Gentle Tiger Acupuncture

Yes, I understand that it isn’t until the 20th of this month that Spring OFFICIALLY begins. But I’m officially feeling that warmth – I can see my grass again! Well, not ALLLL of it, but my yard is showing it’s face again. I can feel the hum of the push handle on my mower vibrating through all the way up to my elbows…oooooh man! But what about that other thing about spring? The wind that blows all the nooks and crannies clean? Well, that’s good, Nature has its own “spring cleaning”. I’d bet that’s where the phrase came from. So, still keep your scarves, hats and jackets on hand. Well, keep your gloves on hand, too – heh! I did see a young man (in his early 20s) walking down W. Johnson downtown with nothing but a t-shirt and jeans on. While appropriate for wearing in public, I strongly disagree that it’s appropriate for this weather. In this blog I’m going to explain to how Spring should not be underestimated in regard to contracting illness, based on weather alone. I’ll also explain how Chinese Medicine translates to keeping our United States of American bodies healthy and well in this time of rejuvenation, growth and coming out after Winter.  

     Wind, as we all know is prevalent in Spring. It’s said in Chinese culture that wind carries ALL diseases. 

How does wind manifest according to Traditional Chinese Medicine – It interferes with the circulation of our protective Qi (a.k.a. Wei Qi – pronounced “way” “chee”). Wei Qi is akin to our initial line of immune defense.  Our Wei Qi is more vulnerable to Wind while our pores are still open (sweating after a workout or just out of a hot shower) or while we are sleeping when  our Wei Qi goes inward to allow for nourishing, rejuvenating and repleneshing energies to take over as the main functioning of our bodies. When you’ve just worked out hard and are sweating, not only do I recommend not going out before drying off, but don’t stand in front of or under a circulation vent or open window with a breeze, dry off expediently and put on your clothes right away. Obviously each of us are at different levels of health  and to some this may seem like an unnecessary precaution to take, but Chinese Medicine looks at prevention, not just curing or fixing illness.  Here are some symptoms of a wind invasion and what can happen if not addressed within 24 – 72 hours (1-3 days):

-          Rapid onset – You can go to bed feeling fine and wake up the next day, NOT feeling fine.

-          Rapid changes – If untreated (by you or a medical professional) it can get deeper into your body more quickly, resulting in more severe signs and symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, coughing, sneeze, tightness in the chest, heaviness in the chest, etc.

-          There is movement in the body –like slight twitching, subtle itches or twinges that come and go and show up in different parts of the body.

-          Affecting the top part of the body – usually from mid pectorals/the clavicles (a.k.a. the collarbones) on up.

-          Often affects the lungs first – In TCM, when the word “lungs” is used, it refers to more than just the actual organ – It’s also referring to the trachea, sinuses (forehead, around the eyes, under the eyes and a bit into the cheek as well), nasal passages and to a certain extent, the mouth. It can be a runny nose, itchy/watery eyes, sore throat, slight cough, hotness in the face, dry mouth, etc.

-          Affects the skin – can be seen as a sudden onset rash.

-          Other influences can invade via the wind – cold, heat, dryness.

 More symptoms of Wind may include: Aversion to wind or cold, headache, itchy skin, occipital (back of the head at the base of the skull) headache, itchy throat, runny nose, clogged nose,  facial puffiness, joint stiffness or pain, vertigo, possible fever and sweating, deviation of the mouth and eyes, hemiplegia (half the face freezes or droops), tremors, convulsions, numbness, and severe wind invasion can lead to unconsciousness. Some of these symptoms are severe and seem to take more times of repeated exposure to manifest, but it’s not impossible and I have seen them have sudden onset with little to no warning. 

Great Miguel! Now that you have us scared out of our wits or at least somewhat worried about this and questioning my habits, what can I do about this Wind? I’m glad you asked. I have compiled a list below of the top five things you can do to protect yourself from Wind and overtaxation from Wind. 

1. Wear your scarf, hat, jacket (wear a windbreaker if it’s not cold enough for your heavy coat). while outside, even if your just going from car to the building in which you work. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to be affected negatively by wind.

2. I LOVE to open my windows when Spring comes around. I am not telling you to keep your house windows shut until Summer. I would recommend keeping your feet covered, even if you’re floor is carpeted when you have these windows open. If you want to read a book in the fresh long missed sunlight and it’s in front of an open window, make sure your neck is covered. Just a little scarf/towel or the back of your head and neck pressed against a pillow or the headrest of your chair, so that you can’t feel even a slight breeze on your neck.

3. In regard to open windows – I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT sleep directly in front of an open window. Or if you have a cross breeze running through your bedroom during the day, close one of the windows to stop the cross breeze at night when you’re going to bed.

4. When you are cooling down from exercise, keep away from vents, use a hoodie over your head when going outside, keep a breeze off your neck and dry your face before going outside or into a larger open area (for example: from the locker room into the gym).

5. Drive with the window open that’s opposite to you. If you have passengers in the car, open the windows just a crack to let cool air from outside circulate, but just enough to cool off and avoid prolonged exposure to the wind while driving.

What’s the deal with the neck, why the focus on the neck? because several meridians (lines of energy that carry your life force, also known as Qi) move through the neck and it (your neck) is very important bridge from your body to your head to allow Qi, blood, fluids, oxygen, etc. to enter your head. Because this area is thinly skinned and gives the most exposure (via the eyes, ears, nose, pores and mouth) to the outside world, it’s also the most likely place that anything that doesn’t have your best interest and highest good in mind, will make it’s way into your body.

One last thing that I’m including here for your benefit in regard to gearing up for this Spring 201o is a nasal wash. It will  help to irrigate your whole head (clearing out all the yucky stuff that ’s been resting all winter long) and boost your Wei Qi in order to give your body’s defenses a head start for when Spring really kicks in. My point is use this nasal wash NOW as a preventive, not later when you’re body is working over time to compensate for the overwhelm it’s feeling from Spring.

 Nasal Wash Recipe

To make the wash:

Boil 6 quarts of water for 3 minutes (use filtered water if possible)

Add 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt (not iodized, get the good stuff from Gentle Tiger Acupuncture, Whole Foods, Willy Street Co-op or Community Pharmacy).

Let cool until it is room temperature and transfer into a storage container with a tight lid. Add the following to the water:

A dropper full of Echinacea/golden seal combination tincture.

4-5 tablets of Traumeel homeopathic remedy or 10-15 drops of Traumeel in tincture form. Available at Whole Foods or Williamson Street Co-op or Community Pharmacy.

If adding the tablets, allow time for the tablets to dissolve

5-10 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract – sold in some stores as GSE

Mix the ingredients together in the container. This recipe will also be stored in this container.

To use the wash:

This wash can be used as a general, daily rinse to keep the sinuses clear of obstruction/congestion. A Nettie Bowl may be used to irrigate the sinuses with this wash. Follow the directions on the Nettie bowl packaging. A nettie bowl is usually found at most health food stores. (If need be, Gentle Tiger Acupuncture LLC can provide you with more than adequate instructions for using a neti pot).

The wash can also be used with a baby nasal bulb. These can be purchased at Walgreens or Target. Choose the type that has a blunt tip and has two pieces, not the long skinny tip that is one piece. Squeeze the bulb and then submerge into the salt water solution. While submerged release your grip and the wash will suck into the bulb, place the tip of the bulb in one nostril, and squeeze the liquid into the nasal passage, allowing it to flow to the other nostril. Do not breathe through your nose during this process! Then repeat the same process for the other nostril. Repeat this as many times as seems necessary. Also make sure you do this over the sink. It is a messy beneficial process.

In cases where there may be something like a sinus infection present, it can be used to help reduce inflammation in the sinuses and decrease the infection. Purchase a tincture bottle with a dropper. These are usually found in health food stores. Fill the bottle with the wash, lay on a bed or sofa, allowing your head to drop over the side. SLOWLY drip the solution into each nostril as going slow will allow the wash to penetrate deeper. Continue until it is apparent that the nostrils are full, then blow your nose. Repeat as many times as needed.

Before using the dropper method, check the strength of the wash to see if it is too strong – when it is too strong it will burn slightly. Just add water to dilute it to the point of comfort. It will still work if it is diluted.

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