Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)

Children and Acupuncture

A patient just told me that the Karate Kid has a scene in it where cupping is done. Cupping was first made fashionable to the masses when Gwenth Paltrow was seen with cup marks. I explained what cupping is in a previous blog. Check out the video for a live demonstration of flash cupping.

Simple Tools for Your Best Life 

In school whether its grade school, high school, college etc we study the body by systems. When do we put all of these systems back together to understand how the body functions as a whole?



The body has the amazing capacity not only to maintain homeostasis but to remain in the present moment. What most people might not understand is how choices impact this. For example, the body's ph is 7.34 and no matter what we do it will stay this way as long as we are alive. If you drink a coke which is very acidic (somewhere around a 2) the body will compensate to keep homeostasis by leaching calcium out of the bones. One coke might not change the body, however, overtime all of that compensation could lead to many problems from muscle cramping to osteoporosis.



So how do we find balance in our lives when everything we do contributes to our health and most things that knock us off kilter are necessary? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from our bodies. In order to maintain homeostasis in the moment the body compensates after drinking that coke and borrows some calcium. It doesn't consider the detrimental effect this loss of calcium will have long term it is trying to survive in the present moment. The easy answer then is, if we stay present in this moment, the future is planned for.



Let's talk about work/life balance. What does the concept of balance look like to you? Perhaps an image of a judicial scale comes to mind. This idea is very static and rigid, life most times is not. I'd like for you to consider the idea of harmony. This concept is more fluid. The idea of Chinese Medicine is that each system supports the next and they all work together to keep the body healthy.



If a disharmony occurs it doesn't happen in isolation to one organ system- the entire body is impacted, emotions are impacted, the individuals life and all those a part of it are impacted. Kind of like that saying, "if mom's not happy, ain't no body happy." To find harmony we need to look at what caused the dis-harmony. As the body becomes healthier all areas become healthier. Its a domino effect in the right direction.



So where do we start? With awareness.



Take some time to think about your day from turning the alarm clock off, showering, eating breakfast (if you ate breakfast), driving to work, tending to your family, phone calls, emails, going to the bathroom etc etc. As you are thinking about your day notice your body, notice your breath. How does your life feel in your body. How is your body compromising to maintain homeostasis? Are you bracing your body with tight muscles? Holding your breath?



You might imagine how over time this un-awareness of how your body manages your day can contribute to disharmony in the body, in relationships, in the very activities that we enjoy.

With that in mind, could you use a little more energy to use during your day?



In Chinese Medicine it is believed we get our energy from 2 places: our parents and our lifestyle. There's not much we can do about our parents. The rest of the equation we have a little more control over.Da Qi + Gu Qi = Zhen Qi. What in the world does that mean? How you breathe and how you eat contribute to how much usable energy you have and how good you feel.

The yogis believed we have a certain number of breaths to live, so they practice slow, deep, mindful breathing. An easy way to shut off fight/flight is to exhale deeper then your inhale. This will not only calm you it will help tone your abdominal muscles strengthening your core and lower back in addition to taking stress off of the neck and shoulders. For more information visit here. When you can, take a moment to check in with your breathing or take one or two deep breaths for a quick time out in the middle of a stress filled moment. You might end your day with some deep breaths as well to drift off into more restful sleep.

There is gobs of information on what you should and shouldn't be eating. Alot of it can be confusing as many ideas are contradictory. One thing just about everyone agrees on is that twinkies will never be a "superfood". I tell my patients to eat food that is alive. Anything that can live longer than you can on a shelf try to avoid. The best thing you can do when you eat, whatever it is that you eat is to eat with awareness. Don't multitask when you eat! The spleen/stomach controls digestion and is damaged by overthinking. If you are answering emails while munching you could be setting yourself up for digestive problems, period issues, obsessive thinking and not to mention overeating. for more info on the spleen revisit here. 

The gist of TCM is to keep harmony in the body by keeping the circulation of blood and energy flowing unimpeded. When blockages happen this causes the body to not be able to function as optimally as it could which can eventually effect every part of the body. Acupuncture can be a gateway to awareness. It literally forces you to be still for awhile. After treatments most people feel better, "cleaned out," energized and relaxed. With this new awareness they naturally start to make other changes in how they respond to situations that used to "stress them out."

Summer and Your Heart

Stress and the Heart/Small Intestine System

The energy of the heart is responsible for circulating the blood. When the heart qi is strong the complexion is rosy. The heart also houses the mind which means controlling both the outward appearance of vital activities of the entire body as well as consciousness in terms of spirit and mental activities. Because of this, the heart governs the memory as well as sleep. It is also said that the heart opens to the tongue. When the heart qi becomes imbalanced or depleted one mightexperience trouble finding words or becoming tongue-tied due to this connection.

The Heart/Small Intestine System also relates to:

Emotion: Joy

Taste: Bitter

Pathogen: Heat

Color: Red

Season: Summer

A few weeks ago we talked about the spleen and worry. The heart system is damaged with over stimulation. This can be easy to do in our high tech, fast paced world. There is the old adage, "all work and no play...." All play and no work can be just as damaging. Even if you enjoy the work you are doing, if all you are doing 24/7 is work this will eventually catch up with your heart and manifest in ways of insomnia, memory loss, restlessness, and other abnormal mental activities. Balance is key so that you can be the best at your job when you're working and the best at play with you're playing. Think about the guy at the office always working that finally "cracks." The heart can also be easily affected by heat and you might see this manifested on someone who has a bright red face, dry mouth or mouth sores.

Nourish your Heart:

Eat red foods especially watermelon that has a cooling affect on the body. Think strawberries, red peppers, radishes, and beets. 

Bitter greens like dandelion greens, kohlrabi and collard greens are great additions to your diet to help the heart and cleanse the blood.

Laughter is the best medicine! Laugh and learn to be playful if you tend to be too serious.

To learn more about the heart and building your heart energy check back next week to learn about the heart, summer time and seasonal depression.

Stress and the Spleen/Stomach System

Last week we talked about stress and its impact on the body.

The spleen/stomach system according to Chinese Medical theory isresponsible for the transportation and transformation of food. This system is what gives us usable energy. The quality of our health is determined by the essence we received from our parents (DNA) and as well as our lifestyle habits. If you were born with good essencethat's great! The best way to keep it that way is to make sure you are living a healthy lifestyle or it will catch up with you.

The spleen/stomach relate to:

emotion: worry/over thinking

taste: sweet

pathogen: dampness

color: yellow

season: late summer and transitional phases



When our stressors cause us to over think or worry it can damage the spleen. You might know a few people who are worriers and have weak stomachs, this is because the spleen/stomach system governs bothactivities. If you are a multitasker this can also cause disharmony in your spleen/stomach making you feel anxious. The spleen/stomach system also keeps the blood contained. As a women, if you are living a stress filled life with no outlet you might experience spotting between periods, and other disharmonies with your menstrual cycle.



The spleen is a dry organ that hates dampness. What does that mean? Damp causing foods are sweet, especially empty sweet foods like processed cookies and candy. Dampness causes the body to feel heavy and weighed down metaphorically or literally with extra pounds. In order to keep your digestive system strong its important to eat warm foods. Raw vegetables are considered cooling and are hard for your system to process. Always cook your veggies. Processed, deep fried, fast foods cause dampness in the body and damage your spleen/stomach. What you might not know is that it is important to focus just on your food while you eat. If you watch tv, drive, sit at the computer etc while you eat you are dividing the attention of the spleen with thinking and eating which ultimately imbalances your spleen.



The Dali Lama once said, "if the problem has a solution then there is no need to worry and if the problem doesn't have a solution worry will do know good." Easier said then done, but do your spleen a favor and let it go. :)



How can you avoid stressing out your spleen?



Avoid refined sugars as much as possible



Eat yellow foods with full sweet flavors such as grains, squash, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, or baby corn.



Take life one moment at a time. Instead of multitasking, try to tackle one thing and complete it before moving on.



Avoid living spaces and work environments that are below ground like garden apartments and basements. Keep yourself warm and covered when it rains or snows (dampness).



Eat mindfully. Whenever possible eat with friends or family and enjoy their company and the food that you are eating. Notice the flavor of your food and chew! You might notice that you don't need to eat as much as you used to.



Unplug. Turn your cell phone and computer off when your work day is done. Even if all you do is turn your car off and sit for a moment of silence before going inside your home. Take some "me" time.

Stress 

According to the AMTA there is nothing that ages our organs faster (your skin is your largest organ) then stress. We talk about being "stressed out" just about everyday in our culture but what exactly does this mean?

For starters, stress isn't always a bad thing; it can keep us motivated. Stress becomes an issue when we don't manage it correctly.

Think of a time in your life that was difficult or stressful. As you are thinking about this memory notice your body. Has your breathing or heart rate changed? How about your posture? Have you slumped forward or noticed clenching in your jaw or fists? Perhaps you feel a ball of tension growing in your shoulders.

Now, think back to a time when all was right in your world. As you bring this memory to the forefront of you mind you might notice a softening in your body and perhaps a light smile on your face. You might feel your breath slow down as well.

The truth is, is that we live stress filled lives and not every moment can be as peace-filled as the last. The problem is that most of us don't utilize the necessary tools to manage this stress.


The Mayo Clinic lists several effects of stress on the physical body, thoughts, and behaviors including: pain, high blood pressure, decreased immunity, anxiety, lack of focus, forgetfulness, anger, crying spells and relationship conflict. These effects are the body's way of giving signals that there is disharmony.

How can acupuncture help?

Most people are pleasantly surprised when they find that acupuncture makes the body feel relaxed. Your body heals itself each night when you sleep. Receiving acupuncture on a regular basis is like taking a time out in the middle of a stress filled time aka "life" to harmonize.

Patients report feeling lighter in their bodies and clearer in their minds after an acupuncture session. We often hear, "I feel relaxed and energize at the same time." or "Things that used to really bother me no longer do."

There is an old saying, "if you want to live a long life, do nothing." It sounds counterproductive to the values we place on instant gratification but it might be the very thing missing.

Check back next week as we go through the organ systems of Chinese Medicine and how stress causes disharmony from an eastern perspective.