As a year marked by isolation and uncertainty comes to a close, it feels important to focus on all the things that we managed to do instead of what we could not. A lot happened even though life doesn’t look or feel the same anymore. We still celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. We walked outdoors on trails and beaches. We rode our bikes, soaked in the sunshine, and voted in a pivotal election.
Most importantly, we’re still here – healthy and whole. We have to hang in there just a little longer and remember that we know a lot more than we did nine months ago. Soon, it will be our turn to get the vaccine. Still, it doesn’t hurt to review the basics and create a COVID kit. Let’s continue to be careful, stay safe, and bring this pandemic to a close as soon as we can.
May we take all that we have learned in 2020 and walk into the light of 2021 with a spring in our step and hope in our hearts. I wish you all a joyful, peaceful and healthy holiday season!
Cheers,
Fannie
Clinic holiday schedule
The clinic will be closed for two weeks after Christmas and will reopen on Jan 9th. Thanks as always to everyone for cooperating with the extra pre-screening after the Thanksgiving holiday and your continued compliance with safety protocols such as mask wearing and hand washing/sanitizing.
To those who have been asking about gift cards, you can get them online at your convenience. I’ve done away with paper gift cards for now. E-gift cards will just appear in the “Cards on File” under the recipient’s name during checkout, so they are not only more convenient, they are also harder to misplace.
Resources for winter flu season
If you’re planning to hibernate this winter to ride out the surge in COVID cases, I completely understand. There are other remedies available if you are unable to get acupuncture.
Chinese Herbs can be taken orally as a tea or as caplets/teapills. I like to prescribe herbs for allergies and the common cold, as well as more complex problems like women’s health issues that include regulating cycles, preventing PMS, and supporting fertility. Herbs work especially well when combined with acupuncture, but they are quite powerful on their own when taken properly.
Flying Turtle also has its own line of topical liniments for pain. The Trauma Liniment works well for acute conditions like muscle spasms and sprains by helping to reduce inflammation. The Tendon Lotion is a warming formula that works better for chronic issues like arthritis, golf/tennis elbow, or any pain that gets worse with cold/damp weather.
Cupping is wonderful for loosening tight muscles. Once you’ve experienced it, cupping is easy and safe to administer at home. I have started carrying silicone cupping sets for sale at the clinic due to increased interest in this modality. Ask me questions if you’re curious about whether or not you can benefit from cupping.
New insurance for 2021?
If your insurance coverage is changing, please re-enter your insurance info using this link whenever you get your new card so that we can continue to bill your insurance directly when you come in for your appointment next year.
Laugh and Learn
Most of us are probably telling 2020 not to let the door hit it on the way out, but Jimmy Falon and Andrew Rannells did this awesome recap called 2020 the Musical. Enjoy!
If, like me, you’re planning to take a break from doomscrolling and pick up a book over the holidays, I recommend the latest Cormoran Strike whodunit by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym for JK Rowling). I also have the third installment of the fantasy trilogy The Poppy War by RF Kuang waiting in the wings. It’s a wonderful series based in part on real historical events (the Opium War) in China.
Oh, and if you need recommendations for books related to #BlackLivesMatter:
Stay informed
- Johns Hopkins testing tracker – New England
- Get tested – find a test site with this interactive map
- Why a negative COVID test before Thanksgiving isn’t an all-clear