Acupuncture and Winter Health
According to the Ancient Chinese, winter is the season when we should be resting more, being quiet and reflecting. Everything else in nature is hibernating, withdrawing, conserving energy and preparing for spring. In the Nei Jing, a medical classic written in the second century B.C., it states:
“(In winter) people should retire early at night and rise late in the morning and they should wait for the rising of the sun.”
Of course, we are not all able to follow these instructions to the letter! But then, perhaps it is because of this that many of us are feeling tired at the moment. In our Western society, we tend not to rest more in winter, but to carry on working, regardless of nature. Could this be the reason we suffer so much in the winter from colds, ‘flu, aches, pains, depression etc?
Just as nature needs to have a quiet ‘Yin’ winter period in order to balance with the busy ‘Yang’ spring and summer time, so we need to keep the body in balance and harmony, in order to maintain smooth running of all the parts. Just like an engine, it just takes one tiny part to malfunction, and gradually everything becomes affected, and things grind to a halt. So if we have too much stress, too little sleep, an excess of the wrong food and/or drink, small imbalances begin to accumulate within the body over time. These cause illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, skin problems, hormone imbalances, and depression, to name just a few.
How Can Acupuncture Help?
Acupuncture can help restore the natural balance of the body. This could be whether you need help to relax, sleep well or just to feel better in yourself generally. If your digestion feels sluggish after Christmas, acupuncture can help to gently strengthen and regulate the system. The balancing nature of acupuncture can also help to ease the pains and aches of arthritis and rheumatism. If you are a hay fever sufferer, now is the ideal time to begin a course of acupuncture. This helps to build your immunity to the allergens present in the spring and summer.
Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that involves inserting very fine needles into the skin at specific points that are known to affect and balance our body’s energetic flow. By taking a number of pulses on each wrist, an acupuncturist can determine the overall state of energy (called Qi) within the body. By taking a detailed medical history of a person, including lifestyle, eating habits etc., a diagnosis and treatment plan can be formulated.
The Ancient Chinese believed that it was easier to prevent illness in the first place, than to treat it once it had occurred. Chinese emperors would employ an acupuncturist to keep them in good health. There is a great deal of common sense in this ancient form of medicine, and perhaps this is why acupuncture is still being successfully used today, as a wonderful way to balance the body, mind and spirit!
Linda Colclasure BA (Hons), Lic Ac, MBAcC
Linda has a special interest in fertility, women’s health and asthma.
If you would like to know more about how the Earlsdon Practice can help you contact us here at the Earlsdon Practice by completing the form on our contact page