Ohio Valley Acupuncture

05/15/2026

Another batch of moxa balm finished. My patients seem to run through it quick. I think when I get some time for writing, my next substack piece will be about how to make it. I get asked that a lot.

05/14/2026

There is a paywall, but I was able to read this through a gift article from a subscriber. Check it out if you can! "Western" biomedical science is starting to catch up to what East Asian Medicine has known for centuries. If you are interested in this line of "discovery," you can also check out the Radiolab episode mentioned in the article, and the book Spark in the Machine by Daniel Keown. I will link them in the comments.

The detection of another circulatory system in the human body could have enormous scientific implications.

05/13/2026

Bone brothin' again!

Pro Tip: Toss a few sticks of Astragalus root and a few sticks of Reishi mushrooms in with your bones. In this way your bone broth takes on mild immune tonic properties. Food is medicine!

Astragalus or Huang Qi is a flowering herb native to East Asia that has long been used to restore health from chronic disease such as HIV, Lyme, and Epstein Barr Virus. It also acts as a cardiovascular tonic, treating those recovering from heart attack and stroke. It is slightly warm, moist, and sweet and supports the Lung and Spleen systems.

Reishi or Lingzhi is a polypore fungus native to East Asia that grows on bases or stumps of deciduous trees, especially maples. It has long been used to help re-regulate immune response in autoimmune conditions including Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and chronic Lyme. It helps stabilize mast cells and reduce histamine responses. It is warm and bitter. It tonifies Qi and calms the mind.

To your health!

05/09/2026

🌿DON'T MISS IT! LIVING TRADITIONS POMEROY 2026 IS HAPPENING ON MAY 30TH!

This project is made possible by Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts Central Appalachia Living Traditions Project.

05/07/2026

Tuesday was an epic day in more ways than one. I passed my last exam, and Jeroch and Don from Appalachian Renewable Power completed the installation of my brand spanking new solar array. After living in an off grid tiny home in the country for 15 years, it hurt my heart immensely to be paying an electric bill again, especially when we got an $1,100 bill over the winter. Jeroch designed my system and got me connected with the Clean Energy Credit Union. Now instead of paying $450/mo to AEP (on the averaging plan) for the rest of my life, I'll just be paying $200/mo to the credit union until the system is paid off. So happy! Cheers to a solar powered clinic!

05/06/2026

I have defeated the final boss! I have collected all three! Yesterday Max and I drove to Columbus for my last exam, because the testing center at Rio is closed for two weeks for graduation, and I didn't wanna wait any longer. We went to CAM International Market 華欣 (Columbus) after, and I spent like $70 on a ton of Chinese herbs and mushrooms. Then we hit up O'Huids Gaelic Pub in Lancaster on the way home, and I had the best cottage pie I have ever tasted. It was an epic day. I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. Now all I have to do is get a background check and wait for the paper pushers at the Ohio State Medical Board to push me my paper.

05/02/2026

My last day at Serenity Hills was bittersweet. Cheers to a new era. Stay tuned for when I can start booking at the Middleport office.

05/01/2026

Staring into "the red book" finishing up designing my own treatment while already on the table.

04/29/2026

I made from leftover from Kindred Market It's purple! Congee is a traditional Chinese food-as-medicine that is very easy to digest. It's good for folks who are recovering from acute illness, and it supports the coming back to life of those who are run down and depleted from chronic illness or overwork. Because you use 8 cups of liquid per cup of dry rice, it's like time-released hydration for your guts, so it can be great for those who struggle with constipation as well. I was just winging it with what I had at home today, but there is an excellent book by Bob Flaws called The Book of Jook that helps you build recipes for your personal health needs. I don't know if they have ordered it, but I have asked the Meigs Co Library to get a copy. The recipe for tonight's dinner is below. 👇

2 c leftover rice
2 c bone broth
4 c water
1 handful dried gogi berries
1 handful dried Longan berries
1 handful dried sh*ttake mushrooms, chopped small
1 handful wakame seaweed
Everything Bagel seasoning to taste.

Simmer covered on low for 30 min.

04/24/2026

Since next week will be my last week at Serenity Hills, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and a small gap between patients to wander around the older section of the cemetery next to the building. It's interesting to see how the spelling of a couple of the surnames changed over the generations, and I appreciated the extra care that was given to maintain the stone that stated where the couple had immigrated from in Germany. Like with most of the cemetaries around here, the oldest ones that are still legible are from the late 1800s, but there are some that I assume are older that can no longer be deciphered.