Comfort Acupuncture

03/06/2026

Located in Richmond, VA, we at Comfort Acupuncture offer specialized, holistic care like no other! We’ll help your body fight against common allergen triggers such as pollen, mold, and various insect venom. Not only that, but we offer a host of different acupuncture services to aid with all of your health concerns.

Click the link in our bio, or call us at 804-592-0853 to book an appointment today!

02/28/2026

Why do some people get allergies?

Traditional Chinese Medicine views a person as an ever evolving being that is constantly living within and interacting with the environment and one’s own internal body. On one level, at any given moment, the body is constantly processing, engaging, adapting and modifying itself to the wind, cold, heat, dryness and dampness of the external world. This is the dynamic according to the seasons, Spring brings more wind, Summer more heat and dampness, Autumn more dryness and Winter more cold. All of these seasons and their characteristics impact our body. If the body is balanced, we gracefully flow from one season to the next without difficulties. However, if the body’s balance is damaged, our bodies lose the ability to adjust and therefore cannot follow the changes. It is not in harmony, soon, symptoms, illness and disease follow.

But why do some people have allergies and some do not? In Chinese Medicine, the answer is not simple and straightforward. Each individual is unique, their lifestyle, diet, mental and emotional health and circumstances create a complete and special environment that does not simply follow a specific pattern. Broadly, some people have stronger immune systems, wei qi, and are more resistant to outside imbalances. Others have a weaker constitution possibly from other immune system disorders, prolonged illness, poor diet, lack of sleep or high stress. As a result, their bodies are not as capable of handling the dramatic changes.
However, these imbalances can be improved with Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Medicine addresses allergies by identifying and locating the imbalances within the body. Treatments can include acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine to address internal imbalances and symptoms. Soliman’s Auricular Allergy Treatments (SAAT) can reprogram the immune system to reduce production of histamines to specific allergens. By applying a holistic approach to the treatment of allergies, allergy sufferers no longer have to fear the changes of the Seasons.

02/26/2026

After months of thick ice, freezing winds, and cold temperatures, Spring cannot come soon enough for many of us. But for those of us with Spring allergies, the warmer weather, the cheerful chirping of birds, the colorful blooming flowers and trees can feel like the Nightmare 2.0. Sneezing, runny nose, congestion, post nasal drip, irritated skin, and itchy and watery eyes are symptoms we would not wish on our worst enemies. These symptoms can be unbearable and severely impact our daily life, sleep and work.

Chinese Medicine offers a variety of approaches to managing allergies, often focusing on balancing the body’s energy, Qi, and strengthening the immune system. Through lifestyle changes such as dietary adjustments, emotional regulation, acupressure, herbal medicine and acupuncture, Chinese Medicine can help alleviate allergy symptoms.

Some simple but consistent changes you can implement include:

Dietary Adjustments: Incorporating anti-allergic foods such as carrots, enoki mushrooms, and raw local honey can help enhance skin defenses, boost immunity, and reduce allergic reactions. It’s best to avoid spicy, irritating, or cold foods like hot pot, wasabi, chili peppers, dairy, and chilled beverages.

Emotional Regulation: Practices such as meditation, yoga, and music therapy can help relax the mind and body. Maintaining a happy and calm mindset supports the smooth flow of liver Qi and balances Qi and blood, which may improve allergic sensitivity over time.

Acupressure: Gentle pressure can promote blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and ease allergy symptoms. Targeting specific pressure points may help with general relaxation and allergy relief, including:
- Yin Tang: Located at the midpoint between the eyebrows.
- LI20 (Ying Xiang): Found at the base of the nostrils, on either
side.
- Bitong: Just above the nostrils, near the crease of the nose.
- LI4 (He Gu): In the fleshy area between the thumb and index
finger.

To use acupressure, gently press each point with your thumb or finger. Apply steady pressure for 20–30 seconds, then release. Repeat 3–5 times for each point.

For more severe allergy sufferers, consider using Acupuncture and herbal medicine to help balance the body’s energy, strengthen the immune system and/or address the allergen at its root cause using SAAT treatments. By using these methods, you are not just treating symptoms but helping your body to become stronger, healthier and more holistic.

For more information, check out our website, www.comfortacupuncture.com or send us a message!

01/21/2026

Happy New Year!

Before we charge forward into the New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse in 2026, let us take a moment to self-reflect on the past year. Too often, we shed the past year, like that of a snake shedding its old skin and rush forward with New Year's Resolutions, goals and changes only to realize a few months later that we lose motivation or fall into old habits. So for a moment, let us pause. Breathe. Self-reflect.

Let us be reminded that the wisdom we gained through happiness, sadness, grief, hardships and frustration are in the past. We acknowledge them. We are stronger and are wiser because of them. More importantly we acknowledge that these events will shape our present and future. Wisdom is not loud and dramatic. Wisdom is quiet and oftentimes, arrives as a whisper. It is an inner nudge towards what feels aligned, true, or quietly necessary. Wisdom doesn't demand attention or arrive with urgency. Instead, wisdom asks us to slow down long enough to hear it. I invite you to turn towards that softer way of knowing and practice tuning in to the guidance that lives beneath the noise of daily life.

Rather than push forward on autopilot, explore what it means to listen more deeply, to our bodies, our instincts, and to the places within us that are asking for gentleness and care. When we pause and allow ourselves to feel what is present, clarity begins to emerge naturally, without force or striving.

By honoring what we feel instead of always what we think we should do, we create space for choices that are more grounded, compassionate and true. This kind of listening, rooted in calm, opens the door to a year shaped not by pressure or expectation, but by authenticity, presence and wisdom. And with that, opportunities to make conscious and deliberate changes that will persist instead of fade.

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12/07/2025

In our practice, we meet patients who touch us deeply.

These are words of encouragement for those struggling after loss:

I do believe that the Universe watches, listens and guides us in the direction we were meant to go. Heart break, loss or divorce is a journey, healing is a process but hopefully the hardest is behind you. And if it doesn't feel like it is, lean in to the ones that love you, lean into yourself and your inner strength.

I hope you continue to realize your self-worth, acknowledge your tenacity, and mature into your fullness.

Your loved ones have watched you self-sacrifice and the tension it has caused you physically, mentally and emotionally. And even though it has taken time, seeing you finally make time and space for self-care is the best gift to yourself.

Keep your head up and embrace yourself. You are strong, beautiful and kind. No matter what happens around you, these are truths that no one can take away.

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12/07/2025

Menopause and Cholesterol

Cholesterol levels can change with menopausal hormonal changes. The lack of estrogen impacts your body's metabolic system and cardiovascular health. Estrogen is considered to have a "cardioprotective effect," which means it is beneficial to the heart and cardiovascular system. As estrogen starts to decline in perimenopause, women lose this benefit. This is why you noticed the triglycerides are increasing, LDL is increasing and your HDL is decreasing. If you have a family history of high cholesterol then it makes you more susceptible.

Some suggestions to help lower cholesterol naturally include:

1. Incorporating a Mediterranean Diet inclusive of fiber rich carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats.

2. Increase soluble fiber. Fiber attaches itself to cholesterol in your small intestines and helps to guide it out of your system before it can form as plaque in your arteries. You want to aim for about 25 grams of fiber a day. However, you want to make sure you have adequate water to avoid digestive discomfort when you increase your fiber. Examples include raspberries, black beans, apples with skin, broccoli, brown rice, chia seeds, etc.

3. Reduce saturated fats in the form of butter, red meat, processed meats, cheese, ice cream, etc. instead include more fish and chicken.

4. Increase healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. These will help reduce LDL and omegas will help increase healthy HDL.

5. Cut down on refined sugars. These include sweetened beverages, baked goods, juices, candy, white bread, and alcohol.

6. Add small amounts of soy protein such as soy milk, soy protein, soy beans or tofu.

7. Be active. Try to aim for any exercise that can get your heart beat elevated for about 30 minutes three times a day. Walking is also beneficial but you also want to aim to increase your heart rate beyond resting.

8. Reduce stress levels daily. Incorporate deep breathing, meditation, yoga daily. If this does not resonate with you then find another activity that allows you to decompress like reading, listening to music, being with friends, walking, cooking, etc.

9. Supplementation with Omega 3 fatty acid, CoQ10 and or Red Yeast Rice. Some research has shown that these help to lower triglycerides and improve HDL levels.

Start with as many of these as possible without putting additional stress on yourself. Even just implementing a few of these consistently may have long lasting impacts. Have your doctor retest in 6 months and see how your cholesterol levels have changed.

If these changes do not yield significant changes, then speak with your doctor regarding other options. Again, when there is a family history or other chronic illnesses, it may be difficult to control without prescriptions. However, this way we can see what your body is capable of doing on its own.

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09/11/2025

We now have online scheduling available for your convenience! Please see our website and look for the teal link, "Book Appointment." We look forward to seeing you soon!

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