A migraine headache is defined is a severe, pulsating, one-sided headache, lasting from 4 to 72 hours and which is aggravated by routine physical activity.  Migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and/or sensitivity to light and sound.  In addition, visual disturbances (auras) lasting from 4 to 60 minutes, may occur either before or during a migraine headache.

One of the best alternative therapies for a migraine headache is acupuncture combined with the ancient practice or “cupping”.  Cups are round vessels, 1″ to 3″ in diameter, which are applied to the body with vacuum suction.  The vacuum is created either by means of heating the air inside the cup or by a mechanical pump.  The result is that the cup sticks to the body and creates a local area of low pressure, which causes the blood to gather under the cup near the surface of the body.  The result is an immediate improvement of circulation.  In particular, cupping helps to regulate the tension in the arteries…helping to relax overly tense arteries and tighten those that are too lax.  Cupping certain areas on the back can produce this regulating effect throughout the entire body.

There are several different types of migraine headaches. One type in particular comes on a regular basis and can be predicted with accuracy. For example, they might come only once every three months or as often as once a week. If you suffer from this kind of headache that comes with a predictable regularity, there is a high probability that you would benefit from a specific diet therapy for migraine headaches. In particular, there are certain foods that can act as a migraine trigger. The most common problem foods are:

- tannins in tea, red wine and apple cider
- chocolate
- aged cheese
- other dairy products
- nuts, especially peanuts
- poultry, including eggs
- caffeine in coffee, tea and cola drinks
- sulfites in processed meats and seafood
- beef
- wheat
- yeast from yeasted bread, beer, wine, etc.
- food additives such as MSG, artificial sweeteners (especially those containing Aspartame) and food colorings
- heavily processed or packaged foods
- citrus fruit, including pineapple and mango

If you suffer from headaches that occur with predictable regularity, I recommend the following dietary regiment.

Beginning 3 days before your headache is expected, follow a strict diet of brown rice, mung dal (thick split mung bean soup), steamed vegetables, sea salt and olive oil. During this time, no other spices, foods or supplements  should be consumed except pure, room temperature water.

My clients who follow this regiment find in many cases that the headache does not come at all. Or, the headache still may come with normal regularity, but is much less severe and shorter in duration than before.

This diet will not only reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches, but it’s very cleansing while at the same time, nutritious and satisfying. Remember, you are only on this diet for three days before the expected headache and during the normal headache duration. If no headache comes, remain on the diet for the duration of a typical headache. For example, if you typically get a headache every three weeks and it lasts foe 2 days, you should begin this diet three days before the expected headache and remain on it for 5 days. Follow this regiment every three weeks.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

This self-massage program will help to increase the circulation of Qi energy throughout the body.  Daily application will improve overall health and help to prevent indigestion, insomnia, constipation, headaches, colds and flu.

Follow the sequence prescribed here for best results.  Pressure is applied in only one direction for all linear movements unless otherwise noted.  Repeat each motion 36 times to begin with while applying 81 repetitions to troublesome areas.

1) Eyes
Place the base joint of each thumb at the inner end of the eye brow and massage in one smooth circular motion moving outward following the upper edge of the orbital bone and then inward following the lower edge of the orbital bone to complete the circle. One revolution should take about two seconds.

2) Nose
Interlock the fingers of both hands with the thumbs touching at the tips and separated at the base. Clasp the hands in this position so that the base of each thumb is just above the root of the nose. Move the hands downward so that the nose gradually causes the thumb tips to separate and move apart. Continue the downward movement until the tips of the thumbs reach the tips of the nostrils. Then move upward, without pressure, to the original starting position. Each up and down motion should take about one second.

3) Ears
First, place the palms of the hands flat on the ears and massage in a counterclockwise circular motion. Only light pressure is needed here.  Second, place the hands so that they straddle the ears with the index finger behind the ear and the middle finger along the line formed by the anterior portion of the ear. Move downward toward the earlobe where the index and middle finger will almost touch before moving upward (without pressure) to the starting position. Each up and down motion should take about one second.

4) Wind Mansion
Use either hand and place three fingers as to cover the depression just below the occipital protuberance, with the middle finger in the center of the depression. Massage in a clockwise circular motion without leaving the point.

5) Wind Pool
Repeat the same procedure as for Wind Mansion but this time use the right hand on the right depression just lateral to the trapezius muscle and the left hand on left depression. The right hand circles clockwise and the left hand counterclockwise.

6) Neck
Next, place the two hands fingertip to fingertip behind the head and rub the line of the three wind points left and right 36 times. One time is defined as a left and right combination. The friction of this massage should be hard enough to warm the back of the neck but not cause skin pain. One back-and-forth motion should take about one second.

7) Abdomen
With the right hand massage the entire abdomen (from the bottom of the rib cage to the top of the pubic bone) in a clockwise direction.

8) Kidney Area

Place the backs of both hands on the lumbar area on either side of the spine.  Using the back of the hands and wrists, rub inward and downward toward the spine and then upward and outward.

9) Sacrum
Rub up and down over the Ba Liao region, applying pressure when rubbing so that hands remain in contact with the skin, but do not cause pain. Rub up and down about two hundred times until the skin feels hot.

10) Left Sole
Start with the palm of the right hand on the sole of the left foot and in a single motion, rub down to the heel and back over the balls of the foot. Equal pressure is applied to both strokes. Each back-and-forth motion should take about one to two seconds. Since there is little danger of irritating the skin on the soles of the feet, slightly more pressure can be applied here than at other places on the body.

11) Right Sole
Use the left palm to repeat the same procedure on the right sole.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Castor oil (Ricinus Communis) has been around for a long time. The Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, describes the topical use of castor oil by the early Egyptians, as far back as 1550 B.C. Likewise, the oil of the castor bean has been used in India and China for thousands of years. In medieval Europe, the plant was given the name Palma Christa, since the leaves resemble the human hand.

Taken internally, castor oil is a reliable laxative, especially effective as a treatment for food poisoning and intestinal parasites. But actually, it’s the external application of castor oil that has the most remarkable healing properties. Present day health care practitioners prescribe the application of castor oil packs in order to:
- improve elimination
- stimulate the liver and gallbladder
- dissolve adhesions
- dissolve stones or lesions
- relieve pain
- relax the nerves
- remove toxins
- increase circulation of blood and lymph
- improve digestion
- reduce inflammation and swelling
- stimulate the endocrine system.

Castor oil is used externally in three ways. First, castor oil may be applied directly to the skin for dryness, rashes, hives, fungus, infections, boils, furuncles, liver spots (age spots), warts, benign skin cancers, etc. Also for infection or fungus in the finger or toe nails. Apply castor oil directly and gently rub into the area for a minute or two. Repeat this application 2 or 3 times a day for a few weeks or up to two months in the case of stubborn warts.

Second, the application of castor oil packs can bring significant relief for any kind of trauma, sprain or degenerative joint disorder. In the case of a painful joint, apply a pack and secure it with an ace bandage. Keep the pack on the body continuously and reapply castor oil every 24 hours.  For back pain, lay on a castor oil pack for 90 minutes every day for 5 days. (See instructions below.) In severe cases, you may have to repeat this course 3 times over a period of 3 weeks.

Third, castor oil packs are used for cleansing and regulating the internal organs. For disorders relating to the digestion, intestines, liver, lungs or reproductive organs a series of castor oil packs on the abdomen for 90 minutes a day can have remarkable effects.

How the castor oil pack works is not fully understood. Some practitioners attribute the healing properties to the relaxation of the muscles and the improved circulation of blood and lymph produced in the local area. In addition, it is known that certain fatty acids in the oil help to nourish the tissues and stimulate the healing a cellular level. In addition, it is my opinion that castor oil works on the level of vibrational medicine. My experience is that cold pressed castor oil resonates with living tissue on a subtle level, helping to restore the circulation of Qi or Life energy within the tissues. When the flow of Qi and blood are improved, the healing process is dramatically accelerated.

Directions for applying a castor oil pack

A castor oil pack is made from cotton flannel or disposable cotton padding which is used to absorb and hold the castor oil during application. The flannel is saturated with cold-pressed castor oil and applied directly to the area being treated. Common areas of application are the abdomen, the low back, or sprained muscles or joints of the arms and legs.

To make a castor oil pack, you will need the following supplies:

- Disposable under-pads or bed liners, available at most drug store. These should have a plastic liner on one side and a layer of cotton flannel on the other.
- Cold pressed castor oil
- One or two old bath towels
- Electric heating pad – I recommend the kind that will automatically shut off after one hour.
- Paper towels
- Plastic bag

1. Place the heating pad on the bed and turn it on to a low setting.

2. Place a full size disposable bed liner, with plastic side down, on top of the heating pad for protection.

3. Cut another section of bed liner approximately 10” X 14”, if doing an abdominal pack, or 8” X 14” for the low back, or a smaller section as needed for other parts of the body. Apply the castor in the middle of the flannel side, with the plastic side against the heating pad. Apply enough castor oil to soak the flannel but not so much that it will run over the edges. Place this cut section, plastic side down, on top of the larger liner but aligned with the heating pad underneath.

4. Apply castor oil to the abdomen or low back…enough to cover the area but not dripping. Wipe your hands with paper towels that are close by.

5. After a few minutes, when the castor oil pack has become warmed, lie down on the bed and flip the pack and heating pad on to your abdominal area and relax. Or, for the low back, lie down on the pack and adjust your position so that the pack covers the area from the sacrum to the waist. The heat should be comfortable but not too hot. It’s best to use a low setting to avoid a burn in case you fall asleep during the treatment.

Usual application time is 90 minutes.

After your session, wipe the area clean with paper towels. It’s ok to leave a thin film of oil on your body. Or, you may take a shower.

Carefully fold the castor oil pack and liner and store in a plastic bag between uses. Be sure to keep the pack out of the sun and in a cool dark place. Castor oil packs made from disposable liners may be used 8 to 10 times.

After 3 days of using the castor oil pack take about 1 teaspoon of olive oil (NOT castor oil) by mouth. This is best taken in the evening before bed.

To order castor oil and other supplies, go to www.Baar.com, or call 1-800-269-2502.

Precaution: Always consult with your health care provider before using a castor oil pack. DO NOT use a castor oil pack on the abdominal area or low back during pregnancy or menstrual flow.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Below is an excerpt from an article by  Bruce Berkowsky, N.M.D., M.H., H.M.C.  To read the entire article, go to: http://www.naturalhealthscience.com/blog/natural-health-science/the-morning-cool-water-g-i-tract-reviver/

Introduction

Due to modern man’s propensity for eating highly challenging foods in improper combination—many times while under a great deal of emotional stress—the human gastrointestinal tract is most often the primary site of physical derangement. Constipation, colitis, diverticulitis, stomach and intestinal ulcers, chronic indigestion, gastric reflux, food sensitivities and related disturbances are so common that they now threaten to gain acceptance as a normal and inevitable occurrence of adult life.

Debilitated gastrointestinal function is one of the most important predisposing factors in mental and physical deterioration, and the subsequent development of chronic disease.  If we are to regain or maintain vigorous health, it is essential that the workings and environment of the digestive canal and its associated organs be maintained or restored to optimal efficiency.

Drinking Cool Water Upon Rising
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to contribute significantly to the process of cleansing and repairing the gastrointestinal tract is the daily drinking of 3 cups of cool, pure water on an empty stomach each morning upon arising.

Cool does not mean cold water and certainly not ice water. Excessively cold or ice water shocks and suspends stomach activity whereas moderately cool water (usually room-temperature water is sufficiently cool) stimulates and promotes it.  The cool water should be taken at a slow-to-moderate pace over the course of about 5 to 10 minutes, and not administered in one continuous chain of swallows.

Why Cool Water Is Superior To Warm Water Upon Arising
Why not warm water upon arising?  Warm water drunk freely upon arising will, like cool water, dilute the acid residues that result from the fermentation of foods in the stomach, diffuse bacteria from the stomach lining and produce a mild osmotic draining of the blood vessels of the stomach.

However, warm water does not exert a stimulating effect upon the muscular activity, nor the mucous membranes (i.e., the lining) of the stomach.  Therefore, if water is taken first thing in the morning as a therapeutic measure, it should always be accompanied by a vigorous self-massage of the abdominal organs to secure the stimulation that warm water fails to supply. But let’s face it: in this modern, fast-paced era, no one will usually take the time to do that.

Due to its lack of stimulating power to the muscular layers of the digestive canal, the tonic, or strengthening, effect of warm water is far inferior to that of cool water. Warm water relaxes the muscles of the stomach, and in some cases can produce nausea, especially if the effect of quantity is added to that of temperature.  Lukewarm water excites upward peristalsis of the intestines, which is why it is often used as an emetic (inducing vomiting). These days one of the primary digestive complaints that adults report is gastro-esophageal reflux disorder (GERD), which is clearly a manifestation of a tendency toward reverse peristalsis.

The concentrated introduction of 3 cups (24 oz.) of cool water into the stomach upon arising is directly stimulating to the nerves found within the stomach lining. Not only is the activity of the stomach muscles incited, but, as a reflex reaction, the body, seeking to distribute this cool fluid over a greater area so as to moderate sudden stimulation, will rapidly expel it into the small intestine, thus effecting a cleansing of the stomach.

Also, in reaction to the perception of coolness, the body rushes warming blood to the stomach’s mucosal lining, which then becomes suffused with blood, resulting in dilation of its pores. Similar to stimulating perspiration in order to achieve a thorough cleansing of the skin and its blood supply, the drawing of blood to the stomach’s mucous membrane (and the subsequent dilation of its pores) affords increased opportunity for sanitizing the stomach of the food residues and microorganisms that encourage gastrointestinal derangement and the development of disease.

Laxative Effect Of The Morning Cool-Water G.I. Tract Reviver
Cool, pure water taken on an empty stomach upon arising exerts a mild laxative action.  Water taken at this time can move relatively unimpeded (due to absence of a large mass of semi-digested food) all the way to the descending colon (i.e., left side of the colon; the rectum is the lowest portion of the descending colon) and, through its presence there, stimulate colon activity.

Be sure to delay eating after drinking the cool water. Ideally, you should allow 45 minutes to an hour for the water to do its work. If food is ingested before the water leaves the stomach and makes its way down through the intestines, much of the therapeutic effect of this procedure won’t have time or the proper conditions to develop.  On the other hand, if the cool water is not obstructed by the soon introduction of food and the subsequent firing up of the digestive processes, it can freely course through the entire digestive canal, not only cleansing the stomach and intestines, but also exerting a soothing anti-inflammatory effect upon the gastrointestinal lining.

Note: In the interest of time, one could have ready a container of cool (room-temperature) water at the bedside, and drink it upon awakening.

A Simple Way To Begin Healing The G.I. Tract
One of the most basic and efficient measures for helping to ameliorate chronic constipation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines is this simple Morning Cool-Water G.I. Tract Reviver. This invaluable technique may also prove of good service in cases of chronic indigestion due to atony (lack of tone and strength) of the muscles of the stomach and intestines. Cool water stimulates and tones the muscles, nerves and blood vessels of the entire digestive canal.

For those who are not troubled by any noticeable digestive problem or constipation (2 to 3 easy, full bowel movements per day is the goal), the Morning Cool-Water G.I. Tract Reviver is still an important permanent feature of the health-conscious individual’s morning routine since its cleansing, soothing and strengthening effects can help to maintain optimal functioning of the digestive system over the long term.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

It is estimated that over 70% of people over the age of 50 have hemorrhoids, which are swollen or inflamed vascular structures in the rectum and anus. Internal hemorrhoids are usually painless but can cause some rectal obstruction and may bleed. External hemorrhoids can protrude outside the anus and are usually painful. As an acupuncturist in Portland, I see a lot of cases of hemorrhoids. Acupuncture and moxibustion can provide relief. But the best treatment for the long term includes home treatment, which includes the following:

1) Increase fiber in the diet. Soluble fiber is best, in the form of psyllium seed husks. There are a number of excellent psyllium products on the market or simply buy bulk psyllium seed husks from any natural food store.Begin with 1/2 teaspoon mixed in a glass of water and follow with an additional glass of water. Over several weeks, gradually increase to one teaspoon twice or three times a day, as needed for comfortable daily bowel movements.

2) Between meals, drink plenty of pure, warm or room temperature water on an empty stomach. As a general guideline, divide your weight in pounds by 2. The result of this equation is the number of ounces of water you need to drink every day. The best times to drink are upon rising in the morning and between 3:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon. Juice, green and herbal teas can be included in this amount.

3) Take the Ayurvedic herb Triphala – 2 capsules with a glass of warm water about 2 hours after your evening meal or an hour before breakfast in the morning.

4) Sacrum rubs -  Rub up and down along side of the sacrum region, applying pressure when rubbing so that hands remain in contact with the skin, but do not cause pain. Rub up and down about two hundred times until the skin feels hot. Do this before bed at night.

5) The best topical ointment for hemorrhoids (and the least expensive) is ordinary zinc oxide ointment (at least 25% zinc oxide) available at any drug store, usually in the baby or diaper supplies.

If these recommendations do not help to clear up hemorrhoids within 3 to 4 weeks, you should see a naturopathic doctor who can treat your hemorrhoids with direct current procedure known as the Keesey Technique. This is a painless procedure that permanently removes internal hemorrhoids. External hemorrhoids that do not heal on their own should be surgically removed by means of a minimally invasive procedure that is relatively painless and with a very short recovery period. In Portland, see Dr. Brett Hubbard, N.D. for either of these procedures.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

The following is an excerpt of an article by Martin Zucker, which appeared in the Townsend Letter, May 2010

Throughout evolution, humans walked barefoot and slept on the ground and received from the Earth a natural, nurturing, and gentle electric energy. You likely have experienced this form of energy yourself some time or another. Maybe while on vacation and walking barefoot on a sandy beach, you felt some tingling or some warmth in your feet. A sense of well-being. That sensation is the ground’s electric energy rising up into your body, the result of the skin of your conductive body making contact with the “skin” of the conductive Earth.

Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from this flow of subtle omnipresent surface energy. We wear insulated rubber or plastic soled shoes that block the flow. Obviously, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past.

Research is now revealing that this energy creates a distinct and uplifting shift in the physiology. It promotes health, vitality, and better sleep; harmonizes and stabilizes the body’s basic biological rhythms; knocks down (and even knocks out) chronic inflammation; and reduces and eliminates pain. The disconnect from this natural resource right under our feet may likely be a totally overlooked – and major– factor behind the alarming rise of chronic disease in recent decades, and inflammatory-related conditions in particular.

These revelations are central themes of a new book, Earthing (Basic Health Publications), that I have had the privilege to write. My coauthors are Stephen Sinatra, MD, the well-known integrative cardiologist, and Clint Ober, a most amazing individual who discovered the health benefits of reconnecting to the Earth.

Here are some of the main points in our book:

•    Earthing, or grounding, as we alternatively call it, refers to the discovery of significant health benefits resulting from contact with the Earth’s natural surface electric energy. Contact is as simple as walking barefoot outside, or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive devices that transfer the outside ground energy inside to you.
•    These indoor devices are connected via a wire to a properly grounded electrical outlet inside homes, offices, and clinics, or to a ground rod outside. They incorporate carbon or silver mesh to conduct the Earth’s energy. The devices include special cotton sheets or pads allowing you to sleep “grounded” in your bed; floor or desk pads allowing you to work or relax grounded; and Velcro body bands and standard medical EKG patches, with a grounding connection, applied to body parts to address local pain and inflammation. The patches have been used repeatedly in Earthing research and have excellent potential for use in clinical settings.
•    Thousands of people – adults and children – have benefited from these devices for more than a decade. Their experiences, as documented in the book, are extraordinary. Victorious American-sponsored cycling teams at recent Tour de France competitions used Earthing “sleeping bags” to recover dramatically faster than normal from injuries and grueling competition.
•    We all live and function electrically on an electrical planet. We are each of us a collection of dynamic electrical circuits. In the living matrix of our complex bodies, trillions of cells constantly transmit and receive energy in the course of their programmed biochemical reactions. The movement of nutrients and water into the cells is regulated by electric fields, and each type of cell has a frequency range in which it operates. Your heart, brain, nervous system, muscles, and immune system are prime examples of electrical subsystems operating within your “bioelectrical” body. The fact is, all of your movements, behaviors, and actions are energized by electricity. Earthing research demonstrates that connection to the Earth initiates an immediate electrophysiological shift inside your body indicative of improved blood, nervous system, immune system, and muscular function.
•    In electricity, all electrical systems are “grounded”; that is, stabilized by the electrical energy of the Earth’s surface. Without a ground, appliances or sophisticated medical devices would not work properly. Similarly, when connected to the Earth, the body receives an electric signal that normalizes and stabilizes its many biological systems and mechanisms. This signal also appears to be the source of negatively charged free electrons, present in unlimited quantity on the surface of the Earth. The hypothesis put forward by scientists involved in Earthing research is that the transfer of electrons into the body quenches or neutralizes positively charged, electron-seeking free radicals that drive chronic inflammation activity at the core of many common diseases. We suggest that the mightiest anti-inflammatory on the planet may be the very planet itself! We further suggest that destructive chronic inflammation may be the result of an electron deficiency that is remedied by contact with the Earth’s infinite reservoir of free electrons.
•    Just as sunlight provides us with vitamin D, the Earth provides us with another essential ingredient. Call it vitamin G: G for ground. We regard it as an overlooked factor in disease causation – a missing link. Gary Schwartz, PhD, a professor of psychology and medicine at the University of Arizona, suggests that “Earthing may be as fundamental as sunlight, air, water, and nutrients.”

The Benefits of Earthing

For more than ten years, Earthing research and feedback from individuals who have grounded themselves, primarily while sleeping at night, demonstrate a multitude of benefits.

Here is a short list of them:

•   improvement or elimination of the symptoms of many inflammation-related disorders

•   reduction or elimination of chronic pain

•   better sleep and faster to sleep

•   increased energy
, lowered stress and more calmness by reducing stress hormones

•   normalization of the body’s biological rhythms

•   thinner blood, improved blood pressure and flow

•   muscle tension and headache relief

•   lessened hormonal and menstrual symptoms

•   dramatically faster healing and reduction/prevention of bedsores

•   reduction/elimination of jet lag

•   protection against potentially health-disturbing environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFs)

•   accelerated recovery from intense athletic activity.

For additional information, refer to Earthing (the book) and visit the website
 at: www.earthinginstitute.net.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

We’ve all heard the saying that there is no cure for the common cold.  But the fact is, there are cures for colds and flu, which you can do at home with hot water and some very common items from your kitchen spice rack.  Most people laugh when I say this but it’s true and I have proven it on myself and my clients on numerous occasions.  But there is one small catch…you must apply these remedies within the first 2 – 3 hours of the onset of symptoms.  Once the virus has become established in the body, there is no effective cure for the common cold…you’ll have to let it run it’s course which takes a week to 10 days.

The best cure for cold and flu is prevention.  And the number one best prevention is to wash your hands frequently…especially during cold and flu season.  Every time you have been out in public, wash your hands with soap and water.  Make it a habit to do this five or more times a day.  It’s a fact that many viruses are picked up on the hands and transmitted into our bodies by scratching our face or touching one of our mucous membranes.

Once you begin to feel that first hint of a symptom, you have to act.  For some people, it’s a sore throat…for others, it’s tightness in the back of the neck, sneezing, a runny nose or a tightening in the chest.  However a cold hits you, stop what you are doing and follow the procedures outlined below.  If you can do this within the first few hours, there is a very good chance that you can stop the virus in its tracks.

My favorite cold remedy is Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) which is orange in color and one of the main spices in curry powder.  Among other important medicinal properties, Turmeric is a powerful natural antibiotic and antiviral.  Whereas pharmaceutical antibiotics tend to kill microbes indiscriminately, Turmeric kills only the foreign invaders and actually encourages the growth of friendly bacteria in the body.  Turmeric is a mildly warming herb.  It stimulates the formation of new blood and tissue and assists in the digestion of protein.  Turmeric is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce muscular or skeletal pain anywhere in the body.

At the first sign of cold or flu, it is invaluable to begin one of more of the following home remedies:

1)    If you are feeling a sore throat – Gargle with 1/2 cup hot (comfortably hot) water, 1/3 teaspoon salt and 1/3 teaspoon Turmeric.  It is important to do this 5 times a day and especially before bed.  Try to get the salt and Turmeric water as far back into your throat as possible. Don’t eat or drink anything for at least 20 minutes after doing this treatment.

2)    If you are feeling a stiff neck or headache – Take hot bath with one cup apple cider vinegar in the bath water.  While in the bath, drink a cup of fresh ginger tea.  The bath should be hot enough to produce a sweat within 10 minutes or so.  Remain in the hot water for 20 minutes and then get out, bundle up in warm robe and get under a comforter to spend more time sweating.  The point of this exercise is to sweat as much as possible.  You may get up after 90 minutes, but keep as warm as possible for the rest of the day.

3)    If you are sneezing – Nasal douche with 1 cup warm tea made with ½ teaspoon of Golden Seal (Hydrastis Canadensis) and ¼ teaspoon salt.  If you don’t know how to do a nasal douche, you can find instructions on the internet or contact your health care professional.

4)    In general for cold or flu – Take Turmeric capsules – 500mg, 3 times a day. Also, avoid all dairy products until you have completely recovered. Dairy products increase the production of mucus and will exacerbate the symptoms of cold and flu in most cases.

5) Zinc - At the first sign of a cold, take zinc supplements, either as throat lozenges or in capsule form, up to 30mg, twice per day, while symptoms persist.

6) Vitamin D3 – Make sure you are getting 2000 units of Vitamin D. This vitamin is important for many systems in the body, including a healthy immune system.

7)    Take caution in the use of antibiotics – Unless you have a serious (possibly life threatening) infection, pharmaceutical antibiotics can actually do more harm than good.  And in most cases of a viral infection, antibiotics will not help the condition at all. If you’re in reasonably good health, it’s better to help your body to defend itself.

Because these recommendations are simple, many people don’t take them seriously.  They either apply them half-heartedly or not at all.  But I cannot overstate how potent these remedies can be in the first few hours of the onset of symptoms.  Cold and flu viruses are actually very fragile in small numbers and can be wiped out quickly.  In particular the ingestion of Turmeric and the Turmeric gargle are very powerful ways to eliminate viruses before they have a chance to get established.

Precautionary Note: If you are pregnant, have had stroke, hypertension, cardio-vascular disease or some other serious health condition, it is important to consult with your professional health care provider before trying these home remedies.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Often my patients ask for advice to lose weight.  Although acupuncture and herbal medicine can be supportive, I tell my patients to pay more attention to their eating and lifestyle habits during the rest of the week.  The following recommendations aren’t magic, but if followed, they are very effective.

1. If our digestion is poor, we have to eat more in order to feel satisfied.  Here are a few tips to improve digestion and reduce food intake, without going hungry. If followed, these simple rules can improve ones health and well being dramatically.

a.  Eat slowly and chew your food well.  This simple rule will greatly enhance your sense of fullness and satisfaction.

b.  Stop eating before you are completely full.  There is a 15-minute lag between the time we eat something and the time the brain registers the sensation of fullness.

c. Try to eat your main meal in the middle of the day and when you are genuinely hungry and can better burn the calories.

2. In the brain, the hunger signal and the thirst signal can easily get crossed.  As a result, when we feel hungry, our bodies are often crying out for water and not food.  So, staying well hydrated is an important key for appetite control.  The next time you have a hunger attack, try drinking one or two glasses of lukewarm water.  After about 15 minutes, you may find that your hunger has disappeared completely.

3. When it comes to exercise, there are two important factors to weight loss: muscle tone and walking.  If we can build up our muscle mass, we will burn considerably more calories in our normal daily activity.  For three days a week, do 30 minutes of weight training, under the guidance of a professional trainer to start with.  During the other four days of the week, begin a walking program, gradually working up to 2 or 3 miles per day.  If you have a health concern, it is important to discuss exercise with your doctor in order to design a program that is best suited for you.

4. Soothing the mind and the emotions will often reduce our craving for food. Nothing is more effective than deep breathing in order to increase the body’s energy and release blocked emotions.  Try to be more aware of your breathing all during the day and take extra deep breaths as often as possible.

5. If you follow the above recommendations, you may eat what you want, in moderation.  Except, you should strictly avoid junk foods, fried foods, butter, margarine and pork.  Also, avoid alcohol or at least reduce to one glass of wine each day, with your main meal.

Final Note: Above all, relax and try to be happy with your body type.  Very few of us are meant to look like fashion models, even though the advertising media would like us to believe otherwise.  Strive for moderation in all things.  If we maintain good health, we will very likely achieve the correct weight for our unique body type.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

As an practitioner of acupuncture and shiatsu in Portland, people frequently ask me about home therapy. I’m a great believer in home remedies and home treatment. First of all, learning to take care of ourselves and our family is a primary responsibility for every person. Second, learning self therapy empowers each of us so that we don’t have to depend on others every time we are out of balance for one reason or another.

Here is a list of the 7 most powerful things you can do for your health at home.

1) Eat Slowly and Chew Your Food Thoroughly All traditional systems of medicine agree that a strong and complete digestion is the foundation of good health.  By eating slowly and chewing thoroughly, we get three benefits.  We dramatically enhance our digestion, we naturally eat less without feeling deprived and we enjoy our food more than ever.  Especially carbohydrates should be liquefied before you swallow them. Over the years, this one recommendation will make a huge difference in the length and quality of your life.

2) Skin brushing is a powerful way to detox the lymphatic system and stimulate the flow of blood and qi energy. And it only takes about 2 or 3 minutes in the morning. To learn about skin brushing, go to: http://www.naturalhealthscience.com/

3) An inversion table for 2 minutes a day will counteract the effects of gravity on the blood and organs. Also, it’s an excellent way to stretch out the muscles and ligaments in the spine and pelvic region. The best inversion tables for the money are made by Teeter Hang Ups at: http://www.teeter-inversion.com/

4) A 30 second cold water shower at the end of your morning bath or shower, along with deep breathing, will help to flush the skin and surface tissues with fresh blood. This is an excellent way to move the qi energy and blood at the beginning of the day.

5) A teaspoon of cod liver oil every day Recommended brands are Carlson’s and Nordic Naturals. If you have a particular health problem like joint pain, anxiety or depression, a special concentrated fish oil product may be better for you. But otherwise, simple cod liver oil is recommended for overall nutrition and health maintenance. For more information about the benefits of fish oil, see article on Dietary Fats.

6) 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. By moving and stretching the muscles every day, we help the circulation of energy and fluids, balance the hormones and blood chemistry and assist in the elimination of toxins and waste. For most people bicycling, jogging, swimming or any other moderate aerobic exercise is excellent.  But if you have an ongoing health condition, lighter exercises such as walking or swimming may be more appropriate.  In this case, discuss exercise with your health care professional in order to design a program that is best suited for you.

7) Meditation for 20 minutes twice a day. Transcendental Meditation (TM) has proven to have profound health benefits, including lowering of blood pressure and stress reduction. Most cities have TM centers where meditation classes are available.

8) Organic Goat Milk Kefir – Drink 6 to 8 ounces of organic, unsweetened, goat milk kefir every morning on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before taking food.

In addition to the above recommended home therapies, here’s a list of 9 things you can avoid in order to live longer and improve the quality of life.

1) Tobacco in all forms

2) Marijuana, narcotics or other recreational drugs. Drugs often flood and then deplete serotonin in the brain. For many people this can lead to a vicious cycle of dependence and depression.

3) Alcohol in excess of a glass of wine or beer with your main meal of the day. The body is not able to process and eliminate excessive alcohol consumption. A little bit a few times a week is tolerable for most people. But excessive alcohol puts a strain on the system on a number of levels and leads to premature aging.

4) Dairy products create so many problems for most people that I recommend everyone reduce or avoid it. The fats and proteins in processed cow’s milk are simply not compatible for the majority of westerners. Most people experience fewer allergies and improvement in overall health after eliminating dairy for a few months. The exception to this recommendation is one serving per day of organic, unsweetened yogurt or kefir (at room temperature). Oat or almond beverages are excellent milk substitutes

5) Meat in excess of 5 ounces per day. Studies show that people live longer and enjoy better health if they keep animal proteins to a minimum.

6) The artificial sweetener Aspartame, also known under brand names NutraSweet, Canderel, and AminoSweet. This chemical is a known neuro-toxin that has serious long term health implications. Why the FDA has not banned it is a mystery.

7) The flavor additive MSG. MSG is a problem for many people. If you are eating out, I recommend that you request no MSG in your food. MSG is particularly prevalent in Vietnamese and Chinese foods.

8  Transfats, hydrogenated fats or heavily processed fats and oils.

9) High fructose corn syrup. This sweetener is extremely concentrated in most sodas and many processed foods. It stimulated the craving for more sweets and I believe is responsible for the epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the U.S., especially among young people. This means avoiding all sodas.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

About 20 years ago I learned a breathing exercise called Sudarshan Kriya from the Art of Living program. There are many forms of breathing exercises available thorough different schools of yoga and Qi Gong. I can recommend the Art of Living program without hesitation. It only takes about 15 minutes a day to do the breathing and another 15 minutes for the meditation practice which is an optional addition.

A number of scientific studies have been conducted over the last 20 years which proves that meditation and Sudarshan Kriya benefit the physiology on many levels. In particular, these practices have proven to help in the treatment of hypertension and significantly reduce symptoms of headache, stress, anxiety and depression.

If you live in Portland, the Art of Living contact information is:

Janardhan at janardhan.lavakumar@gmail.com -  ph: 503-560-3521

Raghu at rchadive@gmail.com  -  ph: 503-816-7894)

Portland Web Site: http://us.artofliving.org/portland

If you live outside of Portland, go to:  http://us.artofliving.org

While I’m a great believer in acupuncture and shiatsu to treat specific conditions. I also try to encourage my clients to manage their own health through proper diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. The Art of Living program is a program I can recommend for overall health maintenance and longevity.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805