Uncategorised

What’s the big deal?

It seems like Cupping has spiked in popularity ever since Gold-Medalist swimmer Michael Phelps showed up to his 2016 Olympic swim races donning those distinct circular marks. Even more recently, former NFL Patriots player James Harrison was featured in National Geographic sharing how he regularly relies on Cupping to recover from the demands football took on his body. When asked how he felt following his treatments, he said, “[all] I know is before I get treated, I HURT, and after, I feel better.” Now even Katy Perry had Cupping (and Acupuncture) done in her one of her music videos!

Of course we are ecstatic to see celebrities and professional athletes trusting in and reaping the benefits of these traditional therapies. However, just because Cupping has had some time in the spotlight does not mean it’s new. In fact, Cupping Therapy has been practiced for thousands of years, with some of the oldest records dating to 1550 B.C.E. in Ancient Greece and 300 C.E. in China.

As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) evolved, so did Cupping. Bamboo, stone jars, and animal horns were eventually replaced with the specialized glass cups used today. Although Cupping was practiced for centuries in China, it became an official therapeutic modality in hospitals during the 1950’s. To this day, Cupping remains a hallmark offering of TCM along with other soft tissue modalities like Gua Sha and of course, Acupuncture.

The good news is, you do not need to be a pop icon or professional athlete to benefit from Cupping.

To see if Cupping is right for you, here is everything you need to know.

Cupping: The Basics

WHAT

Cupping Therapy is a soft tissue modality that uses negative pressure to gently lift the skin and underlying connective tissue (called fascia). This lifting dynamic enhances blood flow in muscles that are tight, painful, and restricted by creating space for old, oxygen-depleted blood to leave so that fresh, oxygen-rich blood can enter. In TCM, Cupping promotes the free flow of qi and blood by remove blockages and stagnation along the meridians that cause pain.

Think about it: when your body is stressed from repetitive movements, exercise, emotions, or even from being stuck in one position for a long period (cue the raised typing shoulders and low back pain from sitting at a computer all day), your blood vessels and muscles constrict. This reduces circulation leaving old (nutrient-depleted) blood and metabolites like lactic acid to accumulate in the tissue which leads to pain (tension, soreness, stiffness, etc).

WHERE

Cupping is most commonly done along the back, shoulders, and posterior neck, but sometimes the forearms, hamstrings, and lower legs (calves) are done as needed. When I work with patients, I use an integrative perspective and apply cups based on the meridians AND muscles involved in their condition.

WHEN

Cupping is ideal for when you have muscles that are too tight, sore, stiff, or painful—and the discomfort is hard to shake. If the pain keeps coming back, stretching does not help, or you have “knots” that are stubborn to get rid of, Cupping would be worth a try. After your first appointment, I recommend that patients wait until their marks fade away until doing another session.

HOW

How the cups are applied depends on the type of material being used. For example, there are cups (mostly plastic, some glass) that have air nozzles at the top so that your practitioner can manually create the suction through a tube or attachment device. That is one way. The other is with glass cups and fire. Actually called “Fire Cupping,” this is the traditional way Cupping has been done for millenia and is the type that takes formal training to do.

So how do I create the suction with fire?

First an alcohol soaked cotton ball is taken and lit on fire. Not to worry, the flame is small and controlled. Next and of course away from your body we quickly insert the flame in and out the cup which burns up all of the oxygen inside, creating the vacuum seal so the cup can stick. Once the cups are placed, you will feel some pressure, but it should never be painful. The sensation is similar to a massage in reverse: instead of kneading into and compressing muscles that are sore, the cups lift the fascia to give the the lactic acid room to leave.

Slide Cupping: During a back treatment, for example, once one or two cups are placed, I usually start by sliding them along the length of the muscles/meridians involved which allows me to identify areas of stagnation and poor blood-flow—which are seen in the dark pink to red/purple colouration people get from Cupping. The darker the marks, the worse the circulation is!

Stationary Cupping: Once these areas of stagnation are identified, I place several more cups and leave them in place for a few more minutes. Cups do not need to be on very long to be effective. During this time patients feel relaxed and some have said they felt like they were floating in the best kind of way.

The marks that appear are an anticipated and therapeutic side effect that fade within a few days to a week depending on the person.

When It Should Be Avoided:

Cupping should never be done over skin that is fragile, broken, sunburned, or edematous (swollen). Areas with major arteries are a major NO. Cupping is not advised during pregnancy and is typically off-limits for those with cancer, organ failure, heart disease, hemophilia, have a pacemaker or who are taking blood-thinning medications.

So WHY would anyone want to get Cupping?

The Benefits:

1. Reduces Pain – Although Cupping might seem like magic, there are known physiological effects and mechanisms that take place leading to its analgesic effects. Even science agrees: studies (from a systematic review—the highest-quality level of research) demonstrated its effectiveness for acute and chronic pain management. So what is it good for? Cupping is ideal for stubborn neck/back/shoulder pain, sports injuries, sore/tight muscles and headaches (especially tension-type headaches that come from chronically tight upper back/neck muscles).
2. Relieves Stress & Emotional Tension – It should be no surprise that stress and unprocessed emotions create tension in our bodies. Stress is often a causative or contributing factor for chronic health conditions from anxiety and depression to allergic sensitivities, digestive disorders, and adrenal fatigue. I work with so many patients who hold stress, past traumas, and deep-seated emotions in their bodies in different ways, but the most common sources of tension are the neck, shoulders, and back. In Chinese Medicine, our emotions have physical effects on the circulation of qi/blood in our body and internal organ systems. By promoting the free flow of qi and blood in the muscles and meridians, Cupping alleviates physical tension while dissipating the heavy emotions attached to them.
3. Improves Immune System – According to the “The Medical Perspective of Cupping: Effects and Mechanisms of Action” (2017), research suggests that Cupping benefits the Immune System by initiating “artificial local inflammation” that signals the body to release antibodies and phagocytic cells that “engulf” and clear damaged cells from an organism therefore “giving it a protective role by increasing immunity.” The study also cites how Cupping effects the thymus glad to improve lymphatic flow and increases the level of interferon and tumor-necrotizing factor which both have therapeutic outcomes for patients with auto-immune diseases.
4. Reduce Congestion – Cupping was originally used for pulmonary tuberculosis way back in the day (as in thousands of years ago), but it still holds a therapeutic role in arresting coughs, relieving chest congestion, and helping clear excess mucus from allergies and other respiratory conditions. When cupping is done over the upper back, it benefits the Lungs by creating space for deeper breathing while loosening stubborn phlegm, making it easier to expect.
5. Improves Recovery Time – All of you recreational and competitive athletes will appreciate how Cupping can cut down your recovery times to keep you performing at the level you want to be. Besides, Cupping is not just for when your body is tapped out. Lots of lifters, baseball players, runners, and MMA fighters enjoy getting Cupping as a preventative way to stave off soreness, maintain mobility, and get a prolonged stretch in muscles that are chronically tight.

There you have it! If you are ready to see what all of the hype is all about, feel free to contact us.

For many of us, the holiday season involves traveling to visit family and friends. Though this is a joyous, celebratory time of year, the hustle and bustle can be taxing on our minds and bodies, putting us at risk for illness and injury.

Sitting in one position for a long time on planes, in buses, and cars can wear on the body, causing discomfort in the back, shoulders, and neck. Lugging heavy bags weighs us down. The stress of rushing to make departures, long lines at airports, crowded highways, along with throngs of other people dealing with the exact same things, takes its toll on us emotionally as well as physically.

When we arrive at our destination, relief is usually fleeting. Sleeping in guest beds, on couches, and air mattresses can wreak havoc on our spines, and family tensions can make us emotional. Being out of our familiar settings and in close quarters with people we may not see that many times a year can drive us to lose our good will.

However, here are a few measures you can take before, during and after your trip to make it as stress-free as possible.

• Before you leave, get organized – Pack ahead of time rather than saving it for the last minute. Minimize luggage by bringing only the necessities. If you’re flying, keep tickets in a safe place where you will remember them. Don’t wait until ten minutes before you leave to find them.

• Be prepared for delays and traffic – Bring a book and music to keep yourself occupied.

• Get enough sleep in the days leading up to your trip so you’re not running on empty.

• Strive to eat balanced meals and drink plenty of water, even on the road or in the air – It may be tempting to resort to surviving on coffee, pastries, and airline peanuts, but you’ll feel much better by the time you reach your destination if you’ve given your body the nutrition it needs. Be mindful of what you eat and drink, but don’t beat yourself up for indulging in a special treat.

• See your Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner to pick up some remedies – Herbs can be taken before beginning your journey to prevent colds and then immediately with any sign of a cold coming on. Taking an immune booster for a week before travel and during your entire stay is also effective. Taking a formula to help with digestion after a very filling holiday meal is a good idea to help with bloating and other digestive issues.

• Pressing on acupressure points, self-massage, and self-care are also helpful
  – LI4 (or Large Intestine 4 point, also called peaceful union) is great for any type of headache, toothache or pain in the body. Take the thumb and index finger of one hand and press the soft mound of flesh on the palm between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Look for the tender area and rub for 5 minutes, alternating sides.
  – Round rub around eyes. Make hands into loose fists and take the knuckles of index fingers and rub around the eye socket pausing in the tender spots. Rub around nose and sinus passages to encourage healthy, open sinuses and clear vision.

• There are various yoga stretches and breathing exercises that promote calmness or increase energy
  – Forward bends are great for calming the mind. Either with legs straight or bent, hang from hips, holding elbows, nodding head “yes,” shaking head “no”, to open spine and release neck and shoulder muscles. Resting your head on a few stacked books helps to calm mind
  – You can also do this on the floor with backs of legs flat against floor and bending forward towards your toes (no need to touch) and resting your head on stacked pillows to make it restorative rather than strenuous. It is best to relax into this pose for 3-5 minutes.
  – If you want to boost your energy, doing a headstand is a great way to gear up.
  – Practice deep breathing, in moments where you’re afraid of losing your cool. Breathe in for seven seconds, and then out for seven seconds. Do this for 10 rounds and feel the effects.

Exercise is one of the ultimate stress-busters. Even a walk around the block with a cousin or sibling can get your heart rate up and produce feel-good endorphins.

Perhaps most importantly of all, be kind to your body. Don’t push yourself too hard. Though many of us feel pressured by the demands of the season, remember that you are only human.

When you get home, check in with your Chinese practitioner or any other practitioner you regularly see. They can help you tend to any lingering ailments.

Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday season!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) summer is the extrovert season, governed by fire element. During this season our inner fire expands to our extremities to allow for greater expression of energy. Summer is time for action, play, the release of energy, the ripening of ideas, the realisation of projects, and generally for giving yourself wholeheartedly into life. However, this high vibe season comes with a caution about excess – too much fire will lead to burn out. As with everything, balance is the key – this ultra yang season needs to be tempered with yin foods and tonics to keep that fire in check.

Summer season governs the heart and small intestine, meaning these organs are most active now. Let’s look more closely at some of the common TCM associations with summer.

TCM summer elements

Element – Fire
Emotion – Joy
Meridian/Organs (yin) – Heart
Meridian/Organ (yang) – Small Intestine
Colour – Red
Qualities – Growth, expansion, light, abundance
Cautions – excess (heat, activity, action, emotion e.g. anger)
Meridian clock (heart) – 11am – 1pm
Meridian clock (small intestine) – 1pm – 3pm

Summer TCM signs of imbalance (heart)

Physical heart problems, dryness of the throat, jaundice, pain along the course of the meridian, confusion, memory loss, depression, mania (excess yang), nervousness, insomnia, heartburn, red complexion, speech problems, lack of motivation or enthusiasm, irregular pulse.

Summer TCM signs of imbalance (small intestine)

Pain in the lower abdomen, sore throat, swelling or paralysis of face, diarrhoea, urinary disturbance, deafness, pain along the meridian.

Open your heart this summer

Summer is the heart season – time to check in and see how tightly you are holding onto your emotions and whether there is any guarding there. Gratitude for the abundance that you have already enjoyed, especially all the gifts that nature has bestowed, is a wonderful place to start and a natural way to overcome any fear-based idea of lack. And, as it is the season, giving is the greatest way to open the heart channel – so long as the gift is heartfelt. Whether you give quality time, undivided attention, a helping hand, counsel, kindness, support or whether you lavish your loved ones with physical gifts, the result is that your heart will open to the joy and bliss that is the fragrance at the heart of life.

Tempering anger and excessive emotion

Because summer increases heat and fire element, there is also the tendency to over-boil into anger. Bottled up emotions obstruct flow so their gentle release and expression is an important factor in maintaining overall health. The trick is to avoid aiming stagnant or excessive emotions at others and to find other vehicles for releasing them such as cathartic therapies, physical exercise, counselling, somatic therapies and the like. Anger can also be a first defence to guard the heart by keeping deeper emotions of grief or fear from surfacing and being felt. Finding courage to feel into what is behind the anger defence can set you on the path to emotional healing and the joy that is the natural expression of a healed heart.

Foods to favour during summer

We naturally eat lighter meals during summer. This is because fire element is expanded throughout the whole body, rather than being concentrated around the vital organs as it is in winter. During summer favour foods that provide ample hydration and avoid drying foods and heavy foods that require a lot of digestive energy. Foods to favour include:

bitter gourd (very bitter but very cooling too)
bok choy
broccoli
Chinese cabbage
citrus fruit
cilantro
melons (reduce heat – don’t eat with other foods)
seasonal fruits and veges
seaweed
spinach
sprouts & mung beans
squash
stone fruits
strawberries
watercress

Herbal Teas

Because of the need to temper the yang aspect of summer, herbal teas and other cooling fluids that hydrate our bodies, pacify heat and nourish the heart/small intestine meridian are best. The following herbal teas can be blended and served hot or as ice tea: jasmine flowers, jasmine green tea, cardamom, dandelion, elder flower, fennel, green tea, lemon and lime tea, moroccan mint, rose petals, lavender, chamomile, calendula flower, valerian root, rosella.  

What to include on the to-do list for summer health maintenance

1. Tone and support your heart and small intestine meridian by choosing foods, exercises and therapies that support these systems. Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga and Tai Chi are good options.

2. Favour cooling and pacifying food that is light on digestion and don’t over eat (this applies to every season)!

3. Watch out for burn out from excess – this includes sun, exercise, work or any activity. 

4. Avoid things that harm the heart and small intestine health such as excess salt, dehydration, inadequate water intake, excess anger or resentment.

5. Give to restore joy – contrary to the habit of rampant consumerism that we’ve been programmed to accept, we cannot find lasting joy in getting. Our heart’s natural expression is joy and to experience it the heart channel needs to open. Giving in any form strengthens our joy.

6. Supplements from Mount Gambier Chinese Medical Centre can help support you from the inside out.

Summer health support at Mount Gambier Chinese Medical Centre

Our practitioners at the Mount Gambier Chinese Medical Centre are here to help you to embrace this ultra yang season and stay balanced. Whether you need deep revitalising massage to restore your body and mind from this high activity season or acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine to tonify and strengthen your heart and small intestine meridians, there’s something for you. We also have our amazing range of Chinese herbs in store which you can support you to maintain wellness. 

Everyone experiences stress from time to time in their life. In fact, stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to events that take place in life. When your body experiences stress it responds by releasing hormones called cortisol. These are the same hormone which triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed that when a body experiences stress, it affects the Qi ( energy flow ) and causes an imbalance of Qi.  

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been successfully used for over 2000 years, it works as a great alternative to combat stress and helps you ease the burden of the stressful day to day life. The main aim of Chinese Medicine when treating stress is to keep the flow of Qi in order to keep the body in balance. 

In Chinese Medicine, human emotions are closely related to the organs.

The Liver is the organ relating to emotion, Kidney is responsible for the energetic function and the Spleen is the housekeeper of the body’s immune system, taking its nutrients from the stomach. 

The goal here is to nourish your organs. There are lifestyle changes you can make to strengthen your organs to help reduce and manage stress better.

Here are some tips on how to deal with stress based on the principles of Chinese Medicine:

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, increases the blood circulation. Acupuncture has been shown to lower stress hormones by reducing cortisol levels. Other benefits of acupuncture include relieving pain, reducing stress, it also helps relax muscles so your body feels less stressed. When your meridian channels (or pathways of energy) are open,  your muscles are more easily able to relax.

2. Exercise

When your body is stressed and anxious, your liver energy is blocked. Exercising has a positive effect on the liver. Exercise demands attention so your mind is drawn away from your day to day stress. There are many studies that have show exercising help release Endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in your body. Exercising also improves blood circulation and strengthens muscles. 

Gentle and calm exercises are more beneficial for Liver and Heart balance and dealing with stress. For example, walking, slow swimming, Wu Tao, tai chi, yoga and slow cycling. Exercise in the outdoors with sunshine and a green environment, as the colour green nourishes the Liver.  Nothing wrong with a walk in the forest or on the beach no matter what the season. Best way to receive the healing benefits of nature.

3. Diet

The famous quote “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food” has stood the test of time.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine Kidneys are considered to be the root of life, they are the foundation for a healthy life so it is important to look after them. Avoid consumption of items such as alcohol and caffeine that can have a damaging effect on the kidneys. Grains nourish the stomach, and fish, walnuts nourishes the kidneys.

Keep your spleen nourished by consuming more warm and cooked foods. Cold and raw food along with sugar and alcohol as it is not easily digested by the spleen which results in Qi deficiency and depletes the body.

Ginger has been recognised for its apparent ability to warm the body by increasing blood circulation and keeps the energy flowing.

4. Relax & Nourish the mind

Many people find meditation daunting and we totally understand that, it is difficult to simply sit down with your own thoughts and embrace the quietness or loudness of your own thoughts. The trick and challenge is to focus on the present and where you are at that instant moment. A good starting point is to sit down with no distraction and count 100 deep breaths, this should pull you away from your negative thoughts and bring your mind to present and promote relaxation.

As the saying goes:

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

Also given the numerous benefits meditation brings its well worth a try.

5. Consider Adding Chinese Herbal Medicine & Herbs to your daily routine

Chinese Herbal Medicine can be extremely useful when chronic stress has affected your organs. Some Chinese Medicine has been specifically formulated to help reduce stress by reducing the level of cortisol, it also helps to relax nerves and muscles helping eliminate stress and anxiety. 

Everything is energy. All energy has consciousness. All consciousness has purpose. This is the guiding principle behind the saying, “The body never lies.”

A symptom is your body’s way of communicating with you. This message is simply energy, and it has a consciousness and a purpose of its own. But headaches, joint pain, itchy skin, stomach pains, digestive issues, or other symptoms automatically raise a red flag. And instead of listening to the body, we jump to the worst-case scenario.

So rather than viewing symptoms from the perspective of fear, try a different angle, be curious, go deep within to understand the purpose of these messages. Your body has so much information to share with you about maintaining good health. If your body has the ability to create a physical symptom, it also has the ability to heal it. For every problem, it has a built-in solution. But through our hectic lifestyles and interference from cell phones and other electronics, the signals get blocked. We have forgotten how to access our body’s true healing potential.

Remember, the body never lies. So what do these symptoms mean at a deeper level? The answer is always found within.

Many people complain of stomach pains and digestive issues. They experience bloating, heartburn, gas and constipation or diarrhea. These uncomfortable symptoms are often attributed to food. But is food the only reason, or can we dig a bit deeper?

Food, in its most natural form, is used to nourish the body. However, it’s becoming harder and harder to find unprocessed foods grown in organic soil with simply sun and water. And food is not nearly the only thing we ask our bodies to process and digest. Everything we see, smell, taste, touch, hear, and experience needs to be digested as well. Our bodies must process whatever we take in, including our emotions.

Have you ever felt so worried that you had an immediate urge to run to the bathroom? It’s not a coincidence. Your emotions are closely linked to the energetic functioning of your organs. Worry impacts the way your body digests food. So if you tend to worry or overthink situations, your digestive system might be a bit sluggish.

What are some ways to help?

1. Listen to your body’s messages. Notice when you feel bloated or experience stomach pains. What are you digesting? Are you stressed or worried? Recognizing these messages and the possible reasons for them can help you to view your digestive system in a different way.

2. Digest your emotions. Once you’ve identified troublesome emotions, help make them easier to digest. For example, if you’re worried, write a mantra that you can repeat daily, such as “Everything happens for good.” or “My life is meant to be happy.” Whenever you find stress and worry creeping in, breathe and repeat your mantra. Help yourself to see the bigger picture and to focus on the good.

3. Eat healing, seasonal foods. The stomach loves warmth! Leave raw foods at the salad bar and instead, choose cooked vegetables and healing grains. Be sure to eat seasonal foods harvested at the peak of their energy.

Think about the saying, “I feel sick with worry.” Worry is often accompanied by a stomach ache or a wave of nausea. Every wonder why?

If you suffer from constant worry—about life, business, career, finances, family, the state of the world—you automatically take Qi, or vital energy, away from your body. This slows your body down and hinders its ability to process foods, thoughts and emotions properly. We often see patients that suffer from constant worry and have no appetite. Why does worry shut down the digestive system? This energetic frequency causes the Stomach to stop performing its duties. When the digestive system shuts down, your body loses the ability to create enough Blood. Often the patient will become anemic or experience insomnia, and of course, too much worry can cause weight loss—or even weight gain.

Fear and worry are often based on imagination and beliefs. These emotional energies are projections of the future—something that hasn’t happened yet, and may actually never happen. Based on your beliefs and past experiences, you create more worry and project it into the future. And guess what happens? That creates even more anxiety!

Everywhere you look, there is information that promotes worry and fear. This affects our emotions, our minds, and the energetic function of our organ systems on a daily basis. From this angle, we can say that emotions have a stronger effect than food on our bodies.

At one level, you are what you eat. But on a higher level, you are what you think!

The best way to maintain healthy balance is to change your beliefs, and to change your mind about how you perceive and react to circumstances you encounter every day. Watch yourself and track your reactions and emotions. Do you see areas of your life where you can minimize worry and overthinking? How can you apply this concept to your daily life?

Centuries ago, ancient Chinese philosophers devised a secret to lifelong happiness. It is easier to attain than one might think.

The saying goes:

If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.

If you want happiness for a month, get married.

If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.

If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.

Simply put, the secret to happiness is helping others. On a daily basis, it’s easy to get caught up in our everyday lives. We often lose sight of the fact that our own little bubble is just a small blip in the larger Universal picture. But during the Pandemic of 2020, we have come to see how very small our world truly is. This invisible virus has affected every single human on this planet, whether or not we ourselves fell ill. And now, even as parks and stores begin to reopen, and life finds its way back to a new normal, the effects of this time will continue well into the future.

Even though we are all experiencing the pandemic, each one of us views it through a different lens. Some who enjoy social interaction may find this time extremely difficult and isolating. While others who revel in the peaceful quiet may have taken the time to meditate deeply, and are now left feeling rejuvenated. But regardless of our personal experiences, the reality that so many are in need pulls deeply at our heartstrings. And while children are extremely resilient, quarantine can be difficult for little ones who miss their social network. Plus, many children rely on school meals in order to stay nourished, while others simply don’t have the resources to continue schooling from home.

Five Helpful Tips

Giving not only helps others; it also boosts our own happiness. Science has proven that genuine acts of charity result in a surge of endorphins, creating a natural “high”.  So, what can we do to help in a time and space where our actions are so limited?

1. Reach Out: Call neighbors, elderly family members or people that might be feeling lonely during this time. Offer to set up a grocery delivery or drop a few rolls of toilet paper at their front door. You’ll be amazed at how meaningful these simple acts can be.

2. Stock Food Banks: Many individuals are stockpiling basic supplies, leaving food banks and homeless shelters depleted for those most in need. Consider donating some items in your pantry or placing a special delivery order for a food bank or shelter with shelf-stable basics, such as flour, rice, beans, pasta and hygiene items.

3. Remember Front Line Workers: Leave a note of appreciation for postal workers or join forces with neighbours to have pizzas sent to your local CFS or police station. Donating from local restaurants also helps support small business.

4. Stay Connected: Mental health is just as important as physical health. Create opportunities for yourself and others to stay in touch through virtual calls and meeting spaces. Involve your children in making beautiful drawings for residents in nursing homes.

5. Extend Your Heart: True as ever, adopting a pet fills your heart and home with love and provides companionship in a time when physical connection isn’t often possible. Many dogs and cats are living in shelters, waiting for their forever homes. If you are unable to foster or adopt, reach out to your local shelter to donate food, treats and toys.

Whatever condition exists at the visible level of the body means something deeper is happening within. This “something” is an imbalance in how the organ systems are designed to cooperate, since all the organs are in constant communication.

Most messages zip around faster than the speed of light! They are also intimately connected with beliefs, thoughts and emotions. Nothing is separate. In traditional Chinese medicine, the root cause of conditions exists at the invisible, energetic level first, then migrates to the physical. If there is a disconnect between organs, the body has the wisdom to send us a warning signal.

How do we decode the signals?

First, we take a look at the body’s vital triangle: Liver/Gallbladder, Spleen/Stomach and Kidney/Bladder. These three organ pairs must function well independently and also communicate with each other harmoniously in order for the body to enjoy healthy metabolism function.

Liver/Gallbladder

In Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Five Element framework, the Liver and Gallbladder is a critical team. This organ pair is the first to receive the brunt of stress on the body. Its main energetic function is to allow Qi, blood and emotions to flow smoothly through the body. This organ system is critical to women’s health. Virtually all menstrual issues and reproductive cancers can be traced to the Liver.

One of the jobs of the Liver/Gallbladder is to protect nail health. If the nails have ridges, are thin, brittle and break frequently, the Liver is seeking out help performing its functions. If the nails’ half-moons are small or non-existent, Qi or vital energy is low. It’s like a warning sign that the body is running out of gas. Migraines, particularly on the left side, are a sign the Gallbladder meridian has energy stagnation. The Liver also takes responsibility for eye function. The eyes are the Liver’s opening to the external world. Vision problems, blurry, red or dry eyes indicate Liver dysfunction.

Spleen/Stomach

The Spleen and Stomach are vital to digestive health. Belching, bloating, and burping are all signs of a Spleen-Stomach imbalance. Studying the tongue can give clues as to the energetic health of this organ system. A white coating on the tongue indicates excess cold—viewed by Traditional Chinese Medicine as a disease-causing agent. Excess heat—displayed by a greasy, yellow tongue—can be damaging as well.

Provide this organ pair with some TLC by avoiding foods and beverages with a cold temperature and essence, like salads and iced drinks. Those with a warm essence, including ginger and cinnamon, support this organ system. A skilled acupuncturist can also help re-balance Stomach and Spleen function, allowing the body to do the rest of the healing work.

Kidney/Bladder

The Kidney and Bladder also work harmoniously as a team. What kicks these hardworking organs out of balance? Often, it’s emotions—like deep-rooted fear—or overuse of the Kidney’s inborn Qi. The Kidney uses the ear—often through a challenging condition called tinnitus, or ringing in the ear—to send a signal to the body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine associates the Kidney with the knee, lower back and heel—places where people commonly experience pain. These painful joints, muscles, and tendons are signs of a deeper imbalance in the body. One unmistakable sign of sluggish Kidney Qi is cold hands and feet. The body is begging for more internal warmth to keep its flame going. How do we respond to these signals and start to rebuild our low energy reserves? Rest is a main ingredient, as is warmth. Drink a simple hot tea made with real ginger root, honey and lemon juice, and warm the Kidney with a heating pad. Would-be parents need to know that infertility and low sperm count are associated with poor Kidney function.

Heart/Small Intestine and Lung/Large Intestine

Each of the organ pairs above must also cooperate with the Heart-Small intestine and Lung-Large intestine. When all organ systems function well independently, the Heart acts as the conductor of the orchestra, coordinating their vibrations into a harmonious symphony. When the body is in this beautiful state of balance, emotions and weight are balanced, digestion is smooth, and the person feels creative and energized, yet calm and peaceful. However, if the organ systems don’t operate in sync, the body will find a way to send a signal—in the form of fatigue, digestion issues, muscle and tendon problems, memory loss and more. Our bodies are truly born with amazing wisdom.

Allergy season is in full swing, which means you may be stuck home feeling completely run down feeling like you just came down with the world’s worst cold right in the middle of Spring. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis is something that affects so many people this time of year, and it can certainly interfere with your overall quality of life.

Let’s take a closer look at what hay fever is, what causes it, and then some different remedies to help treat it, so you don’t have to suffer every time allergy season comes around.

What is Hay Fever & What Causes it?

Hay fever can lead to some of the same symptoms as a common cold such as a runny nose, sneezing, and sinus pressure. However, the difference is the hay fever isn’t caused by a viral infection, it is caused by an allergy to an environmental allergen such as pollen and dust mites.

90% of hay fever cases are related to pollen from trees and, while many people may opt for allergy relief pills to help treat symptoms, this approach fails to treat the root cause.

Symptoms of Hay Fever

Some of the most common symptoms of hay fever include:

• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Itchy nose
• Itchy throat
• Postnasal drip
• Itchy or red eyes
• Watery eyes
• Feeling run down and fatigued

 Western vs. Chinese Medicine Perspective When Treating Hay Fever

Western Medicine

A western medicine approach to treating hay fever revolves around the belief that there is no cure available, and that allergy-relief pills can be taken as a way to help reduce symptoms.

These medications include:

• Antihistamines or Decongestants: Antihistamines can provide relief from symptoms but does not treat the root cause so hay fever may very well return the following allergy season. Decongestants simply reduce the amount of congestion until the medication wears off.

• Nasal Sprays: Narrows blood vessels, reduces inflammation and swelling and can help relieve hay fever symptoms.

Chinese Medicine

When using a Chinese Medicine approach to treating hay fever, it’s all about treating the root cause instead of just masking a symptom.

Chinese medicine looks at how the seasons come and go and how pollen is not the culprit, but a reaction of your immune system. When your immune system is reacting to an allergen, hay fever symptoms will present themselves, which are manifestations of your body trying to push excessive allergens out of the body.

A Chinese medicine approach also looks at the fact that allergies are triggered by imbalances as well as deficiencies in your organs such as qi deficiency in the spleen, kidneys, and lungs. This holistic approach looks at the whole body and different ways to strengthen these organs to ultimately get to the bottom of the problem along with the use of various natural modalities such as the use of natural herbs and acupuncture.

Did You Know Even Stress Can Affect Hay Fever?

Stress can lead to all kinds of imbalances in the body, and this includes hay fever. There have been studies done that have shown that those who suffered from hay fever and had high levels of stress had even more severe hay fever symptoms. While reducing your stress may not completely eliminate your seasonal allergies, it may help to lessen the symptoms.

Natural Remedies to Treat Hay Fever

While allergy season can be one of the hardest times of the year for hay fever sufferers, you don’t have to suffer all season long. There are so many natural remedies to help treat hay fever that you can implement into your healthy lifestyle.

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is great, and there has been extensive academic research that has proven the effectiveness of acupuncture for so many different things, including hay fever. So, how does it work? Stimulating acupuncture points can help provide relief of symptoms, but may also help prevent hay fever altogether. Some people see a difference after just one session!

• Acupressure: Similar to acupuncture, acupressure involves applying pressure to acupoints on the body’s meridians, and acupressure may be very beneficial for those suffering from allergy symptoms like sinus pressure. Interested in reducing some of your allergy symptoms at home, watch this acupressure exercise video to get you started

Herbs to strengthen the immune system and treat the symptoms:

There are also quite a few herbs that can be very beneficial for strengthening the immune system and treating hay fever symptoms.

Cloudy urination refers to urine that appears milky or cloudy like rice water, or urine that may appear clear but precipitates sediment if allowed to stand. There is no, or only very mild pain associated with urination.

Damp Heat
This type of cloudy urine is most often a manifestation of lower jiao Damp Heat of internal origin. That is, the Damp Heat has been produced in the middle jiao by excess consumption of rich food and alcohol and has then sunk into the lower jiao. The Damp Heat can also arise directly in the lower jiao by the condensing action of internal Heat on Fluids. Such internal Heat is produced by yin deficiency or long term qi or Damp stagnation.

Less often, Damp Heat type cloudy urine may be the result of external Damp Heat pathogen that invades through the tai yang (Bladder) channel, the leg yin channels or the local luo channels. External Damp Heat typically causes acute painful urination. However, if the Damp Heat is unresolved or lingering, the urine may become cloudy.

Spleen Deficiency
Overwork, excessive worry or mental activity, irregular dietary habits or prolonged illness can weaken Spleen qi; Spleen qi naturally ascends creating the appropriate equilibrium for the descent of turbid waste materials, so it is said the Spleen governs ‘the raising of the clear and descent of the turbid’. If this activity fails, the ‘clear and turbid’ intermingle and sink, settling in the lower jiao and Bladder. Also, when the Spleen is weak, food and fluids are poorly processed and Dampness may accumulate.

Kidney Deficiency
Kidney deficiency manifests as either yang or yin deficiency. A tendency to Kidney weakness can be inherited and it certainly increases with age. Chronic illness, excessive sexual activity and many pregnancies also weaken the Kidneys.

Kidney yang or qi is particularly affected by prolonged exposure to cold conditions or excessive lifting or standing. In some cases, particularly in younger people, Kidney qi may be weakened while Kidney yang remains intact, in which case the cold symptoms are not seen.

Kidney yin is damaged through overwork (especially while under stress), insufficient sleep, febrile diseases, insufficient hydration and the use of prescription and recreational drugs.

The Kidney and Bladder are closely related, so weakness of the Kidney can affect the Bladder. When Kidney qi is weak, the Bladder is vulnerable to pathogenic invasion (through the tai yang, leg yin channels or local luo channels), especially Damp Heat.

Treatment

After a diagnosis from a qualified practitioner has been given, acupuncture and herbal medicines are recommended to support correcting any systemic imbalances that may be present.