I am beyond thrilled to announce I have finally moved into Suite 3 at 670 Centre St. in JP. I am directly above City Feed, next to the Taekwondo Studio, in a beautiful, newly renovated office space. 

Ok so... progress is being made daily, but Suite 3 at 670 Centre is still a work in progress. Fortunately, the office *right* next door is open and available, and that is where I'll be working from April 8th for a week or two until my dream office is all the way ready. It's a perfectly comfortable and warm space. Some dubious carpet choices, but perfectly usable. There's a comfortable couch right outside to wait if you're a little early, and a bathroom across the hall to which I have a key. Please email with questions! Kate

Spring is about change, right? While my absolutely stunning new office is getting finished up, hopefully by next week, I will be working out of a temporary (but very comfortable) office at 520 Centre st., which is between the old office and the new one. (Sally Friar chiropractic and Birth and Beyond for those of you who might be familiar with those businesses.) There is street parking, as well as in a little lot on the corner of Centre and Spring Park. The office is on the first floor, up 5 or 6 exterior steps, and to the left once you enter the building. There is a waiting room you are welcome to wait in if you're a bit early, so no need to wait on the street. There is also a bathroom you are welcome to use. Masks are optional in the waiting area, but required in the treatment room, and I will have extras if you forget to bring your own. Please note the Curley K8 is right across the street, so around 8 am and again around 2:30 pm there will be extra traffic. I very much appreciate your patience as we work out the logistics for the new space down the street. More info to follow!

Best,
Kate

Greetings and Happy Spring! I am beyond thrilled to announce that JP Family Acupuncture is moving- just down the street, to 670 Centre St in JP.  If you are an existing client, you should have received an email about the move and some other changes to my practice. In this blog I will cover those office policy changes, as well as intel on the new office. Stay tuned for pictures and I'll try to keep this brief!

POLICY & PRICE CHANGES:

* As of April 1 my out of pocket price will be $105 for hour long acupuncture appointments. New patient appointments including a :30 intake and a :60 treatment will be $140. Acumassage prices will stay at $140. Insurance copays will stay the same as well. If you would like to purchase a package of 2, 3, or 4 sessions at the current price of $95 per appt, you are welcome to do so through April 15. Package sessions will expire April 15 2025. Please contact me directly to purchase.

* The other big change is that my cancellation policy is going from 24 to 48 hours. Exceptions: If you personally develop symptoms of Covid, cold, or flu in the 48 hours before your appointment, I will waive the $105 cancellation fee. If someone in your household falls ill, but you feel fine, I welcome and expect you in. I will reimburse the cancellation fee if I can fill your spot, or if I can reschedule you within the same week. As always, if you are not sure whether or not you should come in, text me and we will figure out the best steps to take.

COVID SAFETY:  I am keeping many of the same protocols around Covid safety, namely mask requirement in the treatment room, cleaning high touch areas between patients, HEPA air filters, and requiring that you do not come in if you have new symptoms of illness (cough, fever, chills, you know the drill by now.)

One change to note: Because I will be using just one treatment room, there will not be a large gap in between patients as before. With masks and HEPA filters, this should still pose a very minimal risk to the spread of infection. If you would like to minimize that risk even more, I would encourage you to book the first appointment of the day. Please reach out with questions!

NEW OFFICE INTEL:

My new office is part of an office suite at 670 Centre St. in JP. It's on the second floor: above City Feed, next door to JP Taekwondo, and downstairs from JP Center Yoga. There are around 20 steps instead of the current 10, but they are all inside so no snow and ice to deal with! There's a bathroom outside in the hallway- I encourage but am not requiring you to wash your hands before coming in, and I will have hand sanitizer available. I encourage you to bring your own mask, but I have extras if needed. There is a waiting room, so no more waiting outside. Please keep noise and cell phone use to a minimum in the waiting area.

PARKING: There is plenty! Free street parking, and 3 free municipal lots within a 2 block radius. However, there are also plenty of people. Please leave extra time to find a spot, especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the summer when the farmer's market is open.

Looking forward to seeing you in the new space come April!
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For many of us, Autumn is a time to regroup and restore after the expansive and externally focused fun of summer. Travels and family time, which certainly looked different this summer for many of us, are shifting and changing to a return to school for those of us with kids, hunkering down at work, all while still trying to make the most of the beauty the season has to offer us here in New England.

In Chinese Medical theory, fall is a natural time to re-organize, clean house, and let go of unwanted baggage both real and metaphorical. This transitioning and re-organizing energy can get to be a little too much, however, and it is sometimes hard to keep calm and grounded during this transition time. The state of the world is certainly not helping! You may be experiencing sleep problems, especially early waking, digestion and/or breathing problems, or feelings of grief or sadness- all associated with imbalances that tend to crop up in the fall.

Acupuncture to the rescue! Acupuncture, Craniosacral therapy, bodywork, breathing and relaxation guidance... all of these can help keep you sailing smoothly through the next few months. Feel free to reach out with any questions about how the practice is working these days with extra Covid protocols, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Hello to all, warm greetings during this challenging time. Below are links to videos I've made that are easy, fun, and super effective for staying relaxed and pain free while we are physically distant from each other. Please feel free to share.

Best,
Kate

Partner neck and shoulder massage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tCSbQIjyw4&t=3s

Self massage for neck and jaw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_WzwgiNM9k&t=5s

Who doesn't love a good massage? Well, most of us do, but it turns out it doesn't just feel good, it's good for you! Increased immunity, better digestion, lowered stress levels, better sleep.. these are just a few of the benefits of therapeutic touch and massage. It turns out that babies benefit from it too, in ways that are even easier to see and measure because their little systems haven't seen as much wear and tear as our adult bodies. In addition, incorporating infant massage into your daily routine is a fantastic way to help the all important bonding that helps babies thrive and parents figure out what the heck is going on with their little one. Plus it's super fun!

JP Family Acupuncture is starting infant massage classes for babies approximately one month to crawling on Thursday mornings. Classes run the first 2 Thursdays of the month, $30 per class, series of 2 classes is suggested but less or more is also possible. Timing is flexible depending on demand, but generally speaking 9 am - noon on Thursdays.

Kate Ellsworth first got trained and certified through the International Association of Infant Massage in 1997, and is extremely excited to get back into teaching baby massage to parents and caregivers!

Fall is a special and magical time in New England, but it can also be a challenge in terms of fall allergies, skin conditions, emotional ups and downs, and even digestive issues.

In Chinese Medicine, each season has correspondences with the physical and emotional body. The organ related to Fall is the Lung. Lung conditions include nasal allergies, respiratory flare-ups such as asthma and bronchitis, and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

The emotion corresponding with Fall is sadness or grief. As the expansive nature of summer shifts to turn inward, it’s natural to become more introspective and somber. If you find yourself feeling extra melancholy at this time of year, or waking between 3 and 5 am, you can chalk it up to autumn’s slower, deeper pace and know that you are not alone!

Other “Fall” symptoms can be digestion-related, and can include upset stomach, constipation, or diarrhea. Turning from cold energy foods such as salads and smoothies and incorporating more warm energy foods such as root vegetables and roasted meats may help tonify the digestive energy and ease GI disturbances. If you’re having respiratory symptoms or constipation you can also incorporate moistening foods such as cantaloupe, pears, eggs, pork, figs, and honey.

What else can you do? (Besides getting some acupuncture to balance you out, of course!) Nothing earth-shattering or new:

Take time for yourself. Get out in nature. Breathe deep. Eat well. Don't skimp on sleep. Make time for connecting with friends and family.