STRESS! What does stress actually look like? Nikki and Kerry always ask about stress during your visit, especially when your response every time is “my stress is pretty low”. Lies! However, most of the time, you’re not aware that it’s a lie. Stress is a sneaky little master of disguise. What are some common sources of it? Multitasking To-do lists Exercise (can be good stress unless excessive) Arguments Assignments Work Projects Home Projects Financial Difficulty Social Inter

A great example of the TCM Clock from organicolivia.com The Traditional Chinese Medicine view of the circadian cycle is represented as a 24-hour “body clock”. Each of the 12 meridians of the body is associated with a two-hour time period on the 24-hour clock. That time period represents the time of peak function for that meridian. Each meridian governs over an organ system and the associated internal functions as well as a local function along its pathway. They are each asso

Image from: Goop “Wait… you can treat that too?” Add that question to the very top of the list of things that an acupuncturist hears every single day. That’s the reaction I get every time I talk about all of the women’s health conditions that I love to treat, and hot flashes seem to be one of the most surprising ones! However, menopause isn’t the only thing that causes hot flashes. Men and women of all ages experience them. They can fire up as a result of many different thing

By: Kerry Hayes November 25, 2020 With the recent surge in COVID cases worldwide, it is clear that this pandemic is not over yet. This means that our stress and frustration with the major changes in daily life are also here to stay for a while longer. How can Traditional Chinese Medicine help? Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years. The primary text

By Nikki Vanecek November 25,2020 Data continues to pour in every day as this virus continues to mutate. This information can be overwhelming if you are trying to keep up as information changes daily. Most conclusions are tentative as nobody know the identity or classification of the virus, making finding a treatment difficult from a biomedicine standpoint. From my understanding (as information increases daily) there are a different species of this virus which is why people h

I want to thank you for putting your faith and trust into our clinic for all your health care needs. Without you we would not be able to fulfill the purpose and goals we have set out to accomplish. Our purpose here at EastWest Acupuncture is to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western Medicine for the benefit of the patients. Nikki has 3 main goals listed below that she focuses on and that fuels her determination. Provide exceptional health care to any person in need. Nikki

By: Meaghan Moakley October 28, 2020 Emotions- we all have them, we all feel them, and sometimes, we get overwhelmed by them. This isn’t a bad thing! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each element is connect to an emotion. Right now we are in the metal season (fall) and the emotions tied with that is grief, sadness, and/or longing. These emotions might come up for us a little bit more than usual. Sometimes people are hesitant to cry or feel sad because they can’t quite put t

By: Nikki Vanecek October 21, 2020 Snow is upon us. This past weekend, the snow fell in parts of Minnesota which means most of us are getting ready for winter. We are preparing our outdoor living spaces, yards, boats, cabins, and wardrobes. But did you think about preparing your body and mind for winter? Very few people realize that our bodies and minds need attention as the season shifts to winter. The days shorten. I love winter!! Holidays, beautiful white snow, ski trips,

By: Kerry Hayes September has arrived and it is officially pumpkin spice season! Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, all the pumpkin things! Aside from the high sugar content in many of these, let’s take a look at the actual benefits of pumpkin and “pumpkin spice” flavors from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective. Pumpkin Classic TCM Properties: Sweet and warm. Benefits the spleen and stomach. What this means: Pumpkin is great for diges