Spring + Liver Health

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist philosopher

Spring is considered a time of renewal for the seasons, mind, body, and emotions. Associated with the spring season and Wood element is the liver, an organ closely connected with the flow of qi in the body. The liver is responsible for bodily functions like detoxification, bile formation and secretion, digestion and metabolism, protein metabolism, regulating hormones, and various other important functions. Liver stagnation can cause problems like neck and shoulder tension, chest tightness, teeth grinding, eye issues (especially in right eye), feeling hot all the time, fibroids, prostate inflammation, hip pain, toenail discoloration, waking up between 1 and 3 am, digestive symptoms, PMS, migraines, poor sleep, irritability, impatience or frustration, anger, or feelings of being stuck in one’s life.

Spring is an ideal time to detox your liver to support your overall health and emotions. The word detox can imply that extreme measures need to be taken, but taking this kind of action is actually hard on the body and can cause negative detox symptoms. Practices like scalp massage and combing, daily movements like walking, qi gong or yoga, eating in season, addressing stored emotions, and castor oil packs are all holistic practices that encourage good liver blood movement and relieve stagnation symptoms. The idea is to support your liver in gentle ways that flow with the slow transition to spring. For severe cases of liver illness, seek professional help to be prescribed the best course of treatment.

Scalp Massage and Combing

Scalp massage is an ancient TCM and Ayurvedic practice that involves using a wood comb or brush to gently massage the scalp. Because there are 60 acupressure points and many meridians along the scalp, this practice relaxes the mind, increases blood and oxygen flow, opens blocked channels in the head, increases qi flow, and encourages hair growth. The gallbladder meridian curves behind the ear and down the neck. An imbalance of the gallbladder meridian can result in poor quality of sleep, lack of confidence, and pain in the rib area. Because the functions of the liver and gallbladder are closely related, an imbalance of the gallbladder can affect the liver. Scalp massage is a gentle way to open energy flow along the meridian and bring the body closer to well being. The best tool to use is a wood comb, because according to the Chinese theory of the 5 Elements, wood regulates earth, which is the element associated with skin. Wood is also gentle enough to effectively activate acupoints without scraping the skin.

Gentle Exercise

Exercises like yoga, qi gong, and walking can relieve liver stagnation by increasing blood flow, improving circulation, reducing stress, and regulating blood sugar. In TCM, it is not about how hard or long you workout, but is about consistency. Working out regularly moves qi energy throughout the body, unblocks anything stagnant, and restores proper energy flow to the body. Liver qi stagnation can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, stress, or a lack of blood flow, but working out 4-5 times a week can increase energy and blood flow in the body. Symptoms of over exerting yourself in a workout include fatigue, headaches, inability to focus, or lightheadedness, and signal that your workout is not as beneficial as it could be. Yoga, qi gong, and walking are all gentle workouts that reap all the benefits of a workout without the negative side effects. Slow and gentle movements aid the body without over exerting it.

Eating in Season

Eating in season and liver friendly foods is an effective way to support your liver while detoxing. Avoiding foods that inflame the liver, while supplying it with foods that the liver can easily process will allow the liver to function at a higher level, instead of being overworked. Along with eating fruits, vegetables, and grains that are in season, there are certain flavors and foods that suit the wood element, and support the liver. Pungent tastes like ginger, peppers, clove, garlic, clove, and allspice increase heat and digestive action in the liver. Bitter and sour foods like green tea, lemon, bitter leafy greens, zucchini, guava, pomegranate, green papaya, green apple, and herbs like parsley, dill, and mint purge the liver and increase the flow of bile to help with cleansing and elimination. Seasonal foods like artichoke, eggplant, dark leafy greens, celery, green onion, cilantro, tangerine, rhubarb, kiwi, eggs, chicken, shrimp, and brown rice will be easier for your body to digest, allowing the liver a break from working too hard. Avoid alcohol and spicy foods in excess.

Processing Emotions

Every organ has an emotion associated with it, and anger, frustration, and impatience are associated with the liver and gallbladder. These emotions can be the trigger or symptom of an imbalance in the liver, and while the emotions themselves are not inherently problematic, the repression or inward expression of these emotions can have negative somatic results. When approached with compassion, curiosity, and patience, processing feelings of anger or frustration can have an upward momentum, allowing for growth and acceptance. Because spring is the time of upward growth and expansion, it is the perfect time to address any stored emotions that might be liver qi. Ways to process emotions include lifestyle changes, movement, social connection, speaking your truth, creativity, relaxation, and rest.

Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans, and has many medicinal uses, like castor oil packs. The use of castor oil packs to aid in liver detox is an ancient practice that helps support optimized liver function, improve detoxification and hormonal balance, and to reduce inflammation in the liver. A component of castor oil, ricinoleic acid, is known to help the body rid itself of excess toxins. It is recommended to use a castor oil pack 1-2 times/week to help support the liver if dealing with hormonal imbalance, detoxification issues, or fatty liver. When treating the liver, place the pack directly over the liver, on the right side just below the rib. Often used overnight, castor oil packs are beneficial during the hours of 1-3 am, which is considered the time when the liver is most actively detoxing and is highly active. Waking up during this time might signal that your body is ready to detox and needs extra support.

Allow your body to relax into the changing season by making small changes to your routine to support your body gently. Stimulate acupressure points and the gallbladder meridian through massage, add movement to your day, eat foods that are anti-inflammatory and encourage liver detoxification, process any stored emotions, and use castor oil packs to aid in liver detoxification at night. Gentle changes can have a significant and positive impact.

Resources

Fries, Hannah. “Your Liver, Your Emotions and the Flow of Qi”. Retrieved from https://mydaolabs.com/blogs/the-way/what-is-liver-qi-stagnation.

Kramer, Warren. “Love Your Liver: Lessons From Chinese Medicine (TCM)”. Retrieved from https://nutritionstudies.org/love-liver-lessons-chinese-medicine-tcm/.

Mischke, Michelle. “Love Your Liver: An Ayurvedic Guide to Fostering Liver Health”. Retrieved from https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/health-guides/love-your-liver/.

Stills, Sharon. “How to add a castor oil pack to your liver detox”. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/detoxification/how-to-add-a-castor-oil-pack-to-your-liver-detox/.

“Are Your Workouts Working Against You”. Retrieved from https://www.herbandohm.com/blog-posts/are-your-workouts-working-against-you.

“Eat with the Seasons: Spring”. Retrieved from https://fiveseasonstcm.com/blogs/traditional-chinese-medicine-101/eat-with-the-seasons-spring.

“Functional Medicine and TCM Liver Detox”. Retrieved from https://healingpoints-acu.com/functional-medicine-and-tcm-liver-detox/.

“How To Detox your Liver and be Ready for Spring with Traditional Chinese Medicine”. Retrieved from https://www.academyhealingnutrition.uk/blog/how-to-detox-your-liver-and-be-ready-for-spring-with-traditional-chinese-medicine.

“Love your liver – cleanse your body”. Retrieved from https://www.8branches.com/articles/love-liver-cleanse-body/.

“Scalp Massage 101: The Easiest Guide to Massage Scalp at Home”. Retrieved from https://magnifissance.com/selfcare/rituals/easiest-scalp-massage-at-home/.

“Understanding Chinese Medicine: Liver Qi Stagnation”. Retrieved from https://www.holdenacupuncture.com/liver-qi-stagnation/.

Acupuncture for Menopause

What is Menopause?

Menopause is the period in a woman’s life after menstruation, when she is no longer fertile. As with the start of puberty, menopause brings about many changes in a woman’s body as hormones fluctuate and ovarian follicles become less active, creating different symptoms that are oftentimes uncomfortable. These changes come about around the age 45-55, and generally begin around 4 years before the last period. Menopause officially starts after one consecutive year without menstruating, and symptoms can last for around 4 years. Common symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, insomnia, vaginal dryness, reduced libido, painful intercourse, hair loss, hair growth in new places like the face, neck, chest, or upper back, depression, anxiety, sore or tender breasts, and many others. These symptoms vary from woman to woman, and also vary in severity as well.

While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a common treatment for menopause symptoms, acupuncture is another viable option for women who can’t, or don’t want to, use HRT. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), menopause is a time when women become Yin deficient, meaning the cooling, moistening, and calming aspects of their physiology are weakening. To treat this, TCM aims to nourish Yin/blood, move stagnant liver Qi, clear heat, calm the spirit/mind, and harmonize Yin and Yang. Menopause can cause stagnation, which leads to heat and Yin deficiency. Acupuncture helps move stagnation, offering relief from many symptoms.

Common Symptoms and Treatment

• Hot flashes/night sweats: Hot flashes are thought to be a result of hormonal changes and changes in the hypothalamus, which regulates temperature. Studies show that acupuncture affects hormones related to menopause and sleep, such as estrogen and melatonin. One study found that acupuncture decreased the secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide, a vasodilating neuropeptide that has been shown to affect hot flashes. Acupuncture helps your body function better, and can help bring your body back to homeostasis in times of transition, like menopause. Menopause can cause a Yin imbalance, leading to excess stagnant heat in the body. Acupuncture can move that stagnant heat, offering relief.

• Pain: By placing needles at pressure points throughout the body, the central nervous system is stimulated to release pain - relieving chemicals like endorphins. The chemicals can help to alleviate aches and pains associated with menopause.

• Mood swings/ Anxiety: Menopause can cause mood swings because of hormonal changes or imbalances that occur at this time of transition. Acupuncture balances Qi, minimizes the frequency and intensity of mood swings, and increases endorphin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels, creating a positive mood. Researchers found that acupuncture alters neurotransmitters in the brain, alleviating conditions like anxiety and nervousness. Acupuncture can relax your body and relax your mind as well.

• Insomnia and Fatigue: Insomnia and fatigue associated with menopause can be caused by fluctuating hormone levels and sleep disturbances, like hot flashes or pain. Acupuncture increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure in your body, reducing fatigue-inducing stress, balances the nervous system, and releases nocturnal chemicals like melatonin, which aids in better sleep.

• Vaginal dryness: The hormonal imbalances caused by menopause can reduce the natural lubricant created by the vagina, leading to dryness or pain during sex. Estrogen is responsible for creating these lubricants, and with estrogen levels decreasing during menopause, vaginal fluid production decreases as well. Menopause causes a Yin deficiency, which is the moistening energy in the body. Acupuncture can bring the body back into harmony by balancing Yin depletion with Yang energy, restoring natural vaginal lubrication production.

Acupuncture is a safe, non-invasive, natural way to bring your body back into balance during times of transition and fluctuation, like menopause. By releasing various hormones like endorphins, dopamine, increasing blood flow, releasing stagnant heat, boosting melatonin production, and altering neurotransmitters in the brain to reduce feelings of anxiety, acupuncture can help treat many symptoms caused by menopause, and can offer great relief.

Schedule your next acupuncture session here!

Resources

“Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Menopause”. Retrieved from https://lotusleafacupuncture.com/tag/vaginal-dryness/.

“Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Insomnia”/ Retrieved from https://www.morningsideacupuncturenyc.com/blog/acupuncture-and-chinese-medicine-for-insomnia.

“Acupuncture, as Practiced in Clinical Settings, May Significantly Improve Menopause-related Symptoms”. Retrieved from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/acupuncture-as-practiced-in-clinical-settings-may-significantly-improve-menopauserelated-symptoms.

“Acupuncture for Menopause: How This Alternative Therapy Brought Me Relief”. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/acupuncture-for-menopause-how-this-alternative-therapy-brought-me-relief#Acupuncture-benefits-for-menopause.

“Acupuncture Increases Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion and Reduces Insomnia and Anxiety: A Preliminary Report”. Retrieved from https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/jnp.16.1.19.

“Acupuncture may ease troublesome menopausal symptoms”. Retrieved from https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/acupuncture-may-ease-troublesome-menopausal-symptoms/.

“Acupuncture Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats”. Retrieved from https://www.redpandaacupuncture.com/single-post/2018/03/08/acupuncture-treatments-for-hot-flashes-and-night-sweats.

“Let's Talk About Vaginal Dryness”. Retrieved from http://www.sweetbeetacupuncture.com/blog/2017/12/11/vaginal-dryness.

“Perimenopause: 5 Ways Acupuncture Can Help”. Retrieved from https://encircleacupuncture.com/perimenopause-5-ways-acupuncture-can-help/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20acupuncture,energy%20levels%20during%20the%20day.

“Treatment of Mood Swings With Acupuncture”. Retrieved from https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/treatment-of-mood-swings-with-acupuncture#:~:text=Balancing%20the%20energetic%20qi%20flow,recommended%20by%20your%20acupuncture%20physician.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Cold and Flu Remedies

These cold winter months bring about all kinds of illnesses like the cold and flu. Our immune systems are challenged more than in the warmer months, and our body’s defenses are lowered. There are many remedies supported by Chinese medicine that offer relief and immune support to boost our body’s virus fighting abilities to maintain wellness. Depending on your illness, there are different foods, essential oils, herbs, spices, and tools to alleviate symptoms and aid healing.

Treating Colds

Traditional Chinese Medicine’s (TCM) approach to healing from a cold is to bolster the body’s first lines of defense- the skin, nose, mouth, and throat, and encourage sweating to expel the virus from the body. It’s also important to decide whether your symptoms are more “heat wind”- sore throat, fever, thirst, nasal congestion yellow phlegm, or coughing up yellow mucus, or “damp wind”- sneezing, runny nose with clear or white phlegm, itchy throat, coughing up clear or white mucus, and body aches. This determination will help you decide which remedy is best for healing your particular cold. Each type of cold is best treated with warm liquids and broth based soups, and foods that are easy to digest like rice. For “heat wind” colds, drink peppermint tea, and cooling fruits like oranges and other citrus fruits. In both cases, avoid dairy, sugar and fried foods. For a “damp wind” cold, add warming ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, green onion, and garlic to your soup.

Miso Soup with Scallion and Ginger

Fermented black beans and scallions are a TCM remedy for early cold treatment. These ingredients work together to warm the body. Miso soup is rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and probiotics, and combined with warming ingredients like scallion and ginger, it is ideal for boosting the immune system and pushing the cold out of the body. Drinking something warm and then bundling up for a rest heats your body inside and out, emboldens your body to be strong against external environmental factors, causes a light sweat, opens your pores, and fortifies your body’s defenses.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp miso paste

• 1-1.5 cups water

• 1 tbsp sliced scallion

• 2 tsp peeled and slivered garlic

Instructions:

• Bring the water to a boil, pour into a bowl with the miso paste. Stir until dissolved

• Add ginger and scallions

• Drink miso soup while it is still steaming

• Bundle up in warm comfortable clothing and get into bed, covering yourself with a warm blanket. You want to be warm enough to break a light sweat. Do not let your body catch a chill

• It is best to nap or go to bed for the night after drinking this soup, letting your warm body rest

Damp Wind Remedies

Sweat these symptoms out with a sauna or hot bath. Incorporate foods like ginger, garlic, mustard seed and greens, grapefruit peel, cilantro, parsnips, scallions, cinnamon, basil, soup, rice porridge, and eating less to avoid overwhelming the system with digestion

Other suggestions:

• Lightly boil garlic, ginger, green onion, basil, mustard, or cinnamon in water for 5 minutes. Drink the tea warm, go to bed and bundle up, allow sweating

• Brew cilantro and ginger together into a tea

• Brew scallion and basil together into a tea

• Make a tea from dried grapefruit peel

• Make a tea from parsnips and ginger

• Avoid shellfish, heavy proteins and fats, meat, and all vinegars because vinegar closes the pores and negates the benefits of sweating

Heat Wind Remedies

Incorporate mint, cabbage, chrysanthemum, burdock, dandelion, pears, apples, bitter melons, citrus, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest

Other suggestions:.

• Drink cabbage broth

• Brew cilantro and mint together and drink

• Drink mint, chrysanthemum, and dandelion teas

• Drink mint, dandelion, and licorice teas

• Drink burdock tea

• Use White Flower Analgesic Balm to ease nasal congestion

• Avoid shellfish, meat, vinegars, drafts, and hot foods

Tea Tree Oil and Salt Water Throat Rinse

A sore throat is a clear sign of an impending cold, and is usually caused by a post nasal drip. When the immune system is challenged, it produces mucus to capture and kill foreign pathogens. This extra mucus can irritate the throat membrane and cause a sore throat and infection. A simple gargle with salt water and tea tree oil is soothing and neutralizes invading pathogens and microbes, lessening the chance of infection.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2-3 drops tea tree oil

Instructions:

• Dissolve a teaspoon of salt into very warm water, then add tea tree drops

• Tilt head back and gargle 5-10 times, letting the mixture penetrate into the sore spots on the throat

• Repeat 1-2 times a day until sore throat is relieved

• Keep your neck covered in a scarf to protect against the cold

Nasal Congestion Relief

Symptoms of the common cold like sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose are not caused by the virus, but by our body’s immune defenses increasing to expel the virus from the body. Within the nasal passage, there is a mucus membrane and tiny hairs that are intended to catch foreign particles and entities from entering the body. When the body is overloaded from pollution, chemicals, fragrances, pollen, or viruses, the body’s response is to generate more mucus, forcing us to blow our noses and expel the virus. An alternative to blowing your nose is a neti pot, which introduces a warm saline solution to the nasal passage, forcing mucus out while soothing and neutralizing any irritants.

Neti Pot Instructions:

• Prepare a saline solution with 1 cup of lukewarm water and ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and fill the neti pot- water too hot can burn, and too cool is not soothing. Ensure the correct proportions of salt to water to avoid burns and aggravation from the salt

• Lean over your sink and tilt your head to the side, with your forehead lower than your chin

• Insert the spout of your neti pot into your nostril, creating a seal

• Be very careful not to inhale

• Gently pour in and across your nasal cavity and out the other nostril- gravity allows the water to flow correctly. Be sure to breathe through your mouth and relax

• If it drains out your mouth, lower your forehead in relation to your chin

• Remove the spout from your nostril and gently blow your nose without closing off one nostril- blowing out one nostril with the other plugged can harm your eardrums

• Repeat on the other nostril

• Thoroughly clean your neti pot with soap and hot water

White Flower Analgesic Balm

Developed in 1927 by Gan Geog Eng of Singapore, White Flower Analgesic Balm, also known as Pak Fah Yeow and Bai Hua You, was originally intended for private use, but became popular through the demand of friends and family who liked it so much. The trademark was registered in 1935 and sold in Singapore and Penang, and in 1951, he entered the Hong Kong market. From there, it became a leading product in the Far East. It is made from camphor, menthol, Methyl Salicylate, as well as eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint oil. It is used for minor aches and pains, sore muscles, sore joints, inflammation, hot areas, and to relieve nasal congestion and headaches.

Apply a few drops of the oil to the affected area and gently rub in. Use 2-3 times a day, and wash hands after each application. For nasal congestion, inhale the White Flower while holding the bottle a few inches from the nose, or apply 1 drop under the nose with a cotton swab. To treat headaches, apply with a clean cotton cloth to the temples, forehead, neck, top of head, or any other painful spot, while carefully avoiding the eyes, mucus membranes, sensitive tissue, or broken skin. Avoid applying to open wounds or damaged skin.

Colds and the flu can take their toll on the body, but recognizing your symptoms and treating accordingly will help pass the virus through faster. Make sure to eat warm foods that are easy to digest, keep your body warm, allow yourself to sweat, keep your nose, mouth, neck, and chest covered from cold winds, try a neti pot to expel mucus from the body, or white flower oil for symptom relief. Stay hydrated with peppermint tea to cool the body, or add ginger to warm the body. Treat based on your symptoms to best support your body’s natural immune responses,

Resources

“Benefits of White Flower Oil”. Retrieved from https://lkacupuncture.com/benefits-of-white-flower-oil/.

“Central Family Practice-White Flower Oil”. Retrieved from https://central-family-practice.myshopify.com/products/white-flower-oil#:~:text=White%20Flower%20Analgesic%20oil%20or,sensitive%20tissue%20or%20broken%20skin.

“Fight your cold and flu with traditional Chinese medicine”. Retrieved from https://www.allinahealth.org/healthysetgo/care/fight-the-cold-and-flu-with-chinese-medicine#:~:text=Eat%20plenty%20of%20broth%2Dbased,oranges%20and%20other%20citrus%20fruits.

“How Neti pots can clear your sinus problems”. Retrieved from https://www.orientalwisdom.com.au/2018/09/02/how-neti-pots-can-clear-your-sinus-problems/.

“TCM tea recipes to treat the common cold”. Retrieved from https://www.acupunctureinmichigan.com/tcm-tea-recipes-to-treat-the-common-cold.

“White Flower Oil”. Retrieved from https://www.modernherbshop.com/White_Flower_Oil_for_Simple_Headache_Congestion_p/whitefloweroil.htm.