Did You Know..?

"Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is a jaw joint that can be commonly affected by excessive clenching and stress.  Thin and fine acupuncture needles can fit perfectly and treat the affected muscle without pain.  Majority of my patients will start seeing results within a few treatment sessions.  We need to use our jaw to properly chew foods for good digestion, so without a proper working jaw, one can develop digestive issues as well.  Also, prolonged TMJ pain can cause ear and neck issues, such as tinnitus and neck pain.  Sometimes a visit to the dentist chair can cause TMJ pain from holding your mouth open for a prolonged period of time.  I would suggest getting acupuncture before and after a dental appointment to help reduce anxiety going to the dentist and relax the jaw muscles after the dental procedure.  It's time to try acupuncture and alleviate your jaw pain now." -Mei Lin Luo Maunakea

Image credit by Healthcmi.com

"As technology has changed our lifestyles and ways of communication, our health has been deteriorating at an exponential rate!  We've become sedentary and dependent on technology to guide our daily life activities.  In doing so, we develop more pains and aches in our bodies.  Most patients complain of neck and shoulder pain caused by sitting at the desk all day or always looking down texting.  Acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and cupping are great ways to alleviate neck and shoulder pain naturally without taking over-the-counter drugs.  Most patients will start feeling better after a series of treatments.  When pain is relieved, patients learn to take better care of themselves by stretching and become more active to prevent the pain from coming back.  I love the fact that acupuncture can demonstrate and help patients to realize the importance of moving and being active to stay healthy.  Don’t let technology get in the way of your health and enjoying life!"

-Mei Lin Maunakea

Image Credit to Discover Chiropractic

Acupuncture is commonly used for pain management.  Interestingly, everyone's pain tolerance varies in great degrees.  Some patients can bare their pain for months or even years, but some patients want to get rid of their pain right away either with pain medications or physical therapy.  Unfortunately doctors and patients don't think of acupuncture as the first resort.  In Chinese Medicine, we call pain a blockage in the Meridian or Channel, so we commonly say that when there is pain, there is a blockage, and when there is no blockage, there will be no pain.  I see many patients on a weekly basis who have low back pain with sciatica.  In one particular case, after a series of electric-acupuncture treatments, for the first time in many months, the patient was able to pick up her granddaughter and hold her, which gave her immense joy, that is priceless and heart-warming.  Being able to improve one's quality of life with acupuncture gives me great pleasure in my profession.

~ Mei Lin Maunakea

Image credit to Pain Health

“We are now half way through the year, and how many of your New Year resolutions have you accomplished?! Almost 99% of the time, people have weight loss or achieve better health as one of their New Year resolutions. I wish I had the ‘Magic Needle’ to melt pounds away and restore health…However, auricular acupuncture can help to suppress appetite and increase metabolism. Of course, diet and lifestyle changes are important too! Auricular Acupuncture can also help with smoking cessation and alcohol addiction. Also, the patient must be mentally prepared to quit. Patients who quit also decrease their risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. I have success with patients who are ready and determined to quit smoking. I think it’s quite monumental that Acupuncture can help someone to quit bad habits, because most health issues are caused by repetitive poor choices and bad habits. A major health change starts with one single step, and I am glad to be a part of that journey.”

-Mei Lin Maunakea

Image Credit to Norwich Wellbeing Center

“Did you know that at least 50 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal allergies? The most commonly used methods are monthly allergy shots at your doctor’s office (ouch!) or taking medications with side effects that make your mouth dry and your body feel drowsy. Fortunately there is an alternative…and it’s called Acupuncture!! I have been treating a patient who has been taking Zyrtec for years to control his allergies and headaches caused by sinus congestion. After 2 months of treatments, his sinus headaches were gone and he stopped taking Zyrtec altogether! Now whenever his allergy flares up, a quick acupuncture treatment sets him right back to normal again. It’s so wonderful to know that I can help someone to get off of using medication as a source of relief and choose acupuncture as a natural remedy to allow the body to heal and improve a person’s quality of life. As always, I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a guide to better health!”

-Mei Lin Maunakea