Support Between Treatments
What happens between acupuncture appointments matters too.
Depending on what we're treating, I may recommend a Chinese herbal formula, nutritional supplement, tea or topical herbal liniment to continue supporting the work we're doing in the treatment room.
I'm selective about what I recommend. I don't believe everybody needs a shelf full of supplements, and I don't recommend products simply because I sell them.
These are tools I actually use in my practice and recommend when I think there's a reason for them.
"EVIL BONE WATER" ZHENG XIE GU SHUI
The patient favorite!
Despite the somewhat alarming name, Evil Bone Water is probably the product I recommend most often—and definitely one of the products patients come back asking for.
Evil Bone Water (Zheng Xie Gu Shui) is a traditional-style Chinese herbal liniment made for topical use. I recommend it frequently for the kinds of musculoskeletal complaints I see every day: sore muscles, sprains and strains, bruising, tendon and ligament irritation, and the assorted aches that come with being a person who moves.
It's easy to use at home between treatments, which is one reason people actually use it. And a treatment only works at home if you're willing to do it.
I keep Evil Bone Water available for purchase in the office. (it is only available from practitioners)
CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS AND WESTERN SUPPLEMENTS
Acupuncture isn't the only part of Chinese medicine I practice.
For some conditions, herbs are every bit as important to me as needles—and sometimes more so.
Chinese herbal medicine allows me to work with a patient's underlying pattern more continuously between acupuncture treatments.
Depending on your Chinese medicine diagnosis, I may recommend herbs to address patterns involving digestion, sleep, stress, pain, temperature regulation, fatigue, dampness, phlegm, stagnation, deficiency and other aspects of health.
There isn't one formula for “sleep” or one formula for “digestion.”
Two people with the same Western diagnosis may need very different Chinese herbal formulas because I'm treating the pattern I see in the person, not simply matching an herb to a disease name.
I use both traditional formulas and modifications when appropriate and will discuss how to take them, what we're trying to accomplish and when we should reassess.
Botanical Biohacking
I also carry teas from Botanical Biohacking, created by Chinese medicine practitioners and based on traditional herbal formulas.
I like these because they're an approachable way to incorporate Chinese herbs into daily life—and because drinking a cup of tea is considerably easier for many people than remembering another complicated health ritual.
Different formulas are appropriate for different people, so ask me which one makes sense for you rather than choosing based solely on the name on the bag.
Nutritional Supplements
Sometimes the most appropriate recommendation isn't a Chinese herb at all.
When there's a reason to supplement, I recommend professional-quality vitamins, minerals and other nutritional products from a variety of manufacturers rather than tying myself to one supplement brand.
For products I don't stock in the office, I use Fullscript, which allows patients to order the specific professional-quality products I recommend and have them shipped directly to their homes.
My philosophy here is pretty simple:
Take what has a reason to be there. Skip what doesn't.
More supplements aren't automatically better.
Not sure what you need?
You probably don't need to figure that out from a webpage.
Products and supplements are most useful when they're chosen in the context of what you're actually experiencing,
what medications and supplements you're already taking, and what we're trying to accomplish.
If you're a current patient, ask me at your next appointment.
Book an Appointment or Free 15-Minute Consultation:
AB Acupuncture is located inside W72 Wellness at 118 West 72nd Street, between Columbus Avenue and Broadway, on Manhattan's Upper West Side.