Feeling tired and run down? Don’t fight it! It is natural to want a few extra minutes of sleep at this time of year. Our bodies are very attuned to the weather patterns and the movements of nature. So go to bed early, hit that snooze button or take the cat nap your body is craving.

There are things you can do to improve your sleep. Acupuncture can help to resolve insomnia and give you a better quality of sleep and below is an excerpt from an article with some more great tips on sleep:

“During winter, our energy slows along with the rest of our environment. We do not hibernate like bears or lose our leaves like the trees, but we do require more rest at this time of year. For many, it might be just 30 minutes more sleep. For some, it could be another hour or two of regenerative rest each day.” read more…

At this time of year, we are trying to clear away the old and ring in the new and improved. We are hopeful for a fresh start and looking to make the most of the short amount of daylight we get each day!

Sometimes our greatest ambitions are stopped cold by minor health complaints. Colds, flu’s, digestive problems, and good old fashioned fatigue take their toll on our good intentions.

Did you know you can boost your energy and you immune function with acupuncture or cupping therapy?

Acupuncture balances the body systems and helps get the energy flowing. Cupping therapy draws out toxins and can really help you if you are already sick. Cupping therapy is a great way to help move out those unproductive coughs that are going around! The suction of the cups can actually loosen up the muscles around the rib cage that have been tightened up by all of that coughing. When the muscles loosen up, there is a little more expansion in your chest and you can get enough air in there to cough up the phlegm that is settling your lungs. Better out than in, as the saying goes, and once the phlegm is out of the way, you lungs can begin to heal. And you might even get a better nights sleep as well!

The cupping therapy can be combined with acupuncture, but if you are nervous about needles, you can have the cupping therapy all on its own. There are all kinds of conditions that cupping therapy can help with, check it out!

So, even though there are great ways to help you if you are sick, it is better to try to prevent those illnesses by boosting your energy ahead of time. Many practitioners recommend a brief course of treatment in the winter and in the summer as a preventative health measure, especially for those who find themselves coming down with every little bug.

In the book, “Magic Needles: Feel Younger and Live Longer with Acupuncture” by Jun Xu, MD and LAc, and Frank Murray explain how a series of treatments in both the winter and in the summer, can help prevent old issues from cropping back up.

These seasonal treatments are especially helpful for allergy sufferers, people with depressed immune function, and for those with chronic health issues, like digestive issues and hormonal problems.

Treating the body and keeping it balance with 4 to 6 session twice per year can be much more efficient than waiting for health issues to take hold and then trying to correct them all over again.

Why not head ‘em off at the pass and keep enjoying your good health?