed that the V…

02/25/2020

I remember being so amazed after the first time I received a cupping treatment. It was for chronically tight upper trap and back muscles from being a student and working as a bodyworker. Simply 10 minutes of cupping gave me so much relief and range of motion. Since then I've used it on many of my massage clients as well as acupuncture patients for a variety of reasons, and with similar results.

The word of cupping therapy has spread through the media in recent years, and there truly are many benefits to its use.

But what exactly is cupping?

Cupping is considered a decompression technique—think of it as the opposite of deep tissue massage or foam rolling, which compress your muscles and tissue. Glass, plastic, or silicone cups are used with vacuum suction pressure to create space between the skin and underlying muscles. The cups are left on the body for 5-10 minutes so patients can relax and let the therapeutic effects take place.

Here’s a list of some of the benefits to cupping therapy:
· Improve blood flow
· Improve immunity by increasing lymphatic output
· Reduce inflammation
· Calm the nervous system
· Stretch muscles and connective tissue
· Loosen restrictions and adhesions in the tissue
· Provide relaxation
· Optimize athletic performance
· Improve overall wellbeing

Cups can be placed almost anywhere on the body, with strategic maneuvering. For musculoskeletal complaints, the most common areas include the upper back, lower back, quads, calves, and hamstrings. It’s even used on babies for chest colds or congestion and for individuals who are struggling with infertility.

What about the bruising? While the media has popularized the image of bruising after cupping, effects can also be achieved without lasting marks. Still, the marks are a visible sign of healing mechanisms at play, following breakage of small capillaries.

But remember, cupping is not a DIY type of therapy. While it is safe for most people when practiced by a trained professional, there are some limitations such as bleeding disorders, open wounds, certain medications, and some chronic

02/21/2020

Making broth is a simple way to absorb the many nutrients that mushrooms have to offer.

02/20/2020

Over the past fifty years, an enormous amount of research has been carried out in order to explain the physical benefits of acupuncture treatment, and how it achieves pain reduction.

Because acupuncture can relieve pain without drugs or surgery, it is often considered 'magic'. Though pain relief may feel 'magical' to those who experience it, effective treatment

02/19/2020

Listening to our body is one of the first steps towards health and well-being. Often our setbacks are related to our own choices in attitude, lifestyle, and the foods we eat. Listen. If we ignore the first sign something is not right, that nagging symptom, our body can escalate the signs until we finally get the message to make a change. Listen. If something is off, it's up to us to get the help we need and start making new habits to make room for health.

02/18/2020

Acupuncture opens channels to healing naturally

02/17/2020

"Placebo acupuncture can ease short-term pain but the real thing might help to reverse the underlying pathology of a disease."

Placebo acupuncture can ease short-term pain but the real thing might help to reverse the underlying pathology of a disease