Balanced Living | Women's Health
Treating Pain with Chinese Medicine
What is Acupuncture?
Balanced Living
*Balance
The Oxford American dictionary I consulted (who can you trust if not your dictionary?) had these two interesting things to say about balance:
*off balance - in danger of falling
*on balance - taking everything into consideration
I don't know about you but when I ponder the extreme difference in these 2 definitions I have a powerful reaction. And then if I imagine a visual image to go with each one, it looks like this; I could either be at risk of falling (ouch) or I could be calmly making choices based on the deliberate reflection of what's in the best interest of my health and all the parts of my life (yea!).
Hmmmmm……
Okay, so how do you know if your life is off balance or on balance, or somewhere in between? Well, if you have to think about it for long (this means you), then ask yourself the following questions:
"Is there an important area of my life (fitness, relationship, fun…?) that you keep promising yourself will get more of your time and energy really soon?
"Does your personal life get as much of your dedication and quality of energy as your job/career?
" Do you spend more time emailing or talking on your cell phone than you do talking to people who are right in front of you who would like to have a conversation?
If the answers to these questions are giving you a clue that maybe your life is a little off balance, then here are a few recommendations:
1) Take stock with a brief life evaluation. This is a simple way to see the gaps in each area of your life and also why your 'wheel of life' ride might be a little bumpy.
2) Notice how you feel as you look at each area and if there is a particular area of your life that's really calling for your attention (actually it could be screaming at you, but you're not listening)
3) Pick one area that right now is the most important to you and decide to make a small change that is manageable and that you can commit to.
4) NOW, make ONE GOAL in this area that you imagine you can accomplish, enlist support if you need it, and put that goal into your schedule (TODAY).
Remember, this is just one step towards a more balanced existence - you aren't attempting to accomplish a total life makeover in one day. Start small, but get started!
By Tana Elliott
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*Can Chinese Medicine Help the Symptoms of Menopause?
Acupuncture and herbal formulas along with dietary and lifestyle modifications have been documented to alleviate the symptoms of menopause for thousands of years. Substantial current research indicates that acupuncture is successful at relieving many symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and insomnia. The World Health Organization has approved acupuncture as a safe and highly effective treatment for menopause.
The biggest difference between the western and Traditional Chinese medical approach to menopause is that in Chinese medicine there is no “one size fits all” diagnosis and treatment of menopause. Menopause does not exist as a disease, but as a complex of symptoms. It is viewed as a natural hormonal shift and each woman is treated according to her own individual symptoms and their unique patterns. If several women complain of insomnia and hot flashes, it is possible that there would be several different treatments given because each symptom is considered in the context of the woman’s overall health. Each subtle distinction of the various symptoms is extremely important in the diagnosis and also the treatment protocols that the Acupuncturist will implement.
Usually both acupuncture and herbal and nutritional supplements will be used but the frequency and length of care and supplementation will be determined by each woman’s response to the treatment. Some women respond quickly to a few treatments and some may need to continue for a lengthier period of time. The goal is to give each woman the most effective treatment for her individual situation so that her symptoms are manageable or non-existent and she is free to resume her normal activities, and feel good doing so.
Nutritional Therapies for the Predominant Symptoms of Menopause
Three Main Symptoms of Menopause or Peri-Menopause:
- Hot Flashes
- Vaginal Dryness
- Emotional Instability
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Stiffening Joints
- Sore Breasts
- Osteoporosis
- Dry Skin
- Abdominal Congestion (cramping, gas, constipation)
Calcium: Helps to prevent osteoporosis and other bone problems, helps reduce hot flashes.
Most easily digestible forms: Seaweed (very high in Calcium) Types: Hizike, Kelp, Wakame. Also yogurt, almonds, sesame seeds, sesame products, most dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, broccoli, turnip greens, kale). Calcium supplements added must be from an organic source and biochelated for easy assimilation.
Recommendations: Liquid Floradix Iron with Herbs or Nature Works Herbal Iron.
Iron: For robust health and increased energy, keeps the blood oxygen-rich and its found in every cell of the body.
Sources: Spinach, beets and beet greens, sunflower seeds, seaweeds, apricots, eggs, whole grains, wheat germ, bran, cereal (oats), raisins, tofu, molasses.
Vitamin E: Good for the reproductive system and a specific remedy for hot flashes, muscle cramps and vaginal dryness. It provides energy to the system by the oxygenating cells.
Sources: Whole grains, cold pressed oils, dark green leafy vegetables, bee pollen, and some nuts.
Also found in supplement form: Use D-Alpha and mixed tocopherol Vitamin E from natural sources (better quality and more effective) rather than the synthetic Dl-Alpha variety.
Recommended Dose during menopause: 400 - 600 IU daily.
WARNING: Women with diabetes, rheumatic heart or hypertension recommended dose is no more than 50 - 150 IU daily. You need to check with your physician regarding dosage safety.
Bee Pollen: Lifts spirits and creates a greater energy level. This is a complete protein containing all 22 amino acids and it has a higher concentration of the 8 essential amino acids than most other forms of protein. Contains increased levels of 27 minerals, enzymes and coenzymes, Vitamins B1, B2 and B6, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, folic acid, Vitamin C, and fat soluble Vitamin A and E.
Recommended Dose during menopause: No more than 1 - 2 teaspoons a day, Use fresh not tablet form, always eat it raw: you can sprinkle it on salads, on yogurt, mix it in a smoothie drink or eat it by itself.
Spirulina: also known as blue-green algae that grows in fresh water ponds. Consists of 60 - 70% protein by weight and has a high concentration of B vitamins and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). B vitamins help build a strong nervous system and help to balance mood swings and depression. GLA is excellent for preventing degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis.
Recommended Dose during menopause: Powder is better than tablets but either is okay. 2 tablespoons of powder or 6 tablets daily.
Dong Quai: also known as Dong Gui, a powerful uterine tonic and hormonal regulator also used as a food supplement. Helps tone and feed the reproductive organs and aids in an easier hormonal transition. Excellent for the circulatory system, it is a blood tonic and is high in minerals and iron.
Recommended Dose during menopause: 2 tablets 2 times a day or 1/8th inch of the whole root eaten 2 times a day. Tincture form dosage would be 1/4th teaspoon mixed in warm water 2 times a day.
Ginseng: Good if you need Yang or grounding energy, builds life force slowly and surely, helps the body to overcome fatigue and stress and is good for long term deficiencies and imbalances, also is a rejuvenator and hormonal balancer. Over time it will produce a steady flow of grounded, well balanced energy, aids in elimination of mood swings and depression.
Types: American ginseng is a cooler variety and okay for long term use (don’t use the wild American ginseng because it is endangered). Chinese ginseng or Asian ginseng comes in red or white root, red root is steam dried. They are all very warm and Yang in nature. May not be good for long term use.
Recommended Dose during menopause: 2 tablets 2 times a day or 1/4th teaspoon of tincture in warm water 2 times a day or 1/8th inch of the whole root chewed each day.
Foods to Avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, salt, sugar, white flour, refined and processed foods
Exercise: to ensure strong healthy bones and to prevent osteoporosis (one of the surest ways to keep Calcium in the bones).
Hot Flashes: Herbs and diet can exert some control over the length and time of hot flashes and even in some cases eliminate them completely.
- Switch to a grain based diet and eliminate all sugar and sugar rich foods including fruit and fruit juice
- Concentrate on foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin E
- Take ginseng daily to normalize the body’s response to hot and cold and to relieve hot flashes
- Drink several cups of sage tea daily (regular garden sage)
- Concentrate on foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin E
By Mindy Hayden RN LAc.
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For over two hundred years western medical technology has sought to understand the concept and origin of pain. Through advances in the understanding of anatomy and physiology, science has identified the primary source of pain as the human nervous system. We continue to view pain as an irritation to that system caused by either internal or external sources such as trauma, inflammation, internal disease, or distress to the anatomical system. In lieu of the absence of these obvious factors, western science seems unable to fully diagnose or treat pain with any degree of success. Syndromes without apparent allopathic (western) causes such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, or any conditions that manifest unexplained neurological pain continue to baffle western science.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has developed a much more sophisticated view of pain and its causes over more than two thousand years of study and treatment, prior to the advent of modern western medical science, as evidenced in ancient Chinese medical texts. The theory discussed in these texts enables Traditional Chinese Medicine to effectively treat many of the pain syndromes that western medicine not only does not understand, but has no effective treatment plan for.
Chinese Medicine first categorizes a syndrome, or pain condition (and the symptoms of it) as being caused by internal or external pathogenic (relating to the cause or development of disease) elements. An internal condition is a condition for which the cause is inside the body; for example, lack of nutrition, or a failing of the anatomy. An external condition is one caused by factors outside the system, such as in the environment, or from a bacteria, virus etc.
Chinese practitioners will then categorize the pain according to a natural or elemental imbalance. These are usually described as cold, heat, damp, wind, or dry conditions in the body. For example a cold pain would be pain that is aggravated by cold and eliminated with heat. A heat type of pain would be one aggravated by heat and soothed with cold. A perfect example of this is inflammatory pain from recent trauma. Pain that moves and changes is considered a wind-type pain. Pain that is from damp is normally aggravated by very damp weather or a rainy day. Pain that is dry is aggravated by conditions of dehydration within or even outside of the body.
Chinese medicine also pays close attention to an individuals’ experience with pain and how they describe it. This is very important to understand prior to treatment. For example, if a patient describes a pain that is severe, stabbing and unrelenting, then this indicates an excess (too much of) condition and will be treated differently than a pain that is described as dull and hollow, which would be treated as a deficient (not enough) condition. Protocols in Chinese medicine exist for both circumstances, and each would be treated accordingly. This evaluation of pain would largely be ignored by most western practitioners and both types would be treated the same, hindering the recovery of most individuals. Western science views a patient’s interpretation of how the pain feels not as an indication of root cause, but as merely the individuals’ opinion.
In Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis is also used to assist in the determination of the root causes of pain (taking the pulse is one of the analytical tools the practitioner uses to determine which areas of the system need balancing). Western medicine is interested in the pulse rate only, not its qualities, which in Chinese medicine can also determine the course of treatment.
Chinese medical texts describe how heat is able to disperse internal cold, and consequently stop the pain. It goes on to describe that massage and heat can ease deficient pain. Moving blood stagnation with cupping (a therapy designed to stimulate the flow of blood and Qi within the muscle layers), or Gua Sha can ease excess pain. This is an excellent example of how Chinese medicine will treat differently based upon the root cause of the pain, not only on the existence of pain, as in Western practice.
Western science categorizes pain as the result of an irritation to the nervous system or a failure of an anatomical or physiological condition. It is therefore a protection method to let the body know when something is wrong. The patient may define pain as sharp, dull, or aching, however western medicine views this more as the patient’s interpretation of pain, and the level of discomfort, rather than as a diagnostic tool, to evaluate and treat the root cause of the pain itself as we do in Chinese medicine. Perhaps this is why western medicine has ultimately developed only one effective way to treat pain, by using pharmaceutical drugs or surgery.
These examples show us the advanced concept from which the Chinese understood pain; its diverse types - deficient, excess and stagnant, its root cause - cold, heat, etc. and the diagnostic methods to determine this. These concepts were and have continued to be proven true, for over two thousand years prior to modern western science. These diagnostic techniques are still the basis for many of the treatment protocols we use today.
Most western thought is that if the syndrome cannot be seen, felt, or palpated, it is only present in the mind of the patient. For this reason most pain without a completely obvious cause (in conditions such as Fibromyalgia) are considered a psychological problem, and are often relegated to the realm of psychology, or psychiatry. The TCM paradigm goes beyond this idea and begins to embrace the theory that you must also look to the source of the irritation itself, and the type of pain manifesting at that time to truly understand it. This is one of the reasons that Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture are so effective when treating these types of conditions. Alternative medicine and TCM have paved the way for better treatment options for individuals suffering with these kinds of pain conditions, and pain related to any cause.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Do you have a hard time picking up your pencil and holding on to it, not because you’re clumsy but because you really can’t feel it in your hand? Is tying your shoes a difficult task or picking up change off a table? Or perhaps you find yourself awake at night because your feet start to burn with a sensation like sharp electrical impulses stabbing you and making it impossible for you to sleep deeply. Most likely what you’re experiencing is caused by something called Peripheral Neuropathy, a condition of the nervous system that usually begins in the hands and/or feet and eventually progresses up the limbs.
There are three different types of nerves that may be involved and depending on which type of nerve it is, the symptoms are different.
Motor Nerves are responsible for sending electrical impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles. These are the nerves that help us walk and pick up that pencil. Motor nerve damage can include muscle weakness, cramping, spasms, loss of coordination and balance.
Sensory Nerves send messages from our muscles back to the spinal cord and brain. These nerves help us determine if something is too hot, cold, sharp, smooth, soft, hard, etc. Sensory nerve damage can include tingling or numbness and hypersensitivity to touch. Pain sensations can be burning, electrical, sharp, and even freezing.
Autonomic Nerves control both involuntary and semi-voluntary body functions like blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration and digestion, although autonomic nerve damage is not usually associated with Peripheral Neuropathy. It may include abnormal blood pressure and/or heart rate, unusual sweating or inability to sweat, constipation, urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy can include diabetes, heredity, viral infections, autoimmune disease, exposure to toxic chemicals and side effects to certain prescription medications. Generally symptoms are worse at night and if left untreated Peripheral Neuropathy may result in permanent loss of nerve function, tissue damage and muscle atrophy.
It is important that if you have been experiencing any of these symptoms that you see your healthcare provider. Western medical treatment protocol usually depends on medications to alleviate the symptoms.
So what can you do? First of all, become pro-active in your own health care, it is your body after all. The easiest thing to begin with is to change your diet. Avoid heavy oils like fried foods, animal fats, trans fats, saturated fats and hydrogenated oils. Don’t eat items containing aspartame, and limit your meat, caffeine and sugar intake. Eat more fresh fish, vegetables and fruits (if you are diabetic, watch your fruit intake). Increase natural food sources of the B Vitamins, D, and C, and include good fish oils that are high in DHA. Make sure to check your hands and feet daily for any injuries that you may not have noticed or felt happen, (extremely important if you are diabetic). Get massages if possible. See your licensed Acupuncturist.
Remember, it is best to treat chronic conditions in a clinic environment where your Acupuncturist can take into account your whole body and lifestyle, and design a treatment plan that includes acupuncture, herbs, supplements and a diet that is specific to your needs and body constitution.
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*What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is considered alternative healthcare even though it has been around for over 4000 years longer then allopathic medicine, aka western medicine. Acupuncture is the most popular component of a much larger modality called Traditional Chinese Medicine (which also includes herbs, cupping and moxibustion). It is one of the most effective tools available to help bring the body back to its natural state of balance.
After we are born and as we grow, we are exposed to many environmental pathogens, (called external evils in Chinese Medicine), that cause illness. According to Chinese Medicine, these can come in the form of: Wind, Cold, Damp, Heat, Summer Heat and Dryness. In modern times you would know them as bacteria’s, viruses, fungi and parasites. As we live our lives working, going to school or just exploring the world, we also get exposed to what are called internal evils. These can be caused by emotional components such as stress, trauma, and anxiety; basically what makes up our fast paced modern life in general. We usually hold onto these stresses and internalize them, which over time, starts to cause havoc in our bodies. Hypertension, asthma, chronic digestive issues and cancer, just to name a few, can all be consequences of internal evils. Add to that, the external evils that don’t get properly treated or were never fully resolved and are now hiding out in the body waiting for their opportunity to cause dis-ease. Guess what, they too will turn into an internal evil.
As far as injuries from trauma and illnesses go, the body will always try to balance itself out. It will compensate for the weak or injured area or organ, but while doing so the body has to take energy and resources from other areas. What you end up with over time is pain or problems in other areas of your body leading to additional signs and symptoms of a chronic illness. Acupuncture, in its most simple explanation, works by bringing the body back to its strong, natural, healthy and balanced state. It opens the pathways in the body that allow Qi, (your bodies’ energy and life source), to circulate. This in turn brings blood and much needed nutrients to the areas that have been blocked due to illness or injury. Over time with regular acupuncture treatments, proper diet and some life style modification, your body will return to its optimal level of health and balance. Acupuncture is also very good as prevention for colds, flu’s and allergies by keeping your immune system healthy and strong and by keeping stress and anxiety levels to a minimum.
Yea Yea Yea…. So does it hurt? When people hear the word needles, they immediately flash on Nurse Ratchet holding a big fat shot, 6 inches long and aimed at their arm or leg or worse yet, their behind. Yes those hurt. But remember those are hypodermic needles. They are a large gauge metal hollowed-out tube made to administer some sort of fluid into the body. They are designed to cut through the skin layers to get to their target. An Acupuncture needle is very thin, the width of a human hair and though the length may vary depending on the area to be needled and the body size of the patient, there is virtually no pain from the needle insertion. Most acupuncture needles are designed to slide into the skin and push around capillaries and muscle fibers instead of cutting straight through them.
Sensations felt during an Acupuncture treatment vary depending on the patient, how aware they are of their body and the area being needled. Some areas of the body are more sensitive then others. Common sensations described to me are dull, warming, electrical, heavy, weird and sometimes nothing at all. These are all considered normal sensations.
So when you’re finally sick and tired of feeling sick and tired; consider joining the millions of people all over the world that have solved their chronic issues or reclaimed their health with Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
By Mindy Hayden RN LAc.
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