Mountain Biking and Knee Pain

The most common cycling injury is patellofermoral syndrome (knee pain).  As the cartilage breaks down, extra pressure is put on the bones at the knee joint, producing pain and inflammation. One of the solutions is acupuncture.

Ginger Beer a Turn of the Century Health Tonic

Herbal remedies have played a part in all cultures. (Take 8 oz with fish and chips)

This classic ginger beer recipe is taken from the book "Dr. Chase's Third, Last and Complete Recipe Book, Memorial Edition" by Dr. Alvin Wood Chase, M.D., published by F. B. Dickerson Company, Detroit and Windsor, in 1891.

Old English Ginger Beer Recipe

Loaf sugar, 2-1/4 pounds; cream of tartar, 1-1/2 ounces; gingerroot, 1-1/2 ounces; 2 lemons; fresh brewer's yeast, 2 tablespoonfuls; water, 3 gals.

Directions: Bruise the ginger, and put into a large earthenware pan, with the sugar and cream of tartar; peel the lemons, squeeze out the juice, strain it, and add, with the peel, to the other ingredients; then pour over the water boiling hot. When it has stood until it is only just warm, add the yeast, stir the contents of the pan, cover with a cloth, and let it remain near the fire for 12 hours. Then skim off the yeast and pour the liquor off into another vessel, taking care not to shake it, so as to leave the sediment; bottle it immediately, cork it tightly; in 3 or 4 days it will be fit for use.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba (deciduous dioecious) Is one of the oldest living tree species. It is also known as the Maidenhair Tree. This species has no close living relatives and is native to China. Ginkgo biloba is one of the most studied botanicals.

The leaves are fan shaped with fleshy yellow seeds. The leaves are not usually used in their crude sate. They are used as a concentrated extract (GBE) The leaves contain flavonoids and terpenoids which have potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body. They damage compounds in the body that alter cell membranes, DNA and cause cell death. Free radicals are contained in environmental toxins including cigarette smoking and air pollution. Ginkgo contains antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals and reduce and even help prevent some of the damage. It is used for its revitalizing, stimulating and firming qualities. It is used to treat circulatiory disorders and enhance memory.

Mountain Biking and Neck Pain.

One of the most common problems I see in my cycling patients is neck pain. This usually relates to a prolonged time spent in an extended position. The constant compression of any joint over a long period will lead to muscle fatigue and chronic muscle pain. A prolonged position will also result in cumulative tensile stress on joint capsules and ligaments. This can produce long term structural changes to joint arthrokinematics. Cervical extension with shoulders in a depressed position increases neural tension. Cervical extension with shoulders in a depressed position increases neural tension. This can result in ulnar or median neuropathy. The symptoms are pain, numbness or tingling. Acupuncture offers relief from the pain.

(reference: Sean Fyfe/Sports Injury Bulletin)

The Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture balances the body's energy systems improving health and quality of life.  Our lives can become out of balance due to thought patterns, diet, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and excesses. Acupuncture helps balance the energy systems by directing energy to the areas of body that are deficient.
This also reduces stress and helps you relax.  Acupuncture can bring the body back into emotional balance. It has been helpful in treating depression and anxiety. Acupuncture points have a physical and emotional aspect to their function. There are many reasons for insomnia, acupuncture can treat the causes of insomnia or be used to directly treat sleep disorders. Balancing your body's energy systems strengths your immune system. Acupuncture increases circulation, reduces inflammation and scaring and helps the patient recover faster from injury, illness or surgery. Chronic and acute pain reduction is one of the most common reasons patients seek acupuncture. Acupuncture relieves migraine and arthritis, carpal tunnel, back pain, etc. Respiratory health including allergies and asthma are positively impacted by the use of acupuncture. A powerful benefit of acupuncture is the reduction of the side effects of chemo and radiation therapies.

The effects of acupuncture are not limited to one area of the body or one symptom. Acupuncture treats the whole person.

Herbal Tea for Sore Throat

Honeysuckle Flower is one of the most commonly used herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine for sore throats. It is not as easy to find as slippery elm which is commonly used in Western herbal remedies. Most health food stores will order it for you. Honeysuckle Flower tastes as sweet as it smells. Bring one quart of water to a boil, add one cup honeysuckle flowers, not the leaves, cover and steep for ten minutes. Two to four cups a day are recommended.

Acupuncture and The Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through the car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.” Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values.

I am a Harley riding, beer brewing, acupuncturist, who understands how the state of constant pain makes a person a passive observer of life. Pain can take away the sense of being present in the activities of life. Life becomes a remembered routine and the joy of being part of the lives of those you love fades. Too often people seek relief in prescription medications that dull the senses and deaden the passion for living. There are alternatives and acupuncture is one of the alternatives. When the “frame work” of pain is gone, you are free to experience the sense of presence. (And, you don’t need to a Harley for that.)

The Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was published in 1974 and sold five million copies. It has the distinction of having been rejected by more publishers that any other best seller. It was rejected by 121 publishers.