Hello and welcome to Dawna Ara Acupuncture. Thank you for purchasing an acupuncture session with me through Groupon.
I have received many emails and phone calls about the deal, services I provide, and scheduling of appointments. I will try to answer all of you personally but please be patient while waiting for a reply as I am just a one lady operation.
I am very excited to work with each of you and promise to give you all my undivided attention once you are in the treatment room. In the meantime I will answer some general questions here. (more…)
Then why not try acupuncture? Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can significantly help to decrease back pain and improve mobility in some people.
Not only can acupuncture decrease your back pain but it could also help you to sleep better, be happier, and even give you more energy!
How can acupuncture do all this in just one session? The answer is simple. Chinese Medicine brings the body into balance, or in other words, homeostasis.
Once balanced circulation improves, tension melts away, and your body is able to heal allowing you to enjoy a new sense of well being.
So why not come in and see what all the buzz is about. ACUPUNCTURE WORKS!
Book online to schedule the next available appointment with Dawna Ara, L.Ac.
Most if not all of us have experienced neck pain at some point in our lives. For some it is short lived acute pain lasting only a day or two, for others the pain becomes chronic and unbearable lasting months, even years if left untreated.
What is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is defined as pain or discomfort in the region above your shoulders and below your head. It could result from many reasons including physical abnormalities, poor posture, emotional stress, vascular diseases, vertebral compression or subluxations, thyroid disease, esophageal disease, and nerve pain.
Medical doctors will diagnose neck pain by asking the patient questions about the pain and possibly palpating the region.
Pain killers like ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, and vicodin are often prescribed to ease the pain. Although they may provide temporary relief, over the counter pain killers can have serious side effects such as ulcers and stomach bleeding. Stronger prescription painkillers like vicodin can become highly addictive and hard to come off of.
Oriental Medicine & Treatment of Neck Pain
In Oriental or Chinese Medicine no single ailment is treated without simultaneously treating the whole person. In other words, your entire being, lifestyle, diet, spirituality, emotional, and physical health are all taken into consideration.
So if you come into my office with neck pain, I will not only treat the manifestation (neck pain), but I will treat the root which could be causing other aliments as well. Many patients have said that not only did the pain disappear, but they can sleep soundly through the night now too! Oriental Medical doctors do this by utilizing a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, herbs, cupping, gua sha, qi gong, and massage in order to bring the person into balance.
How Acupuncture Works for Neck Pain
Acupuncture is a great way to relive neck pain. Acupuncturist treat neck pain by diagnosing the root cause of the pain and needling acupoints that not only treat neck pain but treat the underlying condition causing the pain.
For instance, many acupoints on the wrist and ankle treat neck pain but if the pain is coming from stress, poor diet, a cold or flu, physical or emotional blockages then those conditions need to be addressed as well in order to truly resolve the issue. By doing so, acupuncturist are able to treat a wide variety of aliments in just a few short treatments.
You Are Your Best Doctor
I teach all my patients about the importance of self care. People who can learn to recognize patterns and symptoms in their body before they manifest into full blown diseases can treat themselves and steer clear of unnecessary hospital visits. Below is a list of 5 things you can do on your own to decrease neck pain:
- Stretch. This is an easy one. Gently tilt your head over to your right shoulder. Place your right hand over the left side of your head and the left hand on your left shoulder. Now gently pull your head away from your left shoulder. You should feel a nice stretch on your left side. Repeat this exercise on the other side.
- Manage your stress. Activities like yoga, meditation, and creative expression can help you to manage your stress. Getting adequate sleep and food intake will also help you manage your stress and in turn, manage your pain.
- Replace your pillow every 6 months. Overtime pillows can flatten and lose shape causing them to stop providing support. Be sure your pillow is suitable for the position you like to sleep in whether you are a back or side sleeper.
- Keep your neck covered. Wind and cold can cause neck pain. Make sure to always keep your neck covered with a scarf, turtle neck, or collared shirt.
- Correct your posture. Look at yourself in the mirror. If your head rolls forward and your shoulders droop down then your posture is bad. You can correct this by lifting and rolling your shoulders back and also pushing your neck back. Try to picture a string connected to the top of your head pulling your head, neck, and spine up to the sky.
As always consult your primary care physician before making any major health decisions.
To schedule an appointment Call 310.363.0039 or email dawnaara@gmail.com.
Most people at some point in their life will suffer from a headache. The pain could be as mild as slight tension or an annoying throb, to as severe as feeling like your brain is being stabbed over and over again with a knife. For some people the headache may last just a few minutes, and for others, it could lasts weeks or even months.
A headache is defined as pain or discomfort in the head, neck, or scalp. Western medicine recognizes 2 main types of headaches, primary and secondary. Primary headaches are headaches independent of other diseases. Primary headaches include migraine, cluster, and tension headaches. Secondary headaches are headaches that are caused by another disease or are symptoms of another pathology. Secondary headaches can be caused by an infection, substance induced, trauma, facial or cranial, emotional disturbance, or vascular changes.
In my clinic we use natural methods like acupuncture, Chinese medical herbs, massage, and dietary therapies to relieve headaches. Headaches are usually a symptom of an underlying condition. Most people will treat their headache with over the counter or prescription medication given to them by their doctors. The pain may temporally subside but will often return hours or even days later. Many patients have told me that their migraine medication that used to provide relief has stopped working for them. This is because the pattern of disease that is causing the headache has not been addressed.
In Chinese Medicine we treat the underlying condition, not just the symptom which will provide longer lasting, and often permanent relief from the pain. Patients who originally came in to see me for a headache will often report feeling less anxious, more relaxed, and being able to sleep better after the acupuncture treatment. This is because the same pattern that has been causing you that annoying headache, could be causing your anxiety and insomnia too.
I know that I can help make acupuncture and health-care affordable enough for you to come in and get help you deserve without having to worry about finances. In the meantime, here are a few helpful things that you can do at home to help alleviate your headache:
- Eat a diet based on whole foods. Your food should be in its natural from without additives.
- Eliminate processed foods. Foods like breads, sugar, canned, packages, or food in jars will most likely have additives and can trigger a headaches.
- Drink more water. Water will help flush out toxins from your system.
- Meditate. Just find time to do it. It will help relieve stress and tension. Start with at least 5 minutes a day.
- Sleep. Get it. The importance of sleep is underrated in our society. The average person needs 7 hours of sleep a night. If you are not getting that then its time to see your acupuncturist.
As always consult your primary care physician before making any major health decisions.
To schedule an appointment Call 310.363.0039 or email dawnaara@gmail.com.
Lets face it, your mom is amazing for having raised you. You turned out awesome, so now its time for you to return the favor by giving her what she needs and wants the most.
Come in and treat your mom (and yourself) to a soothing, relaxing, pampering, and way affordable massage or acupuncture treatment. I’m offering acupuncture treatments for $39, and one hour massages for only $49. Seriously, if you are not her favorite kid now, you will be after sending her my way.
Offer good all month long so even if you forget to get her a gift, you don’t have to stop at the quickie mart on the way to the Mother’s Day Dinner (that your dad is paying for) and buy her a shabby bouquet of flowers. You can just say, “Mom, I scheduled you an appointment with SoCal’s most revered and intuitive acupuncturist, herbalist, and massage therapist.” That will blow her lipstick off!
Now how slick is that?
To schedule an appointment Call 310.363.0039 or email dawnaara@gmail.com.
About the author: Dawna Ara is a 
