Sherry Chang Acupuncture Studio Greenpoint Williamsburg
Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Herbs.
My office has reopened. I am so looking forward to seeing you all again in person. The set up for the office will be little different as I am adjusting to reopening guidelines advised by NY state and the NY acupuncture board (ASNY).
COMING INTO THE OFFICE CHECKLIST:
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Take your temperature the night before your appointment and email it to me, I will also take your temperature upon entering the office. You cannot be treated if your temperature is above 100.4
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If you are exhibiting any symptoms of Respiratory infection (fatigue, shortness of breath, fever, chills, cough, loss of taste/smell, body aches) please do not come into the office. I will work with you via Telemedicine, ship herbs to your home and arrange for curb-side pick up. Most people with Covid19 with mild illness can and will recover from home. If you are having trouble breathing, please contact your medical provider, I can call for you if you need me to.
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html
OFFICE SAFETY MEASURES:
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You will be asked to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after the appointment
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Please come alone for your appointment, anyone accompanying you will not be permitted into the office
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Patients will be scheduled per hour, rooms will be ultra sanitized with CDC recommended cleaners. Treatment rooms will also be used every other patient allowing the space to air out
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I’ve added air filters to each room to enhance circulation and ventilation during your treatment
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Windows will remain open during the appointment
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Checkout will take place in the treatment room
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When your appointment is over, you will be asked to leave the office as soon as possible to allow for efficient cleaning and sanitizing
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The waiting area will be closed, all personal belongings will have to be taken with you into the treatment rooms
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There will not be any more than 2 people in the office, ME and the PATIENT
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I will be wearing a mask the entire time for every patient.
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Please bring your own water as the Brita will not be in used at this time
TMJ Disorder- Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
To me, it is one of the oddest disorders people experience. Many people who have this disorder also grind their teeth, bruxism, usually at night during sleep. Why do we grind at teeth at night? Why are we tensing our jaws and trying to chew through our mouths while we are sleeping? Sleeping is the time our body uses to rejuvenate itself, instead, if you suffer from TMJ syndrome, your body and mind is very active. This is a stress response causing a very bad subconscious habit.
What is the Temporomandibular Joint Disorder – TMD
This is the main joint that operates as a hinge, that connects your jaw to the temporal bones in your skull. This allows you to open/close your mouth, chew, yawn and grind. When you have TMD, you grind and clench your jaws, especially at night when you’re sleeping. This chronic disorder leads to myriads of problems. Lock jaw, jaw pain, jaw clocking, tension headaches, migraine headache, tinnitus and the list goes on. You’re just uncomfortable, eating is not enjoyable and in pain.
It is a poorly understood disorder with treatments ranging from mouth guards to botox. So what else can you do?
Acupuncture Treats TMD and Jaw Pain
There are 12 main meridians/channels (think of these as highways running through your body) that flows with Qi and Blood. In the face, 6 out of 12 of these meridians traverse the face and head while some to the shoulders, neck and back and some the front. That’s half! 50% of the body’s energy flow run through the face and head. There’s a lot going on in the face and for good reason. Teeth grinding is stagnant energy in your face. It is stuck in the meridian and can’t flow smoothly, so it sits there, waiting for you to go to sleep and acts up in the middle of the night, then you wake up in the morning with tight neck and shoulders and possibly a tension headache. It really is a terrible disorder and I must say, one that isn’t easy to treat but not impossible.
Usually there are a several meridians that are involved with TMJ disorder, so what we have to do is figure out which of those meridians are involved and address it according to what’s going on with you and your constitution. When you come see me, I will go through a detailed health history with you, take a look at your tongue and pulse (which is one of the few ways Chinese practitioners diagnose disease). Then we will discuss what I think is going on, how we will go about regulating your energy and either do a little acupuncture, acupressure, cupping or gua sha and I may even prescribe you a Chinese herbal formula if you’re open to it. TMJ disorder is a painful thing and you may be in a lot of pain when you come so we will not do anything you are not comfortable with during the treatment.
For more information and would like a free 30 minute consult, please do not hesitate to contact me.