Acupuncture & Flow

As a Chinese Medicine practitioner I often find myself speaking of flow.  We try to find words to explain as best as possible what we know to be true in our experience, and for me the way to healing ultimately is to be in flow.  But what exactly does that mean?

Chinese Medicine originated over 3,000 years ago and it's understanding is tied to the ancient Taoist tradition which is translated as 'The Way'.  The way in Taoism cannot be explained in words as it is based on life's ebbs and flows which can only be experienced.  But here I am going to give it a go for the sake of translating what I have learned and experienced in watching my patients on their healing journey.  

The way, also known as 'Wu Wei' is the golden path where everything is effortless and perfect.  Yes, there is perfection here on earth and it's called 'nature' - that is, the way it was designed before obstacles or abnormal intervention.  Nature is designed with everything in mind.  It has perfect timing, perfect temperature, perfect growth - in it's ideal state.  But when obstacles arise - pollution, harm, interference, a lack of living by nature's rules - then disharmony occurs.  Although by design it's perfect, nature is so delicately interwoven that all parts need to work in unison for it to play out it's ultimate destiny.  

Such is our body - which is a part of the whole.  We see inside ourselves what we can also witness without.  We no longer are in sync with the light of nature since creating our own artificial light - and then we ask why there is such a huge epidemic of insomnia in modern times.  Our man made signals are causing us imbalance that we don't even perceive to be happening - partly because we've become so accustom to being in a dazed state due to overstimulation.  Our minds can only take so much information and then in order to deal with this properly we need to tune some of it out.  So we get used to tuning life out and then wonder why time speeds up these days.  I used to think it was just age until I began speaking with kids who also feel that time is going so fast.  If you asked me when I was their age when all these devices didn't exist, I would have said that a year felt like forever.

This is not to sound pessimistic, but in order to achieve balance we need to take an honest look at what is happening and why.  

So when people get out of balance, they develop symptoms, and that is usually when my phone rings.  The question that I get most often is 'Does acupuncture treat (insert symptom / condition)' and my answer is almost always the same.  So long as the condition is not so far along that it needs immediate medical intervention, my job is to figure out how I can create a condition in my patient's body which is optimal for healing.  My ultimate goal, is to encourage the body's own natural flow.

That job is not always easy, and at times it takes a lot of tries (because every 'body' responds differently to the many tools we have in Chinese Medicine).  Eventually, practitioners can figure out a way to hone in on the patient's pattern and work through their imbalance in order to restore harmony.  And when that happens, we get to witness what many consider to be miracles.  

But you have the power to restore harmony in your own body.  You can begin to live a life that is more harmonious with nature.  Taking walks during the day, abstaining from using devices or watching TV late at night, eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, and meditation are just a few examples of ways that you can create flow in your own life.  Since we can't change the ways of our modern life, we can still change our own behaviors to create homeostasis in our health.  Adopting this practice is vital in order to create lasting health and well being.  You are certainly worth the effort!  

Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash

Ayurveda and the Doshas

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicine which views and treats the body according to the elemental characteristics that it presents.  There are three main body types (or Doshas):  Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.  

Vata dosha presents as body type that is slim, delicate with a small belly.  People who are primarily vata don't have defined muscles but are more frail and pale.  The elements that rule vata are ether and air.  The vata constitution has the following characteristics: Cold, Light, Dry, Rough , Subtle, Mobile, Clear.  Vata governs breathing, heart, movement of muscles, sensory perception, nerve conduction, communication, flexibility, joy and consciousness.  

Too much vata can cause anxiety, fear, constriction (physical and emotional), constipation, poor circulation, dry skin, being underweight, insomnia, shakiness / twitching. 

Pitta dosha presents as a body which is medium shape, muscular, and very proportional.  People who are primarily pitta may tend to get hot easily and have acne or excess sweating.  The elements that rule pitta are fire and water.  The pitta constitution has the following characteristics:  Hot, light, sharp, liquid, oily, spreading.  Pitta governs digestion, transformation, appetite / digestion, absorption, intelligence, courage, clear communication, and ambition.  

Too much pitta can show as anger, impatience, jealousy, inflammation, burning, loose stools, rashes, migraines, bleeding and skin disorders, insatiable appetite, and overactive metabolism.

Kapha dosha presents as a body type with a larger build and has a tendency to retain water.  People who are primarily kapha tend to move slower, resist change, and lack motivation.  The elements that rule kapha are water and earth.  The kapha constitution has the following characteristics:  Slow, heavy, oily, cool, smooth, dense, cloudy, grounded.  Kapha governs growth, nourishment, stability, fat regulation, and compassion.  

Too much kapha can cause greediness, attachment, resistance to change, a sluggish metabolism, hardening of the arteries, cholesterol,and tumors / masses.

Most people will find themselves to be a combination of two of the doshas.  All though they do exist, there are few people who are one pure dosha or a perfect combination of all three.

Figuring out a person's dosha is important in order to gain insight into what is needed to find balance.  Balance is attained by eating food that is in contrast to the tendencies (i.e. if a person shows a lot of heat from pitta, eating cool foods to lower the body's heat), or using herbs, essential oils, and life habits / actions in order to control excess elements. 

Balance is important because when the body is in harmony, it is able to do its' job and thrive! 

Acupuncture: An Antidote for Stress

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the energy that is behind the body’s life force function is called ‘qi’.  Unlike modern medicine, TCM perceives the body’s organs as having different roles in regards to the body’s qi (among many other aspects).  Chinese medical theory considers the liver to be the organ in charge of the qi flowing correctly in the body.  When someone undergoes stress or extreme emotions, it causes the energy or ‘qi’ to contract.  This has a secondary effect of stopping the natural flow of qi - which the liver is in charge of.  The qi then either becomes stuck or begins to move in the opposite direction, which affects the body’s normal function.  The symptoms that can arise from this are pain, irritability, insomnia, abnormal menses, headaches, and abdominal discomfort among many more.

When a patient comes in presenting the symptoms above, the TCM physician will assess and create a treatment protocol that will most likely include acupuncture and herbs.  Acupuncture needles will be located in specific points which will work to unblock the ‘qi’ and allow the channels that are stagnated to move qi more freely.  There are many herbs that are effective for doing this from a different aspect which is more chemical in comparison to the physical aspect of acupuncture.  This is why working with both herbs and acupuncture is so effective.

There have been several studies that have shown the effectiveness of TCM on stress.  One study lead by Dr. Ladan Eshkevari of Georgetown University found that acupuncture reduces levels of a protein linked to chronic stress in rats.  This protein called neuropeptide Y (NPY) is secreted by the sympathetic nervous system in humans which is involved in the fight or flight response.

Before these studies many people have noted that even when they come in for a completely different symptom than stress, they often feel more peaceful since beginning their TCM treatments.

An interesting study on acupuncture and stress.