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Sleeping disorders

Sleeping disorders

by | 3030,Mar, 2023 | medical

Soothing the shen for a peaceful rest

Between 10 and 30% of adults worldwide suffer from chronic insomnia. This disorder particularly affects women. But it can also be found in older people, or in people suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.

The need for rest varies greatly from one person to another, but sleep is a vital need for every human being. Fatigue disrupts our internal balance and affects our mood and therefore our well-being.

Yet most of us have experienced disturbed nights, or simply difficulty in getting to sleep. This results in waking up in the morning feeling tired despite resting.

For some people, these problems can be very serious and last for a long time. The list of these sleep disorders is long. One of the main culprits is stress. This is increasingly present and even pervasive in our daily lives. Exposure to screens also plays a role. Few people experience the three to five 90-minute sleep cycles that neuroscientists believe we should experience.

A look at traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

According to TCM, disturbed sleep can cause exhaustion and even weaken our immune system. Sleep disorders are caused by an energy imbalance. Normally, before going to bed, the Yang decreases to make room for the Yin. Yin then corresponds to rest and immobility of the body and mind.

Conversely, if there is a fullness of Yang or an emptiness of Yin, the mind or “Shen” cannot find calm and rest… Sleep is then disturbed.

Certain factors are known to be unfavourable to falling asleep or sleeping:

Intense physical activity at the end of the day or in the evening can disturb sleep.
Eating too many rich meals, especially in the evening, degrades the quality of our sleep.

Finally, emotional instability, stress, torment, overwork and nervousness have a heavy impact on the Shen (Spirit), which is housed in the Heart.

A good night’s sleep to fill up with energy

The kidneys, as we have already explained in our articles, are the fundamentals of vital energy. In addition to the ancestral energy given to us by our parents at the time of conception, the kidneys store the energy that we recover day after day through, among other things, our food. As you probably already know, ancestral energy is a fixed and limited capital that is gradually depleted.

Fortunately, there is a way of not drawing on this ancestral capital and therefore of regenerating the kidneys: sleep. 

It is often socially frowned upon to go to bed before midnight. However, it is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. that the kidneys are restored. Everyone should learn to know their sleep requirements.

Some people need 6 hours, others 9 hours; some people need to go to bed early, others need to get up later. And let’s not neglect naps, which play a major role in energy recovery.

The Yǎngshēng or the importance of a healthy lifestyle

Traditional Chinese medicine proposes through yǎngshēng to avoid sleep disorders. Firstly, it encourages a light diet (easy digestion). It advises against heavy meals before bedtime, late dinners, consumption of tonics (teas, coffee, soft drinks); also advised against strong flavours likely to disturb the Heart and therefore by extension the Shen.

It is essential to take care of our emotional health. The heart must fall asleep first. We should make sure that we have a good meditation before going to sleep, especially if we are feeling a little excited. It is preferable to listen to music that is known to be relaxing. Finally, we should avoid passionate or even confrontational discussions before bedtime, which put a strain on the emotions. Finally, in the evening we choose the company of loving and compassionate people, or simply people who do not need psychological support.

The solutions of Chinese medicine

Acupuncture

Acupuncture for people who suffer from sleep disorders helps to restore a good circulation of Qi. It promotes the harmonisation of Yin and Yang as well as that of body and mind, which are inseparable in the treatment of illnesses.

By stimulating specific points, we can treat the causes of these disorders and regulate the energy flow to facilitate sleep.

The frequency of the sessions is inherent to each individual, but close sessions, of the order of 2 to 3 times a week, generally give very conclusive results.

Plants as a natural alternative

The health benefits of herbs help to relax the body and mind and facilitate sleep to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep. We choose recipes with soothing and calming properties to prevent and relieve sleep disorders.

Indeed, Chinese pharmacopoeia proposes, by prescribing natural plant-based preparations, to: calm the Shen, nourish the Yin, and calm the excess of Yang at the origin of sleep disturbances.

We will find among other plants:

  • Suan zao ren which nourishes the Blood of the Liver, soothes the Heart and calms the Mind.
  • Ye jiao teng which nourishes the Yin of the Heart and calms the Spirit to find tranquillity and a deep and restful sleep.
  • Mei gui hua for its calming and soothing virtues on the nervous system and favourable to sleep.

In no case are these plants consumed alone, in an herbal tea for example. If necessary, they will be included in a recipe composed according to a personalised diagnosis.

For a complete and revitalising cycle

1. Regular physical activity to improve the flow of energy in the body.

2. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and caffeinated drinks before bedtime.

3. Create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom, avoiding bright lights and noise.

4. Avoid working or using electronic screens before bedtime, so as not to over-stimulate the brain.

5. Follow a regular sleep pattern by going to bed and getting up at similar times each day

6. Practise relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing before bedtime to calm the mind

7. Avoiding negative emotions such as anger, anxiety or stress, which can disrupt sleep by affecting the flow of energy in the body

Do not hesitate to consult us in case of persistent sleep disorders, in order to obtain a precise diagnosis and an adapted treatment.

The menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle

by | 2828,Feb, 2023 | medical

Putting an end to premenstrual syndrome

Menstruation is a sign of fertility and good health. The menstrual cycle is unique to each woman.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the way the menstrual cycle unfolds gives valuable information about the body’s energy balance. All women should have a regular, light and painless cycle lasting 3 to 7 days.

However, few women have the above criteria perfectly met. Emotional tensions, climate, lifestyle, can disturb the hormonal balance and thus disrupt the cycle. Let us consider the vision of TCM to understand this phenomenon and its disturbances.

The menstrual cycle is influenced by the quality and quantity of Qi (vital energy) and blood. It also depends on the yin and yang energies and on the proper functioning of the spleen, liver, kidneys and heart.

The blockage of the circulation of Qi and blood flow, or stagnation, causes pain and swelling in the abdomen in women; it leads to disturbances in menstrual cycles such as dysmenorrhea or even amenorrhea…

The central organ of menstruation, reproduction and pregnancy is the uterus. The uterus is intimately linked to the kidney according to TCM. It is a hollow entrails like the yang entrails but it ensures a yin functioning (to produce, to transform). When we use the term uterus in TCM, we include the tubes and the ovaries.

The uterus needs a proper supply of blood to ensure menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. Qi and blood are interdependent on each other.

The energetic influence of the cycle on the woman

The week of the period is a yin week, that is to say an energy of withdrawal. It is the winter of the cycle, a time of introspection, of silent self-presence. It is a week to listen to your dreams, develop your intuitions and let go. By eliminating blood, the kidneys can generate fear. We waste a lot of energy trying to understand everything that happens to us. This is precisely the role of emotions.

Once the period is over, the woman enters a Yáng energy. Turning towards the outside, she finds a more sustained rhythm, gets back into movement, in a Yáng (masculine) dynamic. The action of the liver allows her to come out of the winter. It is for the woman the moment to express her true self.

Still in this Yáng energy of opening towards the outside comes the week of ovulation; the woman is more connected to unconditional love. She feels a sense of fulfillment, a supreme joy with a broader consciousness and a sense of new humanity. Radiant, even irresistible, she needs a great deal of energy.

After a fortnight or so of being outwardly focused in a Yáng energy, the woman turns inward again in a Yin movement. The rhythm slows down. There is no need to keep a high rhythm, otherwise tension and pain will be created. For some women, premenstrual symptoms can reach hysteria. It is therefore time to take time for yourself, and to do yourself good by taking care of your skin, hair or simply by massaging.

The origin of menstrual disorders

During menstruation, we are informed about the quantity and quality of blood. Empty blood gives early menstruation, pale blood, pain before the flow arrives. Heat in the blood gives a bright red blood, early menstruation, very abundant and painful. Blocked qi causes irritability, anger, headaches, insomnia, tension in the breasts, pain and tension in the lower abdomen. The liver stores blood and regulates its volume. A lack of blood in the liver can lead to a very small amount of menstruation, or even no menstruation at all. The function of procreation can even be questioned if the liver does not supply enough blood to the uterus.

Blocked liver qi causes blood stasis, with black clots and pain before and during menstruation. Conversely, Liver fire accelerates the movement of blood, which leads to bleeding outside the cycle or very heavy periods.

Des règles sans douleur grâce à la MTC

As the menstrual cycle is influenced by the quality of the Qi (vital energy) and the quantity of blood, it is important to rebalance the related organs. We will focus on the balance of Yin and Yang energies. We will also focus on the proper functioning of certain organs such as the spleen, liver, kidneys and heart. This work will also have an impact on emotional tensions, and will restore hormonal balance. Thus, to unblock the circulation of Qi and blood flow, in order to reduce pain, Chinese medicine proposes the following solutions:

A formula of plants adapted to each case;
Acupuncture that alleviates or even eliminates physical and emotional symptoms related to PMS: lower back pain, cramps, acne, sensitive breasts, mood swings, irritation, nervous fatigue, etc. Our patients generally start to feel an improvement after one to three sessions on average.
In order to reduce the symptoms, we also recommend that you review your diet and encourage rest and sleep. These factors have a considerable impact on hormonal balance.
Finally, we recommend regular practice of Qi Gong in order to re-establish a good circulation of blood and Qi. This helps to relieve pain and various other symptoms related to menstruation.

The new disorders of female cycles

Since the waves of vaccination against “Covid 19”, we are witnessing a multiplication of new symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and fertility.

We receive many women in treatment who complain of extreme fatigue and disturbances of their cycles. Some complain of not having their periods for several months, or of having very irregular cycles, one month with, one month without…

Finally, we receive patients who complain of excessive menstruation, which generates, in addition to a major discomfort, an extreme weakness due to lack of blood.

We also observe at the diagnostic level a generalization of the phenomena of stagnation of blood and qi, which implies a major increase of blood clots in the periods.

Finally, we have seen an increase in miscarriages which are naturally linked to a lack of energy in the Kidneys and the Spleen, and even in the Heart, and to poor blood circulation.

We have been able to treat these new disturbances effectively, even if it takes longer to rebalance the energies in vaccinated people.

Body fluids, or Jīn yè

Body fluids, or Jīn yè

by | 3030,Jan, 2023 | medical

Functions of body fluids according to TCM

Body fluids, or Jīn yè, are, like qi and blood, an essential and omnipresent substance in the body. Their role is to maintain all the physiological activities of the body.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the sources of body fluids are food and drink. These will be digested by the Stomach; the Small Intestine will separate the pure from the impure. The Spleen will transform and distribute these fluids. The more ethereal or vaporised part of these fluids will rise to the Lung which will diffuse them. Some of it will be diffused through the skin (sweat). Another part of these fluids (denser), will descend to the Kidney and the Large Intestine which will ensure other processes of separation for elimination (urine for the Kidneys and stools for the Large Intestine).

The process of separating the pure from the impure is carried out by different processes:

  • the digestive and absorptive capacity of the stomach,
  • the separation process of the small intestine,
  • the transformation and distribution function of the Spleen.

It is the Spleen that transports the body fluids to the Lungs, organs that regulate and control the “passage of water”. Through its dispersal function, the Lungs distribute liquids throughout the body, providing nourishment and humidification.
The Lung also eliminates, through breathing, some of the existing liquids in the body. In the “water metabolism”, the Kidneys play the decisive role. The functions of the Lungs, Stomach, Spleen, Small Intestine and Three Heaters are entirely dependent on the boosting effect of the Kidney qi.

Two types of body fluids: Jīn and yè

In addition, body fluids are governed by the Kidneys due to the transforming and vaporising action of qi, so that the clear parts are reused, while the cloudy parts are transformed and excreted in urine.

There are two types of body fluids or liquids: the Jīn (like perspiration) and the yè liquids (denser).

  • Jīn, which are very clear and fluid, are used to nourish and moisten the skin and muscles. They give shine to hair and fur. They are under the control of the Lung. They circulate with the Qi (called here protective qi).
  • The yè, thicker, viscous, are much richer and directed towards the organs in depth. They nourish the bones, the marrow, the viscera, the brain… They lubricate the joints and moisten the interior of the body. They are under the control of the middle heater and circulate with the nourishing Qi.

The state of the body fluids (Jīn yè) is essential. Indeed, they play a humectant, nutritive, toxic neutralizing and body heat regulating role.

From the point of view of Chinese medicine, fluid metabolism consists of various repeated processes of separation of pure and impure liquids. Our body seeks to guide or eliminate the pure fractions upwards and outwards and to bring down the impure fractions (turbid matter not essential to the body) for elimination.

In summary, it can be said that the trio of Lung, Spleen and Kidney form the basis for the transport, transformation and excretion of body fluids.

Thus, oedemas, skin disorders, perspiration disorders, joint and bone disorders, etc. are directly linked to dysfunctions of these processes.

Maintaining a good overall balance of Qi

In TCM, the diagnosis is not directly about the body fluids, but rather the study of the quality of the Qi. When body fluids are not properly produced, there is a lack of blood or stagnation of qi. There is also heat invasion, profuse sweating or repeated vomiting.

Pathogenic phenomena (first symptoms of a disease) appear such as:

  • Dryness of the skin, eyes, nose or mouth,
  • Constipation,
  • Invasion of moisture (oedema, water retention…) or even mucus (sputum…).

In principle, if the Qi and the organs are functioning well, the body fluids regulate themselves. In all cases of dysfunction, the treatment of the Spleen, the Stomach and the Kidneys should be preferred.

By paying attention to our lifestyle we can maintain a strong defensive Qi. This implies a healthy diet, sport, adequate rest, a peaceful environment, free of stress, therefore a good management of our emotions, the practice of an art etc.

In Chinese medicine, there are six energies (Liù Qì; 六气) which are part of man’s life. For he is in constant contact with them. These can become perverse only if they are in excess.  These six energies are:

  • Wind (fēng; 风)
  • Cold (hán; 寒)
  • Heat (rè; 热, which can become: huǒ; 火 = fire)
  • Dampness (shī; 湿)
  • Drought (zào; 燥 or hàn; 旱)
  • Heat wave (kùshǔ 酷暑 or shǔ; 暑)

When one of these six energies is in excess, it will definitely cause adverse effects on our body. To maintain our defensive balance, we resort to a few acupuncture sessions. Sometimes one is enough. For those who prefer it, we prescribe pharmacopoeia recipes adapted to each person according to the balance to be restored.

Some tips for your practice

 

Stomach THE SOURCE OF BODY FLUIDS
Spleen PROCESS AND TRANSPORT
Lung REGULATE THE “PASSAGE OF WATER
Kidney

– PROVIDE THE SPLEEN WITH THE NECESSARY HEAT TO PROCESS FLUIDS

– HELP THE SMALL INTESTINE IN ITS FUNCTION OF SEPARATING LIQUIDS
Bladder PURE-IMPURE SEPARATION; URINARY EXCRETION