Ashley Wren Acupuncture

05/15/2025

04/01/2025

"For transgender and nonbinary young people, parent and caregiver support was significantly associated with lower su***de risk."

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/how-to-best-support-transgender-and-nonbinary-young-people/?c_src=UMCOM250310300&c_src2=dt-20250331-FY25-TDOVNewsletter-V0-mc-6bb7eded2f&utm_medium=marketingcommunication(i.e.e-newsletter)&utm_source=emailsegment-wholefile1&utm_campaign=generaleffort

Credit to The Trevor Project

For transgender and nonbinary young people, parent and caregiver support was significantly associated with lower su***de risk.

03/31/2024

New article from Psychology Today highlighting the connection between the microbiome (ie gut health) to addictions.

People with nutrient deficiencies are more likely to experience frequent and intense cravings. In turn, substance use disorders strip us of the very nutrients that are needed to build neurotransmitters which regulate mood and to sustain energy to build healthy practices in our lives.

This negative cycle can be broken. With recovery practices such as proper nutrition, adequate sleep, community support, and self-care routines that include acupuncture, mindfulness, and movement.

This latest research is empowering! What we eat makes a difference in how we feel and helps provide us energy for sustained recovery. Recovery is not a destination. It is a journey.

If you or a loved one could use support, call or email to schedule a consultation. We are here to help you

Addiction can be fostered and exacerbated by a poor gut microbiota.

02/24/2024

I celebrate Black History by honoring the resilience of Marsha P. Johnson, a pioneer for the LGBTQ2S+ rights movement. Marsha is an African American transgender activist who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, a catalyst for the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
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​Marsha's advocacy extended beyond Stonewall. She co-founded the Gay Liberation Front and also the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to support homeless transgender and LGBTQ+ youth.
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​Her legacy is a testament to authenticity, bravery, and the ongoing battle for equal rights. This Black History Month and all year long, let's remember the contributions of trailblazing activists like Marsha who dedicate their lives for inclusivity, acceptance, and rights for all of us.
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​"No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us."

photo credit: Danil Rudenko on vecteezy.com

02/01/2024

11/16/2023

Happy Transgender Awareness Month

07/26/2023

Rest In Power, Dr. Mutulu Shakur!

Most acupuncturists in the US don't know even half of the history of how the medicine we practice came to this country. Dr. Shakur's life and legacy has profoundly touched me both personally and professionally. May his legacy live on forever

01/15/2023

Research Update: Acupuncture beats intravenous morphine for acute pain relief

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine published a study looking at the efficacy of acupuncture in managing acute pain for patients in the emergency room when compared to intravenous morphine.

The researchers looked at 300 patients who presented to the emergency room with acute onset moderate to severe pain. Half of them were treated with acupuncture and half were given intravenous morphine. To measure their pain reduction, they asked patients to report their pain score before and after the treatments, and considered a reduction of 50 percent or greater to be a significant reduction.

The study showed the patients who received acupuncture treatments for their pain saw pain reductions of 92 percent compared to 78 percent in the morphine group. The acupuncture also seemed to work more quickly than the morphine, lowering patients’ pain scores in an average of 16 minutes compared to 28 minutes for the morphine group. Additionally, 89 patients who received morphine experienced minor adverse side effects while only four of the patients who received acupuncture did. Overall, this study showed acupuncture worked better and more quickly than intravenous morphine for reducing people’s pain in a medical setting.

This study joins a growing body of literature suggesting acupuncture is extremely effective at changing how the mind-body experience pain.

The lack of adverse side effects associated with acupuncture presents compelling information for its use, especially since synthetic medications are associated with many negative side effects, allergic reactions, addictive disorders, and death.

Acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins – neurotransmitters responsible for blocking the sensation of pain. The stimulation also releases other chemicals that either change how the body experiences pain or triggers the release of other chemicals that activate the body’s internal regulating system.

This process has a normalizing effect on nerves and hormones. By bringing the body into better biochemical balance, acupuncture promotes physical and emotional well-being and supports the body’s natural healing abilities.

Acupuncture and TCM also address the root causes of pain rather than just masking the symptoms. I develop treatment plans that are unique to each patient because each patient comes in with a unique body, health history and root cause behind their pain.

By addressing the root causes, we create more lasting healing and bring your body back to a place where it can function optimally, using its natural healing processes to help you stay well.

01/07/2023

The Wolf Moon ushers in 2023 with a transformative energy that lies beneath the surface, much like the seeds that lie dormant during "the dead" of winter. This is a time for release, a time for introspection, and a time for energy cultivation.

Contact us today to learn how to best support the changes you wish to see come to fruition. I wish you health and peace in 2023 and beyond. It is possible

10/25/2022

The Scorpio Solar Eclipse greets us today! This powerful event will be felt throughout the world, even if you can not view the Eclipse. Only parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa will be able to see it, but we all can harness its power.

Scorpio is the great alchemist of the zodiac, and this Eclipse is the time to transform anything in your life. This includes emotions, outdated patterns, limiting beliefs, stagnant energy, or your shadows. It’s all available for you to see, accept, and turn into fuel for your growth.

The most important thing to do this Eclipse is to stay present with yourself. Ground your energy and connect to your body through breathwork and yoga. Be your own rock as the waves of this Eclipse wash over you. Let them rinse away anything not aligned with your visions and bring in new energy to create the life you desire.

Anything is possible when Scorpio meets the Solar Eclipse. Allow yourself to dive into this energy and use it to shift, grow, transform, and manifest your dreams.

~credit to

Once again, we find ourselves on the verge of a powerful Eclipse Season, bringing us a solar eclipse in Scorpio and a total lunar eclipse in Ta**us. Eclipse Seasons are special times in the year. They may feel intense, but they hold the capacity for great change—the kind of change that shifts our ...

10/24/2022

Happy Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine Day from us at Ashley Wren Acupuncture team!