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5 Essential Oils to Use With Your Self-care

By Jana Baecker | Published June 20, 2022

Essential oils can work wonders on the body when combined with massage and other healing modalities. Each essential oil has their own distinctive properties that work on different parts of the body, mind and spirit. There are many different essential oils that can be incorporated into a self-care session, but there are also a few essential oils recommended to get you the most out of your self-care.

As always with any therapy, it is recommended to receive multiple treatment sessions in order to reap the most rejuvenating and healing effects possible. Check out the five essential oils you should ask for at your next session.

1. Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is one of the most widely utilized essential oils you can find. Lavender oil promotes good sleep, relaxation and an increase in healthy energy levels. These properties are what make it such a good essential oil for many things. Lavender oil is also great for reducing stress, ask your therapist if they carry lavender essential oil and increase the benefits of your session.

2. Mandarin Essential Oil

A perfect essential oil for curing insomnia and anxiety, mandarin essential oil is a go-to because of its calming and therapeutic properties. It gives off a light citrus aroma which proves very pleasing to the all of the senses.

3. Bergamot Essential Oil

This essential oil is every bit as spicy as it is citrusy. Bergamot oil combines spicy and citrusy aromas in order to create versatile effects on the body. This essential oil is great for fighting addictive behaviors, mood disorders and depression.

4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This essential oil is cleansing in every sense of the word. Eucalyptus oil can help keep germs away and cure problems you may be experiencing due to sinus infections and allergies. Overall the calming smells eucalyptus oil emits can be very beneficial for your therapy session.

5. Angelica Essential Oil

Various therapy sessions directly target both your muscles and nerves. Angelica essential oil is a great way to ensure your muscles are soothed and relaxed during your treatment. If you want to increase the relaxing and soothing effects, make sure to ask for angelica essential oil at your next therapy session.

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Seven Ways Acupuncture Can Help Men’s Health

By Jana Baecker | Published June 13, 2022

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has been around for nearly 3,000 years. It combines nutrition, herbs, acupuncture and other modalities to help keep the body functioning properly, while also treating any ailments that might occur. TCM has been used to treat both men and women, regardless of their age, and TCM is frequently becoming the medical choice for those who prefer to use holistic forms of medicine to heal themselves.

There are certain health issues more prevalent in men than women, and many of these conditions can be easily controlled or treated using Traditional Chinese Medicine. Afflictions such as high blood pressure, depression, urinary issues, stress and prostate problems are just a few of the issues that are more frequently seen in men than women. And these issues, along with many others, respond very favorably to acupuncture and TCM.

Prostate issues are a prominent concern for men. From enlarged prostates to prostate cancer, this area of the body gets a lot of attention. One of the most common problems facing men is benign prostatic hyperplasia or what is commonly called the enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate often leads to bladder, kidney and urinary problems, especially urinary retention. This is very easily controlled with acupuncture and herbs because the combination of the two help alleviate the inflammation of the prostate allowing the urine to flow freely.

Cardiovascular disease is another big concern for men and it is the leading health threat to men. Acupuncture has been found to be particularly beneficial in lowering blood pressure, which often helps prevent cardiovascular disease. Acupuncture stimulates the release of natural opioids in the body, which then decreases the heart’s activity and lowers the need for excess oxygen. All of this lowers blood pressure.

Another area where men need more help is dealing with mental health issues and depression. Men are much less likely to discuss their feelings and emotions, which can frequently lead to depression and even thoughts of suicide. In fact, men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Acupuncture helps balance the chemicals released by the brain and the hormones released by the endocrine system. All of these imbalanced chemicals can lead to mental health issues that manifest over time.

Insomnia and sleep-related disorders are another major concern for men. Acupuncture has been shown to be beneficial at restoring balance and allowing the body to relax and rejuvenate. In fact, acupuncture often times outperforms many prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids.

Men tend to suffer from pain more than women, just because their jobs can be more physical. It is statistically shown that men are less likely to seek out help when they experience pain, as they don’t want to appear weak. This is where something like acupuncture can be a great asset for men. Regular acupuncture treatments as preventive medicine can help keep them in top shape, thus avoiding aches, pains, strains and pulls.

Fertility is not something that usually comes to mind when it comes to men’s health issues. However, stats show that 35-40 percent of all fertility issues are male conditions. Studies have shown acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective at improving sperm quality and the instructional integrity of the sperm. This is why many acupuncturists who focus on fertility issues treat both the male and the female as a team.

Lastly, acupuncture is a great way to combat digestive issues frequently related to added stress and this occurs more in men than it does in women. The most common digestive disorder is heartburn or acid reflux, which is usually caused by stress and poor diet. When stress levels are decreased, then stomach acid can decrease also, thus alleviating heartburn.

These are just a few of the issues acupuncture can help with when it comes to men’s health. But it is easy to see why choosing acupuncture to help keep the body in alignment is a great option, especially for men. Call Heidi today to get on the schedule.

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Spice Up Your Medicine Cabinet!

By Jana Baecker | Published June 6, 2022


Friday, June 10th is National Herb and Spice Day, a day to celebrate the diversity of flavors available to us through the powerful plant parts that have come to be known as herbs and spices. While this tradition is relatively recent in origin (first celebrated in 1999), the wonder of herbs and spices have been recognized throughout history, and not just for their culinary contributions. Former Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne (742-814 AD) had 74 different herbs growing in his garden and was quoted as saying:

“Herbs are the friends of physicians and the praise of cooks”

In Europe, by the middle ages, herbs and spices were commonly used in both cooking and medicine. As far back as around 2700 BC in Ancient China, however, a historical work known as The Classic Herbal mentioned more than a hundred medicinal plants, including cinnamon. It has been said that advisors to the royal court in China during the 3rd century BC carried cloves in their mouth so their breath was fresh when they addressed the emperors. In the 5th Century AD, according to Chinese records, ginger was carried on long sea journeys to prevent scurvy, as well as to delight the taste buds.

Any student or practitioner of Chinese Medicine knows that Chinese food therapy (which includes many applications of medicinal herbs) was well documented in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic dating back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD).

So, if your medicine cabinet is looking a little bare, spice it up! If you’ve got some of these common seasonings in your kitchen, you’ve actually got a pretty well stocked medicine cabinet!

Cinnamon:

One of the most ancient spices still in use, the bark (Rou Gui) of the Cassia tree benefits circulation, and warms the body to expel cold and alleviate pain. Cinnamon is known to help support the body’s yang energy to stop diarrhea and even help with wound healing.

Ginger:

Probably the most common seasoning in Chinese cooking, this root is used both fresh and dried. You may have the dried version in your cabinet as a powder. Dried ginger (gan jiang) is warming, aids in digestion, and boosts the qi for alleviating feelings of cold and fatigue.

Turmeric:

Turmeric (jiang huang) is a root from a flowering plant related to ginger. It strongly moves the blood to unblock stasis, helping to ease arthritic, menstrual, and chest pain and to support liver health.

Clove:

The penetrating aroma of clove (ding xiang) comes from the flower buds of a tree and when taken internally imparts a strong warming energy that boosts yang qi in the body. They can help with hiccups, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Pepper:

If you can’t find any of the other spices mentioned, you probably at least have this one on hand. Peppercorn (hu jiao) is the fruit of a flowering vine that warms the core of the body, descends rebellious qi and dissipates phlegm to help with abdominal pain, vomiting, congestion, and epilepsy.

Mint:

While many of these spices are considered warming. Mint leaves (bo he) are actually very strong in their ability to cool the body while promoting sweat and can ease symptoms of cold and flu, help with headaches and menstrual cramps.

Garlic:

In addition to scaring away vampires, this plant bulb (da suan) that is technically considered a vegetable (like an onion), is warm and dispersing. It is known for its ability to kill parasites, relieve toxicity to treat food poisoning, and can help clean the blood and reduce clotting.

Thyme:

Much more than a delicious pizza topping, this herb was used by ancient Greeks and Romans as a way to stimulate courage. The Chinese use these shrub leaves (bai li xiang) to tonify qi and warm the lungs. It has been used to treat cough and shortness of breath, and to strengthen immunity and digestion.

It’s good to know you’ve got some health resources right in your own spice cabinet, but it’s even better to know you’ve also got your local acupuncturist/herbalist on hand with even more tools to support your well-being. We’re here for you and look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

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Research Review: Acupuncture for Insomnia

By Jana Baecker | Published May 31, 2022

Nearly 30% of American adults struggle with chronic insomnia, and that percentage increases with age. Standard treatment includes sleeping pills and cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy shows a lot of promise as an effective treatment and sleeping pills, though presenting some risks, can be helpful for the short-term. It is a condition, however, according to standard approaches, that can be treated, but unfortunately, not cured. And while many Americans don’t meet the criteria of a ‘chronic insomnia’ label, anyone who lacks proper sleep on a regular basis will eventually suffer physical, mental and emotional health consequences. Besides the obvious fatigue that comes along with many types of insomnia, there can be accompanying effects such as headaches, dizziness, and sore muscles as well as mood issues. One large study found that those with insomnia were five times more likely to suffer from depression than those who got adequate sleep. This is in addition to other associated effects on brain health, cardiovascular health, immunity and weight.

Acupuncturists typically always ask about quantity and quality of sleep no matter the initial complaint or reason for seeking treatment. This is because as holistic health practitioners, we recognize the enormous impact sleep has on the overall health experience. If there are any deficits when it comes to sleep, this will usually be part of the focus for treatment. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), night time is yin time, a time for rest, healing and recovery. It needs to be in balance with yang time (daytime) activity levels. This harmony of yin and yang is central to the TCM understanding of health.

Acupuncture takes an individualized approach to insomnia, as everyone is different, and there can be many reasons why someone is out of balance. In addition to external factors such as trauma or stress, a person’s internal environment will be looked at. A pattern assessment is done to evaluate both the abundance and flow of blood and energy (qi) in the body, excess hot or cold type disorders and any organ imbalances. But is it effective?

In a review of random controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture for insomnia, acupuncture was found superior to medications in its ability to increase sleep duration for >3 hours. Also, acupuncture plus medications showed better effect than medications alone on total sleep duration. And finally, acupuncture plus herbs was significantly better than herbs alone on increase of sleep rates. Worthwhile to note that there were no serious adverse effects of acupuncture observed in any of the trials.

According to Western physiology, acupuncture affects our ability to sleep by triggering the release of our sleep hormone: melatonin, and various other mechanisms still being studied, such as the activation of specific brain pathways involved in sensory processing . Acupuncture is also known to stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps shift the whole body into a more relaxed state. When the body goes into this relaxed state, not only does sleep quality improve, the body also turns on the immune and repair systems, cutting down oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.

Given the interrelationship of sleep and overall health, if all acupuncture did was improve sleep, it would still merit recognition as a valuable health system. But Acupuncture is prescribed for so much more! Call us today ay (218) 724-3400 to set up a sleep and overall health improving series of treatments and start feeling the benefits right away!

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5 Benefits of Acupuncture

By Jana Baecker | Published May 23, 2022

Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is practiced in many different forms which include herbal remedies, cupping, and massage, which have all been used for thousands of years. The basis of TCM is the idea of qi, the body’s vital energy.

TCM treatments promote the movement of qi throughout the body in order to help bring balance back to the body. The goal of acupuncture is to correct this imbalance which can cause a variety of ailments and conditions that you may currently have.
Acupuncture uses very thin needles (which have been compared to being as small as cat whiskers) that stimulate pressure points and other areas of your body. It stimulates qi by placing needles in specific spots, often along meridians. Meridians are the channels that qi travels in the body.

Acupuncture can help with many health conditions, including:

  • Arthritis
  • Chronic pain, including joint pain
  • Depression
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Trouble sleeping and insomnia
  • Nausea and digestive trouble
  • Back pain and sciatica
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Tinnitus (ringing ears)
  • Weight loss


Below are the top five ways that acupuncture can help

  1. Relieves Pain
    Acupuncture can help alleviate many types of pain that may range from headaches and migraines to neck and back pain. These studies have shown its effectiveness in treating lower back pain, migraines, tension headaches, and knee pain. Acupuncture works differently for everybody. For some, a single treatment can alleviate symptoms for several months while others need a more routine treatment schedule.
  2. Improved Sleep

    Another thing that Acupuncture can help improve is sleep and insomnia. Scientists believe that acupuncture increases the production of brain chemicals that promote relaxation, thus allowing for better sleep.
  3. Uplift Mood

    Acupuncture can help with improving mood, including helping with depression, stress, and anxiety. The needles from acupuncture treatment release endorphins in the body. Endorphins are hormones that provide a boost in mood, encouraging happiness and relaxation.
  4. Help the Heart

    Acupuncture is also good for your heart due to the relaxation and stress reduction that one achieves from the treatments, which are also known to reduce blood pressure. Stress and high blood pressure are commonly related to heart attacks and heart disease.
  5. Support the Immune System

    Research has shown that acupuncture can boost immune system function. The placement of acupuncture needles can release immune-boosting cytokines. Cytokines are messenger cells that regulate the body’s immune response. By triggering the immune system, acupuncture can help fight infections or illnesses like colds and the flu.



If you deal with any of the above symptoms or think that acupuncture may be right for you- schedule an appointment with Heidi in Duluth! We’d be happy to support you in achieving your health care goals!

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