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How does Acupuncture work?
It might seem bizarre that inserting needles into various points on the body can influence the way our cells work. But a lot of research shows this is the case.
One of the areas most studied is the pain-killing effect of acupuncture. We have known for some time now that acupuncture affects nerve conduction within the spinal cord. The basis of the theory is that acupuncture stimulation ‘closes a gate’ within the spinal cord, preventing pain signals from travelling up the spinal cord and getting to the brain.
Beyond this, we also know that acupuncture has hormonal effects. Researchers initially noted that when people addicted to narcotic drugs (like heroin or morphine) had surgery using acupuncture as anaesthesia, they did not experience the withdrawal syndrome that you’d usually expect when the narcotics were stopped. This is because endorphins, the chemicals released by the brain when you exercise that are responsible for the “feel-good” phenomenon, are also released during acupuncture. This effect can be blocked with an endorphin-blocking drug.
We also know that acupuncture increases blood flow at the site needled, probably through local release of biochemically active substances.
Do meridians really exist?
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, energy (Qi) flows through the body along pathways or meridians, and acupuncture influences this flow. These meridian lines are depicted in texts that are at least 2000 years old.
Scientists have found that electrical resistance of the skin is much lower at acupuncture points (which are mainly situated along the meridians) than other points. This supports the idea of a flow of electrical energy through the body along meridians, which can be accessed via the skin at the acupuncture points.
But has science found any other evidence that meridians exist?
One study injected radioactive tracer molecules into acupuncture points (on meridians) and random points not on meridians. At the acupuncture points, the tracer travelled in a line consistent with the traditional description of the meridian, whereas it just diffused outwards at the non-meridian point.
When we look down a conventional microscope, meridians have been elusive. But some studies using electron microscopy (giving a much more magnified view in which individual cells can be seen) have shown thread-like structures within lymphatics, within blood vessels, on the surface of organs, and elsewhere. These structures appeared to contain fluid and may be the meridians described in ancient texts.
Although further research into this is required, the preliminary findings are fascinating. Clearly we are only just beginning to understand the science behind what the ancient texts described thousands of years ago.
Ice or heat for injuries?
A question I am often asked in clinic is “Should I use ice or heat on this injury?”.
The icing controversy
The conventional viewpoint is that it’s best to ice an injury in the first few hours and to apply heat to a chronic (long-lasting) injury. Ice, along with rest, compression and elevation (R-I-C-E), is seen to limit swelling and inflammation for the first 24-48 hours following an injury. However, the use of ice has recently been questioned by some in Western medicine, and has never been advocated in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In clinic, what we tend to see is that people continue to ice injuries long after this initial period, and that this can lead to problems.
This is particularly true for tendons and ligaments, as these structures naturally have less blood supply than muscles. So ligament and tendon injuries are particularly likely to become longstanding if we interfere with the already low blood flow.
So among some sections of the sports injuries world, for tendon and ligament injuries, RICE has been superseded by M-E-A-T (movement – exercise – analgesia (pain relief) – treatments (that promote blood flow).
Conventionally, ice application is recommended immediately after an injury under the premise that it helps the coagulation process, limiting bleeding from damaged blood vessels. The second reason put forward for icing an injury is that ice can ease inflammation. Thirdly, it has a numbing effect so can help relieve pain.
So let’s look at these aspects in turn.
Stopping bleeding immediately after an injury certainly makes sense. But how long is the window of opportunity for this? One animal study suggests that critical period for preventing secondary injury (from swelling due to bleeding around the injury) may be much shorter than we originally thought – somewhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours, with the first 30 minutes being the most critical.
It’s generally accepted that too much inflammation is a bad thing. But some animal research shows that interfering with inflammation after trauma may be detrimental. It could actually slow down healing. Researchers have found that injured cells produce the inflammatory hormone IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), which significantly increases the rate of muscle repair. In mice bred to not produce IGF-1, healing after an injury was slower than in normal mice.
How about pain relief? In 2004, researchers looked at all the available studies to try to determine the effectiveness of ice after injuries and surgery. As part of this, they looked into pain relief. They found that while ice helped to reduce pain, the majority of studies showed that compression alone was just as effective. They also noted that there wasn’t much good-quality research into this area.
How Traditional Chinese Medicine sees cold
In Chinese Medical theory, too much cold is not a good thing. In fact it is seen as the root of many problems, with the cold becoming lodged in the tissues, leading to ongoing stiffness and pain.
Of course, in ancient China there were no freezers. Only those who lived in cold or mountainous regions would even have had access to ice. So people needed other ways to treat injuries. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a whole toolkit of techniques to help heal injuries. For acute injuries, a form of massage incorporating acupressure points (tui na), as well as acupuncture and moxibustion (a herbal heat treatment on specific points) can help relieve pain and reduce swelling. For chronic injuries that are slow to heal, as well as the above therapies, techniques such as Tai Chi can be very useful in gently promoting movement and freeing up the area. These forms of treatment correspond much better to the MEAT viewpoint than the ICE protocol – Tai Chi for movement and exercise, acupuncture for analgesia (pain relief), and acupuncture/massage and moxibustion for treatments that promote blood flow, thereby promoting rather than hindering the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
How does heat help after an injury?
Heat is certainly useful in the chronic phase of an injury, as it relaxes the area, promotes blood flow and relieves pain. I generally recommend patients apply warm packs after any swelling has gone down. Another approach is to use ginger soaks or compresses, which also have a warming action. [Link to ginger poultice article]
When used correctly, heat is also very useful in the acute phase of an injury. If you come to see me in the first couple of days after minor trauma, I will perform a full assessment of the injury. Then I will usually burn small cones of moxa, derived from the leaf of the mugwort plant, to apply heat to specific points around the site. I can also teach you how to use this technique at home between clinic visits, to maximise the rate of healing. When used in this way, moxa actually has a slight cooling effect (by encouraging local sweating), but is much gentler than ice. It encourages local blood flow and reduces pain, allowing you to gradually get back to the activities you enjoy. Other moxibustion techniques are useful once the inflammation has started to subside and we are concentrating on regaining range of motion.
Gentle acupuncture using very fine needles at specific points is also helpful in triggering the body’s healing mechanisms.
Heat or cold for injuries – summary.
- See if you can avoid ice if possible, especially for injuries likely to involve ligaments and tendons rather than muscles – in other words the sinewy parts of the body: ankles, knees, wrists/hands. If you are going to use ice, restrict it to the first 24-48 hours. Make sure any cold compress / ice pack is well wrapped in a towel to avoid injuring the skin from excessive cold. Use for no longer than 20 min at a time.
- Heat is more useful after this stage, along with gentle mobilisation, depending on the extent of the injury. Be guided by your body and stop any movements that make the pain worse.
- If you can get in to see an acupuncturist in the first day or so after the injury, this is very useful and may allow you to avoid using ice and speed up recovery.
Chocolate!
You have probably heard or read that chocolate can be beneficial for your health. In pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, chocolate was considered a “food for the gods”, was used in religious rituals and cacao beans were such a previous commodity that they were even used as a form of currency.
Today we are fortunate that chocolate is readily available, but the big problem is that a lot of commercial chocolate you buy is full of things that are best avoided… such as hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives, colours, flavour, powdered milk solids, and much more.
There is a lot of exciting research coming to light about raw cacao, and the benefits of the cacao bean and dark chocolate. These benefits extend to the heart, vascular system, brain, aging, mood and energy. This is in some part due to the fact that raw cacao is abundant in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and many unique properties. Cacao contains twice the antioxidant content of red wine, and up to three times that of green tea. These antioxidants can improve cognitive impairment and produce nitric oxide with some great cardiovascular benefits.
The ORAC Score measures the benefits of antioxidants. Here is a comparison of the ORAC score per 100 grams for some common foods known to have a high antioxidant level, listed in descending order.
- Dark Chocolate – ORAC 13,120
- Milk Chocolate – ORAC 6,740
- Prunes – 5,770
- Raisins – 2,830
- Blueberries – 2,400
- Blackberries – 2036
- Kale – 1,770
- Strawberries – 1540
- Spinach – 1260
- Raspberries – 1220
- Brussel Sprouts – 980
- Broccoli – 890
Another important nutrient found in cacao is theobromine (a chemical related to caffeine). Theobromine was discovered in cacao and a few other plants in the 19th century, by 1916 it had been extracted from the bean and was being used in medical treatment for oedema and angina. In modern medicine the compound theobromine is used as a vasodilator, this means it can dilate smooth muscle such as the blood vessels, bronchial tubes, large intestine. It is also used as a diuretic and heart stimulant. Recent research shows the effects of how theobromine can lower blood pressure as well as help with asthma.
Unlike caffeine, theobromine does not have an addictive nature or have the same strong affects as caffeine has on the nervous system. The cacao bean can have up to 10% of its weight made up of theobromine, the effects of the theobromine on the body can be up to 6 – 10 hours after consumption.
Importantly, as many of you will attest, chocolate enhances the mood and boosts energy.
So what is the best way to obtain the benefits of chocolate without the nasty hydrogenated fats and processed sugars? Raw cacao powder is now readily available in health food stores, along with raw cacao chocolate bars in an amazing variety of flavours.
Or experiment and make your own raw chocolate truffles. These make great Christmas presenters and look great packaged up in a pretty box or cellophane wrap and ribbon.
Raw Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (or any other seeds you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup walnuts (or any other nuts you have on hand – cashews are wonderful too)
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
Method
- Process the nuts in the food processor. Keep processing them until you can’t see the nuts anymore, but stop processing before they get too soft looking.
- Add the dates, sea salt and cacao powder. Process again until everything is well mixed and clumped together.
- Roll the balls in your hand and form balls. You may also like to roll the completed truffles in goji berries, coconut, cacao powder, etc.
These keep well in the fridge.
Acupuncture and Later Pregnancy & Birth Preparation
S
o you’re counting down the months (or even weeks or days) till you can meet the newest member of your family. This time should be all about nesting and preparing, but that’s hard to do if you are feeling exhausted by some of the conditions that can arise in late pregnancy. When these problems are severe, they can really detract from the experience of being pregnant. Issues that tend to flare up at this stage of the pregnancy include:
- Swollen ankles, fingers and wrists (can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Iron-deficiency anaemia
- Indigestion, acid reflux
- Varicose veins
- Haemorrhoids
- Back pain, sciatica, as baby’s head presses on the nerves exiting the spinal column
- Pubic symphysitis
- Insomnia
Easing late pregnancy complaints with Acupuncture.
Thankfully, most of these issues tend to respond well to Acupuncture. You’ve probably already heard of the benefits of Acupuncture in back pain and sciatica, as well as aches and pains like carpal tunnel syndrome. I also use specific Acupuncture points to reduce water retention and aid fluid metabolism, improve indigestion, and ease the discomfort associated with swollen veins and haemorrhoids. Other points can help you sleep or to help nourish the blood (to combat anaemia). These are combined with points selected for your individual constitution and any other symptoms you might be experiencing. The overall result is a very relaxing experience that should help settle your discomfort and support you as your pregnancy advances.
I find that with some of these conditions, especially pubic symphysitis, but also back pain and sciatica, the best results are achieved with a combination of Acupuncture and Chiropractic.
Other issues in late pregnancy that are less common include:
- Breech baby (head-up rather than the normal head-down position), and other positions not ideal for labour, such as posterior.
- High blood pressure (pregnancy-induced hypertension or pre-eclampsia),
- High blood sugar levels (gestational diabetes)
- Complications of pregnancy like a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia).
Let’s look at how Acupuncture can help these complications.
Breech and other positions not ideal for labour.
If your baby is in breech position, its bottom or feet would be delivered first if you went into labour. Some obstetricians are confident in delivering breech babies. But because complications can occur, most will attempt to physically turn the baby (external cephalic version) if this is possible. If it doesn’t work, the usual advice is to have a Caesarean section, but this is not without its risks and complications. Apart from issues with labour, a prolonged period in some types of breech position can also lead to problems with baby’s hips after birth.
Luckily, there is an alternative. At around 33-34 weeks, Acupuncturists use a specific point on the big toe, which is not needled but instead heated with moxa (a processed form of the herb Artemisia or Mugwort). You continue this treatment at home for 1-2 weeks. The moxibustion stimulates fetal movement, encouraging the baby to move itself into the normal head-down position. This form of treatment has been evaluated by research — it led to the baby turning in about 75% of cases (as a comparison, less than 50% of babies turned by themselves in women who did not have moxibustion treatment). No harmful effects were noted. There is another advantage of this approach. Because we are intervening relatively early in the pregnancy (compared with an external cephalic version at 37-38 weeks), if the moxibustion is successful, the baby is in the breech position for a shorter period, so we’d anticipate less chance of damage to the hips.
The best position for the baby to be born in is head-down, with the chin tucked right down into the chest, and in the head in the anterior position. This means that the back of baby’s head is directly under your pubic bone. This makes for a smoother birth. It is also more efficient, meaning you won’t get as tired during labour because the baby is already lined up correctly. Some babies don’t naturally adopt this position, but instead have their heads the other way up so that their forehead is directly below your pubic bone. This can lead to a longer, more tiring labour, with a lot of back pain, as the baby rotates into the anterior position (this does not always happen – the baby can be born in the posterior position, but this is not common).
We use a similar moxibustion technique if the baby is posterior, coupled with exercises to try and get gravity to work in your favour in encouraging baby to turn anterior.
In the following conditions, acupuncturists working with pregnant women have observed improvement in response to Acupuncture. However, little research has been done to back this up.
High blood pressure.
Your midwife or Obstetrician will be keeping a close eye on your blood pressure, because occasionally pregnant women develop a condition where the blood pressure rises out of control (and other problems develop). This is called pre-eclampsia and poses risks to the health of yourself and the baby.
While women with severe pre-eclampsia need to be hospitalised for monitoring and treatment, Acupuncture can be useful if there is just a mild increase in blood pressure. It can also help reduce the water retention that can also happen with this condition. Generally, the sooner treatment begins the more likely it is to have results. Of course, ongoing monitoring by your obstetric team is very important.
Gestational diabetes.
It’s normal for blood sugar (glucose) levels to rise slightly in pregnancy, but in some women this happens to the extent that diabetes develops. When severe, this can have complications. The concept of diabetes was recognised by the ancient Chinese, and several Acupuncture points have been proven to promote glucose metabolism and pancreatic function. By using these points, plus others for general wellbeing and the stage of pregnancy, we hope to help normalise glucose levels.
Low-lying placenta.
If your placenta is too low in the uterus, this can cause problems with bleeding later in pregnancy. In severe cases, a vaginal birth is not possible as the placenta obstructs the cervix. This condition often resolves by itself as the uterus enlarges and the placenta naturally rises away from the cervix. But in cases where it does not, we can add in Acupuncture points that have a lifting action according to Chinese Medical theory.
Pre-birth treatment – preparing for labour.
So you’re in the final weeks and no doubt you’ll be thinking about how to ease your passage through labour. Birth preparation Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular since research has shown its effectiveness. One New Zealand study found that, overall, women who had birth preparation Acupuncture were 35% less likely to need their labour to be medically induced (43% less likely for women having their first baby). Women having these treatments also had a 31% reduction in epidural use.
I prefer to do weekly treatments from about 35 weeks, as the best effects are achieved when you have 4 treatments or more. In these sessions, we gently prepare your body for labour with specific points that act on the cervix and uterus. We also cover acupressure techniques for you or your support person to use during labour that can help you deal with the contractions and help the cervix dilate.
Inducing labour.
There’s no doubt that it’s best for your body to go into labour by itself. We don’t really understand the interplay between the mother and baby that sets off labour, and it’s likely to be complex and involve a cascade of factors. But sometimes, when the pregnancy goes more than a week – 10 days over the due date, then it’s wise to start weighing up the risks and working out a plan of action. In these cases, or when the Obstetrician wants to induce labour for medical reasons, Acupuncture can be very useful in kick-starting the process and potentially avoiding a medical induction. Feedback from midwives in New Zealand who started using Acupuncture in inductions has generally been positive, although the research is certainly not conclusive. In these circumstances, we stimulate points traditionally used to bring on labour, and do several treatments close together, ideally every couple of days.
So enjoy the last months and weeks of your pregnancy, and don’t forget that Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be great after the birth for promoting healing and dealing with breastfeeding issues like mastitis.
Oriental medicine and fertility – a personal and professional view.
Facing fertility problems can be a very stressful experience. I have always had an interest in this area of health and have worked with many couples trying to conceive. But it wasn’t until I battled with infertility myself that I really understood how deeply it can affect you. I now know first-hand that it can take you to some very dark places. The experience has made me passionate about helping people in the same predicament.
In my case, a combination of issues meant the odds were not looking good, even with IVF. I’m sure that following a pre-conception program of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and continuing the acupuncture to support the IVF cycles, was instrumental in having a successful pregnancy. Other things helped too, which I will go into later.
First, let’s look at how Oriental medicine boosts fertility.
Oriental medicine looks at the body as being governed by the flow of energy (Qi), which in turn influences the flow of Blood. (The concept of Blood in Oriental medicine is a bit broader than that in Western medicine, so we are talking about more than just the fluid that we know as blood in the West.) The smooth flow of Qi and Blood in the meridians (energetic channels) is vital to the various organ systems working harmoniously together. This is especially true when it comes to the reproductive system. Oriental medical theory sees the Kidney, Liver and Heart organ and meridian systems as being particularly important, but others can be involved as well.
By regulating Qi and Blood flow, Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine help regulate the menstrual cycle and calm the mind, so that your body is in the optimum state to conceive and carry a baby. One way that this works is by increasing the blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, something that has been measured in scientific studies.
Preparing the ground.
In Oriental medicine, we see preparation for pregnancy as being very important. In the same way as a farmer would carefully prepare the soil to grow crops, we work on your internal environment so that it is ideal for an embryo to implant and grow for the next nine months. I recommend a pre-conception program of around 3 months, as this is the time an egg takes to mature in the ovary. During this time we focus on observing your body’s natural signs, regulating the menstrual cycle and calming the mind, as well as looking at any lifestyle changes that may be beneficial.
Similarly, it takes between 2 to 3 months for sperm to develop, so this time-frame works well for men too. Ideally, both partners should come in for treatment for best results.
Specific fertility issues.
Many conditions affecting fertility can be helped with Oriental medicine. These include endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and sperm problems.
A recently published review of several studies showed that women taking Chinese herbal medicine for fertility problems were 3.5 times more likely to conceive than those having drug therapy alone.
Supporting IVF or ART (assisted reproduction technology).
In some cases, IVF or ART are needed, and acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine work well with these treatments. In fact, research shows that they can improve the success rate of IVF, particularly in poor responders (when few eggs develop in response to hormonal stimulation) and women over 35.
Again, it is important to prepare the body adequately before having these invasive procedures. During this time, acupuncture and Chinese herbs are useful. When the IVF cycle starts (hormonal injections begin), we usually continue with acupuncture alone, to avoid interactions with fertility drugs. It is important to have acupuncture at key times in the IVF cycle, with a treatment before and after embryo transfer being very important in maximising the chances of implantation. We also tailor the acupuncture program to the type of IVF cycle (long down-regulation, antagonist etc.).
Acupuncture increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, helping follicle development, and preparing the endometrium (lining of the uterus) for implantation. It may also help stop the uterus from contracting after the transfer, thereby helping implantation. It also has a key role in balancing the emotions and counteracting stress. Which is useful, as undergoing IVF can be extremely stressful, and you may find yourself on an emotional rollercoaster.
What else can help with fertility issues?
Here are some of the things I found useful:
- Research. Spend some time educating yourself about any diagnosed fertility problems, so that you can ask the right questions of your health care team. If further medical help is needed, think carefully about the best specialist and clinic for you. I can help you with some factors to consider.
- Have your diet looked at by a Naturopath. Many nutrients and supplements are important in boosting fertility. But you need a dietary approach that is sustainable and that doesn’t add to your stress. If you need to lose weight (and this can be important in some types of fertility issues), slow and steady is best.
- Relaxation / stress reduction. This is important in dealing with infertility, especially if you need ART or IVF. Keeping a balanced frame of mind can be difficult but is important from an Oriental medicine point of view. Yoga worked well for me, but for others the answer might be reflexology or massage. Some people deal with stress through exercise, and this is certainly beneficial. But it’s important not to do intense exercise from a few days after ovulation (or after the embryo transfer if you are doing IVF) until the end of the cycle, as this can be counter productive.
- Find an outlet. Talking with friends or family that understand, online discussion forums, counselling – these can all save your sanity.
How exercise can improve your health and well being.
Health Benefits of Exercise.
Exercise reduces the risk for several diseases including heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension, breast cancer, osteoporosis and colon cancer. Exercise may also help prevent, or be effective in treating, some mental illnesses, such as depression. For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week.
Other benefits of exercise.
Exercise controls weight:
Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don’t need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits
Exercise boosts energy:
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores
Exercise promotes better sleep:
Many people report having better sleep when they exercise regularly. Typical improvements include falling asleep more quickly, longer periods of deep sleep, and feeling more refreshed in the morning. Because exercise has a positive impact on stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which interfere with sleep, exercise helps improve sleep and reduce emotional health problems.
Exercise improves mood:
Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
Types of exercise.
Aerobic Training:
A balanced fitness program should include aerobic exercise. Also known as cardiovascular or endurance training, this type of exercise offers benefits such as increased blood flow, boost in HDL, or “good” cholesterol levels, healthy blood pressure and body weight and an overall sense of well-being. There are many aerobic activities from which to choose, including walking, running, swimming, cycling and rowing.
Resistance Training:
While aerobic training offers many health benefits, it does little to tone your muscles. Resistance training, also known as strength or weight training, can reverse the decline in bone density, muscle mass and strength that occurs as you age. It can help you build muscle and burn fat while lowering your risk for heart disease.
Flexibility Training:
Flexibility training, also known as stretching, is an essential component of your fitness regimen. Through stretching, you can reduce muscle cramps, joint stiffness, injuries and stress. Stretching can also help increase your range of motion in your joints and muscles. There are many types of flexibility exercises to keep your interest.
Why you really need to stress less
In clinic, we see patients with many and varied symptoms and conditions, but when it comes to working out the root cause of these conditions, often stress features in a big way.
Stress is now a common fixture in our hectic, busy lives. Small amounts of stress that are easily resolved can be beneficial in motivating and helping us achieve our goals. However, chronic or long-term stress affects each of us differently, and it may affect the whole body in a negative way and contribute to many health complaints.
Signs of stress include:
- Feeling any of the following – anxious, worried, forgetful, irritable, depressed and exhausted.
- Stiff or sore muscles or joints.
- Insomnia.
- Tension headaches.
- High blood pressure.
- Frequent colds and flu.
- Digestive problems including irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, change in appetite.
- Worsening of an existing illness or condition.
- Skin conditions.
Fight or Flight: Your Response to Stress
Thousands of years ago, we may have been faced with the threat of a sabre tooth tiger and our immediate response to this was one of two reactions: to attack or run away. This is now known as the fight or flight response. Once this stress response is triggered, chemical messengers called adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline are produced by the adrenal glands and brain. These messengers increase blood flow to the essential organs such as the heart, lungs, brain and muscles to help us fight or run away. Digestive function slows down as this is less important in survival mode. Cortisol also increases the amount of sugar released into the blood to provide energy for our muscles to attack or run. In the past, stress was shortlived and once the stress was over, these chemical messengers shortly returned to normal.
Where’s the Off Switch?
Over time our bodies have not changed this biological response to stress. Although the sabre tooth tigers are long gone, the physical threat to our lives and limbs has been replaced with the modern day stress of long work hours, financial worries, traffic jams and family issues. So what happens if this stress response does not turn off because of our non-stop busy lifestyles?
Ongoing stress that does not resolve may result in chronic stress, which can be the underlying cause of many health conditions. Chronic stress can impact body systems such as the cardiovascular system by contributing to high blood pressure. It can also take its toll on your nervous system leading to exhaustion, headaches and insomnia. Your digestive and immune systems can also be weakened by stress, making you more susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome, frequent colds and the flu.
Herbs and Nutrients for De-stressing
In clinic, I often use these herbs and nutrients to help our patient’s cope better with stress:
- Rhodiola and withania are herbs which enhance the body’s response to stress. Rhodiola has been shown to reduce both physical and mental fatigue during times of stress.
- The herbs passionflower, zizyphus and magnolia have been traditionally used for reducing stress, anxiety and nervous tension, and also work well in cases of insomnia.
- St John’s wort is well-known for supporting healthy mood and protecting against the effects of stress.
- Magnesium, glutamine and B vitamins are used in abundance during times of stress, when the body’s requirement for these key nutrients is increased. Magnesium assists in muscle relaxation and calms the nervous system.
10 Top Stress Busting Tips:
Lessen your stress load by practising the following stress busting strategies:
- Rest and Relaxation: Relaxation techniques such as tai chi, yoga, and meditation can help you to control stress and improve physical and mental wellbeing. Turn off all technology before 10pm (this includes phones, tv, computers and other devices) for a better night’s sleep.
- Think Positive: A good attitude and positive outlook is fundamental for de-stressing. Thinking positively will help you get through a stressful period with greater enthusiasm and drive.
- Exercise: Exercise is a brilliant form of stress relief, as it conditions the body and mind, and encourages the release of endorphins, which help you feel good. Enjoy restorative, rather than exhaustive exercise, when you are feeling particularly stressed.
- Indulge Yourself: Enjoy a well-deserved massage or some other blissful treatment – perhaps soak in a bath with relaxing aromatherapy oils such as lavender, ylang ylang, chamomile or geranium.
- Eat Healthy Foods: For a healthy mind and body, eat a diet abundant in fresh, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. Consume protein with meals and snacks, and enjoy foods high in essential fatty acids such as oily fish, nuts and seeds. Minimise your intake of caffeine, energy drinks, sugar, alcohol and processed foods as these will contribute to fatigue in the long-term.
- Have Gratitude: Keep a diary of things in your life you are grateful for. If you find this difficult, focus on the basic things – a roof over your head, peaceful times, a cup of tea, the shade of a tree are all things we can take for granted, but many people don’t have access to.
- Take Breathing Breaks: For 1 or 5 minutes close your eyes and breathe deeply and slowly. Perhaps listen to a piece of music which you find soothing or go for a short walk.
- Reconnect with Friends and Family: choose positive, uplifting people in your life, and spend more time with them.
- Be Mindful: Do everything with focus and intention – cook your food mindfully, eat mindfully, work mindfully and be in the moment as much as possible. Set a reminder in your diary or on your phone to be mindful (and perhaps have a breathing break as well).
- Change Your Daily Routine: Have a long relaxing breakfast, try driving to work a different way, learn a new skill, watch a different television program. And play.
Be joyful and lighthearted where possible. Smile.
If you feel that stress is a problem for you, and you don’t know where to begin, make an appointment to see our Naturopath, or indeed any of our practitioners for tailored advice on how to manage stress.
Chiropractic for Headaches
Chiropractic is an ideal alternative therapy that works not only to relieve headache pain but to also restore normal functioning to the nervous system and spine. Please read on for more information.
What is a Headache?
A headache is when someone feels pain or discomfort in the head and/or face. It is a symptom of many different conditions, and physiologically may be caused by a disruption to pain-sensitivity structures in the head.
Headaches may be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary headaches develop on their own, whereas secondary headaches develop as a symptom of another disease, condition or illness.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is an alternative form of medicine that aims to diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system via manipulation and realignment of the spine and other bodily structures.
How Does Chiropractic Help Alleviate Headaches?
Most good chiropractors employ the use of physical, orthopedic and neurological tests to pinpoint potential causes of the headache. The practitioner will then use spinal manipulation to treat the headache, thus:
- Improving spinal alignment.
- Reducing nerve irritation.
- Reducing muscle tension.
- Improving blood flow and circulation.
A chiropractor may aim to reduce headache symptoms with massage and Trigger Point Therapy, and may even use x-ray to determine whether abnormal positioning of the shoulder and neck are causing the headaches. They may also recommend a suitable lifestyle plan including relaxation techniques, daily stretches, changes in posture and other exercises.
Chiropractic and Tension Headaches
Tension headaches result from muscular tension in the head, neck and shoulders. This tension ultimately leads to changes in normal posture and movement in order to compensate, which itself results in even more muscular tension, thus creating a vicious cycle that causes an increasingly painful headache.
Chiropractic aims to resolve and break the vicious cycle by releasing any muscular tension, and by realigning skeletal structures. Relief is often experienced from tension headaches minutes after Chiropractic treatment, after which muscle tension has eased and nerve irritation has been reduced.
Chiropractic and Migraine Headaches
Certain triggers cause a sudden dilation of blood vessels in the head to occur, thus producing a painful migraine.
Recent scientific studies have shown chiropractic may play an important role in treating migraines in its subtle manipulation and realignment of the spine. The adjustments also improve blood flow by reducing any irritation to nerves rooted in the spine which themselves are responsible for vascular system tension control.
If you are interested in trying chiropractic to relieve your headaches, please speak to a professional chiropractor for more information.
Acupuncture Scar Therapy
We all know how stubborn scars can be at healing. What you may not know is that scars can block the free flow of qi (energy) and blood as well as constricting the soft tissue. This can cause a number of seemingly unrelated complications that are not local to the area of scarring, such as neck, shoulder and back pain and headaches.
Do you need Scar Therapy?
Remember, not all scars will cause problems. Many do heal effectively. The best way to decide if a scar needs attention is to inspect it yourself through sight and touch.
Firstly, take note of the appearance of the scar and the skin around it. Is it a different colour? Is it bulging or lumpy looking? A purple or red colour is a good indication of blood or qi stagnation.
Secondly, palpate the scar by feeling around the perimeter (outside) of the scar (never push down on the inside of the scar) at an angle as if pushing underneath the scar. Feel for pain, tenderness, unevenness or numbness. These are indications that the flow of qi and blood are obstructed.
Does it feel itchy at times? This is normal in the first few weeks as the tissue heals after the surgery or trauma. But if it goes on for longer, scar therapy might help. If you do discover anything out of the ordinary this is a good indication that your scar has not healed effectively and you could benefit from Acupuncture therapy.
How does it work?
Acupuncture stimulates microcirculation improving blood flow to the area. It draws the body’s attention to the area of concern to encourage re-knitting of scar tissue. Other techniques such as moxibustion, herbal medicine and warming liniments can be used to improve circulation.
Does it improve the appearance of scars?
Acupuncture scar therapy can be applied to most scar types including acne, pox, injuries and surgery scars. It can make thick scars thinner, improve the colour and general appearance and reduce pain/numbness/tingling and itching. However, the final results depends on your skin type, the type of surgery or trauma, and how long you’ve had the scar.