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Acupressure

How To Feel Your Best This Spring

 

Spring is the season of growth, regeneration, increased activity, and new beginnings. The transition from winter to spring can allow us the ability to get more done and spend more time outside. Generally, spring is regarded as a happy season, especially for those living in places with colder, darker winters. Most of us look forward to the spring’s warmer weather and longer days. As everything around us blossoms in the sun, so too should we embrace this renewal.

As with any seasonal change, we must pay close attention to our body’s needs during this turbulent time of seasonal change. Moving from the indoor sleepy coldness of winter and into the warm, active spirit of spring can be tough on your system when not handled with care. For many, spring months also bring allergies, high blood pressure, headaches, sinus pain, congestion, anger, irritation, and tendon problems. Many of these problems can be attributed to increased wind in the environment. And while there is nothing that can be done about external weather factors, internal wind can be addressed and diminished using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the many modalities it incorporates.

Chinese Medicine places emphasis on living in tune with the seasons. TCM theory divides the year into five seasons! These five seasons each have associations and physical qualities that can be seen in both the external or “natural” world and also within our bodies. These elements interact daily, creating balance and harmony — or stirring up chaos within the body.

TCM associates spring with the liver and gallbladder. The gallbladder governs decision-making and controls the sinews of the body, while the liver is in charge of detoxification and keeping the energy or Qi (pronounced “chee”) flowing smoothly. The liver tends to be a bit of a “bully” for many people, overwhelming bodily systems, so it’s important to keep it healthy. Often, winter months leave us with stagnant feelings in areas like relationships, work, and in our bodies. If we experience frustration, physical pain, or sadness, it may be a sign that energy is not flowing optimally. The liver and gallbladder are also related to the tendons, storing blood during periods of rest and releasing it to the tendons during times of activity. Because this pair of organs are responsible for the smooth flow of Qi and blood throughout the body, our daily activities should reflect this.

6 Ways to Rebalance Your Liver and Gallbladder

Stretch daily. Regular stretching is a great way to start and end the day. Adding yoga or tai chi to your daily routine can be very beneficial for the liver, tendons, and the body as a whole.

Get outside. Spending more time outside is another easy and powerful way to strengthen the liver and gallbladder energies in the spring. Moving around outside can get your heart rate up and keep you warm — if the temperature is still quite cold where you live, consider a warm-up exercise routine for inside before you brave the cold. Remember to dress in layers, wear boots instead of gym shoes, wear a warm hat, gloves, and socks, and, most importantly, protect your neck with a nice warm scarf.

For people with kids and families, getting outside is an excellent way to stay healthy and have fun together. Consider a walk with the dog, visiting a new park, playing basketball, soccer, rollerblading, biking, or even a good old game of frisbee with your family and kids. If you live in a wintery area, you might even seek out a local ice rink! In fact, at a moderate pace simply skating laps can burn up to 500 calories per hour while toning the muscles in your lower body and core that keep you mobile and limber. If ice skating sounds too cold for you, a bunded-up bike ride is another favorite spring activity. Because of its cardiovascular nature and use of the big quadriceps and gluteal muscles, biking will warm your body quickly.

Eat more greens. Eating fresh leafy greens is supportive of the liver’s detoxification function and can also help strengthen vision, thanks to the vitamins and nutrients in these veggies. And luckily, fresh greens are abundantly available in springtime!

Understand the elements. In TCM spring is associated with the element of wood. When a person is completely balanced, transitioning from one season to another doesn’t feel like a big deal. However, knowing what elemental type you are can be beneficial in determining how you will react to each passing season. For instance, a person who has a wood element constitution may experience anger during the spring. This is because the wood element is already closely associated with the emotion of anger and spring brings added stimuli that can trigger bits of rage.

Avoid overstimulation. It is also recommended to avoid excessive stimulants during the spring months. Things like coffee and caffeine supplements are considered expansive and energizing, which can be somewhat helpful during the cold winter months. However, during the spring, when life is abounding, excess energy can actually become harmful to the body. Symptoms can manifest themselves as headaches, insomnia, anger, and more.

Get your seasonal tune-up. To keep the liver and gallbladder working smoothly, things like acupuncture, herbal formulas, nutritional counseling can make a world of difference. Acupuncture can balance the body as it reacts to the changes in the weather and activity levels. Regular acupuncture treatments have also been shown to boost immunity. Spring can also cause flare-ups associated with seasonal allergies and acupuncture treatments can help with the inflammation, sneezing, runny nose, chest congestion, and watery eyes that accompany the allergic reactions. But most of all, acupuncture can help regulate those emotional imbalances that are often common during this transitional period.

As with any health care regiment, always be sure to seek out a fully licensed and properly trained professional, such as myself and my colleagues. By incorporating some simple practices into your life, you may just have a more enjoyable metamorphosis from winter into spring. If you need a little motivation to ease the transition, don’t hesitate to give us a call to schedule your next appointment.  410-984-3700.   https://East2WestMedicine.com

Acupuncture for Anxiety or Panic

Acupuncture and Acute Stress…Adrenalin and Acupuncture.

Jean_Donati_Acupuncture_PanicDid you ever have one of those days….You are sleeping soundly then all of the sudden you are awake.  You look at the clock, and…Oh NOOOooo…What happened to the alarm?  You wake up 15 minutes before you have to leave for work.   It is a pretty upsetting feeling.  You feel rushed and anxious. Am I going to get to work on time?  Your blood pressure is elevated, and you are aggrevated. You yell at the traffic for being slow. It upsets your body and your your energy for the entire day.

This happened to me this morning, so I would like to let you know you what is happening in your body, and what you can do to alleviate those rushed, anxious, and upsetting feelings.  First take a deep breath. What you are experiencing is normal. You woke up late and perhaps were startled.  Your nervous system has kicked in with adrenalin.

Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands.  Adrenaline is known as the “fight or flight” hormone and is released in response to a stressful, exciting, or threatening situation.  Adrenaline enables your body to respond quickly to these situations by enabling the heart to beat faster, the blood-flow to increase to the brain and muscles and stimulates the body to make sugar to use as fuel.

When you experience an “adrenaline rush” there is a perception of a threat that sent to the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotional processing.   This signal communicates to the rest of the body through the nervous system.  Symptoms include a boost of energy, rapid breathing, increased heartbeat, and perspiration.  This rapid process allows you to dodge out of harms way quickly and return to safety.  To assist with returning to equilibrium, it is important to allow the body to rest and repair itself.

Acupuncture along with deep breathing and meditation clearly benefits every aspect of the body and can return it to its normally calm state.  There are some acupuncture points to help you with an acute stress reaction or panic attack.  Gently massaging these points can help get you back on track and ease your symptoms and energy.

Shenmen (HT7), also called Spirit Gate, is one of the major points on the heart meridian or energy pathway.  Because it can nourish the blood, calm and cool down internal fire, it is a good point to calm the mind, clear the emotions and help with anxiety, stress, insomnia, agitation, and palpitations. Shenmen, is located at the wrist crease on the radial side of the arm, where your pinky finger is.

Neiguan (PC 6), also called Inner Frontier Gate, goes to the chest and opens it up.  It allows you to breathe easier, stops racing of the heart and palpitations.  It calms your spirit or “shen” and mind, so it is helpful for racing and fragmented thoughts.  It is also a great point to open the chest and the heart, counteracting the contracting energy of anxiety.  This point is also located on the inside of the forearm, about two inches down from the wrist crease, in the middle of the forearm between the two tendons. This point is also good for nausea which can accompany anxiety.

 

Tanzhong, (CV 17), also called Middle of Chest is a very calming point for the mind and heart.  It is helpful to calm the palpitations that come with anxiety.  It opens the chest and relaxes the diaphragm.  It is located in the center of the chest, on the median line just between the nipples at the 4th intercostal space.

 

 

Yongquan, (KD 1), also called Bubbling Spring, calms the mind and clears the brain.  It is a very grounding point for the body, mind and spirit.  Kidney 1 has a strong downward moving energy that helps settle the mind when someone is stuck in their head.    It connects us to the earth and gives us back out footing.  It is located on the sole of the foot approximately 1/3rd the way from toes in the depression when to toes are pointed.

 

So next time you are feeling stressed from whatever reason, remember these calming acupuncture points.  Massaging this points with mild pressure for 15-30 seconds (up to 3-5 minutes) can help reduce anxiety stress and panic and put you back into control.  Take the time to take care of your body mind and spirit.      Jean Donati Acupuncture is here to help ease your nervous system back into calm.  Give us a call 410-984-3700.

Benefits of Acupuncture during Pregnancy

Benefits of Acupuncture during Pregnancy_Jean Donati Acupuncture_Towson MD

Bringing a child into the world is one of life’s greatest gifts. But, along with the anticipation of that little bundle of joy, often comes some physical challenges and discomfort that can make for a long nine months. Did you know that acupuncture has been shown to address several issues that come up during pregnancy? Here’s what to know about the benefits of acupuncture during pregnancy and what the research actually says is true. continue reading »

Acupuncture, Mental Clarity, Concentration and Focus

 

 

My father had a saying,” Measure twice, cut once”.  It was his attempt to stay focused, centered and on task to prevent mistakes and frustration when he was creating something.

How many of us today are feeling like we are being pulled in many different directions and doing so many things at once but not feeling like we are doing any of them well?  We are multitasking but not happy with the effects it has on the outcomes or on our physical energy.

You may not be aware that acupuncture can help with creating clarity, improving concentration and mental focus.  Acupuncture can center your mind and body, and keep you on task.

I bring this up, because it affects all of us.  You may have noticed an error in my Mother’s Day gift Certificate email newsletter.  I made a typo, a simple mistake…but this is my point.  In my attempt to juggle work, home, and life in general, I wasn’t focused completely on the task in front of me.  My concentration lapsed for a moment.  Can you find the error?

Since I know that acupuncture can help with mental clarity, concentration, keep people centered and on task, I have already scheduled my next follow up appointment for an acupuncture session.

If you want to feel focused, centered, and more efficient give me a call.  Feel you need improved concentration and clarity?  Acupuncture can help with that!

Give Jean Donati Acupuncture in Towson a call today.  410-984-3700 or schedule online at https://www.east2westmedicine.com

Acupressure for Lower Back Pain

Statistics show that almost eight out of ten people will  experience low back pain
at some point during their life. Seeking medical treatment for back pain is very common. Typically back pain is fleeting and can be easily resolved with rest, heat and an occasional anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. However, once the damage is done, the
recurrence of back pain can be as high as 50 percent. Part of this is because as we age,
things like muscles and tendons become less flexible and pliable. It is also very well known
that in the United States, people are too sedentary and this leads to excess weight gain
that can create added pressure on the body, especially the low back.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system that dates back nearly 3,000 years. But despite its age, TCM has a lot of validity to offer in the age of modern medicine. TCM provides many ways of combating low back pain. Here are just a few examples of how this ancient medical system can help. Studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates the body to produce natural steroids that reduce inflammation. Acupuncture also increases the production of endorphins, which are helpful in reducing pain. In this
way, acupuncture can be very helpful in preventing costly surgeries or prescription
pain medication addiction. If a person seeks out acupuncture treatments when the low
back pain is acute, it can potentially help them avoid chronic pain, thus decreasing the need for pain medications or surgery.

Large Intestine 4

This point is found bilaterally on the
outer side of the lower leg. It can fou d in the depression that is in front of and below the head
of the fibula. This point is known tial point of the
tendons.

image-003

Gall Bladder 34

This point is located bilaterally on the crease behind the knee, right in the center, directly
behind the knee cap. This point helps relieve pain along the spine. It is helpful for relieving
muscle spasms and reducing pain associated with sciatic nerve involve which
stems from the low back.

image-004

Urinary Bladder 40

This point is located bilaterally on the back side of the hand, in the webbing between the
forefinger and the thumb. When the hand is made into a fist, the point can be located in the center
of the mound of flesh that is created.
This point is used for re pain
anywhere in the body.

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