Category Archives: Headache

NSDJ3 Interview with Kewesi Simon

Interview by Dr. Jay Sordean with Kewesi Simon, Mixed Martial Arts Teacher in Oakland, California August 2014. Part of a series of interviews for Dr. Jay’s books on the brain.  In this episode we learn about the need to strengthen the neck to reduce traumatic injury to the brain in sports such as martial arts and football, such as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).  Listen to this fascinating interview in the workout hall of the Martial Arts Gym of Kewesi Simon in Oakland, California. This interview was part of Dr. Jay’s research for his books in August 2014. http://www.OutsmartingDementia.com   and  http://www.SuperBrain-TheBook.com

For information about brain evaluation and treatments, go tohttp://www.TheRedwoodClinic.com/chapel

To learn more about Alzheimer’s, dementia, and how to boost your brain power, go to http://www.theredwoodclinic.com/alzheimers-dementia-prevention/

Go to Natural Solutions with Dr. Jay and sign up for the podcast.

Or go directly to the interview by Clicking here.

Acupuncture and Sedona Method – Great Combination

Acupuncture and Sedona Method – Great Combination

At The Redwood Clinic we combine the best of natural medicine approaches to create a synergistic effect.  This enables faster and deeper results for patients.  This also addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels of a person’s health concerns.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are a multifaceted system including energy work, OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAmassage, exercise, diet, stress-reduction, herbal formulas and even martial arts.  As comprehensive as allergythis may be, there are still other approaches to healing and health that work very well with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Thus, we like to combine the best of all worlds when possible.  Of course, if you are coming in with an insurance plan, that plan has restrictions on what it will pay for and not pay for.  Usually that is very limited.  So to really get the full benefit of our years of clinical experience you may have out of pocket expenses. But believe me, that is worth it.

11-10-08-speeding-mediumYour car insurance won’t pay for a tune-up — only crashes.  But you don’t refuse to get the tune-ups just because your insurance won’t pay for it.  The same thing should apply to your health.

When people are resting during an acupuncture session we often encourage them to listen to a guided imagery process to work on different aspects of their body’s healing powers.  And to reduce stress responses.  One of the many processes we offer selectively to patients, based on their individual needs and circumstances, might be the Sedona Method.Sleep

Please watch and listen to another recent positive experience using this unique integrative approach only found at The Redwood Clinic.

 

How to Improve Back Pain

How to Improve Back Pain

For decades we have been helping patients improve their back function, reduce and end back pain symptoms, and help avoid unwanted back Backpainsurgery.  This includes acute back pain – upper, middle, low back pain — as well as sciatica.  It also includes chronic back pain — also in the same regions.  This is employing acupuncture, electroacupuncture, therapeutic massage, stretching, instruction in posture, McKenzie exercises, herbs, nutrition, and the past 5 years Neurologic Relief Center technique. Of course, the choices were made after a comprehensive history taking, evaluation, and analysis.  Short-cutting this process is not a wise thing to do, is unprofessional, and in the long run is not helpful for the patient.  Some “community acupuncture clinics,” some medical doctor offices* and others practitioners with less training and superficial understanding of the problems will do a very cursory exam, if at all.  And frankly speaking, looking at the tongue and feeling the wrist pulse, while helpful in some ways, is WHOLLY INSUFFICIENT to determine what is going on, but that is what you will get at a low-cost clinic.   *Medical doctors will at least eventually refer you to a specialist if the are internal medicine or family practitioners.

"Watch Your Back!"

“Watch Your Back!”

A recent book about back pain, “Watch Your Back!: How the Pain Industry Has Cost Us More and Given Us Less” by Richard A. Deyo, MD suggests that there are 4 main ways that we heal back pain.  We do not agree that these are the only ways, but agree that these are important aspects of the process.  On the other hand, one of many lecture segments about back pain that we have presented is on youtube  HERE. The 4 ways of healing back pain according to Dr. Deyo are: 1) Time heals all.  There is a time frame, a natural healing cycle, that healing (by the body’s own healing powers) takes place in.  Just have to let time take it’s time. Usually 4 weeks. 2) Regression to the mean.  Over time the person gets better. 3) Placebo effect.  People are given both an active method and a real method.  Even the placebo, physical treatment, is better than the control (no intervention).  COMMENT: This points out the fact that the placebo effect is powerful.  Some researchers may claim that the placebo effect should not be used, but even editorials in the Journal of the American Medical Association have on and off lauded the benefits of using the placebo effect as much as possible if it will help the patient. 4) The doctor’s warm, attention, sympathy, and caring have a strong influence on recovery. Dr. Deyo elaborates on these as well as analyzes various studies on treatment methods used to treat back pain, including acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, pain medications and surgery.  Neurologic Relief Center (NRC) technique is not discussed. The NRC is still gathering data to put together further studies on efficacy.  Numerous anecdotal cases are shown in this blogs articles and on youtube from around the world.  Cases 1. Case 2, Case 3, Case 4

Sodium – Hair Mineral Analysis Element

Sodium – Hair Mineral Analysis Element and Body Functioning

Sodium is an important element and mineral test in the hair mineral analysis testing.  Sodium plays a significant role in your body and cells, often paired up with Potassium.  If you have high blood pressure your doctor will tell you to cut down on your Sodium. Doctors also look at the amount of Sodium in your blood during the comprehensive blood testing.  This hair deposition of Sodium gives additional and significant information about your body that the blood Sodium levels do not.

Diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular illness, obesity, cognitive decline — are just a few of the many conditions, malfunctions, or diseases that do not develop symptoms often until they are progressed quite a long time and Sodium may play a key role.  Functioning has to drop to around 40% for symptoms to be obvious — up until a drop of function by 60% we know about dysfunction by things other than symptoms.   Hair Mineral Analysis focuses on particular minerals –macro, micro, trace and heavy metals found stored in your hair.  Understanding the relationships among the different minerals found can tell us a lot about how your body is functioning.  Not only your body, but your emotions and hormones.

After watching this, if you want to get a hair mineral analysis with explanation please contact The Redwood Clinic at +1-510-849-1176.

Hair mineral Analysis You tube videos

Sodium: https://youtu.be/WLiNaQqTHTM

 

BRAIN BALANCE: ADHD, Autism, ADD, Dyslexia, and DEMENTIA PREVENTION

BRAIN BALANCE: ADHD, Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and DEMENTIA PREVENTION

When a patient comes into The Redwood Clinic for a health consultation, that person usually has concerns about particular symptoms or conditions. Often they have been many other places for solutions and didn’t get the help they wanted. If the kwch Wichita 9-25-14symptoms were the only things being looked at then the underlying cause may have been missed. So that is what we do – search for the underlying cause of the symptom.

What do the following have in common?

Acid Refluxmeninges1
Erectile dysfunction
High blood pressure
Increased cholesterol
Allergies, food or otherwise
Dry eyes and mouth,
Sleep problems
Depression
Memory problems
Autoimmune Disorders

Any and all of them can be observed with, and could be due to unequal brain development. In other words, the two sides of the brain need to be fairly well matched in development of those symptoms can occur.

Today, as you can tell, I am focusing on the brain and how the brain functions.

In acupuncture, the brain and brain stem are associated with water and winter. Ergo one reason why I am talking about this now.

I am also doing prepublication publicity of my book, Super Brain – Maximize your Brain Health For a Better Life.

Stress Trauma and Toxicity are 3 primary causes of most conditions and effect the brain function. Any anomalies in the functioning that we tested can come from any of those 3.
At the same time, neurological developmental problems can cause many problems as well.

Right and Left Brain Dominance issues

In a recent lecture I gave to professionals at BNI, I had them perform a series of tasks and had them write down the answers. All of them have to do with hemispherical dominance. In general, our brains have two sides with functioning divided up so that similar functions are close together.

However, the two sides have to work together like a team and in time.

Ever flown in an airplane with two or more engines? What if the engines were not tuned well to be going at the same speed? Then you would be going in circles.

The same with our brains.

Non-verbal communication

80% of communication is said to be non-verbal. The right side of the brain is the non-verbal, big picture,emotional side. Did you think I was happy, puzzled or perplexed, and sad?

When the right side of the brain doesn’t develop properly, inability to read social and emotional non-verbal cues is the result. Up to age 2 is when the right side of the brain is really developing.

If it isn’t developing well, problems can occur. Language verbal skills are delayed because the non-verbal side is weak. When language verbal skills are weak, socialization and social interaction skills are delayed. Autism spectrum disorder occurs.

Cross Dominance

Do you have a dominant hand on one side and a dominant foot on the other? This may indicate a developmental inequality of the brain.

OTHER SYMPTOMS

What else can be observed and developed with unequal brain development?

Acid Reflux
Erectile dysfunction
Hypertension
Increased cholesterol
Allergies, food or otherwise
Dry eyes and mouth,
Sleep problems
Depression

If you are experiencing any of these things and are not sure of the root cause, you owe it to yourself to call The Redwood Clinic to get checked out. Be aware that most insurance plans that cover acupuncture treatments DO NOT PAY for comprehensive evaluations required to really figure out the cause. It is like AAA Roadside Assistance. Great for a flat tire or a dead battery. But they WON’T pay for a replacement tire, a new battery, or a tune up of your engine. BECAUSE you didn’t pay them for that. Same thing with medical insurance. You get what you pay for.

Call today for an appointment 510-849-1176. “Take the Natural Path to Optimal Health.” Get further information about neurological solutions like NRCT as well.

Relieve Your Headaches with Acupuncture

HeadachesCommon headache medications do not address the root cause of headaches and can have harmful side effects. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offer a safe and effective approach to relieving headache pain, without causing harmful side effects.

It is important to remember that headache sufferers are not alone. Today over fifty million Americans experience some form of a severe headache during their lives.

The most common way to seek relief is by reaching for drugs and other medications. This is fine for the short run, and can help you get out of pain fast. Unfortunately, common headache medications do not address the root cause or causes, and when used over long periods of time can cause unwanted side effects some of which are much worse that suffering with a headache.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offer a safe and effective approach to relieving headache pain, without causing harmful side effects, and incorporate a comprehensive diagnostic protocol that can help your acupuncturist understand and address the root cause or causes of your headaches.

Helping You To Understand the Difference.

There are many factors in TCM theory that may play a key role in the root cause or causes of a headache. These include body constitution, emotional health, excessive work, social and exercise activities, improper diet, physical trauma and hormones. Headaches can also be diagnosed according to specific symptoms, times of occurrence, location on the body, type of pain, triggers and remedies which provide relief.

The Safe Natural Solution.

Acupuncture and TCM takes a holistic, or whole-body approach to health. Your practitioner will take a detailed health history, and perform a physical exam to determine how and why your body’s vital energy, or Qi, is out of balance and identify what type of headache you are experiencing. He/she will also attempt to determine what root cause(s) are contributing to the overall problem. By identifying and treating the underlying cause(s), not just the symptoms, he/she can apply the most effective care.

An Acupuncturist´s Approach to Qi

An important part of acupuncture and TCM is the concept of Qi. Qi (pronounced “chee”) is the vital energy that animates the body and protects it from illness. It flows through pathways called meridians, and provides nourishment to all the body’s organs. When there is an imbalance or blockage in the flow of Qi, physical symptoms may result. Qi stagnation may be the cause of your headaches.

During treatment, in order to restore the balance and flow of Qi, fine sterile needles will be inserted at specific points along the meridian pathways. Based on your unique symptoms, your acupuncturist will choose to concentrate on acupuncture points related to specific organs. Afterwards, a variety of self-care techniques may be prescribed to further expedite your healing process.

It is important to remember that acupuncture is not a “quick fix.” Changes may occur quickly or over a longer period of time, depending upon your overall constitution and health. It is also important to closely follow care recommendations suggested by your acupuncturist. Whether it is one visit to address an acute problem, or several visits to address a chronic problem, your acupuncturist will create a treatment protocol that will maximize your healing potential.

Below are a few ways that you can participate in your own healing, by making simple lifestyle changes that may help soothe—or even prevent—head pain.

  • Tracking your triggers: Try to keep track of when your headaches start. Migraine sufferers may find it especially helpful to keep a diary of symptoms and possible causes. Triggers might include anything from eating chocolate, to anxiety or inhaling specific smells. Pinpointing these triggers—and avoiding them when possible—could help.
  • Stress relief: Stress puts a lot of strain on the body, and can contribute to many types of health concerns, including headaches. Talk to your practitioner about healthy ways tohandle stress, such as meditation or breathing techniques.
  • Exercise: Physical activity is an important part of any healthy lifestyle, and is a great antidote to stress. Your acupuncturist can recommend types of exercises that may work best for you.
  • Healthy habits: Making minor changes can make a big difference in your overall health and vitality. Do your best to eat healthy, organic foods, and make sure to get enough sleep every day.

Naturally, acupuncture care is extremely effective in reducing the frequency and severity of many types of painful conditions, including headache pain. By working with your acupuncturist and adopting some simple lifestyle changes, you will be on your way toward a healthier, happier, pain-free life.

Dr. Jay Sordean and The Redwood Clinic in Berkeley, California can help you relieve your headaches. Call us at today (510) 849-1176 to set up a consultation.