Starting Point Acupuncture

05/28/2025

In the last few years the concept of Trauma Informed Care (TIC) arising from the Behavioral Science field has been heavily promoted as an emerging idea for patients in care facilities. The current medical system has known for decades that trauma is behind many diseases as evidenced from the diagnosis of PTSD and most recently from the experiences during and post-Covid.

The broader understanding of TIC was facilitated by decades of research around Adverse Childhood Experiences or Trauma (ACE or ACT). Realizing that experiences in childhood shape our framework for viewing life and our experiences which can lead to actions and choices that influence our long term health patients can be helped in more than a symptomatic way. This is the key to full wellness.

Chinese medicine as well as other "complimentary medicine" models have known this for thousands of years. Our reactions to the world and are emotional movements are often listed as the primary cause of many current disease states.

At Starting Point Acupuncture I treat acute, symptomatic conditions as well as long term chronic conditions by getting to know my patients history and development of their symptoms.

I chose the name Starting Point precisely because I want to help my patients start their journey to the best health they have experienced.

Message , text or call if you would like to have unique, individual care informed by your personal experiences in life.

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04/16/2025

04/14/2025

Starting Point Acupuncture offers holistic pain relief and wellness care. We provide acupuncture, Chinese herbs, cupping therapy, Gua Sha, and orthopedic rehabilitation. Our personalized care combines traditional Chinese medicine with modern healing techniques to help you feel your best. Located in Catonsville, we serve Baltimore County and surrounding areas with natural treatment options for pain, stress, injuries, and chronic conditions. Book your appointment today and start your path to wellness.

05/28/2024

I practice Nature based, Evidence -informed complementary medicine.

Short version of this post -- try steel cut oatmeal to improve your health. Want to know why and more? Continue to read.

Those who are pre-diabetic, type 2 diabetic or have cholesterol problems and perhaps are gluten allergic DEFINETLY continue on

So, all my life I have had an aversion to oat meal.
Taste, Texture it just seemed like I was eating paper mache.

A mentor and my acupuncturist always insisted that it was best to start the day with a good warm bowl of oatmeal, "only steel cut oatmeal" of course. I admit to using those prepackaged instant ones (mostly because they tasted better, added sugar but relatively useless for good nutrition ) but stopped because of the sugar.

I have been recommending the same (steel cut) to those patients who needed a better way to start their day rather than a quick coffee and doughnut, usually with similar response (ugh)

Finally this week I broke down and made a batch of real, steel cut oats, and they were so much different than I expected!!!

Using an Instant Pot recipe and and 4 ingredients I cooked great tasting texture rich oatmeal in 15 minutes (4 for cooking 10 for slow release) enough for several servings and in the frig lasts for 4 days!!!
That spurred my curiosity and I began the research. Low and behold steel cut oats have significant benefits according to research and of course Web MD
Web MD --
Benefits of Steel-Cut Oats:
1. Healthy digestion ---- improves your bathroom abilities
2. Strong immune system -- supports and improves gut health
3. Support weight loss -- slower digestion makes you feel fuller so
you eat less
4. Control diabetes -- they have a low glycemic index which means
they wont raise your blood sugar quickly
5. Manage cholesterol -- One study showed that eating 3 grams of
soluble fiber from oats (about one-fourth-cup serving) every day
lowers total cholesterol.
6. Gluten allergic? --- Because oats do not contain gluten, they are
a safe alternative if you have celiac disease.
7. Need more protein put an egg on top (I preferred over easy) , or
serve with fish etc.

So for those who REALLY geek out on research :

Soycan, G., Schär, M. Y., Kristek, A., Boberska, J., Alsharif, S. N. S., Corona, G., Shewry, P. R., & Spencer, J. P. E. (2019). Composition and content of phenolic acids and avenanthramides in commercial oat products: Are oats an important polyphenol source for consumers?. Food chemistry: X, 3, 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2019.100047

"Epidemiological evidence suggests that regular consumption of whole grains is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes and certain cancers (Reynolds et al., 2019). Meta-analyses of multiple human intervention studies provide strong evidence that regular oat intake lowers blood cholesterol, improves insulin sensitivity and post-prandial glycaemic control (Bao et al., 2014, Ho et al., 2016)."

AND

"Changes in antioxidant activity and phenolic acid composition of tarhana with steel-cut oats"

A Kilci 1, D Gocmen Affiliations expand
PMID: 24128544 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.08.126

Abstract
Steel-cut oats (SCO) was used to replace wheat flour in the tarhana formulation (control) at the levels of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% (w/w). Control sample included no SCO. Substitution of wheat flour in tarhana formulation with SCO affected the mineral contents positively. SCO additions also increased phenolic acid contents of tarhana samples. The most abundant phenolic acids were ferulic and vanillic acids, followed by syringic acid in the samples with SCO. Tarhana samples with SCO also showed higher antioxidant activities than the control. Compared with the control, the total phenolic content increased when the level of SCO addition was increased. SCO addition did not have a deteriorative effect on sensory properties of tarhana samples and resulted in acceptable soup properties in terms of overall acceptability. SCO addition improved the nutritional and functional properties of tarhana by causing increases in antioxidant activity, phenolic content and phenolic acids.

05/26/2024

As I went about my day today I ran into a friend who has come in need of a walker. I realized that I see so many people using walkers and I see them being trained to use them at the rehab center I where I work. It dawned on me how bad walkers are for fall risk, posture, wrist, elbows, shoulders and neck issues. There is a better option out there for mobile people, early onset Parkinson's and other impaired balance issues....... Upright walkers. I don't know why they aren't the standard but for anyone who wants to be mobile they are out there. At the moment Medicare does not cover these but they are many makes and some are generally affordable. You can go from shoulders up, pressure on elbows and wrists to walking straight up, head and eyes forward....please consider that because it can help reduce ancillary aches and pains. You can see the difference....

04/23/2024

Redefining Athletes

Spring is here and that means people are or will be on the move again. Running, swimming, hiking an biking. Many people pick up there favorite hobbies and activities without thought to whether their body is ready, especially as we age. I know I sometimes forget that I am not 20 anymore and and attempt to leap out of bed after waking up. The truth is whether a rusty athlete from winter inactivity or average person rummaging in the garden we need to prepare for activity. An old definition of an athlete was: specific:: "a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise." However new understandings have led to a more broad definition: "a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength."

For me this broader definition opens the scope to musicians, artists, gardeners, construction workers and anyone whose use of their body is integral to the performance of their daily activities. Injuries of the shoulder from vacuuming or raking are no different from sporting injuries that occur from similar movements.

At different levels all the injuries require the same treatment and rehab exercises and they all need to heal to return to the activity you wish to perform.

I find that the training I received in treating sports injuries often serves in addressing individuals from office workers to construction workers, many of whom do not consider themselves "athletes"

So, short end of a long message; treat yourself like an athlete when engaging in physical activity, stretch before you get out of bed or start to work in the garden, hydrate and eat well and most important of all don't neglect the small warning signs that you nay have injured yourself. Take action and get treatment before it gets so bad you think you need to see someone.

Acupuncture and herbs can help and are most effective before it goes too far.

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11/02/2023

https://fb.watch/o2NnwgjAVo/

05/23/2023

Hi, it's been awhile since posting on my page. I have recently returned to treating children with ASD and other conditions. One thing that has always been clear to me in this busy tech heavy world is the power of purposeful touch which , after seeing the following TED talk will gladly add, the power of personal touch/attention. I also want to say that, while this TED talk specifically addresses ages 1-5, it's principles are actually true at every development at ever age. Here's the TED talk, then imagine if at every age we engaged each other with the intention.

"What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of pla...

07/27/2022

04/03/2022

10/31/2019

Words of Wisdom to begin to move towards better health...