Are You Ready to Thrive?

This is a question that I get asked regularly.  We're used to seeing our doctors only in times of trouble (even if then!) and otherwise, we go on our own merry ways.  So when an acupuncturist says that they'd like to see us again in a week, we question it.  

In our society, because we don't go to the doctor until we're experiencing symptoms that are bringing us to our knees, we've dug ourselves into a bit of a "health hole."  What do I mean by that?  We spend our lives worrying, and stressing, and not exercising or eating properly, in effect neglecting our bodies, until our bodies finally break down and we experience a symptom that is worth complaining about. But in Chinese medicine, we've been unhealthy and out of balance for a lot longer than this uncomfortable symptom has existed!

In order to get back to a truly healthy state of being, one in which our uncomfortable symptoms don't come back a short while after treatment, it takes time - and practice.  Our bodies have forgotten, and need to relearn, how to be healthy!

When we get acupuncture, it does its thing for a certain amount of time.  Some people may feel better for a whole week after their first couple of treatments, while some may only feel better for a couple hours.  How long an acupuncture treatment lasts depends on the person, how out of balance they are and how quickly their body responds.  

It is best to get another treatment before much of the effects of the acupuncture have worn off.  For some people this will be a couple times a week, but for most people this is once a week.

Now remember, the whole point here is that your body starts remembering how to be healthy on its own - without ANY outside help.  So once you become symptom-free from treatment to treatment, your acupuncturist will start spacing out your treatments.  If you were coming in once a week, perhaps you'll go to every other week for a while, then maybe once a month.  

In effect acupuncture is reminding your body how to be healthy again, and once it starts remembering, it's time to wean you off treatments so that your body has the opportunity to practice being healthy between visits!

Just like riding our first bikes, once we get the hang of it, and our bodies know how to be healthy again, it's time to take off the training wheels!

I was reading Bridget Pilloud's latest blog post (by the way, I LOVE her blog!) this morning and it really struck a chord with me.  We all tell ourselves certain things (she called them stories) about ourselves, and the more we repeat them, the more they become true. 

I hear it time and time again - "My body hates me!"* or "I'm never going to be headache/back pain/name a symptom -free again!"  Unfortunately, these are the patients for whom this is true. 

When you spend every day of your life repeating a story to yourself, it becomes part of you, it becomes you - good or bad.  The mind is a very important tool for getting healthy, and when a person is constantly repeating a negative story to themselves, no medicine can overcome it.

Many people come to me because they are finally fed up with being sick.  They do NOT want to believe that their complaint is part of who they are, and they are ready to do whatever it takes to get rid of it.  These people get better.

Some people come to me miserable because of their symptoms and have decided that their body is out to get them.  No matter what treatments are tried, these patients never get lasting results and end up giving up on yet another treatment modality.

Those who come in with the mindset that their bodies are sabotaging their lives but are willing to change their story (so often we don't even realize we are repeating such negative thoughts until they're pointed out!) often see remarkable changes in their health as soon as they discontinue the damaging thoughts!

So, your homework is this:  Change your story.  Your body doesn't hate you, it's not out to get you, it just hasn't had the right tools to function properly.  Appreciate your body for the things it does well!  This appreciation will shine through, and you'll experience a noticeable change in the way your body functions.

When you change your body from an enemy to a teammate, you can begin to work together to heal!



PS - Wow, I just googled "my body hates me" and you wouldn't BELIEVE how many times this comes up!

So I've done a lot of talking about the Spleen, in particular its sibling-like relationship with the Liver.  Today I want to give you a few ideas of things you can do at home that will strengthen your Spleen which will in turn give you:

• better digestion
• clearer thinking
• weight gain or weight loss (depending on what your body needs)
• no more diarrhea
• and much more!

Let's start by discussing diet.  The flavor of the Spleen is sweet.  However, this doesn't mean that we should go out and eat all the sugar we can find. In fact, this damages the Spleen further.  What we need is foods that are "sweet-ish" while providing a ton of nutrients.  Some common foods for strengthening the Spleen are:

• Sweet Potatoes
  
• Carrots
• Beef
• soups
• warm, cooked foods (they're easier on the Spleen to digest)
• ginger

The color of the Spleen is yellow.  Orange and brown can also be a part of the Spleen color family due to their "earthy" tones.  When looking at the above list of foods, notice how many of them fit this color-scheme.  MOST of them!  So when planning your diet, consider adding some of these colors!  Also consider surrounding yourself with something in the Spleen's color-family.  A yellow shirt? A necklace with yellow beads? Be creative!

The emotions of the Spleen are worry and over-analyzing on the negative end and feeling at peace on the positive side of the spectrum.  If you're feeling stressed out by something, try not to over-analyze it.  It is what it is.  This isn't to say that you shouldn't work to change things, but don't get bogged down by negative details.

Earth is the element of the Spleen.  Connect with the earth element!  Go for a hike in a wooded area - just make sure that the path you're taking is dirt, not concrete!

Below are some stretches that you can do in order to stimulate the Spleen (and its spouse channel, the Stomach).  Sit in a kneeling position with your buttocks on your feet.  Place your hands on the floor next to your feet.  As you slowly inhale, lean back towards the floor as far as you can comfortably go, letting your head drop back.  Upon exhale, lift yourself back to the starting position.  Repeat 5 times.

Consider omitting excess sugars from your life.  They damage your Spleen by bogging it down. 

And finally, love your Spleen!  It does some hard work digesting foods for you!

Incontinence is a very common condition in older dogs, particularly females.  It’s often called “spay incontinence” with the assumption that it’s due to the lack of hormones caused by the removal of the ovaries and uterus in female dogs.

Common biomedical treatment is with a drug called Proin, and while some owners have found that it works for their dogs, other see little difference in the “leaking” experienced by their dogs.  This can be a very frustrating condition, as the dog has no control over her bladder, but the owner has been used to a potty-trained dog up until this point! 

I’ve found that an integrative approach has been best for the dogs that I’ve worked with who have this condition.  Proin, with the addition of acupuncture and Chinese herbs works beautifully for helping a dog regain control of her bladder!

In Chinese medicine, the Kidneys are responsible for many bodily functions, including bladder control, hormone regulation and aging, just to list those that factor into incontinence.  As we age, our Kidney energy declines, giving rise to a propensity to incontinence.  Treatment consists of increasing Kidney Qi through acupuncture and herbal formulas.

Herbal formulas, specific to each dog’s exact health situation, are key to the treatment of incontinence.  While acupuncture can increase Kidney energy, it tends to be slow, while herbs are much quicker at achieving appropriate levels of Kidney Qi.

What I have noticed is that with acupuncture and herbal treatment, many dogs’ doses of Proin are able to be severely reduced in order to control their incontinence; some are able to come off of the medication completely! 

It’s such a relief when a solution is found to help your dog stop leaking urine! No longer do they have to be embarrassed by their lack of control, and no longer do you have to clean up the endless drips of urine!

Arthritis in dogs is one of the main health concerns that I see.  As pet owners, we’ve all been there.  We’ve had a long, lovely life with our dog, and they’re getting a bit older.  They’re starting to have difficulties getting up from lying down, especially in the morning after lying there for a while.  They have trouble getting in the car to go to the park.  They don’t run like they used to at the park, and then that evening they’re super stiff.

I see this scene play out on a regular basis, and very often, the owner/friend/treat-hander-outer has brought them to me as a last resort.  Is there anything that can be done to keep our beloved dog comfortable just a bit longer?  I always get excited at this point, because yes!  Almost without fail (there have been a few cases where we just couldn’t make enough of a difference in the pup’s pain levels) we can get that old dog moving more smoothly again.

In Chinese medicine, our Kidneys play a huge role in the aging process.  I’m not talking about the biomedical kidneys here, so if I say your dog has weak kidneys, there’s no need to panic.  I’m talking about the Chinese medical Kidneys.  These are the jobs that are attributed to the Kidneys in Chinese Medicine:  bone health, aging, some aspects of the urinary tract, menstruation in women – just to name a few.

When our dogs (and us, for that matter!) get older, their Kidney’s ability to manage all of the jobs mentioned above starts to decline.  This is when we start seeing arthritis, graying of hair, and incontinence (and in human women – menopause).  The process for treating arthritis in dogs involves strengthening the Kidneys, and making sure that their Qi flows smoothly throughout their bodies.

It’s always exciting to see that dog who previously hobbled into my office come bounding up the stairs to give me a kiss hello before their next treatment.  Yep, there’s no better reward than that!

My dog suffers from hip dysplasia -- will acupuncture help her?

In acupuncture, the body is like a freeway system, with Qi flowing through energy pathways called Meridians.  In this analogy, the cars are the Qi and the freeways themselves are the Meridians.  Pain is kind of like a car accident on the freeway.  When there is an accident on the freeway, the rest of the cars trying to travel through aren’t able to, which makes drivers cranky.  In your body, when there is a blockage to the natural flow of Qi, energy can’t travel through the Meridians properly, and the result is a cranky body - pain.

While acupuncture can’t fix the fact that a dog with hip dysplasia has a malformed hip socket, it can reduce the amount of pain associated with this disorder by removing the blockages to the flow of Qi.  Acupuncture relaxes muscle tension that has accumulated through chronic compensation for this loose joint, easing a lot of the aches and pains that a dog will experience.

I often find that after seeing a dog for 3-10 visits (depending on the severity of their condition and how their bodies respond to acupuncture) that they are pain-free and only require “tune-ups” every couple of months to maintain their pain-free status!

Is acupuncture ever used to treat canine cancer?

In the US, Chinese medicine is mostly used with the intention of aiding a pet through treatment.  Often symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dry-mouth and more can be severe enough to require treatments to be discontinued.  Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are very effective at easing these symptoms, allowing a pet to finish their course of treatments.  On the other hand, in Chinese medicine, every patient is treated as a whole.  Cancer cannot be ignored, as it is part of the pet’s health picture, and so it will always be addressed. 

As far as Chinese medicine being used exclusively to treat cancer in pets- this is a gray area.

In China, Chinese medicine is often used as the sole treatment for cancer (as well as many other diseases) with reportedly very positive results.  However, as far as research goes, there have been no reputable studies done to observe the outcomes of Chinese-medicine-only cancer treatments.

In the US, Chinese medicine is usually seen as an adjunctive therapy; one to be used in conjunction with biomedical treatments, so the research that exists comes from the viewpoint of “how can Chinese medicine assist with or ease the side effects of biomedical treatments?”  We just haven’t looked at the ability of Chinese medicine to treat cancer directly.

In reality, cancer, in pets, is often not discovered until it is advanced because they are masters at hiding discomfort, and thus, disease.  At this point, there usually isn’t enough time to let Chinese medicine work.  If the pet’s owner decides to go through with biomedical treatments, Chinese medicine can ease the side effects associated with chemo and radiation.  If the pet’s owner decides not to go through with biomedical treatments, Chinese medicine can help make the pet comfortable and perhaps slow the progression of the disease, giving them more symptom-free time.

My dog has skin allergies – what can acupuncture do for him?

A LOT!  Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective at treating all sorts of allergies!  I’ve treated many patients (both 2- and 4-legged) with allergies to all sorts of substances: grasses, pollens, pets, foods, etc.

In Chinese medicine, the allergic reaction itself (the stuffy nose, runny eyes or itchy skin) is due to Wind combining with either heat or cold.  Now, I know this sounds funny to our Western ear, but hear me out!  The term wind simply refers to a condition that comes and goes quickly, moves around, or causes itching.  The heat and cold refers to what the symptoms look like. Are your pet’s eyes red and itchy?  Is the skin where they itch red and hot?  These would be symptoms of heat.  Do their eyes just look like they’re crying clear tears?  Is the skin where they itch normal colored? These would be signs of cold.

Treatment of allergies has two phases.  In the first phase, we are treating the wind-heat or wind-cold directly.  We are getting your pet to be symptom-free and comfortable.  But treatment can’t stop here.  After symptom relief occurs, we move on to the second phase.

In the second phase we are treating the reason WHY your pet has allergies.  And this is the key to Chinese medicine.  We don’t just treat the symptoms every time you or your pet has them.  We get to the bottom of the problem and remind the body how NOT to have the symptoms in the first place!

In Chinese medical theory, some people and pets are what we call Qi deficient – meaning they don’t have enough energy to have a nice, strong immune system that responds properly to allergens.  In the second phase of treatment we must strengthen the body so that it can respond properly to whatever challenges it may face. 

When the body has enough Qi, and the body is reminded of its functions, we have true health!

Before I start talking about how birth control affects women from a Chinese medical perspective, I want to say this:

I'm not anti-birth control for those who need it to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. It is FAR more detrimental to EVERYONE involved to carry, birth and care for through the age of 18, a child who isn't planned or wanted. What a horrible existence, knowing that you weren't wanted (and yes, children can sense this, whether you say it out loud or not, there's no fooling them).

The birth control use that I'm going to be talking about is for those women who are prescribed birth control for non-birth control reasons. There are probably millions of you out there. Some common reasons are : acne, irregular periods, PMS, mood stabilization, severe cramping or heavy bleeding during your menstrual cycle and many more.

So, let's start.

Throughout a woman's month, the Spleen, Kidney and Liver each play their own part in controlling her menstrual cycle. The Liver plays it's biggest role between ovulation and menstruation. During this time, the Liver's energy will start to surge in preparation for helping the woman's body to release the uterine lining, if she has not become pregnant.

This is often why women will experience Premenstrual Symptoms. The Liver, when it is not functioning properly, can create symptoms such as breast tenderness, cravings, bloating, and the dreaded mood changes.

So let's take a moment now to look at hormonal birth control from a Chinese Medical perspective. In my clinical experience, hormonal birth control is like adding a boost of Liver energy to a woman's system. In a woman who is already struggling with a Liver that isn't moving her energy properly, this will only aggravate her health problems. It's no wonder side effects associated with hormonal birth control consist of weight gain, mood changes, headaches, digestive complaints, etc. All of these complaints relate to an improperly functioning Liver!

Now what about those few women out there who are actually helped by hormonal birth control, you may ask? I've treated some of these women as well, and what I have found is that these women, at the point they start taking hormonal birth control, are deficient in Liver energy (this is SUPER uncommon, as the Liver almost always exists in excess, but there are those out there who don't have enough!). So their symptoms get better for a while. However, what I've seen, is that this symptom relief is temporary, or they develop new symptoms. Yep, they've been supplementing with Liver energy, and all of a sudden they have too much, and like many other women, start suffering from the standard PMS symptoms, as well as a host of other health complaints.

So, if you're a woman who suffers from PMS, headaches, migraines, digestive complaints, insomnia, etc. - Think back to when you started taking birth control. Did these symptoms exist prior to taking birth control? Did they start after starting birth control?

Everyone has to make the right decision for themselves regarding birth control, their health and the necessity to not have children. But we also all need to be aware of the side effects of hormonal birth control that biomedicine usually dismisses as "normal." These symptoms are not normal, they are a sign of imbalance, and can be alleviated by acupuncture and Chinese herbs.