Deirdre O'Carroll Acupuncture, Waterford

27/07/2024

Lovely demonstration and explanation of cupping by Cork acupuncturist Fiona Barry on Virgin Media today. Cupping is regularly used in Chinese Medicine for pain relief and congestion in the body. I often use it for long covid clients too.
Cupping marks are often noticeable on Olympic athletes.

Cupping therapy is one of the most ancient and revered healing techniques. Chinese Health practitioner Fiona Barry is here now to tell us more.

04/11/2022

Already see so many hunched backs and tight necks and shoulders from this.

A hunched back, claw-handed, and second eyelid could be common features of human anatomy in the future, a new computer model reveals.

23/03/2020

It's wonderful to see how much we have available to us online, thank you to all the yoga teachers, qigong and Tai chi teachers!
I'm sharing with you a set of qigong practices. These are free at present, there is normally a charge. They are short, 20 minutes or so. You can choose one for anxiety, for breath control, to help your immune system etc., whatever suits you today. Let me know how you find them!

Lee Holden has devoted his career to helping others learn the powerful principles of Qi gong. Anybody, at any age or fitness level, can use these moving meditation techniques to improve physical fitness, assist in injury recovery, and to relieve tension and stress.

13/03/2020

Love this post from my colleague, Julie, in which she shares some of her best self-care recommendations that you can use to keep yourself calm, healthy and resilient. Sharing with her permission. I will be adding links to some qigong and meditation videos in the coming days which you may find useful.

THE BASICS
Let's start with the ABC's--these are the things you CAN control:
A is for Attitude. This is everything. A calm nervous system helps foster a strong immune system. I like the expression "Proceed as if it is not a problem" because we are super resilient human beings and many of us have been through challenges much larger than this in our lives. Check in with yourself and adjust accordingly.
B is for Breath. This is our best tool for keeping a calm nervous system. In through the nose, longer exhale through the mouth. This keeps our nervous systems strong and calm Even better? You do this, and you can help calm others down because you are modeling calm behavior (it goes the other way too, which is an even greater reason for being mindful of your breath).
C is for Choice. You get to choose how you move through this situation. Everything can suck, or be full of panic or fear, or you can say yes to what is happening in the present moment and eliminate the friction by accepting the the moment for what it is.

And then there are the other basics, which include:

1. Washing your hands. There, I've done my due diligence on what cannot be overstated enough. Wash them every time you come in from the outside, every time you go to the bathroom, every time you think about it. Wash them, wash them good. 20 seconds or more.

2. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. This is the foundation for a strong immune system. Asleep by 10:30. Lights out at 10:20. Pretend you are a kind and loving parent to yourself, and gently admonish yourself that really, it's time for lights out at 10:20. Because you'll thank yourself later and may even develop a good lifelong habit of investing in your health by getting more sleep.

3. Stay calm. See the ABC's above. Anxiety, fear and panic all increase the release of cortisol, which compromises the immune system. That's not what we want. And staying calm feels better anyway. Read the trashy novel. Skip FB. Do some drawing. Do some yoga. Meditate. Breathe. Laugh. Take a nap. Do what you need to modulate your immune system by keeping calm. (Another good lifelong habit to foster!!)

4. Nourish yourself. Eat warm, cooked foods. Avoid sugar, avoid alcohol, avoid dairy right now. This will help your body operate from a place of lower inflammation--boosting the immune system and lowering overall stress.

05/03/2020

Thanks Valentina Profeta

The message below has just been posted by a colleague. I’m copying it here to share it with my Facebook contacts. Please feel free to share it...

Below is a report from a doctor concerning Coronavirus.
As Received: A doctor graduated with a master's degree and works now in Shenzhen Hospital. He is now being transferred to Wuhan to study this pneumonia virus. He just told us to tell everybody the following:
· If you have a cold with a runny nose with sputum (flem) you cannot have this new type of coronavirus pneumonia, because coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough without a runny nose and flegm. This is the simplest way to identify the difference. Please tell your friends that the more you know medically you will have a better awareness of identification and prevention if the coronavirus.
· This time, the Wuhan virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed at a temperature of 26-27 degrees. Therefore, drink more hot water. You can tell your friends and relatives to drink more hot water to prevent it.
· And Go under the Sun. It has been cold recently, and drinking hot water is also very comfortable. It is not a cure but it is good for the body. Drinking very warm water is effective for all viruses!
· And Try to remember not to drink ice water!
Here is a Doctor's advice about coronavirus:
1. It is pretty large in size (cell is about 400-500nm diameter), so any normal mask (not just the N95 feature) should be able to filter it out. However, when someone who's infected sneezes in front of you, it will take a great 3 meters (about 10 feet) before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
2. When the virus drops on metal surface, it will live for at least 12 hours. So remember if you come in contact with any metal surface, wash your hands with soap thoroughly.
3. The virus can remain active on fabric for 6-12 hours. Normal laundry detergent should kill the virus. For winter clothing that does not require daily washing, you can put it out under the sun to kill the virus.
About the symptoms of the pneumonia caused by Coronavirus:
1. It will first infect the throat, so the throat will have the dry sore throat feeling which will last for 3 to 4 days
2. Then the virus will blend into the nasal fluid and drips into the trachea and enter the lungs, causing pneumonia. This process will take 5 to 6 days.
3. With pneumonia, comes high fever and difficulty in breathing. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You will feel like you are drowning in water. It's important to go seek immediate medical attention if you feel like this.
About prevention:
1. The most common way of getting infected is by touching things in public, so you must wash your hands frequently. The virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 mins, but a lot can happen in those 5-10 mins (you can rub your eyes or pick your nose unwittingly).
2. Aside from washing your hands frequently, you can gargle with Betadine Sore Throat Gargle to eliminate or minimize the germs while they are still in your throat (before dripping down to your lungs).
Folks, take extra care and drink plenty of hot water.

25/01/2020

Happy Chinese New Year! 🎉 This is the Year of the Metal Rat! 🐀

This will be a year of new beginnings (I LOVE that!). Everyone will show determination regarding their goals, aspirations, and even hobbies. It's a year for great productivity! 👊

The Year of the Rat is going to bring us creative energy, which can manifest by fulfilling plenty of wishes in our life. Happy Success to YOU!

The RAT is Yang in nature and represents the beginning of a new day, new possibilities and a fresh start!
Rats are clever, quick thinkers; successful, but content with living a quiet and peaceful life.
Rat years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008.

11/11/2019

There are so many conditions acupuncture can help with! I'm currently treating infertility, morning sickness and other pregnancy related issues, hormone imbalance, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, PMS, sinus, palpitations, digestive issues, chronic headaches, hip pain and back pain! All in a week's work!

Acupuncture is one of those things people either swear by or are skeptical about. For example, while I personally wouldn’t think lying on a table while someone sticks needles into my skin would be all that relaxing, evidently, one of the most common…

18/10/2019

LOVING these FREE introductory Qigong videos from Canadian Qigong teacher, Fabrice Piche. Do try them out, especially the self massage video. Wonderful to do after a long day to relieve stress and create energy flow. 😊

This website was developed to offer you high quality training directly in your home. You now have the opportunity to learn one of the most popular and effective Medical Qigong system: Taiji Qigong Shibashi.

27/09/2019

There’s always a choice. In every moment, every day. The choice of love, kindness, compassion. Even when stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted—love is available. Start with gentle and watch what unfolds.🙂

15/09/2019

Sharing this post from Mary Reynolds with her Elderberry Cordial recipe. A little tip..if you freeze the berries first, it's much easier to separate them. My kitchen was filled with the amazing scent of the spices today!

Time to make elderberry syrup. Immune booster and flu killer extraordinaire. Gratitude to the Elder. (Sambucus nigra.)
We mind her, she minds us. 🌍😊💚🙏

Here's my usual recipe. ( There are plenty of others online anyway).
For every cup of ripe elderberries (remove berries from stems with a fork) add 1 cup of good filtered water. (Today I’m making a 5 cup portion)
A couple of cinnamon sticks.
Dash of cloves
Finger size of grated ginger.
Throw everything into a pot.
Bring to the boil.
Then simmer (lid off) for 30-45 mins, (make sure it's not less time simmering or it won’t destroy toxins that will make you ill if you eat the raw berries) .
Remove from heat.
Now mash.
Strain into a mixing bowl.
Wait till mixture is a little cooler then add honey and mix.
I add as much local raw honey as I have to hand... a good couple of cupfuls. (make sure those bees are left with most of their honey, a good bee keeper will not take all the honey and leave the poor bees with sugar water to try and survive the winter!)
Pour into dark glass bottles. Cap. Keeps in fridge for months.
A spoon a day for preventative measures. If you are sick then a few spoons a day until you are better. Various opinions on how long it lasts. I freeze some for after Christmas and the fridge bottles last until then here anyway.
x Mary

30/07/2019

Back from a wonderful break and looking forward to seeing you soon! Just give me a call 086 8631666 to arrange an appointment.