Becky S writes:

Hey Laura,
I am currently undergoing treatment for all kinds of ailments using acupuncture. I am specifically interested in knowing about the terms that were used to describe me (hot and wet). What other terms might I hear during acupuncture?

I am being treated for pain, infertility, irritation (emotional), and digestive track issues. I have had 4 treatments in 4 weeks. I have had noticeable pain reduction (severe inflammation in my sacrum ) and almost no digestive problems (my doc wanted me to have a scope to check for Crones, but I haven’t had any flare ups in a long time). As for the infertility, my cycle is progressing quite well with noticeable improvement in cervical...

Anonymous writes:

I read somewhere that there’s no medical/health reason for a woman to have a period every month.  Even one of the nurses at my gyno’s office mentioned that she just takes her birth control pills continuously so as not to have one.  I can’t put my finger on why, but this seems strange and wrong to me.  However, I have nothing to back my opinion except that that’s how women were designed and it’s best not mess with Design (and maybe that should be reason enough).  I have never taken my pills continuously, though it’s extremely tempting as my period wrecks havoc on my whole body.  Every month I get sick to my stomach, lose my appetite, and energy, and get cramps...

Ashley writes:

Laura! Help! My headaches are ruling my life and I’m willing to try anything to find some long-term relief! I feel like I’ve heard it all (as a young child some doctor put me on antidepressants, eek!) and simply cannot be told one more time that I just need to “stress less” or pop a pill. Please help me find my way out of nearly 20 years of debilitating headaches.

Food
Okay, so I’m assuming that you know all about potential food triggers for migraines, right? If you aren’t already, you need to be keeping a migraine diary. Trying to eliminate all the possible food triggers is nearly impossible, but scrupulously writing down what you eat for a week and tracking your migraine...

Emily writes:

My mum has arthritis in her thumbs and it gives her a lot of pain. I want to look for something to help her but I dont really know where to start. Do you know of any herbal (or just generally non toxic) remedies that I can suggest to her to relieve it.

Luckily, there are a lot of effective and natural ways to combat the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis!

Diet and nutrition
Probably the most important thing your mom can do is to change her diet. Avoiding inflammatory foods can really help…you guessed it: reduce inflammation! Dairy, sugary, salty, and fatty foods, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, etc.), alcohol and caffeine all contribute to inflammation....

“D” writes:

Hey Laura,
My mom had hip replacement surgery and keeps getting an infection. She’s got an oozing infection on her leg and a UTI from the last round of antibiotics. I know you’re really into what else can be done in addition to antibiotics, and I thought I’d try to get some ideas from you—something my dad can make up for her, etc.

*** Disclaimer: Guess what! I’m not a doctor! Trust your instincts and the other qualified experts in your life. ***

Oh, what a bummer! My initial thought is that her immune system must be totally shot - the multiple rounds of antibiotics will do that. I’m a big advocate of probiotics; they can help replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotics...