Posts Tagged ‘Reduce Stress’

Women’s Health and Chinese Medicine: Treating Painful Periods

October 26th, 2011 Kendra Lay

Millions of women suffer from cramps and PMS symptoms with their monthly cycle.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have emerged as one of the best ways out there to treat these symptoms naturally. Imagine not dreading your monthly visitor! In fact, having a menses is a very cleansing thing for the body and important for our health as women.

In Chinese medicine we talk about several body substances of importance to our health. One of these is blood. Painful periods are often caused by what we would call a “blood deficiency” or a “blood stagnation.” There are other causes in Chinese medicine of menstrual cramps, but these some of the most common. You see, Chinese medicine likes to look at what is going on with each individual person, and once we figure that out we choose acupuncture points and herbs accordingly. A woman with classic blood stagnation symptoms might have dark red menstrual blood with clots, fixed pain that is worse at night and/or lots of PMS symptoms including mood swings. A woman with blood deficiency might have a scanty or light menses, dull pain that comes and goes, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and/or dizziness. It’s also possible to have a combination of the two.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the link between stress and painful menstrual periods. In Chinese medicine we talk about many organs in the body. When you hear your acupuncturist talking about an organ such as the gallbladder or the heart, they probably are not actually talking about the actual organ sitting in your body. They are usually more likely talking about a set of symptoms or a functional disorder rather than a physical one. For example, a functional disorder is when you are having a problem, say frequent urination. You go to the doctor, they check out your bladder and your kidneys and say there is no physical problem…but obviously you are still having a problem. This is a functional disorder. Okay, back to stress. In Chinese medicine, stress is usually related to the liver (not that anything is actually wrong with your liver, remember?). The liver is called the mother of women in Chinese medicine and is a big player in regulating the menstrual cycle. It is also a big part of our emotional life. Thus, stress and emotions can greatly impact painful periods. An acupuncturist will work on treating your periods and treating your stress. Win, win!

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Meditation for Stress Reduction 101

September 27th, 2011 Kendra Lay

You’ve heard the studies and news reports: Meditation is good for anxiety, stress reduction, PTSD and a host of other ailments. Often I find that people are intimidated when you mention trying to learn meditation. “How am I ever going to empty my mind?,” they think. This is the most common misconception about meditation, I believe. Meditation is not about “thinking nothing, emptying the mind” or “being in a blissed out state.” The mind’s nature is to think, and flit around from idea to idea. Some people call it “monkey mind,” which paints a good and accurate picture, don’t you think? The object of meditation is to notice that your mind is doing that–swinging from vine to vine. It’s also about noting and checking in with what is going on with your body, your emotions, and your state of being in general.

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Benefits of Chinese Tuina Massage

September 27th, 2009 Kendra Lay

In the United States and most of the Western world, Chinese Medicine means acupuncture.  However, in China several different modalities are considered equal to acupuncture in their medicinal value, and often Chinese doctors will become specialists in these fields in addition to acupuncture.  One of these treatment methods is called Tuina massage.

Massage

Tuina is an ancient art, originating around 2700 BCE.  Today Tuina has evolved to be a highly effective form of treatment for transforming structural imbalances as well as moving energy, or Qi, in quite the same way acupuncture does.  Indeed Tuina can treat a wide range of disorders, from migraine headaches, frozen shoulder, sports injuries, car accidents and digestive discomfort.  There is even a form of pediatric Tuina which can help to ease respiratory complications, colic, and nervous system diseases in infants and children.

Many Tuina practitioners will combine acupuncture treatments and Tuina massage for best results.  A patient can expect their Tuina practitioner to perform orthopedic testing to determine structural causes of discomfort, assisted stretching, acupressure, light and deep massage techniques, and even foot reflexology.

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White Board Weekly Menu Planning

September 10th, 2009 Kendra Lay

Since I am in school (actually starting my master’s program in three days), I am developing strategies to stay healthy and fit even while having to devote most of my time to studying.

One of the ways I am going to do this is by scheduling in at least three workouts per week (four if I am lucky, but we’ll set the expectations somewhat low and adjust from there).  Luckily there is a gym right by my school.  I love to take aerobic and weight lightning classes and luckily there seem to be a few classes I can catch on the beginning or tail end of my school day.

To combat stress on a daily basis I am re-instituting my morning meditation.  This is simply 10 minutes in the morning where I take some deep breaths, center myself, and set intentions for the day.  I usually drink a cup of tea or a big glass of water during this time, as this is an optimum time to hydrate your body and can also help to activate your digestion for the day.  I sometimes also use this time to stretch my muscles and loosen up for the day.

The other way I will stay healthy and strong is by planning my menu for the week on the weekend.  I already do this fairly regularly, but it will become more important once I begin school full time.  I’ll focus on simple, whole foods that are easy to prepare, shop for them on the weekend, and do as much prep and cooking over the weekend as possible.  I also plan to learn to use the slow cooker as a tool, and I’ve been copying recipes out of books from the library.  I made some excellent turkey and bean chili the other day–so I am encouraged.  Hopefully, by doing my weekly menu planning it will help me stick to a schedule that will allow me to study as much as I need to, exercise, see friends occasionally, and spend time with my boyfriend, all while eating highly nutritive foods.

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