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Autoimmune disorders are on the rise, and quite often, conventional medicine doesn’t provide sufficient relief. Functional medicine uses a different approach, and for many of our patients with autoimmune disorders, a solution.

Diagnoses of inflammatory conditions are increasingly common; however, they aren’t fully understood. Functional medicine may be the most effective approach for alleviating your symptoms. Discover how and why.

You’re tense, so you should get a massage. It seems so simple. In reality, there are many different types of massage techniques, and they can be used in numerous situations and have uses well beyond stress reduction.

Do you seem to get sick often? Are you concerned about your immune system’s ability to fight off illness? There are practical, concrete steps you can take to boost your low immunity through functional medicine.

Do you have both digestive symptoms and symptoms of adrenal fatigue? You may be surprised to learn that there’s a link between the two. Stress, inflammation, and bacterial imbalance in your gut are all causes of adrenal fatigue.

If you're working to lose weight, you may have noticed that some areas of your body respond better to your efforts than others. Maybe you’ve seen a noticeable loss in your legs and arms, but not your waist. Here’s why that happens.

Are you plagued by recurring headaches? Do you wonder if you should see someone about your headaches? If you’re to the point of considering seeking care, you probably should. Here’s what you need to know.

Are you overly tired, losing hair, or having trouble with your weight? Thyroid dysfunction is quite common, with roughly 12% of people experiencing it at some point in their lifetime. Do you know the common signs of thyroid disorder?

So how’s your sleep? Could it be better? Insomnia can disrupt your life and cause a cascade of negative health effects. If you have insomnia or frequent sleep disturbances, you may want to consider acupuncture.

If you think of getting a massage as an indulgence or a luxury, you need to read this post! Although massage therapy can feel indulgent, there are many health benefits, too. Find out how massage as a therapy can produce great benefits.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you probably have lots of questions. Indeed, even if you’ve had diabetes for a while, you may still have some questions. Here, we talk about treating type 2 diabetes from a functional medicine perspective.

Experts estimate that about 20 million Americans have thyroid disease of some form. If you’re one of them, you may have wondered if you have treatment options. Here’s what you need to know about Chinese medicine and thyroid disorders.

Stress and worry plague many people today. If you have chronic anxiety, you’ve probably tried lots of things to deal with it. Chinese herbal medicine may be the solution you’ve been looking for to recreate a life of peace and calm.

Anxiety disorder is incredibly common, but knowing that other people feel anxious, too, probably doesn’t help you feel better. But acupuncture could. Find out how this non-traditional treatment could do wonders for you.

If you’re experiencing vague symptoms that seem disconnected, you may want to have your thyroid checked. Experts estimate some 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder, and that small gland can have a huge impact on your health.

Many people are wary of all the potential side effects that come with modern medicine. Want to try something more natural? Have you ever heard of cupping? If you have chronic headaches, learn a bit about this ancient approach to healing.

Depression is both common and, too often, debilitating. Conventional treatments have drawbacks and that can leave you feeling like you have few options. An herbal approach may be better for you.

Misconceptions about acupuncture abound. In this post, we cut through the misinformation and offer some facts about acupuncture, it’s effectiveness, and what you can expect from treatment.

Have you struggled, unsuccessfully, to lose weight? If so, you’re not alone. Many people find it nearly impossible to lose weight using conventional methods. It may be time to investigate a holistic weight loss program.

What is functional medicine? If you’ve seen the phrase “functional medicine,” you may be wondering how, or if, it’s different than any other kind of medicine. It is, and this post explains how.

Being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder can be scary, but having a customized treatment plan designed just for you can ease your fears. You’re a unique individual, and you deserve a treatment plan that meets your needs.

Have you ever felt that visits with your doctor were unsatisfying? Sometimes the specialization and compartmentalization in conventional medicine can leave you wishing for something a little different. Functional medicine could be the solution.

If you are hesitant to try acupuncture, or simply curious about how it could help, read on! We explain a few of the reasons that acupuncture works.

Adrenal fatigue can leave you feeling tired and generally unwell. You may find normal tasks overwhelming and be left wondering if you’ll ever feel better. Functional medicine may hold the answers you need.

Pain in your head is a headache, but there are differences between migraines and other types of headaches. Certain symptoms tend to occur with migraines that don’t happen when you have a different kind of headache.

Living with chronic pain can limit your life, in ways large and small. If you feel you’ve tried everything, but you’re still fighting pain, you may want to learn more about functional medicine for chronic pain.

Not all headaches are avoidable, but you can bring some on unwittingly just by your choice of foods and drinks. These are called food triggers, and avoiding them may be the secret to sidestepping headaches.

Stubborn weight gain is often the result of an underlying health issue. Getting to the bottom of the problem requires an approach that treats the body as an integrated system, not just a collection of independent organs.

Often in clinic patients want to know how acupuncture can take their pain away, immediately and long term. How does this work? Why does it work? Why would you put a needle way over there if my pain is right here!? There are two ways we can answer these que

When people find out that we specialize in the treatment of fertility issues, the vast majority of people are shocked to learn that acupuncture can significantly benefit couples that are struggling with fertility issues. The next questions we almost alway

We are excited to announce that readers of SeacoastOnline.com and the newspapers of Seacoast Media Group (The Portsmouth Herald, The Exeter News-Letter, The Hampton Union, The York Weekly, The York County Coast Star) have once again awarded us with its Rea

Conventional treatments for diabetes involve medications to tame the symptoms. The team at Family Acupuncture and Wellness gets to the root cause of your illness to potentially reverse your symptoms and improve your health.

Untreated anxiety can make existing health problems worse or cause you to develop new health problems and illnesses as a result. Family Acupuncture and Wellness can help you deal with anxiety using natural remedies, acupuncture and herbal medicines.

Are you struggling with a myriad of vague symptoms and wonder if your thyroid could be to blame? Learn about the function of the thyroid and a few of the symptoms that might be warning you of a thyroid condition.

Do you suffer from chronic headache or migraine pain? Are you tired of feeling alone in your battle? We understand and want to help you get started with a functional medicine treatment plan.

If you have hypothyroidism, you know the frustration of memory problems, fatigue, and trouble sleeping—and it’s even more frustrating when conventional treatment does not work. Don’t despair. Functional medicine may finally provide some relief.

A recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that America may be headed for an epidemic of low back problems.

I read this study recently, and as Pycnogenol is one of the ingeredients in a product that we commonly recommend, ISO-OPC, I wanted to share it. This is another study which demonstrates this amazing anti-oxidant’s ability to reduce inflammation, and it see

I have copied below a response that I posted online to an article written by the medical reporter David Noonan that appeared in the January 26 issue of Newsweek titled, “My elbow is killing me!” Hits on a couple of issues that are near and dear to my hear

I am often asked my opinion of the efficacy of several of the more common energy medicine modalities (i.e. Qigong, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, etc). Although I have personally had some very interesting experiences with energy work, and do believe that there

One of my favorite medicinal spices, turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years. It has many uses, including flavoring food, and as a dye. However, it is the medicinal uses of turmeric that are attracting increasing attention in the west.

As many of you are aware, I am always deeply, (and often vocally) suspicious of wives’ tales and superstitions. Thats why I found this slideshow on Scientific American both fun and interesting. They took a hard scientific look at several common myths abo

A recently published report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examines the effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects of various common treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee.

Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Acupuncturists treat many patients with inflammation – for example, arthritis – but did you know that inflammation is also a component of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and strokes? Inflammation itsel

An Acupuncturist’s Take on Antibiotics for Sinus Infections As an acupuncture practitioner, I’m constantly amazed by the extent to which doctors prescribe – and patients demand – antibiotics. A classic example is the use of antibiotics to treat sinus infe

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine effective in treating Eczema Working with acupuncture and herbal medicine, as I do, gives me the opportunity to treat patients with a wide variety of symptoms. One issue we treat repeatedly at our practice is skin condition

Herbal Medicines Effective for GI Disorders As practitioners of so-called ‘alternative medicine’ it sometimes seems that we are constantly on trial. Whereas newly approved medications, with their often multiple and harmful side effects, are deemed to be

Pop Quiz: How much water do you need to drink per day? If you answered “eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day” you would certainly have given the answer most commonly cited – you would also be wrong! Eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day has bee

Fish Oil: My Favorite Supplement Many of our acupuncture patients ask if there are any nutritional supplements that we recommend for their specific condition, and fish oil is clearly the one I recommend most frequently. Based on both my clinical experience

Acupuncture More Beneficial than Medication for Hot Flashes As acupuncturists specializing in the treatment of women’s health issues, one of the most common issues that Betsy and I treat are hot flashes and night sweats. Whereas they occur most often in p

Whose Interested in Cutting their Risk for Chronic Disease by 80%? Our acupuncture patients are constantly asking us for lifestyle advice to stay healthy. This is proper, as it is a fundamental principle of Chinese Medicine that its always better to pre

Chinese Medicine and Migraines Chinese Medicine and Migraines Approximately 28 million Americans suffer from chronic migraine headaches. No exact cause of migraine headaches has been discovered but they are known to be related to blood vessel constrictio

Probiotics, Digestive Health, and Weight Loss In our acupuncture clinic, patients are routinely asking us for advice about diet, supplements, and issues surrounding weight loss. One topic that comes up repeatedly is probiotics. Let’s take a look at what

A new study released on 6/29/10, shows obesity rising in 28 states in the past year. Over two-thirds of states have adult obesity rates over 25%. According to the most recent National Health and Nu

In our acupuncture clinic, we are constantly looking at safe, effective, natural ways to help patients improve their health. We are excited to announce that after conducting a bunch of research, we have added a Far Infrared Sauna to our office, and are co

Fall allergy season, which can run from mid-August until October, affects approximately 36 million Americans. The most common allergen in the fall is Ragweed Pollen and unfortunately for those with allergies, the northeast is one of the most prevalent are

We all know that exercise is good for us. So why isn’t everyone doing it? Are some people just lazy? The answer may not be that simple.

While recently doing research for a patient, I came across this quote on the Mayo clinic website: “When performed properly by trained practitioners, acupuncture has proved to be an effective therapy for back pain. Several studies have found that acupunct

We are now into the heart of autumn, and that means that cold and flu season is just around the corner. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners have always placed a huge premium on preventing disease whenever possible, and as there are sever

Arthritis October 12th-20th was Bone and Joint National Action week. The goal is to raise awareness of the possibilities for prevention, management and treatment of all forms of arthritis. We decided it was a good time for a blog on Arthritis. Arthritis

Our Top Cold Fighting Secret As acupuncturists, we are constantly around sick patients. We actually encourage sick people to come in and be around us! Last week on our blog, we posted an article about the top 10 ways to prevent getting sick this winter.

There has been a great deal of speculation as to the true effect that chronic exposure to common toxins might have on our health. Acupuncturists have traditionally attempted to bring attention

Treating Thyroid Problems with Acupuncture When functioning properly, the thyroid gland secretes just the right amount of thyroid hormone to regulate almost all the metabolic processes in your body. Too much or too little of these vital body chemicals and

Acupuncture for Endocrine Health The endocrine system is responsible for hormonal functions in the body and produces in excess of thirty distinct hormones each of which has a very specific job to do. This system controls your physical growth, mood, hormone

Massage therapy has now been proven a viable treatment option for low back pain. This is great news, since it is the number one reason people see their doctor. While it has been known for awhile that structural massage helps relieve ba

Overcoming Cancer with Acupuncture Dealing with the challenges of cancer can be a traumatic experience both emotionally and physically. Thankfully, there are many alternative therapies and adjuncts that can help ease the process. In fact, there have been s

Understanding the Body’s Defense Team Did you know that 80% of our immune system resides in our intestines? This is key to understanding how to keep the sniffling, sneezing, and achy muscles at bay. Unfortunately modern eating habits, long term stress, a

The Many Roles of the Immune System Most people tend to think of their immune system in terms of protection against a cold or flu. In actuality, the importance of your immune system is much greater. Our immunity plays an immense role in the quality and len

Healing Benefits of Infrared Sauna It’s hard to think of a more enjoyable way to relieve pain, assist detoxification, and speed the healing process than relaxing in a sauna. We are not talking about just any sauna; research has shown Infrared Saunas to be

What if you could resolve fertility issues, eliminate chronic pain, and lose weight all with one supplement? Sound too good to be true? The fact is that fish oil has been scientifically proven through numerous studies to do just that and more.

I recommend and take myself 5 daily supplements: probiotics, mulivitamin/mineral, fish oil, magnesium, and calcium. The combined affect of these supplements has a synergistic affect in the body. Take for example, calcium: without magn

Circulation Affected by Belly Fat A study recently conducted by the Doctors at the MayoClinic revealed that as little as 9 pounds of additional fat around the waistline (otherwise known as visceral fat), will impair blood flow to the entire body. Good bl

Emotion Management A state of distress causes stress… According to Oriental medicine, stress, frustration, and unresolved anger play a role in disrupting the immune system and allowing pathogens to affect the body. Dr. Tao Xie, our herbal medicine mentor

How Massage Helps at the Cellular Level Put away your pills and knead away your aches and pains instead. The same mechanisms that are associated with anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain are now believed to be at work with massage. While there has been

Boost Your Chances of Conceiving Boost your chances of conceiving by combining Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with your fertility treatments! Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that TCM herbs and acupuncture in combination with intrauteri

Needling Away at Stress Do the idea of needles stress you out? You might change your tune after an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is already a well known therapy to relieve stress, as many of our patients can attest to. There is also biological proof t

Herbs Proven to Reduce Chemo Effects Do the idea of needles stress you out? You might change your tune after an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is already a well known therapy to relieve stress, as many of our patients can attest to. There is also biolo

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month–Very Special Offer October is National Breast Cancer awareness month. Many people are probably aware of this, thanks to the many organizations that have been actively promoting it. However, many people have not ye

The Endocrine System and Your Health For February we are focusing on Endocrine Health. This time of year we often find ourselves battling the common cold, calling out of work with the flu, and fending off the winter blues. Most of us don’t realize that all

Our society puts a premium on our waking hours, and we thus have the tendency to underestimate the importance of a full-night’s sleep. Millions of people who suffer from insomnia look for quick fixes instead of exploring the root causes of the problem. Sle

We hope you enjoyed your summer and are looking forward to a healthy fall! We know that at some point almost everyone has digestive upset. Sometimes this can affect your day to day life so much that it becomes unbearable. So what are you options besides p

We are so proud to announce that our amazing patients have voted us #1 Acupuncture Office in the Seacoast. Thank you so much for your continued support. Without the patience, trust, and loyalty of our patients and friends we wouldn’t be able to do what w

Mayo Clinic Study Proves Functional Medicine Works for Fatigue

This past Thursday Adam made his TV debut with a short spot on NH1 News. There has been considerable interest in Cupping generated by the Olympics in Rio as several athletes have appeared sporting the characteristic purple “Cupping marks”. News outlets all

One of the key elements of a healthy lifestyle is diet. In our acupuncture clinic, we try to educate patients based on the most available scientific research. In the ongoing diet debate, a new study