Evil Bone Water (EBW) is one of our best sellers in the clinic for many very good reasons!
According to the classical name, Zheng Gu Shui, (Zhèng Gǔ Shuǐ; 正骨水) the formula is called “Mend the Bones Water”, highlighting its use for soothing pain and speeding the healing of fractured and bruised bones. But wait…
There’s more:
I have all of these!!! Can I bathe in it?
Is it just for humans?
It sounds great! What’s the downside?
Ok, so it’s not quite 101 ways, but Evil Bone Water is a wonderfully useful topical to have in your first aid kit. I keep a bottle in every car, at the barn, in my husband's shop (he’s a mechanic) and the patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Several buy it by the case to share with their friends and family! So on the “List of things I wouldn’t want to be on a deserted island without”, this one is definitely in the top 5!
Evil Bone Water is available for purchase in our clinic, and online here!
Have an Evil Bone Water success story? We’d love to hear about it!
CBD is a pretty hot herbal product these days—well-known for its properties of improving sleep, relieving pain, and easing anxiety. I find that in these cases its effectiveness can vary widely between people. Some need a tincture over a capsule, some need a very low dose, while others a much higher dose (and in some cases where the hemp for the CBD was grown makes a huge difference!) For this reason, finding the product that works best for you can sometimes be a bit frustrating (not to mention expensive!) when those early tries fail. And for a few people, it just doesn’t seem to work well for them in any form. However, there is one area where I feel CBD deserves recognition as a go-to supplement to be included in the treatment plan-bone fractures and osteoporosis/osteopenia!
It turns out that CBD dramatically increased activity in healing bone and resulted in healed fracture sites that were harder than the original bone and shorter healing times. In other studies, it was shown to increase activity in the bone and resulted in increased bone volume. The CB1 & 2 receptors seem to be most involved in the process and most encouraging is the bone remodeling effect is not linked in any way to THC so hemp is a safe and effective way to help boost bone activity.
It’s also important to make sure the body has the building blocks to keep those bones healthy. Our bones are not static like a dried-out skeleton—they are living tissue that replaces itself about every 10 years. In addition to providing the nutrients for healthy bones, exercise is crucial to maintaining healthy bones. As outlined by the Surgeon’s General Office, these are some key components of bone health:
So how much CBD is needed to help improve bone health? This is where the research gets a little unclear, but 25mg per day orally is a safe dosage range to start with and then increase from there. As long as there are no digestive problems it’s safe to go as high as 50mg per day for long-term use.
**Disclaimer: While CBD products are less than .3% THC some people do not metabolize THC well and it can accumulate in the body with regular use of CBD products—and can result in a positive drug test! If you are subject to drug testing, I do not recommend using CBD products without written approval from whoever is requiring the testing.
We carry a variety of CBD products for patients to try and I have a protocol for bone healing on Fullscript with some of my favorite non-CBD bone support products for ease of ordering!
***The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician before making any changes to any medications, over-the-counter drugs, supplements, or herbs.
A frequent question we get in the clinic is “Can you get me off my diabetes medicine?" The simple answer is “no”. Acupuncture and herbs alone are potent allies in healing, but especially with diabetes, the choices you make each day have far more impact than anything anyone can give you. The more complete answer is “it depends”:
It is also important to know that we cannot make changes to prescription medications, so it’s important to work with your doctor as well as your acupuncturist when you decide that you are ready to make the changes you need for better health.
So why try acupuncture and TCM for diabetes?
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are not a “one-size fits all” treatment approach—each patient is unique and we chose our specific formulas and acupuncture points for each patient based on the presentation of the entire patient; not just a set cookie-cutter treatment. As a result, not only do we see the diabetes symptoms improve, the patient experiences better health overall. By choosing the right approach for each patient we avoid the spiral of “take this medication for this, and this medication for that, and this medication for the side effects of the first medication and yet another medication for the side effects of the second medication….” that so many patients experience.
Now as to the pesky diet and exercise thing:
If you continue to overload your body with too much of the wrong foods and not enough of the right exercise—even the best treatments and formulas, plus the medications your doctor prescribes—won’t be enough to keep the disease from progressing!
I highly recommend anyone who has diabetes or even a risk factor for diabetes (which is pretty much everyone) read “Why We Get Sick” by B. Bikman. It’s a great book based on solid research that helps you understand what happens with diabetes and more importantly, what you can do to change it. If you need help getting off the sugar, we have amazing and compassionate coaching and nutrition partners who can help you!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
Sources:
1 Wang KX, Liang FX, Chen S, Luo ZH, Chen B, Chen ZQ, Zhang YL, Chen J, Gu XL, Zhou T, Yan P, Xu XY. Effect of electroacupuncture of "Biao-Ben" acupoints on renal function and hemorheology and eNOS level in patients with early diabetic nephropathy. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2022 Jan 25;47(1):46-52. Chinese. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20210036. PMID: 35128870.
2 Wang H, Chen X, Chen C, Pan T, Li M, Yao L, Li X, Lu Q, Wang H, Wang Z. Electroacupuncture at Lower He-Sea and Front-Mu Acupoints Ameliorates Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Regulating the Intestinal Flora and Gut Barrier. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2022 Jul 30;15:2265-2276. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S374843. PMID: 35936053; PMCID: PMC9348137.
3 Dimitrova A, Murchison C, Oken B. Acupuncture for the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Mar;23(3):164-179. doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0155. Epub 2017 Jan 23. PMID: 28112552; PMCID: PMC5359694.
It’s that time of year again! That’s right, at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 6th it will be time to dial our clocks back an hour as daylight savings time ends. Some of us can’t wait to fit in that extra hour of coveted sleep, while the rest of us are wondering what kind of cruel joke the universe is playing by completely throwing off our internal clocks.
Whether we’re “springing back” or “falling forward”, the seasonal time changes can cause quite the disconnect between your body’s internal clock and your typical daily schedule. Sunlight helps to govern the physiological cues (or circadian rhythm) that tell your body when to sleep and when to wake up. Our sleep cycles and circadian rhythm can easily become disrupted by the change in daylight hours. These disruptions can affect much more than sleep—think mood, metabolism and weight loss, cardiovascular health, and alertness. With a few time-change survival tips for keeping your sleep schedule intact, you can escape the season unscathed:
It’s easy and rather normal to feel “a little off” as our bodies and internal clocks adjust to fewer daylight hours, but it’s easy to get back into the swing of things! Luckily, most folks find it easier to adjust to the shorter days of fall and winter than to the longer days of spring and summer. Remember these easy tips for keeping your sleep cycle in check and on the mend! And don’t forget: acupuncture is an excellent way to bring the body back to homeostasis, improve your quality of sleep, and boost your mood. If you need further help sleeping soundly and adjusting to the upcoming hustle and bustle, we’re here to help!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
If you’ve spent any time around the Raja offices, you’ve probably met “Lowkey”—the sweet German Shepherd who helps me in so many ways; it won’t come as a surprise that pets are family around our house. But did you know that the animals who share our space provide more than just companionship? Animals have innate abilities to sense and communicate when we don’t feel well (there are loads of stories with dogs, cats, and other animals alerting their owners to impending seizures, heart attacks, and more!) Many times people think I can read minds—because I come to check on them when they are having a difficult time during treatment at just the right time—but the truth is quite often that adorable dog of mine has woken from a dead sleep to alert me to the issue. I don’t know how he knows and I’m ok with him keeping the secret, as long as he keeps helping me help others!
In addition, having pets is linked to reduced rates of depression and anxiety—so much so that emotional support animals are now widely accepted. Even the CDC says “Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels.”1 Other studies have shown how having pets reduces cortisol levels. Furthermore, those pets of ours keep us more active and give us a reason to go outside and more even when the weather isn’t perfect.
I am blessed to work with a variety of animals who share their healing gifts with others—from our herd of horses and mini donkey to our dogs, and even the barn cats work their magic to help bring smiles to those who visit. Horses in particular can regulate the coherence of our heart rhythm and stress response just by being near us. The Heart Math Institute has some fascinating research on this. Cats have a unique “superpower” in their purr. “A cat purrs within a range of 20-140 Hz which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses in humans. A cat's purr can not only lower stress it can also help labored breathing, lower blood pressure, help heal infections, and even heal bones.”2
Animals of all kinds can bring joy into our lives, even the slithery and skittering kinds like snakes & lizards. They may not be for everyone (let’s face it—not everyone is a cat or dog lover), but if they brighten your day then that’s all that matters.
Jenny-Marie Greenough
As responsible human stewards of our animal friends, it’s important to remember that their health comes with unique concerns based on nutritional, environmental, and mental needs. Luckily for our horses, dogs & cats, there are a variety of supplements and herbal medicines to help keep them feeling their best! Some of my favorite products are:
For those of you with dogs—we’ve got a photo contest running to win a goodie basket for your best bud! So bring out the photos and let’s see those smiling furry faces!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
Sources:
1 https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/how.html
2 https://www.akcreunite.org/catsimprovementalhealth/
One question we hear from patients quite often is, “If I’m getting acupuncture, is it ok to see the chiropractor?” or vice versa. Chiropractic care and acupuncture are actually rather complementary to one another! In fact, we have some exciting news: Beginning October 2022, we will have chiropractic care available at our Magnolia location with Dr. Nowelle Altman-Sigman!
Chiropractic care is a manual, hands-on treatment that focuses on correcting misalignments of the joints, especially those of the spinal column. This is a viable treatment for those experiencing neck, back, or joint pain and for those suffering from headaches and neuromusculoskeletal problems. Chiropractic treatments are an effective, non-invasive and holistic approach to many ailments, providing pain relief and in many cases, relief from further issues stemming from blockages in the body caused by misalignment. Often, patients of chiropractic care also note improvements in quality of sleep, digestion, energy levels, and even mood.
Acupuncture is an entirely different modality—using fine, sterile needles inserted at specific anatomical points on the body. While acupuncture treats a wide range of ailments by promoting the body’s natural healing abilities, releasing feel-good endorphins and restoring the body to homeostasis, it does have commonalities with chiropractic care. Both are holistic, drug-free options for care with a patient-centered approach that promotes natural healing and optimal health. Acupuncture and chiropractic care both share the objective of balancing the body’s structure and its support systems.
When both acupuncture and chiropractic treatments are combined, you can expect to see more improvement over less time. While a chiropractic adjustment corrects the body’s structure and eliminates blockages in the body caused by misalignment, acupuncture further relaxes the muscles, reduces pain and inflammation, and assists the flow of energy through the body where these blockages once existed; more importantly, it helps the body adapt to and maintain its corrected structure.
These two treatments working together offer an unmatched, supportive and holistic approach to pain relief. If you’d like to incorporate chiropractic care into your acupuncture routine we will begin offering treatments with Nowelle Altman-Sigman, DC starting October 2022!
She will be available on Wednesdays at our Magnolia location and we couldn’t be more excited! Along with chiropractic adjustments, Dr. Nowelle Altman-Sigman will also offer craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, and functional medicine. For further information or to be added to her waitlist, call our office at 270-506-3853, and stay tuned to our website for more updates!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
One of the things people don’t tend to think of when they think of acupuncture is eye issues. After all, most of the time, except for treating perhaps pinkeye, even your general practitioner is going to send you to a specialist for eye issues. Less well known is how acupuncture can be beneficial for your eye health.
So what is acupuncture good for? As with many other chronic diseases, acupuncture can slow the progression of glaucoma1, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa2 and cataracts3. We have several case studies of patients needing fewer injections to manage their glaucoma after starting acupuncture—and more importantly a brief acupuncture session after the injections completely eliminated the post injection pain shortening the recovery from 1-2 days of downtime due to pain to just a couple of hours.
Acupuncture also enhances muscle function—even the small muscles of the eyes—so even things like slower responses to changing light levels that happen with age can be reduced with acupuncture. It also increases circulation to the eyes, speeding recovery after procedures like retinal repairs and cataract removal. Acupuncture can even help reduce chronically dry eyes!
As with anything we treat, results are best when the body gets the nutrients it needs for optimal performance and the eyes have special needs. Vitamin A supports the light receptors in the eye and protects moisture levels4. Vitamin A is found in dairy, fish and meat, especially liver. Good non-animal food sources of vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, carrots, melons, peppers, apricots, nectarines, tomatoes, mangoes and corn. It is also present in spinach, peas, parsley, pistachios, kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard, where green chlorophyll masks the carotenoid pigment. Antioxidants like lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene are also important for eye health and are found in many of the same foods.
While vitamin A is essential, too much is also dangerous. If you eat these foods regularly it is unlikely you need to supplement vitamin A. Still, there may be some benefits to supplementing lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene if you are having issues with eye health. Some of my most commonly recommended supplements for eye health can be found on Fullscript—but as always, we recommend speaking to your health care provider before starting any new supplements.
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
Sources:
1 Chen SY, Yieh FS, Liao WL, Li TC, Hsieh CL. Effect of Acupuncture on Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma Patients: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Apr 28;2020:7208081. doi: 10.1155/2020/7208081. PMID: 32419820; PMCID: PMC7204356.
2 Bittner AK, Gould JM, Rosenfarb A, Rozanski C, Dagnelie G. A pilot study of an acupuncture protocol to improve visual function in retinitis pigmentosa patients. Clin Exp Optom. 2014 May;97(3):240-7. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12117. Epub 2013 Oct 29. PMID: 24773463; PMCID: PMC4018735.
4 Sajovic J, Meglič A, Glavač D, Markelj Š, Hawlina M, Fakin A. The Role of Vitamin A in Retinal Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 18;23(3):1014. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031014. PMID: 35162940; PMCID: PMC8835581.
We take great pride in the products we use and offer for sale in our clinic. We make sure to select high-quality products that we test and use ourselves, and we love sharing our favorites with you! It’s safe to say that Evil Bone Water ranks in the top 5 products we love and use the most. We keep a bottle in each treatment room, and more than likely if you’ve been to our clinic for anything pain related, we’ve probably recommended that you take home a bottle or likely even applied it to the affected area during your treatment. Here’s what a few of our patients and practitioners have to say about why they love Evil Bone Water:
“Evil Bone Water is my go-to pain reliever. Great for muscle strains, joint pain, bruises, and even cuts—I always keep a bottle handy and recommend this to my clients who struggle with chronic or acute pain.”
- K.K
“I love using Evil Bone Water! It works great for muscle pain and strain. A few sprays on my neck, shoulders, and back every morning, and before bed provides so much relief. It’s great to use before and after exercise and on long trips. I always have it on hand.”
L.M.
“My daughter purchased a bottle of this for me, and I’m so glad she did. I’ve been dealing with back and shoulder pain and multiple surgeries over the past twenty-plus years. This is the best topical product for pain I’ve ever tried, and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried everything—even prescription strength. It really helps my range of motion, too.”
F.S.
“It eases pain quickly on sore muscles and joints!”
T.M.
“Honestly, this is better than anything else I’ve ever used. Things like Icy Hot and stuff you get at the drug store usually burn a lot more and don't work nearly as well. Instant relief for my knee pain! I’ll be keeping this in my gym bag."
T.O.
“ Evil Bone Water is a staple, a must-have for the household. I love using it for aches, muscle tiredness, and any bump or bruise me or my kids may get! Love it!".
N.P.
“When my chest feels congested, I apply a couple sprays of this and it works wonders! Dries quickly, smells great, and it helps me feel like I can breathe again. I even put a little in the diffuser sometimes.”
J.H
“I have a bottle in my medicine cabinet for pain, and in the hot and humid weather, I keep a bottle by my back door too. It’s excellent for arthritis pain so I use it on inflamed or painful joints before bed or if I’ll be in the car for a while to prevent stiffness, but with camphor and menthol as ingredients it also makes a fantastic bug repellent.”
M.S.
These are just a few examples of why we love Evil Bone Water so much! The 500-year-old formula is made in small batches with imperial-grade ingredients (and lots of love!) by Saint Apothecary. It increases circulation, reduces pain and inflammation, and as these folks pointed out is even great for easing chest congestion and keeping bugs away! There’s a reason we all keep this in our first aid kits! Remember, between now and August 20th, 2022, we are offering a free Hand Sanitizer (another excellent formula by Saint Apothecary) if you mix and match any three items from our first aid kit promo! Shop here!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!
We all know how important it is to have essentials on hand in case a minor injury or illness arises. At Raja Wellness, we take what’s in our first aid kits seriously—from what we have on hand in the office, to our home stash, and most importantly our “road kit”! (Seriously—if you’ve heard any of our work road trip stories, you know a well-stocked first aid kit is a must for us!)
We’re sharing our must-haves for natural first aid kits so you can be prepared with an arsenal of natural healing remedies—whether at home or on an adventure! If you’d like to be as well-stocked as the Raja Crew, these items are available in our clinics and our online store:
It’s so important to be prepared for the little setbacks that can strike at any given moment (especially during the summer!) Having these items readily available helps us “keep on keepin’ on” when minor injuries or ailments occur. If you find yourself in need of any of these items, you can find them at our clinic locations or on our website HERE!
For a limited time 7/13 through 8/20/22 both in-store and online, mix and match any 3 or more natural first aid items, and get a FREE Saint Apothecary Hand Sanitizer (a $15 value) while supplies last! SHOP HERE!
Follow Raja Wellness on Facebook and Instagram!
Follow Raja Goods on Instagram!