Herbs for Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people turn to herbal medicine. Both because herbal remedies can provide fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals and a milder effect on the body. But I find the topic is often oversimplified.

We can't simply use herbs symptomatically for anxiety, it's important to have a full understanding of what the herbs do, how they work in the body, as well as who they work best for. So I'm going to explain how sedative, adpatogenic, and nervine herbs work to improve anxiety, which herbs to look for, and who they're most appropriate for.

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Pain During Sex - WTF?!?

The medical term is dyspareunia, which means difficulty, discomfort, or pain during intercourse. It's a condition I see quite frequently in my clinic and while many people who experience this symptom cross their fingers and hope it will go away on its own, that's not the reality for everyone.

As confusing and frustrating as dealing with painful sex can sometimes be, I find there are only so many causes. If we work our way through the list we can typically get to the bottom of what's actually going on. In many cases I've seen my patients find relief and actually heal from experiencing pain during sex, I'll explain how.

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Luteal Phase Deficiency

Luteal Phase Deficiency (LPD) is also called Luteal Phase Defect, but I don't particularly like to think of the human body as "defective" so I prefer deficiency.  LPD is a hormonal condition that involves deficiency of progesterone, which makes the luteal phase (the portion of the cycle after ovulation and before menstruation) a bit too short. This may contribute to low basal body temperatures during this phase, which can make implantation and pregnancy difficult. In fact, infertility and miscarriage are common symptoms of LPD and progesterone deficiency.

If this is the first time you're hearing about LPD, then you probably have a lot of questions. What causes it? How can you tell if you have it? And what can you do to treat it? Not to worry, I'm going to break it all down for you right now.

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Holistic Migraine Remedies

Let's face it, migraines suck, and sometimes medication simply doesn't do much to take the edge off. Or for some medication for migraines isn't even an option. So then what?

Sometimes holistic treatments are the only options that actually offer up relief because they can address the root of the issue rather than just treating it like a symptom. In fact, many of my patients who respond well to acupuncture don't respond as well to any other treatment method. For their sake, thank goodness these holistic remedies exist!

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IUD Got you Down?

Intrauterine devices, aka IUDs, are one of the most popular forms of birth control because they are among the most effective while also being quite low maintenance and most last several years. But as with any medical device, they can come with their fair share of side effects and symptoms.

I've spoken with hundreds of women about their experiences with IUDs, so obviously I've heard it all. It ranges from those who can barely tell they ever got it put in to those who dread every single day they have it in and ultimately end up getting it removed because it doesn't work for them. I'm not here to tell you what the right choice is for you, but if you're dealing with side effects of an IUD or you're considering getting one, then I'd like to help you deal and to feel better.

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What You Need to Know About PCOS

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is the most common cause of infertility in America with an estimated 1 in 10 women experiencing it sometime in their lifetime. PCOS is a hormone imbalance that, because it’s a “syndrome,” can present many ways.

I treat patients with PCOS all the time and help many of them to cycle and ovulate regularly and subsequently get pregnant successfully. It is an incredibly common condition, which means there are lots of resources for treatment, which in most cases have an excellent chance at success. Allow me to break it down for you.

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The Benefits of Raspberry Leaf Tea

Raspberry leaf, aka Rubus idaeus or Fu Pen Zi in Chinese medicine, happens to be one of the most common herbs I use myself and prescribe to my patients. It is a gentle yet powerful uterine tonic, it is safe in pregnancy, and when brewed as tea or an herbal infusion it's a good source of dissolved minerals.

And, you don't have to be pregnant or even a woman to benefit from this amazing herb. It also has benefits for digestion, skin, lungs, and gums. In fact, for many of it's benefits you don't even have to drink it, you can use it as a soak or add it to your bath. I'll explain how.

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Let's Talk About Cervical Fluid

When tracking your cycle there are several different ways to determine the four different phases and when you're ovulating. Charting Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and using Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) are two popular methods, and observing changes to cervical fluid is another.

Your cervix produces fluid, sometimes called mucus, in response to the hormonal changes that happen throughout your cycle. That's why it's so effective at telling you what's going on with your hormones and why I often recommend my patients start paying attention to it. I'll explain how.

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Crystals for Fertility, Cycle Health & Pregnancy

As an acupuncturist I work with crystals quite a bit and since my speciality is uterine health I tend to use mostly stones that have an effect on fertility, balancing hormones, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or postpartum. I'll tell you about some of my favorites and if any of them call to you, they're all available in my online store

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