OK, so I was contemplating on what to write on, then after a day of work, and treating everybody’s neck, upper and mid back tension, I decided to write a bit on that. You know what I am talking about, that nagging tightness, sometimes it’s just where the neck is, or perhaps the upper back, where the neck meets the back, perhaps it is in between the shoulder blades, OR, it may be all of the above. I hope not for your sake, however, I see it all too often. What are the culprits you may ask? The main one today is computers. We often do not have good posture to start with (hmm, let me adjust – there, much better). You need to make sure that you are not slouching, straining your neck, or reaching awkwardly for the mouse. Oh yes, the mouse. Too often, people who work on computers come in with a mouse trap. This is where the trapezius muscle (the one on your upper back along the top) gets all in spasm, on the right side, which is your mouse side. So, I nick-named it the mouse trap. Anyway, take breaks, ideally every ½ hour to 45 minutes. Here are some great stretches:
Look away from the screen
Roll your head in circles, and then do it the opposite way.
Stretch your left ear to your right shoulder, and then do the opposite.
Put your chin to your chest, and then extend back.
Clasp your hands behind your back and stretch them back.
Shake out your hands.
Massage your forearms.
Just a few tips, they only take a few minutes! Take your time, breathe with them and do not force the stretches
Another main cause of tightness is stress. Often this comes with work. Some of the patients that I have noticed with this type of tension (and this by all means is not a limited list) are: teachers, architects, lawyers, administrators, CEOs, and upper management, stock brokers, parents, you get the idea.
I want to emphasize that this is not something you have to live with. And you should not live with it. Over time it accumulates and gets harder to unwind. Acupuncture, tuina, and cupping are great at unwinding the reprogramming the muscles. Treat yourself now, unwind yourself, and then get on a maintenance program where you are coming in periodically to keep it happy.
In honor of Valentines Day, I thought I would talk about the heart in Chinese Medicine terms. Like western medicine, the heart propels the blood throughout the body. It also houses the mind or spirit, or shen. This is not a separate entity or religious in nature. Instead this is your life force, an outward expression of Qi. This is also a reflection of the higher moral and spiritual realm, as well as a connectedness and a sense of compassion for fellow beings. When the spirit is strong, it means that the psyche and personality are functioning well. You often see this in a person eyes. When someone is vital, loving life, their spirit s strong, their eyes sparkly, however, when it is the opposite, when there is a lot of physical, emotional distress, they look duller, lifeless. Things that can disturb the heart energy are overwhelming emotions (over a period of time), a blood deficiency, stress, and lack of movement to name a few. What do imbalances look like? Forgetfulness, restlessness, disturbed sleep, disturbing dreams, disjointed thinking, weird behavior, anxiety, palpitations (where you are feeling your heart beat), withdrawal, melancholy, a feeling of too hot or cold, and memory loss (what did she say?). What keeps the heart happy and healthy you might ask Well, its pretty basic. The obvious, a healthy balanced diet, exercise, good sleep, and managing the stress that comes up in life (aren’t these the things that keep everything happy and healthy ) The emotions are a biggy with the heart, I always emphasize that ALL emotions are valid, it is important to acknowledge and express them as they come, however if there is a shock, or a period where they are hanging on too long, controlling your life, it can cause an imbalance. The heart is the emperor of the body, it is all-knowing, ever present, and spreads its joy and warmth for the good of the whole body. Enjoy and honor it
We have all had a headache once in our lives. Occasionally we have had a doozy of one, where it knocks you out for a bit. Some people though are plagued with migraine headaches, where they see auras, need to be in a dark room, or even have nausea and vomiting with it. Some others are plagued with headaches that occur everyday from tension in the back of the head or perhaps located in the front. A headache that occurs that regularly is certainly a headache (hold your laughter). There was a study published in Cephalalgia in November 1999 from a study done on 1042 patients in Germany. It showed that the patients who had acupuncture vs. sham acupuncture (done on points that would not have an effect on headaches) showed significant improvement. The beauty of acupuncture is that it is so individual. It looks at the “why” you are having headaches everyday, not just putting a band aid on them. It strives to get to the root so that while treating the root and branches together you are looking to rebalance the body so that the headaches resolve. You look at diet, environment, the energy flow in the meridians, muscle tension, stress, etc. It takes in the whole picture of what is going on in the persons life and works at peeling away the layers – a lot like detective work. An occasional headache is a great indicator of something off balance in the day. However if you or someone you know is having regular headaches, please have them consider acupuncture, it is not something that should be a daily or even weekly occurrence!
Every now and again, you find someone with a passion for helping others. You are such a person and professional. Since my teen years, I have suffered with dizziness that struck without warning and greatly impacted my daily activities and life. Thanks to your persistence, expertise and dedication to a solution, life is great!
- Jean Hogan, Portland, OR