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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:27 AM
I once treated a twenty-seven year old man for upper back pain. The pain had come on recently, and he wanted to take care of it before it got worse. During his intake, we went through the usual litany of questions about his physical and emotional health. He admitted to feeling out of sorts about a recent breakup. Most men are fairly reticent about their emotional issues, but he was very open and willing to discuss how the breakup was affecting him. He had been depressed and apathetic since the relationship ended, and that he couldn't seem to relax. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 6:43 AM
As you know by now, there are many, many ways that we acupuncturists get clues as to what is going on inside of you. One of these ways is listening-and not just to your words. From the moment you walk into the office, the sounds you make are telling us more about your health than you ever thought possible. Let's start with breathing. Shallow, soft breathing is a sign that the patient has some sort of deficient syndrome. Loud, coarse breathing is a sign of excess. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 8:58 AM
Most of us don't realize how "stuck" we really are. It's our nature to accumulate things, ideas, people. It's a lot harder to let go of something than it is to hold on to it-even if letting go is in our best interest. If you don't believe me, just take a good look around you. Do you really need everything that is in the room with you, taking up space? Is everything in the room either attractive or useful? If not, why is it still there? |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Monday, July 25, 2011 6:56 AM
I grew up in a household without a lot of extra money, which meant that our travels were limited. Although my parents made sure we had our fill of weekend adventures, we definitely weren't hopping planes to Disney World on a regular basis. We stayed local, and I cultivated grand plans of all the overseas vacations I would take when I was a grownup and no longer afflicted with a case of the poors. Then adulthood came, and these dreams became tainted with the knowledge that, to get to these exotic destinations, I would actually have to get on a plane. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Saturday, July 23, 2011 7:31 AM
When I treat someone, I generally get a shadow of whatever they are being treated for. If someone comes in with a headache, I usually have a slight one by the time the session is over. When I treat back pain patients, my back always throbs afterward. When someone comes in with gastrointestinal issues, I'll get a flutter of stomach pain that leaves when they leave the office. I know that part of it is the effort I expend-when I am working out the kinks in someone's back, I'm REALLY working, putting strain on my own in the process-but that doesn't explain all of it. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2011 8:05 AM
I can blather on and on about the health benefits of acupuncture, and how great it will make you feel...but deep down inside, we all possess a shallow streak that is much more concerned with the outside than the inside. We go to the gym to stay healthy, true, but most of us are far more concerned about how we look in our new jeans than in lowering our blood pressure. And so, to appeal to the superficial side within all of us, today I bring you a look at the ways that acupuncture can make you better looking. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 8:09 AM
Week 2 of the acupuncture weight-loss experiment has arrived, and I thought it was time for an update. A few days ago I had written on the blog that the results hadn't been very inspiring, so far. Well, now that a few more days have passed, I will say that I have definitely noticed some changes. My craving for sweets has been non-existent lately, which is very unusual for me. Normally I can always go for something with sugar in it, but I've realized that I have gone almost 2 weeks without any sort of dessert-ish foods, not even a scoop of ice-cream! |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 6:24 AM
Eating. Sleeping. Pooping. These are, by far, the top three things that have the most effect on your health. If all of these three actions are working out well for you, you're on the right track. Of course, there are many other options out there to enhance your health and well-being: exercise, fresh air, meditation...the list goes on. But if you are getting the first three right, you are creating a solid base of health to build on to with these other things. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:09 AM
In this country, we frequently reference the soul. But when you really think about it, whatisa soul? We speak of one being or having a "good soul;" we discuss it at funerals, we worry about our own when we feel we've done wrong. The concept of a soul has been around forever, yet we are still unclear about what it actually is. Some of us view it as the piece of us which lives on, after the body's life has ended. Others think of it as a product of the accumulation of acts and thoughts that we create throughout our lives. |
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Marisa Fanelli, M.Ac.: Posted on Monday, July 18, 2011 6:52 AM
This site has been down for a few days while undergoing some revovations, so there is a lot to catch up on. Where to begin? I'll start with an update on the acupuncture weight-loss experiment. For those of you just tuning in, I had written a blog a few weeks ago about the number of people who come in asking about weight-loss. As a result, I decided to start my own experiment using acupuncture strictly for weight loss, in order to give a more accurate picture of what my patients' results might be. |
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