TCM for Managing Ménière’s
A Healthy Curiosity
Traditional Chinese Medicine often shines the brightest in areas where conventional medicine struggles: conditions where there is no single known cause, and no standard go-to treatment. One such condition is Ménière’s disease: a complex condition involving dizziness, vertigo, tinnitis that allopathic medicine isn't so sure about. Will Sheppy, L.Ac, D.Ac., shares his personal experience with Ménière's disease, and what he did about it. Through treating himself and his patients with the condition, Will illustrates his TCM approach of treating the underlying pattern of disharmony to...
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Medicinal Mushrooms
A Healthy Curiosity
Medicinal mushrooms have been revered in Chinese medicine for millennia and are gaining popularity for their ability to support immunity, energy, stress resilience, brain function, longevity, and more. They seem to be everywhere, from coffee to protein shakes. Is it hype? Or could you be missing out? Here to take us on a deep dive into medicinal mushrooms and how they can be powerful allies for our nervous systems, brains, and bodies as we age is herbalist Lee Carroll. Lee Carroll is a leading medical herbalist, educator, speaker, innovator, and mentor with over 30 years of experience in the...
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Evil Bone Water for Pain
A Healthy Curiosity
You're probably aware of how powerful acupuncture is for treating pain. Chinese herbal Medicine has a role to play as well. Fellow acupunctuist and herbalist Dr. Mark Brinson joins us to share his experience a clinician, entrepreneur, and creator of Evil Bone Water, a topically-applied Chinese herbal linament based on a 500-year-old recipe that Brodie considers a medicine cabinet staple. On Today’s Episode of A Healthy Curiosity: Mark's meandering path to Chinese Medicine What shaped and informed his approach with herbs and his overall practice Why he created Evil Bone Water The...
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Chinese Medicine For Your Gut Microbiome
A Healthy Curiosity
You know we need a healthy gut microbiome in order to digest and absorb nutrients from our food – without pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. It also plays a role in autoimmune disease, hormone balance, our level of energy overall, heart disease, kidney disease, brain fog, bone health -- the list goes on. With Chinese herbal medicine, we can encourage the body to release its own digestive enzymes and bile while supporting the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and intestines. On today’s episode you'll learn: What besides food affects the gut microbiome How the gut interconnects with...
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Lessons From 20 Years in Practice
A Healthy Curiosity
In September 2023, my Chinese Medical practice turned 20 years old. This episode started off as a retrospective on lessons learned in these two decades as a self-employed Licensed Acupuncturist, herbalist, and coach. While it starts with the role of a clinician and the nature of healing, it explores issues that parents, givers, and people who care about what they do may well relate to, like: If you'll never know it all, when is enough enough? How healing happens -- and who is responsible The work that happens before showing up for work Detaching the ego from outcomes, even when you care How...
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The Hormone Balance Pyramid
A Healthy Curiosity
Moving from overwhelm to a more healthy life is often about small steps. One such step can be embracing the philosophy of seeing how so many things can be connected. Approaching symptoms we're experiencing through the lens of the mind-body connection can help us do things like calm down our nervous system and reduce stress while still doing everything we need to do in our lives. Ali Damron, a colleague in the Chinese Medicine field, joins this conversation to dig into this philosophy of connectedness, particularly with regard to hormone balancing. When we attune to the part our hormones play...
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Care and Feeding of Your Microbiome
A Healthy Curiosity
Taking steps in the direction of better health is a multi-faceted process. Not only do we have to take care of ourselves, but we also have to take care of the trillions of microbes that call our bodies home. Rooted in the Earth element of Chinese Medicine, the ecosystem of our bodies is integral to our health in a variety of different ways from our ability to produce energy to feeling grounded and centered. Dr. Chris Damman joins us in this conversation to geek out on where the science of the microbiome verifies aspects of Chinese Medicine. On Today’s Episode of A Healthy Curiosity: ...
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Questions from the Treatment Room, Answered
A Healthy Curiosity
This season of the podcast has focused a lot on demystifying different aspects of Chinese Medicine. From acupressure to qi gong, we've spoken with experts to dig into the details of how these practices can help us move toward better health. In this conversation, we're exploring some of the most common questions from patients in the clinic in an asynchronous q+a session. These questions cover a broad range from the concrete, tactical side to the more theoretical side to help gain a deeper understanding for how the practice of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine works. On Today’s Solo...
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Self-healing with Acupressure: There’s an App for That
A Healthy Curiosity
A consistent theme in this show is empowering you to embody self-respect through daily actions; to take small steps in the direction of better. The body is always seeking balance and homeostasis through its own intelligence and there are usually actions we can take to help support that process. One such way is using points on the body to take care of yourself through acupressure. Katie Pedrick, L.Ac. joins us for this conversation to unpack some of the self-care possibilities that come from putting your own hands on your body. As another proponent of empowering you to support your body's...
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Immunity, Digestion, Focus and Relaxation Practices
A Healthy Curiosity
Whether dealing with a COVID infection or just moving through life, a lot of us may be hitting energetic walls these days. In times like this, employing methods rooted in Chinese Medicine, like qi gong, can be very powerful in taking care of ourselves. Dr. Juli Kramer has practiced and studied qi gong intensely for years and she joins us in this conversation to discuss building strength through the gentle movements of qi gong. In addition to the value of using both yin and yang practices in our wellness efforts, she shares how clearing stagnation in different parts of the body helps to avoid...
info_outlineTraditional Chinese Medicine often shines the brightest in areas where conventional medicine struggles: conditions where there is no single known cause, and no standard go-to treatment. One such condition is Ménière’s disease: a complex condition involving dizziness, vertigo, tinnitis that allopathic medicine isn't so sure about.
Will Sheppy, L.Ac, D.Ac., shares his personal experience with Ménière's disease, and what he did about it. Through treating himself and his patients with the condition, Will illustrates his TCM approach of treating the underlying pattern of disharmony to help people with Ménière’s have more good days than bad.
On Today’s Episode of A Healthy Curiosity:
- Host Brodie Welch reflects on a both/and mindset
- What we know about Ménière's disease and Will’s own experience with it
- Why the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine is so well suited to addressing Ménière's disease
- Breaking out of all-or-nothing thinking in order to help shift the pattern
- What to start getting curious about.
Will Sheppy is a licensed acupuncturist with over 20 years of clinical experience and the founder of Valley Health Clinic in Albany, Oregon. He specializes in treating complex, chronic conditions using Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ménière's disease is one he knows from the inside out. Will was diagnosed with Ménière's disease himself and was able to put his symptoms into remission using Chinese herbal medicine. That firsthand experience living with the vertigo, the ear pressure, the tinnitus, and the uncertainty — drives the way he approaches treatment with his patients. He doesn't just understand the theory; he's lived the condition. Through his clinical work and writing, Will helps people understand how Ménière's disease rarely acts alone. He explores how comorbidities like vestibular migraines, gut dysfunction, neck tension, allergies, and nervous system dysregulation can overlap with and amplify Ménière's symptoms making it harder to identify true triggers. His approach uses TCM pattern differentiation to address underlying imbalances such as Dampness, Heat, and Stagnation, combined with herbs, acupuncture, dietary changes, movement, and hydrotherapy. Will is passionate about helping people build practical, personalized systems to understand and manage their Ménière's disease —so they can stop feeling lost in conflicting advice and start making real progress.
This podcast is for infomational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.
Links:
Gut Brain Synchrony Community (affiliate link)
Episode 224: Dampness & Digestion Master Class
You can read more about his approach at:
What You Need to Know about Treating Ménière's disease
Connect with Will Sheppy:
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