For many years, I suffered with horrible menstrual cramps and irregular periods. When that time of the month came around, there were days of writhing in pain, flowing like Niagara Falls, breaking out in cold sweats, vomiting and being very close to blacking out. It had me in tears, wishing for better days!
Where hormones, emotional mood swings, cramps and the menstrual cycle are involved, acupuncture and herbal medicine helped balance my emotional and physical health. There was a noticeable difference the first month after receiving acupuncture treatments and being on herbs. My cramps and menstrual issues were completely gone, and I’ve never had another bad period since. It’s been 15 years!
Dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain), PMS, PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), irregular cycles, endometriosis, and other gynecological conditions and their associated symptoms are characterized by different patterns of imbalances and energetic pathologies in traditional Chinese medicine. A few needles, which are relatively painless, are placed in strategic locations to balance these disharmonies. It can make a world of difference in how you feel and may positively affect the quality of your life. In my practice, many women have had the same benefits I experienced through the treatments without any side effects.
Healing Tip of the Week
If you are experiencing abdominal cramping during your periods, avoid drinking or eating cold or icy foods (iced cold drinks, etc.). This may cause more cramping and pain. Instead, try sipping some hot tea, which will help to relax the muscles and ease the pain.
Autumn is the time when the extreme yang of the summer sun and long days give way and transform into a cooler/yin season with longer nights. It is the time to slow down and gather energy to be stored for the colder winter months. The ancient Chinese medical text, “The Huang Di Nei Jing” (“The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon”) states, “Those who knew the way of keeping good health in ancient times always kept their behavior in daily life in accordance with nature.” Just as the changes occur on Earth, our choices of food, length of sleep and level of activity should be attuned to ensure proper immunity and health.
In Chinese medicine, the element associated with autumn is metal, and the organs related to this element are the lungs and the large intestine. The lungs function to breathe in fresh air, delivering oxygen to our body and exhaling carbon dioxide. The large intestine gathers nourishment and eliminates the waste. Some conditions of the lungs and large intestine that may be more prevalent during the three months of autumn are: colds and flus, psoriasis, dry/itchy skin, asthma, sadness/depression, constipation and bronchitis.
Symbolically, this is a time to gather our thoughts, feelings and emotions and consciously let go of the old, useless aspects of our lives that may be in the form of harshness, grudges, or fears which inhibit our spiritual growth. Letting go of the old makes room for the new. What new thoughts and behaviors can you harvest to renew your focus in life?
Observing the external environment, what we see in nature, can help us learn how to keep our internal environment in harmony. Visit the local farmer’s markets and add a variety of seasonal foods to your diet. Transition from eating cold raw salads and foods right out of the fridge to foods that are more warming in nature or cooked. Your body will appreciate it!
Healing Tip of the Week
Steamed Asian pears are considered beneficial for the lungs. It’s a tasty way to help resolve dry coughs, soothe soreness in the throat and resolve phlegm.
I came across the following quote by author Daisaku Ikeda: “No matter how strong the hostility another person may feel towards you, if you approach them in an attitude of sincerity and truth, they will invariably abandon their ill will and respond with friendliness. A sense of sincerity is the one thing that somehow, in a very subtle way, gets across to others. Human beings perhaps possess some deep inner power that allows them to sense sincerity instinctively. Whatever the case, the degree to which they can do so is almost frightening.”
When I read this quote, the first thing that came to mind is that sincerity is one quality you get from the doctors at the Advanced Wellness Center. They are all motivated by the sincere desire to help their patients achieve a healthier life.
Healing Tip of the Week
Approach everyone with an attitude of sincerity and truth and see if you receive different responses or feel differently each day.
Most people will say they’re healthy, because they don’t have any “dis-ease” limiting their daily lives. Does this mean we should sit back and wait for disease to happen? No way! Take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:
What level of health do you really desire?
You may be feeling OK, but are you waking up full of energy and maintaining any amount of that energy as you work through your day? If your answer is no, but it sounds like a pretty good way to feel, then raise your standard of health to include a sense of quality of life. This means you not only pass all of the tests on your physical exams, but you also have enough vitality and energy throughout the day. It means your emotions, or spirit, are lifted and stable, which you can use to live in a meaningful and rich way.
How do we get to that point if we’re not already there?
Only YOU can achieve health for yourself. No one can do it for you. There is so much we can do to increase our quality of health and life. Eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough rest are the basics to having good health. To increase your health to a higher level, do whatever helps to keep the vast majority of the trillions of cells in your body working properly. Oriental medicine is one great way of working with the energy systems and treating on that cellular level. Everything from reproduction to infections to repairing broken bones happens on a cellular level. Chiropractic treatments, meditation/prayer and all forms of massage can also help keep us in tip-top shape. That’s one reason the Advanced Wellness Center has a variety of treatment options. When you’re ready to include overall quality of life and vitality in your definition of good health, we’re here to support you in your growth!
Healing Tip of the Week
Spend some time answering the following questions for yourself: What is my definition of good health? Am I feeling as good as I want to? If not, what do I need to add or subtract from my health regimen to achieve my desired level of health?
The holidays are soon approaching, but it’s also the season for colds and flu. Traditional Chinese Medicine has its own classification system of these viral infections and categorizes them as “Wind Attacks” based on presentation of symptoms. Wind Attacks are characterized into two basic categories: Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat.Symptoms can include chills, fever, headache, sore throat, body-aches, runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, general fatigue/weakness and phlegm.
The treatment principles for these manifestations of Wind Attack are to expel the wind, eliminate other pathogens, and strengthen the patient’s constitutional energy (Qi or Chi). Cupping is one method used during a cold or flu to draw the pathogen to the surface to be released, thereby shortening the length of a cold.
Several studies have demonstrated that herbal medicine and acupuncture reduce the incidence of upper respiratory infection and shorten the course of disease. It’s highly beneficial to get treated at the onset of your symptoms, so don’t wait a week for symptoms to get worse. Your acupuncturist can show you how you can protect yourself from catching colds and determine what methods will be most effective for you based on your needs.
Do spring and summer represent backyard barbeques and picnics in the park? Or, does the thought of being outside with millions of allergens from pollen, mold and dander just make you want to sneeze? If you suffer from seasonal allergies, covering up your symptoms with antihistamines does nothing to treat the underlying problem.
Practitioners of Oriental medicine have long treated the lung and kidney deficiencies that manifest as congestion, itching and irritation of nasal passages. Acupuncture brings relief and gets to the root of the problem by correcting immune system imbalances, preventing infection and healing damaged sinus tissue.
Also available at the AWC is the Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET). Combining kinesiology, acupuncture/acupressure and nutritional management, NAET is an all-natural way to get rid of your allergies for good. There is no need to suffer year after year. Visit the Advanced Wellness Center to discover the most effective way to help you breath easy in the warm-weather months.
What has been your experience using Oriental medicine to treat your illnesses as compared to Western medicine? Or, have you been skeptical of alternative treatments? What holds you back from trying natural approaches?
Healing Tip of the Week
Following a simple, high-quality, mostly alkaline diet (high in vegetables, citrus fruit, seeds and nuts, as well as clean, pure water) will improve energy flow to the sluggish organs, reduce inflammation and increase the liver’s ability to neutralize allergenic substances.
