“ Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Ancient Current® utilizes the tools of Chinese medicine—Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tui Na massage, and lifestyle & nutritional counseling—to help infants, children and adults lead healthier and happier lives. These traditional modes of healing have endured thousands of years of testing and are employed by Ancient Current® to facilitate lasting changes in your life.
Although Ancient Current® has an emphasis on female reproductive health including fertility support, pregnancy, labor preparation and induction and post-partum recovery, we also treat anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive complaints, pain, trauma, etc.
Ancient Current® is located exclusively in Manhattan at 80 East 11th street, suite 411. Please email Laurel@ancientcurrent.com for more information or call 917.862.7589. All other posts have moved here http://www.ancientcurrent.com/acupuncture/
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Please Visit AncientCurrent.com
Hi Thanks for checking in! Please visit www.ancientcurrent.com for numerous updated posts on labor, fertility, pregnancy support, digestive issues, emotional disorders, dietary therapy and more!!!
Offices in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Ph. 917-862-7589
E-mail: Laurel@ancientcurrent.com
Web: www.AncientCurrent.com
Offices in Park Slope, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Ph. 917-862-7589
E-mail: Laurel@ancientcurrent.com
Web: www.AncientCurrent.com
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Acupuncture for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Acupuncture & Exercise for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
The following excerpt is taken from EveryDayHealth.com
Acupuncture and exercise may bring some relief to the one in 10 women of childbearing age who suffer from a common endocrine disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Women with the condition have elevated levels of androgen hormones — including testosterone — and often develop ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. A key feature of the disease is an increase in the high muscle sympathetic nerve activity. This regular constricting of blood vessels, which normally occurs during the body’s fight or flight response to danger, can increase a woman’s chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure or having a heart attack or stroke.
The study, appearing online in a recent issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, looked at 20 women who received either regular low-frequency electro-acupuncture on body parts commonly thought to be linked to the ovaries, took part in thrice-weekly moderate exercise or received no treatment at all over a 16-week period.
When comparing the sympathetic nerve activity before and after the study, researchers found noticeably decreased activity in the acupuncture and exercise groups compared with the control group. In the acupuncture group, the team also found significantly lower testosterone levels. High levels of this “male” hormone predict and have been thought to trigger chronic sympathetic nerve activity in women.
Those who received acupuncture also had regular menstrual cycles, while the exercise and control groups showed no change.
“The findings that low-frequency electro-acupuncture and exercise decrease sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS indicates a possible alternative non-pharmacologic approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients,” researcher Elisabet Stener-Victorin of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said in a news release.
The authors noted that the study’s small sample size was one of several limitations, and it may require more research into the issue before a definite conclusion could be drawn.
The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The study also found that the electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference. Exercise alone had no effect on the irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles that are common among women with PCOS, nor did it reduce waist circumference. However, exercise did lead to reductions in weight and body mass index.
The following excerpt is taken from EveryDayHealth.com
Acupuncture and exercise may bring some relief to the one in 10 women of childbearing age who suffer from a common endocrine disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Women with the condition have elevated levels of androgen hormones — including testosterone — and often develop ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. A key feature of the disease is an increase in the high muscle sympathetic nerve activity. This regular constricting of blood vessels, which normally occurs during the body’s fight or flight response to danger, can increase a woman’s chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure or having a heart attack or stroke.
The study, appearing online in a recent issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, looked at 20 women who received either regular low-frequency electro-acupuncture on body parts commonly thought to be linked to the ovaries, took part in thrice-weekly moderate exercise or received no treatment at all over a 16-week period.
When comparing the sympathetic nerve activity before and after the study, researchers found noticeably decreased activity in the acupuncture and exercise groups compared with the control group. In the acupuncture group, the team also found significantly lower testosterone levels. High levels of this “male” hormone predict and have been thought to trigger chronic sympathetic nerve activity in women.
Those who received acupuncture also had regular menstrual cycles, while the exercise and control groups showed no change.
“The findings that low-frequency electro-acupuncture and exercise decrease sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS indicates a possible alternative non-pharmacologic approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients,” researcher Elisabet Stener-Victorin of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said in a news release.
The authors noted that the study’s small sample size was one of several limitations, and it may require more research into the issue before a definite conclusion could be drawn.
The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The study also found that the electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference. Exercise alone had no effect on the irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles that are common among women with PCOS, nor did it reduce waist circumference. However, exercise did lead to reductions in weight and body mass index.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Acupuncture & KetYoga: The Perfect Combination
Acupuncture and Exercise Special:
Acupuncture, Yoga and Kettlebells are an excellent combination for total body reform. Acupuncture can open the meridians, increase blood flow and oxygenate tissues, organs and the mind. Yoga and Kettlebells can do the same while strengthening the muscles and ridding the body of unwanted impurities through breathing and sweating.
Our Team:
Laurel Axen Carroll is a licensed acupuncturist, board certified herbalist and CD(DONA) labor support doula.
Stewart J. Carroll is an advanced level Russian Kettlebell instructor, Mahaprana Yoga instructor and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Under the guidance of his teacher, Dr. Yogi Agnivesh of India, Stewart Carroll created a complete form of strengthening and lengthening called KetYoga.
Introductory Package for new clients:
Package Includes:
*Three Acupuncture treatments in the Ditmas Park office from Laurel A. Carroll
*Three Individualized training sessions in KetYoga in the Flatiron district in Manhattan
$520.00 ($50 discount), Existing clients $495.00
*Package best completed in 4 weeks for optimal results.
Advanced Training Package for new clients:
Package Includes:
*Four Acupuncture, nutritional therapy sessions
*Six Individualized training sessions
$825 ($120 discount)
*package best completed in 6-8 weeks
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Fertility Enhancement
Supporting Proper Hormonal Balance for Women and Men
Anovulation is one of the largest causes of infertility today. I see this time and time again in my clinic. Many women are anovulatory after coming off of the birth control pill-especially if they have taken the pill for mulitple years. Although the pill may be helpful is saving eggs for the future the down side is increased estrogen in the body and a drying out of the blood stores.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is another condition that causes anovulation. Diet, exercise, herbs and acupuncture treatments can help regulate the menses.
Regulating the cycle takes approximately three months of consistent acupuncture and herbs.
Some supplements have been indicated for lowering FSH levels such as:
* Reishi mushroom
* Cordyceps
Other fertilty enhancing supplements:
* 300mg of R Lipoic Acid 2 times daily (total = 600 mg)
* 200mg of Co Q10 2 times daily (total = 400mg)
* B vitamins
* Folic acid
* Zinc
* Omega Oils
* DHEA 25 mg 3x day for 4 months for improved ovarian reserve
Dr. Weston A Price discusses diet, fertility awareness and night lighting on his website:click here
Male Factor Infertility:
"Human fertility has been decreasing since the birth of intensive agriculture over 50 years ago. Average sperm counts among healthy American men dropped 58 percent between 1938 and 1988. In Europe, sperm counts dropped by 3.1 percent each year between 1971 and 1990. Studies from Belgium, France and Scotland have also shown losses in sperm quality, motility, development and the number of normally shaped sperm."
Acupuncture and herbal therapy can help increase sperm count and improve motility, morphology and mobility.
-Sea cucumber
-Maca Root
-Decreasing estrogenic properties such as plastics, hormones in meat, dairy
Warming the Center
Traditional Chinese Medicine is pretty much against eating energetically cold foods unless it is spring or summer. The theory is that cold foods require a lot more energy to break down which, can lead to bloating, gassiness and fatigue.
Energetically speaking the lower abdomen or dan tian should also be kept warm for enhancing female fertility. A typical American diet is loaded with cold, sweet drinks, raw salads and coffee. This can create a sluggish, bloated digestive system, excessive mucus, poor circulation and coldness in the uterus.
Traditional foods that support the uterus are:
* Sesame oil
* Orange foods: pumpkin, sweet potato, yams
* Red foods: strawberries, pomegranate
* Black foods: molasses, black beans, seaweeds, miso
* Eggplant
Fertility Enhancement Special: Acupuncture, Herbs, Nutritional Therapy
Save $75 on a package of 10 treatments. Can be shared with a partner.
Anovulation is one of the largest causes of infertility today. I see this time and time again in my clinic. Many women are anovulatory after coming off of the birth control pill-especially if they have taken the pill for mulitple years. Although the pill may be helpful is saving eggs for the future the down side is increased estrogen in the body and a drying out of the blood stores.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is another condition that causes anovulation. Diet, exercise, herbs and acupuncture treatments can help regulate the menses.
Regulating the cycle takes approximately three months of consistent acupuncture and herbs.
Some supplements have been indicated for lowering FSH levels such as:
* Reishi mushroom
* Cordyceps
Other fertilty enhancing supplements:
* 300mg of R Lipoic Acid 2 times daily (total = 600 mg)
* 200mg of Co Q10 2 times daily (total = 400mg)
* B vitamins
* Folic acid
* Zinc
* Omega Oils
* DHEA 25 mg 3x day for 4 months for improved ovarian reserve
Dr. Weston A Price discusses diet, fertility awareness and night lighting on his website:click here
Male Factor Infertility:
"Human fertility has been decreasing since the birth of intensive agriculture over 50 years ago. Average sperm counts among healthy American men dropped 58 percent between 1938 and 1988. In Europe, sperm counts dropped by 3.1 percent each year between 1971 and 1990. Studies from Belgium, France and Scotland have also shown losses in sperm quality, motility, development and the number of normally shaped sperm."
Acupuncture and herbal therapy can help increase sperm count and improve motility, morphology and mobility.
-Sea cucumber
-Maca Root
-Decreasing estrogenic properties such as plastics, hormones in meat, dairy
Warming the Center
Traditional Chinese Medicine is pretty much against eating energetically cold foods unless it is spring or summer. The theory is that cold foods require a lot more energy to break down which, can lead to bloating, gassiness and fatigue.
Energetically speaking the lower abdomen or dan tian should also be kept warm for enhancing female fertility. A typical American diet is loaded with cold, sweet drinks, raw salads and coffee. This can create a sluggish, bloated digestive system, excessive mucus, poor circulation and coldness in the uterus.
Traditional foods that support the uterus are:
* Sesame oil
* Orange foods: pumpkin, sweet potato, yams
* Red foods: strawberries, pomegranate
* Black foods: molasses, black beans, seaweeds, miso
* Eggplant
Fertility Enhancement Special: Acupuncture, Herbs, Nutritional Therapy
Save $75 on a package of 10 treatments. Can be shared with a partner.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Acupuncture for Labor & Delivery
I had the fortune of taking an excellent class with Claudia Citkovitz, the leading American researcher on the benefits of using acupuncture to expedite labor and delivery. She currently heads a large, ongoing study at Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn and is starting another one at Beth Israel in Manhattan.
The study at Lutheran Medical center entitled Effects of Acupuncture during labor and delivery in a U.S. hospital setting: a case-control pilot study, concluded that acupuncture can greatly reduce the number of cesarean sections (7% versus 20%) and 87% of the patients being treated with acupuncture reported improvement with treatment.
Acupuncture can be a greatly effective tool when labor has stalled or is failing to progress.
There are many reasons why this can be happening:
-the baby is in a less than optimal position (possibly posterior)
-mom is laboring on her back
-mom is shutting down due to feelings of stress, fear, etc.
There can also be constitutional issues that are affecting the way mom is laboring. In Traditional Chinese medicine these patterns could be:
-yin vacuity
-phlegm/dampness
-yang vacuity and/or
-liver qi stagnation
Specific acupuncture points can be used to help create a smooth labor pattern that has either failed to start or failed to progress. Points are also used to treat pain, headache, edema as well as constitutional issues that may be contributing to a stalled labor.
If a labor is moving smoothly than acupressure can be just as effective to help mom feel better through the contractions.
Debra Betts, a leading acupuncturist and midwife from New Zealand, has an excellent website that helps illustrate acupressure points for labor and delivery. Check it out.
The study at Lutheran Medical center entitled Effects of Acupuncture during labor and delivery in a U.S. hospital setting: a case-control pilot study, concluded that acupuncture can greatly reduce the number of cesarean sections (7% versus 20%) and 87% of the patients being treated with acupuncture reported improvement with treatment.
Acupuncture can be a greatly effective tool when labor has stalled or is failing to progress.
There are many reasons why this can be happening:
-the baby is in a less than optimal position (possibly posterior)
-mom is laboring on her back
-mom is shutting down due to feelings of stress, fear, etc.
There can also be constitutional issues that are affecting the way mom is laboring. In Traditional Chinese medicine these patterns could be:
-yin vacuity
-phlegm/dampness
-yang vacuity and/or
-liver qi stagnation
Specific acupuncture points can be used to help create a smooth labor pattern that has either failed to start or failed to progress. Points are also used to treat pain, headache, edema as well as constitutional issues that may be contributing to a stalled labor.
If a labor is moving smoothly than acupressure can be just as effective to help mom feel better through the contractions.
Debra Betts, a leading acupuncturist and midwife from New Zealand, has an excellent website that helps illustrate acupressure points for labor and delivery. Check it out.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Celebrating Mom
" The mother is the first guru."
-The Upanishads
Whether you are planning to be a mom, have kids of your own or can just appreciate the sacrifices made by your own mother, May is a great month to celebrate the spirit of generosity.
Generosity comes in many flavors: a nice meal for a loved one, complimenting a stranger, giving up your seat on the subway or just listening. Being generous to yourself is also an important aspect of life-one that too often goes overlooked while busy taking care of others needs.
To celebrate Mother's Day Ancient Current® is offering specials for the whole month of May.
Fertility Enhancement:
Save 15% on 10 treatments, a $115 value.
For those of you who are thinking about getting pregnant in the near future or have been trying, Traditional Chinese Medicine is a great way to enhance your fertility. Acupuncture and herbs have been shown to:
* Regulate the menstrual cycle.
* Increase cervical fluids.
* Increase blood flow to the reproductive organs.
* Regulate hormones.
* Thicken and improve the quality of endometrial lining.
* Boost ovarian function.
* Increase the number of follicles.
* Reduce uterine contractions that may interfere with implantation.
* Reduce stress.
* Reduce the rate of miscarriage.
* Manage the side-effects of IVF medications.
* Improve sperm count, motility & morphology.
Acupuncture during pregnancy:
Save 15% on 5 treatments, a $65 value.
Acupuncture is great during pregnancy to treat nausea, musculoskeletal pain such as sciatica, round ligament pain, insomnia, anxiety, congestion, breech presentation.
Acupuncture for routine pre-Labor treatments:
Save 15% on 5 Treatments, a $65 value.
Acupuncture has been shown to help shorten labor and reduce medical interventions when women receive regular pre-labor treatments beginning at 36 weeks.
A recent study showed a 35% reduction in the number of inductions, (for first-time mothers this was a 43% reduction) and a 31% reduction in the epidural rate. When compared to a local midwifery practice (with no acupuncture) there was 32 % reduction in emergency Caesarean Sections and a 9% increase in normal vaginal births.
Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation:
Save 15% on 12 treatments, $180 value.
"Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture may erase as many as five to fifteen years from the face, with results apparent after just a few treatments. Fine lines may be entirely eliminated and deeper wrinkles diminished. Other likely results include: moisturizing of the skin with increased local circulation of blood and lymph to the face; increased collagen production, muscle tone, and dermal contraction; tightening of the pores; brightening of the eyes; improving of hormonal balance to help acne; reduction of stress evident in the face - bringing out the innate Beauty and Radiance of an individual. "
Package includes 12 full-body treatments, facial treatments, dietary therapy & facial massage.
-The Upanishads
Whether you are planning to be a mom, have kids of your own or can just appreciate the sacrifices made by your own mother, May is a great month to celebrate the spirit of generosity.
Generosity comes in many flavors: a nice meal for a loved one, complimenting a stranger, giving up your seat on the subway or just listening. Being generous to yourself is also an important aspect of life-one that too often goes overlooked while busy taking care of others needs.
To celebrate Mother's Day Ancient Current® is offering specials for the whole month of May.
Fertility Enhancement:
Save 15% on 10 treatments, a $115 value.
For those of you who are thinking about getting pregnant in the near future or have been trying, Traditional Chinese Medicine is a great way to enhance your fertility. Acupuncture and herbs have been shown to:
* Regulate the menstrual cycle.
* Increase cervical fluids.
* Increase blood flow to the reproductive organs.
* Regulate hormones.
* Thicken and improve the quality of endometrial lining.
* Boost ovarian function.
* Increase the number of follicles.
* Reduce uterine contractions that may interfere with implantation.
* Reduce stress.
* Reduce the rate of miscarriage.
* Manage the side-effects of IVF medications.
* Improve sperm count, motility & morphology.
Acupuncture during pregnancy:
Save 15% on 5 treatments, a $65 value.
Acupuncture is great during pregnancy to treat nausea, musculoskeletal pain such as sciatica, round ligament pain, insomnia, anxiety, congestion, breech presentation.
Acupuncture for routine pre-Labor treatments:
Save 15% on 5 Treatments, a $65 value.
Acupuncture has been shown to help shorten labor and reduce medical interventions when women receive regular pre-labor treatments beginning at 36 weeks.
A recent study showed a 35% reduction in the number of inductions, (for first-time mothers this was a 43% reduction) and a 31% reduction in the epidural rate. When compared to a local midwifery practice (with no acupuncture) there was 32 % reduction in emergency Caesarean Sections and a 9% increase in normal vaginal births.
Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation:
Save 15% on 12 treatments, $180 value.
"Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture may erase as many as five to fifteen years from the face, with results apparent after just a few treatments. Fine lines may be entirely eliminated and deeper wrinkles diminished. Other likely results include: moisturizing of the skin with increased local circulation of blood and lymph to the face; increased collagen production, muscle tone, and dermal contraction; tightening of the pores; brightening of the eyes; improving of hormonal balance to help acne; reduction of stress evident in the face - bringing out the innate Beauty and Radiance of an individual. "
Package includes 12 full-body treatments, facial treatments, dietary therapy & facial massage.
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