Alopecia… hair loss and bald patches

Alopecia (hair loss) is another condition which not only affects our appearance but a persons self esteem. There are many types of alopecia, the main one which I have treated multiple times successfully is Alopecia Areata where hair loss occurs in patches on the scalp. For people subject to this condition, this generally occurs during periods when the are going through of high stress. There is a higher occurrence in women than men and it is classified as an auto-immune condition.

Using acupuncture and also chinese herbal medicine, I have witnessed complete hair regrowth with hair follicles in these bald patches regrowing in as little 1 month to 3 months – across a variation of age groups 30-75yrs of age

Depending on the extent of the hair loss, how long it has been and how one responds to treatment… this will provide a much more accurate view of the actual treatment period.

Pregnancy and Anti-phospholipid Syndrome

This is yet another story with a happy ending, but this one took more time… I was flying back from Japan, only to find crazy messages from an old friend who was reaching out for help. She had suffered multiple miscarriages over the last few years, and told me that after her last miscarriage just a few months earlier that the doctor had ordered blood tests which found she had a condition called Anti-phospholipid syndrome.

This condition essentially caused her blood to be sticky and congealed which would result in miscarriage, finally it presented facts around her miscarriages. On top of that massive news, a few days later she also found out she was pregnant naturally with twins and was 7 weeks pregnant. I researched this condition in depth to understand what the effects are, how modern medicine addresses it and at what stage was most dangerous which allowed me to determine the best treatment approach and schedule for her going forward.

We essentially decided how effective acupuncture would be to stimulate the blood enough to avoid coagulation and it would work side by side with the medications she was required to take. Iron infusions were a necessity due to having twins and extreme shortness of breaththis resulted in massive constipation. Each week we would have a wonderful catch up, tackle the changes and challenges together. At week 15 we looked at the blood work which even indicated that the condition no longer even existed… amazing stuff.

She is now, living happily with her partner and her twinsshe was so fortunate to have both a boy and a girl!

It certainly was exciting to work with her and go on the journey. I have worked with many women with their pregnancies, which raise enormous physical and emotional challenges… it goes without saying that each persons fertility journey is so unique!

Psoriasis… dry itchy, scaly skin

Tis the season, come the spring season patients have walked through the clinic door for not only hay fever but actually psoriasis. Psoriasis is a dermatological condition that some people live with throughout their lives. Of the cases I have treated, it has caused them so much anguish… some put up with it for 5 yrs, others over 20 yrs.

The thought of exposing skin with summer dresses or wearing their hair up was just out of the question for the young women. The dry itchy, scaly skin over their arms, legs and in the hairline was just the start of it. For some it also worked its way to their face where it just couldn’t be hidden.

Using prescribed steroid creams initially provided some relief, however over time their skin soon returned to an uncomfortable state and the creams no longer provided any result.

Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease, and acupuncture is very effective in treating auto immune conditions. So it is worth keeping in mind that acupuncture is able to significantly assist in management of these dermatological conditions.

*Lifestyle and dietary changes can also assist in reducing flare-ups.