TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder is a common complaint that can often be resolved with acupuncture. For more info on TMJ check here.

Advanced cases of TMJ can lead to grinding of the teeth, misalignment or cracking of the teeth, difficulty chewing, decreased range of motion or locking of the jaw joint, popping and clicking. It can even be the cause of pain that radiates to the head, neck and shoulders. Some sufferers will have further complications of headaches, dizziness, earaches and difficulty hearing.

Acupuncture can alleviate muscular tension, which is one of the most common causes of TMJ. It can also decrease stress and anxiety which can lead to an unconscious clenching of the jaw. People under stress, often clench their jaws while they sleep. If you wake up with a tight or sore jaw, chances are you are grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw without even knowing it.  Acupuncture is very helpful at alleviating stress and relaxing the muscular systems of the whole body, so it is often enough to solve problems of TMJ all on its own.

If you have an ongoing problem with TMJ it’s also a good idea to check with your doctor or a dentist to see if you need a mouth guard to protect your teeth, or if there is any physical obstruction or malformation causing your pain.

Acupuncture will still help with TMJ no matter what the cause, so it’s a great addition to  other medical treatments you may be using. There are virtually no side-effects and it is safe and effective. For more information on acupuncture sessions at Pathways Healing see here.

My last post explained how I had avoided acupuncture for several years, until a back injury finally made me give it a try.

Once I experienced the benefits of acupuncture for my back pain, I was ready to try it for other issues I was going through. For a list of conditions that acupuncture can help with click here.

I had been suffering with menstrual issues for a couple of years. I was having periods every 21 days. They were very heavy and painful. I had almost passed out from the pain many times, and the bleeding was so heavy, I couldn’t get through my kids soccer games without running off to find a coffee shop or a gas station. I was also getting very low on iron because I was losing so much menstrual blood.

My medical doctor handed me a prescription for a heavy duty pain killer that left me nearly unconscious and told me it was all part of getting older. She said I should get used to it, and that I should think about having a hysterectomy! I was only 38 years old! There was no way I was going to accept those suggestions!

I did schedule an appointment with my gynecologist, although I had to wait several months to get in to see him. When I did see him, I got an ultrasound and had him monitor me so that I knew I was not in any danger to my medical health while I continued searching for other alternatives.

I was fortunate to meet a woman who was staying in Canada for a while, and who combined acupuncture with Reiki and Shamanic Healing. She was the angel who had helped me with my back pain. I probably would have stood on my head if she had asked me to. I had a lot of faith in her, as I had experienced the great relief she had given me from the back pain. Her name was Esther. She has moved away since, and sadly, I have lost track of her.

I explained about my menstrual problems and she asked me many questions. We did the first acupuncture session, and she combined it with Reiki and energy healing. I came away completely relaxed and feeling wonderful.

We had 2 or 3 more acupuncture sessions, each combined with Reiki and energy healing.

To my astonishment, my very next period was completely painless! I had normal bleeding and felt well throughout the whole thing!

I saw her two more times in the following month, and again, my period was normal and painless. I think she moved away shortly after that.

I sought out other acupuncturists to continue on my journey. My periods were still coming a little too close together, but the pain did not come back for almost 3 years. Eventually, my gynecologist recommended surgery for some large fibroids that were encroaching on my uterus and large intestine. More info on fibroids here.

I had that minor surgery, but I still have my uterus. No hysterectomy is in sight and I use acupuncture on myself when I have any irregularities creeping into my cycle. If you have menstrual issues of any kind, do yourself a favour and try acupuncture! There are virtually no side-effects and the benefits could change your life as they changed mine!

The last step of my journey from someone who was afraid to try acupuncture to someone who became an acupuncturist is the best part of my story.

When you are really in pain, you will do almost anything to get out of it. That was the case for me with acupuncture. It is the case for many who come to acupuncture. It is a strange concept until you try it. Little needles poke into you to relieve pain and ease stress. It is amazing that these tiny, almost completely painless little pin-pricks can balance your body systems and bring you greater health and vitality.

I first tried acupuncture for back pain and then for menstrual issues. As I am growing older, I use acupuncture for hot flashes and general stress reduction and body system balancing.

You can learn more about an acupuncture session here.

When I first experienced the benefits of acupuncture for myself, I just had to learn more. I had been a Reiki practitioner for years and knew how deep relaxation could help the body to ease pain and stress. My first acupuncturist had combined acupuncture with Reiki and energy healing, and I knew that was what I wanted to do as well.

I’d had acupuncture with a couple of other practitioners and I still found it to be very helpful, but the added benefit of the Reiki made the acupuncture even more effective.

I found a small holistic college that offered acupuncture training on a flexible schedule. Going back to school in your 40’s with 3 kids and a business to run is no easy task, so I knew I was up for a challenge. The biggest part of the challenge to me was wondering whether I would actually have the guts to stick a needle into anyone.

Yes, I enrolled in the course and paid my money without knowing if I was really going to be able to go through with it.

Of course, being a psychic, I did several readings about taking the course, and I was pretty confident I was gong to be okay. The thing with being psychic is that you can have a hard time reading for yourself. It’s hard to put aside your emotions (fear of sticking people with needles!) and focus only on the cold, hard reality. So you have to be willing to trust in your gut and plunge in head first when your inner guidance tells you to. Trusting in your intuition usually leads you in the right direction.

I am totally happy that I did just that. Acupuncture is my most favourite thing to do. I absolutely love poking people with needles, because I have the benefit of being on the giving end of a therapy that really helps people on physical, emotional and spiritual levels. I have found my niche and I am home. Now to keep on learning more!

For several years different health practitioners had been suggesting that I try acupuncture. My Shiatsu therapist, my chiropractor and my massage therapist had all suggested acupuncture for different issues I was experiencing. Believe it or not, I, an acupuncturist, was afraid of needles! I wasn’t deathly terrified or anything. I could give blood or have a blood test, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of several needles going into my body.

I resisted trying acupuncture for a long time. I heard about how effective it was, but I still could not convince myself to give it a try.

Until the day I put my back out.

I had put my back out once before, several years earlier, and I had been incapacitated for two weeks. I remember lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, zoned out on muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs. It took many more weeks to truly recover and I didn’t want to go through that again.

So, this time, I got over my fear and tried acupuncture. My back injury was the same or maybe a little worse than it had been the first time, so I was expecting to be out of commission for a while. To my surprise and delight, I was back on my feet in only three days! No weeks of lying in bed on medication. No weeks of slow and tedious recovery!

I was hooked! To me, acupuncture was a miracle! To find out more about acupuncture services I now offer, click here!

Needless to say, I was ready to try acupuncture for other issues I was having, and I found it to be extremely useful for those issues as well. My next blog will explain how acupuncture can help with menstrual issues. Stay tuned!

In a word, Yes. But like any other gift or talent, psychic ability comes naturally to some, rarely to others, and is something that most of us have to work at in order to be any good at it. Wherever you position yourself on the psychic spectrum, there are many resources on the web to help you improve your intuitive capabilities.

Are You Psychic? Why not find out? asks this age old question and then points out the problems inherent in researching paranormal phenomenon. The article then suggests that it is best to try some of the many available exercises and methods of psychic development for yourself.  The benefits to using your intuitive side (along with common sense of course!) range from the surprisingly mundane to the truly life altering.  As I said in the post, Common Sense Psychic, getting to know your psychic side has very positive, practical rewards.

Should you choose to pursue your own psychic development, one thing is guaranteed: you will learn about yourself  as well as those hidden talents that lie within you, and that’s always a good thing

My Psychic Development course recently had a rave review!  And this site has posted an excerpt of my course entitled Your Psychic Style.

Learning to be more intuitive brings many rewards. My interactive online course helps you learn to relax and tune into your inner self. I know that can sound like new age mumbo jumbo, but it can give you very concrete benefits that are useful in day-to-day life. We all have that little voice inside our heads that tries to tell us what to do. I am sure we can all remember a time when we didn’t listen to that little voice and ended up regretting it.

I am sure there have also been times in your life when you have trusted in the little voice and found that things worked out as you had hoped.

That little voice is your psychic self, trying to steer you in the right direction. Some people call it a gut feeling, or a sense of knowing. A few simple exercises, like the ones in my course, can help you learn to identify your psychic gifts and get more information to work with. You will find it easier to make every day decisions and to trust in them. You can improve your relations with others and feel more self-confident. The ability to be more aware and connected to your past, present and future makes you one step closer to fulfilling your dreams.

If you have been yearning to develop your psychic skills, you really should have a peek at the course.