Beachside Community Acupuncture

09/10/2025

Meridians - or channels - are not blood vessels or nerves but rather their own distinct entity. They are the pathways through which Qi and Blood flow, and it helps to picture them like rivers.

If there's a blockage in a river, what happens?

🌊 Immediately upstream from the blockage, water will back up and flood the riverbanks.

🌵 Immediately downstream from the blockage, the river will dry up.

😵 Farther out from the blockage, ecosystems will be disturbed as the once reliable stream of water fluctuates.

Meridians can similarly be blocked by traumatic injury, pathogenic factors, or other forces, and the stagnation of Qi and Blood can lead to both local symptoms and other imbalances throughout the body.

There are quite a few ways to stimulate meridians at home - read our blog! - but for big imbalances, acupuncture treatments are the way to go.

Schedule an appointment with us if you live near McKinney, Texas, or find a Licensed Acupuncturist near you to get back into balance.

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-meridians/

Meridians and their acupoints form the basis of acupuncture as a therapy. Read on to learn what they are and how to use them!

09/05/2025

We treat patients of all faiths at our clinic, as acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are within the realm of healthcare, not religion.

Sometimes the different TCM terminology makes people question if a treatment would somehow conflict with their belief system. The words may be different than those in Western medicine, but Licensed Acupuncturists are still working with the body...just from another angle.

Read our full blog post for more detailed information, but in short: Acupuncture helps the body's natural healing processes, no matter Who or What designed them :)

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-religion/

Does acupuncture conflict with your religion? The short answer is "probably not" and we discuss why in this blog post.

08/28/2025

There are six tastes in TCM and each has its own unique effect on the body:

🌶 Acrid (or pungent)
🥗 Bitter
🍋 Sour
🍤 Salty
🧁 Sweet
🥒 Bland

A well-rounded diet contains a balance of every taste, but if a health concern is present, the corrective taste can be favored until symptoms resolve.

Learn all about it in our latest blog: https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-food-tastes/

TCM diet therapy looks at how the intrinsic properties of food affect the body. A food's "taste" corresponds to particular organ systems and causes unique physiological reactions.

08/22/2025

Just a reminder that we will be open our normal hours on Labor Day!

The holiday is coming up soon - Monday, September 1st - and we recommend booking earlier rather than later if you know you want an appointment that day.

Schedule online any time or call us at 214-417-2260 to have a receptionist help you.

08/20/2025

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at diet therapy from a different angle than Western nutrition 🧐

While food can be physically hot or cold - e.g. after being placed in an oven or a refrigerator - it also has an inherent temperature.

Read our full blog post for more information:

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-food-properties/

Chinese diet therapy sees food as herbal medicine that has specific effects on the body. This blog covers the "property" (or temperature) of foods, which you can use to correct health imbalances.

08/15/2025

Yin and Yang are arguably the most fundamental aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine ☯

They represent opposites in nature and have implications in health.

Yin correlates roughly to coolness, moisture, and rest in the body, while Yang covers heat, energy, and activity.

Read the full blog post for more details and for which diet and lifestyle adjustments we recommend for imbalances.

Next week's posts will dive more into diet therapy for Heat and Cold conditions, so follow us to be in the loop!

Yin and Yang are THE central principles in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and we can use them to explain events in nature as well as our state of health. If you thought the yin-yang symbol was just a cute icon for balance, read this blog post to learn what it truly represents!

08/08/2025

Back to basics!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are twelve main organs in the body, each having special functions. They are classified as being either Yin or Yang in nature ☯

The Yang organs are characterized as being hollow, meant to either store a substance (e.g. bile in the Gallbladder) or allow substances to pass through (e.g. urine through the Urinary Bladder). They can have other special functions, but for the most part they're pretty straightforward.

The Yin organs, on the other hand, tend to differ much more. Scroll through the photos and/or read our latest "new old" blog post for more information: https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-organ-systems

05/29/2025

Cravings can sometimes give you information about what is going on in your body, so they're worth noticing 👀

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), different "tastes" correspond with different organ systems, so if you find yourself gravitating toward salty foods, bitter foods, etc., tell your acupuncturist!

From a Western nutrition perspective, every food has a unique array of nutrients (e.g. if you're craving oranges, maybe you need vitamin C). Often the craving will go away if you eat enough of the food to meet your body's needs.

Of course, the cravings we're discussing are ones for whole/natural foods and beverages. Sugar is physiologically addictive, as are a lot of chemical additives. Once you've cleaned your diet of these addictive substances, the "true" cravings can kick in.

That being said, keeping track of the "bad" cravings can help identify patterns and triggers. If you can't get by without a candy bar every afternoon, you probably need to adjust your breakfast and lunch for more sustained energy... If you have to have a glass of wine at the end of the day to relax, it might be a good idea to investigate stress management techniques...

Your body is constantly trying to adapt to the challenges it meets, and it's also constantly giving you clues as to what it needs. Pay attention to these clues to accelerate your journey to better health!

05/20/2025

Our world today often exists out of communion nature. Commuting on highways, walking in paved-over cities, and spending free time indoors on screens have become a norm.

Unfortunately, this disconnect can take its toll on health as nature provides healing benefits from multiple angles...

🌱 Sunlight
🌱 Negative ions
🌱 Blue Mind state
🌱 (Many others!)

Getting back in touch with nature doesn't have to involve extremes, and can be easily accomplished even while maintaining modern conveniences. Read our latest blog for examples:

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-nature/

The human body has an innate healing response, and spending time in nature can help restore it.

04/25/2025

A "wild" foot is one that doesn't have structural or functional inhibitions.

🦶 Can you lift your toes from the ground?

🦶 Can your toes splay like your fingers do?

🦶 Are your toes curled or squished when your foot is at rest?

If your answers to these questions indicate restrictions, it's worth researching exercises, stretches, shoe modifications, etc. Some of our favorite accounts are:

Gait Happens
The Foot Collective
Anya’s Reviews

If that's too much right now, you can simply start by kicking off your shoes and walking around your yard barefoot this weekend :)