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Sunday, November 15, 2009
Stressed?
It's not all in your head - stress also lowers your immunity, making you more susceptible to illness, hinders wound healing, causes muscular tension and pain in your neck/shoulders/back, digestive disorders, headaches... and the list goes on. Acupuncture, unlike many of the other ways we cope with stress (alcohol, cigarettes, food, drugs, etc), provides a safe and effective way to feel better without causing negative effects on your body.
Acupuncture restores balance to the body and protects health by:
Promoting endorphin release
Inducing a relaxation response
Decreasing heart rate
Decreasing blood pressure
Increasing energy
Regulating hormone levels
Together these effects result in a general sense of well-being and calmness which reduces both the mental and physical effects of stress. While acupuncture cannot change your life circumstances, it can provide much needed stress relief to allow you greater
Labels: acupuncture, stress, TCM, traditional chinese medicine
Monday, October 19, 2009
Autumn in TCM
Now that we have really and truly hit autumn, with changing leaves and crisp temperatures, I thought I'd give you a little insight into what Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) says about autumn and health.
TCM is very linked to the seasons and changes therein - there are connections between the seasons and your physical body (particular organ systems) as well as your emotions. While summer is considered the most yang of the seasons, it is represented by the fire element and is focused on the external - autumn signals a shift inward.
If you live in a temperate climate with seasonal change, you may notice how as the weather changes, so does your mood and energy. As it should be, we are not separate from the seasons, but a part of them. Have you noticed the effects of autumn in the dryness of your skin, nose or throat? Autumn is represented by the metal element and in the physical body is related to the lung and large intestine (these systems also open to the nose and throat and control the skin).
The lungs control the circulation of defensive qi (what protects you from external attacks like a cold or flu) so it extremely important to nourish the lungs and keep them strong during this season. Some physical signs (not an exhaustive list by any means) you might notice if your metal element is out of balance: asthma, allergies, nasal and throat disorders, frequent colds, constipation, dry skin, pneumonia... If you are experiencing any of these, be in touch with your acupuncturist and find out how TCM can help!
Not only are there elements and organs associated with the seasons, but emotions as well. The autumn is a time to gather together, to turn inward and prepare for the complete yin of winter. Both the lungs and large intestines are organs that have an expanding and contracting energy - one receives and the other releases. These physiological functions also symbolize the emotional aspect of this season as well - letting go. It is a time to let go of what no longer serves us while gathering all that is good and healthy; it is setting limits, organizing, and protecting boundaries. An imbalanced metal element will show emotionally with the following: inability to shake grief, difficulty of letting go, lack of inspiration, sadness, depression, crying a lot, attachment and addiction.
All of this is natural, the sense of nostalgia, desire for inspiration, feelings of sadness and grief often present at this time of year. They present in order to allow for reflection and harvesting of the years fruits and lessons. Both the physical and emotional qualities mentioned above are most likely to occur in the fall, when the metal qi is most vulnerable. However this is also the optimal time to heal the metal element!
Some things you can do to nourish the lungs during autumn are: incorporating yoga, qi-gong or any other practice that is focused on the breath; retire earlier at night and get adequate sleep, eat pungent foods such as onions, garlic, mustard, turnips, ginger, and radish as this is the 'taste' of the metal element and beneficial to the lungs. Dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, yams, oats, rice, quinoa and amaranth are also good foods for this time of year while you want to reduce phlegm forming foods such as dairy and soy and avoiding and excess of cold and raw foods (start steaming vegetables instead of salad). Using a neti pot is also a great way to keep your nose and sinuses clean!
And of course, visiting your acupuncturist for a treatment to support your lungs and large intestine is a great way to help ease through the changing of the seasons, or tackle more on-going physical and/or emotional conditions.
TCM is very linked to the seasons and changes therein - there are connections between the seasons and your physical body (particular organ systems) as well as your emotions. While summer is considered the most yang of the seasons, it is represented by the fire element and is focused on the external - autumn signals a shift inward.
If you live in a temperate climate with seasonal change, you may notice how as the weather changes, so does your mood and energy. As it should be, we are not separate from the seasons, but a part of them. Have you noticed the effects of autumn in the dryness of your skin, nose or throat? Autumn is represented by the metal element and in the physical body is related to the lung and large intestine (these systems also open to the nose and throat and control the skin).
The lungs control the circulation of defensive qi (what protects you from external attacks like a cold or flu) so it extremely important to nourish the lungs and keep them strong during this season. Some physical signs (not an exhaustive list by any means) you might notice if your metal element is out of balance: asthma, allergies, nasal and throat disorders, frequent colds, constipation, dry skin, pneumonia... If you are experiencing any of these, be in touch with your acupuncturist and find out how TCM can help!
Not only are there elements and organs associated with the seasons, but emotions as well. The autumn is a time to gather together, to turn inward and prepare for the complete yin of winter. Both the lungs and large intestines are organs that have an expanding and contracting energy - one receives and the other releases. These physiological functions also symbolize the emotional aspect of this season as well - letting go. It is a time to let go of what no longer serves us while gathering all that is good and healthy; it is setting limits, organizing, and protecting boundaries. An imbalanced metal element will show emotionally with the following: inability to shake grief, difficulty of letting go, lack of inspiration, sadness, depression, crying a lot, attachment and addiction.
All of this is natural, the sense of nostalgia, desire for inspiration, feelings of sadness and grief often present at this time of year. They present in order to allow for reflection and harvesting of the years fruits and lessons. Both the physical and emotional qualities mentioned above are most likely to occur in the fall, when the metal qi is most vulnerable. However this is also the optimal time to heal the metal element!
Some things you can do to nourish the lungs during autumn are: incorporating yoga, qi-gong or any other practice that is focused on the breath; retire earlier at night and get adequate sleep, eat pungent foods such as onions, garlic, mustard, turnips, ginger, and radish as this is the 'taste' of the metal element and beneficial to the lungs. Dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, yams, oats, rice, quinoa and amaranth are also good foods for this time of year while you want to reduce phlegm forming foods such as dairy and soy and avoiding and excess of cold and raw foods (start steaming vegetables instead of salad). Using a neti pot is also a great way to keep your nose and sinuses clean!
And of course, visiting your acupuncturist for a treatment to support your lungs and large intestine is a great way to help ease through the changing of the seasons, or tackle more on-going physical and/or emotional conditions.
Labels: acupuncture, autumn, fall, TCM, traditional chinese medicine
Monday, August 3, 2009
Up and Running!
I am very excited to announce that my website is finally LIVE! It is still a work in progress, you will notice a few sections that are coming soon - but the majority of it is up and running! So, take a look, leave me feedback - and please please share it with your friends!
on that note... a little bit about what anatomy means to me:
a.nat.o.my (n):
1. The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts; analysis.
2. The science of the shape and structure of organisms and their parts.
3. The human body.
The acupuncturist’s job is one of examination and analysis; it requires discerning a pattern in the chaos of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
on that note... a little bit about what anatomy means to me:
a.nat.o.my (n):
1. The act of dividing anything, corporeal or intellectual, for the purpose of examining its parts; analysis.
2. The science of the shape and structure of organisms and their parts.
3. The human body.
The acupuncturist’s job is one of examination and analysis; it requires discerning a pattern in the chaos of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
The understanding of structure is vital to the understanding of function. By restoring integrity to the physical and energetic structure the acupuncturist can facilitate healing.
The human body is inseparable from the human mind and spirit – we are one whole. The acupuncturist treats each human body as an individual possessing an integrated body, mind and spirit.
Labels: acupuncture, anatomy, chinese medicine, Portland, TCM
Monday, July 20, 2009
On looking at the big picture
How often do we hear this saying? What does it mean? How do we accomplish this? And really, why look at the big picture? I'm not sure I have answers, but it does relate to how Chinese medicine is practiced.
This past weekend I took the opportunity to go up in Portland's aerial tram (the weather was gorgeous, and I hadn't yet been since moving to this city) to see the city from up high. It made me think just how different the city looks and feels when you can see the whole of it from the sky. The whole thing seemed to me a living, breathing organism with roadways as arteries, the movement of the cars, blood flowing through the veins (it all comes back to anatomy, doesn't it?). From up there I could see how it all worked together - how and where the highways join, the placement of bridges over the river, the concentrations of buildings versus the concentrations of greenery, the mountains in the distance.
I'm not writing this to wax poetic on the beauty of Portland (though I do find it a beautiful city), but I did want to share how looking at the city as a whole struck me. Usually when I find myself downtown I don't see how all the frustrating one-way streets, bridge on-ramps (which are never where I think they are), buildings upon buildings that block my view, are functional or beautiful. Generally I am annoyed at having to be there, have trouble getting around and can only see what is in front of me. From a distance though, it all made a lot more sense - because I could see the big picture.
This is a bit like diagnosis in Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is built on a pattern based approach rather than a symptomatic one. This is one of the main differences in paradigms between TCM and biomedicine. Both certainly have their places and strengths (and in my personal opinion, work together beautifully) but take drastically different approaches.
Many patients wonder why when they come in with a specific complaint (say, insomnia) we ask all sorts of other questions about seeming unrelated things like digestion, pain, ear ringing, night , sweating, emotional well-being...etc. We do this is because we're looking for a pattern in the big picture. While you may not see a connection between various symptoms (lets say insomnia and chronic low back pain) they might be related as
you are one complete, inter-related person. So, we need to know all about you to find the other pieces of this pattern and figure out what the root cause of your symptom is.
Looking at the big picture is not the only perspective, but certainly an important one. It lets us see possibilities that are different than the ones we may see at close range. What are some instances where the big picture made you see things differently?
~Alexis
This past weekend I took the opportunity to go up in Portland's aerial tram (the weather was gorgeous, and I hadn't yet been since moving to this city) to see the city from up high. It made me think just how different the city looks and feels when you can see the whole of it from the sky. The whole thing seemed to me a living, breathing organism with roadways as arteries, the movement of the cars, blood flowing through the veins (it all comes back to anatomy, doesn't it?). From up there I could see how it all worked together - how and where the highways join, the placement of bridges over the river, the concentrations of buildings versus the concentrations of greenery, the mountains in the distance.
I'm not writing this to wax poetic on the beauty of Portland (though I do find it a beautiful city), but I did want to share how looking at the city as a whole struck me. Usually when I find myself downtown I don't see how all the frustrating one-way streets, bridge on-ramps (which are never where I think they are), buildings upon buildings that block my view, are functional or beautiful. Generally I am annoyed at having to be there, have trouble getting around and can only see what is in front of me. From a distance though, it all made a lot more sense - because I could see the big picture.
This is a bit like diagnosis in Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is built on a pattern based approach rather than a symptomatic one. This is one of the main differences in paradigms between TCM and biomedicine. Both certainly have their places and strengths (and in my personal opinion, work together beautifully) but take drastically different approaches.
Many patients wonder why when they come in with a specific complaint (say, insomnia) we ask all sorts of other questions about seeming unrelated things like digestion, pain, ear ringing, night , sweating, emotional well-being...etc. We do this is because we're looking for a pattern in the big picture. While you may not see a connection between various symptoms (lets say insomnia and chronic low back pain) they might be related as
you are one complete, inter-related person. So, we need to know all about you to find the other pieces of this pattern and figure out what the root cause of your symptom is.
Looking at the big picture is not the only perspective, but certainly an important one. It lets us see possibilities that are different than the ones we may see at close range. What are some instances where the big picture made you see things differently?
~Alexis
Labels: big picture, chinese medicine, pattern diagnosis, Portland, TCM
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