Applepuncture

Achilles Tendonitis>>> Today I treated three different patients with right-sided Achilles tendinitis.

When most people think of Achilles pain, they picture the tendon itself as the problem. But often, the story is a bit more complex. The Achilles tendon (muscle to bone; ligament = bone to bone) is influenced by the muscles that attach to it, particularly the soleus—a deep calf muscle that works hard every time we walk, climb stairs, stand, or run.

When the soleus becomes chronically tight, overworked, or isn’t functioning well, that tension can be transferred down into the tendon over time.

Acupuncture can be a wonderful tool for Achilles pain because treatment isn’t limited to the painful area itself. We can address the tendon, improve local circulation, and also work with the larger muscular patterns contributing to the strain.

One of my favorite things about this medicine is that it encourages us to look beyond where it hurts and ask why the body is compensating in the first place.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve added a small collection of archival art prints to the clinic. A seasonal rotation of works in photography, drawing, and painting will be ongoing, and each piece explores the body (or being a body).

I’m interested in the body as a site where relationship is constantly being negotiated… where contact and restraint, exposure and protection, are never fully settled. That instability shows up physically, in subtle but tangible ways.

Within that, I think of vulnerability as a form of care: not collapse or overexposure, but a measured openness that allows connection to take place.

Art has been a long-standing part of my life, including formal study and teaching, and this feels like a natural way of bringing those threads back into the space where I exist.

Acupuncture is often sought by individuals managing busy lifestyles, particularly mothers, to promote relaxation and stress reduction. A common goal for those with high-pressure routines is to help regulate the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ stress response. This is sometimes described as balancing the autonomic nervous system or supporting the vagus nerve’s role in the body’s rest-and-digest functions. By potentially stimulating specific points, acupuncture aims to foster a sense of calm and overall well-being amidst daily demands.