ACUPUNCTURE & TCM FOR: Stress & Stagnation
In Chinese Medicine, stress can cause Liver Qi Stagnation.
So what does Liver Qi Stagnation do? This stagnation impairs the free flow of qi throughout the body, with signs of frequent sighing, melancholy, mood swings, depression & a feeling of suffocation in the chest. Women may also experience irregular menses, painful periods or breast pain & distention. Liver qi stagnation may also transform into fire causing acid reflux, a dry & bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, constipation or even headache.
Qi stagnation can be further complicated by ‘phlegm’ which may present as a sensation of something stuck in your throat (also called plum stone qi). Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine can help you manage stress & reduce the stagnation of qi, and any of the associated symptoms mentioned above.
Don’t forget to meditate, be grateful, enjoy exercise, gentle movement & play.
If you need to reduce stress and any symptoms of ‘stagnation’, make an appointment today!
ACUPUNCTURE & TCM FOR: ANXIETY & THE SHEN
Recently in clinic, I have been seeing more and more people presenting with anxiety, so I wanted to take a brief look at what it is from a TCM perspective and what we can do about it.
Anxiety is a very normal human emotion, and in small doses it can actually help you deal with a tense situation, study for an exam or keep you focused for that dreaded speech. It becomes a problem when it repeatedly interferes with daily life, is excessive, prolonged or out of proportion with the cause.
According to Chinese Medicine, anxiety is most frequently associated with the Heart & shen (or spirit). The spirit can become ungrounded due to Heart qi, blood or yin deficiency, or heat & stagnation can further disturb the spirit. All leading to different forms and presentations of anxiety.
Anxiety can present as: palpitations with mental restlessness, insomnia, headache, digestive disturbances, abdominal fullness &/or pain or even mouth ulcers. Palpitations with poor memory, being easily startled, excessive dreaming, dizziness, blurry vision, scanty periods, numbness/tingling, as well as a lack of energy.
Inherited predispositions also play a role, as well as overwork, exhaustion, poor diet, lack of exercise, conditions such as hypothyroidism & even some medications. As such, make sure to move your body, eat well, eliminate sugar & processed foods, as well as reduce caffeine.
Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful in calming the shen (spirit) & reducing anxiety when used once or twice weekly. Herbal medicine & specific nutrients have also been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, replenish blood & yin & anchor the shen. What this means is super calming effects! Herbs & nutrients include: Passionflower, Zizyphus, Lemon Balm, St John’s Wort, Lavender; Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Zinc, GABA, Inositol etc.
It is normal to worry sometimes, but if you feel like anxiety is negatively impacting your life, make sure you reach out to your healthcare practitioner. Anxiety can be managed by seeking the right treatment and employing the right strategies that are individually tailored to you.
ACUPUNCTURE & TCM FOR: HEADACHE
Headache is literally a pain in the head and everyone will experience one at some point in their life. When they are persistent, recurrent or interfere with normal life, this suggests a chronic imbalance that requires intervention - this is where Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help.
There are a number of different causes of headache in TCM and these involve one or some of the following: external pathogenic factors such as wind, cold &/or damp; emotions like anger & frustration, diet & food reactions, trauma, overwork & constitutional or inherited imbalances.
TCM describes two different mechanisms - deficiency or excess, and each produce very different types of headache.
A deficiency headache is due to insufficient qi, blood, yin or yang reaching the head. They are mild to moderate, dull and associated with physical or mental fatigue.
An excess headache is due to obstruction of qi circulation and blood flow due to a pathogen i.e.: damp. These headaches are more severe and often debilitating. Commonly in clinic we see a mixed pattern, whereby a person will have a chronic, dull headache of yin & blood deficiency which occasionally presents with a splitting headache of ascendant yang.
Current research shows that acupuncture has a positive effect on migraine & chronic tension type headaches and depending on the type of headache, other therapies may also give relief; these include Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion (heat), cupping, gua sha and manual therapies such as osteopathy, tui na & shiatsu massage.
If you ever have an acute headache give me a call and we’ll try to get you in straight away for a treatment. If you suffer chronic or episodic/hormonal headaches or migraines let’s get a plan in place to manage the underlying pathology as well as relieving the pain in your head.
Note: If you have an unusual, sudden, acute and severe headache this may hint at something more sinister, if you are concerned, see your doctor for further testing.