Herbal Medicine and the High Performance Athlete

By Erin Alberda, LAc   In an era of both doping scandals and unprecedented access to supplements (that all promise to make you younger, faster, stronger), how does the competitive athlete navigate what is safe? A little bit of personal history – up until 2012 I was an active national and international-level athlete.  I competed … Continued

IV for the Athlete Inside You

Competitive athletes push their bodies to the limit and getting that edge could be the difference between winning and, well, not winning.  Competitive greatness means finding those edges you’re your opponents don’t have. Enhancing your performance is not only for the “competitive” athlete, however.  Remember your immune system is also competing every day and, in … Continued

A holistic approach to Back Pain

Back Pain, restricted range of motion, and laxity in joint movement are all very common occurrences during our lives.  That knowledge doesn’t make your back or other joints feel any better, but the good news is that there are some simple things you can do to alleviate that pain.  At AIM we use a “hands-on” … Continued

Cupping: A useful technique to help clear congestion from the Lungs

Chinese Medicine is best known for its use of acupuncture and herbal medicine as tools for healing, but it also uses several other methods, such as cupping. Cupping is a technique that uses small glass or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the skin. Suction is achieved by using a flame to … Continued

How do I deal with stiff joints in the winter time?

  Ever wonder why some people’s joint pains and aches get worse in the cold weather? Well you’re not alone.  Lots of people wonder about those nagging pains, and of course, about the scientific reasons behind Granny’s “trick knee” that seems to be able to predict rainstorms.  They also wonder how to fix them, or … Continued

Qigong: Lifting the sky

by Debbie Yu, MS, L.Ac   Qigong translates to “cultivating the life-force” It serves as a self-empowering tool to move energy, disperse stagnation and to increase energy. In Chinese medicine, fall is the season of the Lungs. The Lungs breathe in “fresh inhaling clear qi,” oxygen, and energy that support our immune system. Those with compromised Lung qi may … Continued

The Yin, Yang, and Fa Wu of Fats

by Erin Alberda, LAc We can’t get very far in talking about Traditional Chinese Medicine without delving into the theory of Yin and Yang.  It provides not only the foundation of our medicine as acupuncturists, but also a beautiful insight into Taoist philosophies and Chinese cultural history. So how do I summarize and distill millennia … Continued

Case Study on Post-Herpetic Neuralgia and Shingles using Chinese Medicine

By Debbie Yu, LAc *In our work with natural healing, we often come across interesting case studies that serve as evidence of our success or lessons for future care.  In this case study, AIM Acupuncturist Debbie Yu shares a successful treatment and her reasoning behind the treatment.* A 50-something year old male came to me … Continued

Cervicalgia (neck pain) – an Eastern Approach

By Erin Alberda, LAc One of the most common ailments I treat as an acupuncturist is neck pain.  Some days the sheer volume of patients coming through my office with very similar complaints has my intakes sounding like a Dr. Seuss rhyme – does it hurt you when you move your head?  Does it hurt … Continued

AIM Acupuncturist Erin “David Letterman” Alberda’s Top 5 (sometimes unexpected) Reasons to get Acupuncture”!

  by Erin Alberda, LAc In the spirit of David Letterman’s retirement, we thought this was fitting!  Here are the top 5 reasons to get Acupuncture at Alpine Integrated Medicine:   Digestive Issues/Food Allergies.  While acupuncture will not fix food allergies, IBS, chrohns or colitis, acupuncture is extremely beneficial in treating some of the sequelae: … Continued