Acupuncture: Brain vs. Body

Essentially, acupuncture is "the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes".  I'm sure many of you have experienced treatment at one time or have at least considered it.


In Traditional Chinese Medicine the body is treated as a whole that is composed of several "systems of function" known as the zang-fu.  These systems are named after specific organs, though the systems and the organs are not directly associated.  The zang systems are associated with the solid yin organs such as the liver while the fu systems are associated with the hollow yang organs such as the intestines.  Health is explained as a state of balance between the yin (Blood) and yang (qi or "vital energy").  (Source)


The yin and yang channels flow throughout the body creating channels of energy which are used to determine the placement of an acupuncturist's needles.  An acupuncturist will decide which points to treat through a serious of questions, inquiries, palpitations and intuition.


My Experience
For the past 5 months I have been plagued with fatigue and a general sense of sluggishness.  I also bruise easily and many times, a bruise will last anywhere from 7 days to 7 years (so far).  I went to a new doctor (GP) for a physical in April and was shocked and saddened at the news I received over the following months.  (New readers - click here and then here for the full story.)  My last blood draw came back a couple weeks ago with more bad news, my liver enzymes are nearly 4-5 times the normal amount and my platelets are back down again.  I felt helpless. It was at this point that my parents recommended an alternative - acupuncture.


I drove across the state last weekend to visit my dad's acupuncturist, whom he swears by.  One morning, my mom and I each went to our first appointment.  After filling out the form and listing my issues, I was ushered into a little room with Bing Lee.  He introduced himself, chatted with me a bit about my bruising and fatigue then asked me to remove my sandals and lay face up on the table.  He explained that he would first do a quick assessment to determine the source of my ailments.  I could see him concentrating hard and he moved his hands quickly back and forth about twelve inches above my body.


Twenty silent seconds later, he stopped.  He looked at me, held three fingers up and said, "You have three problems."

1. "Your adrenal glands, located right above your kidneys, are extremely weak.  I want you to eat at least 60 grams of protein, from various sources, by lunchtime each day and I am going to give you a supplement for your adrenals.  Both will help with the bruising."
2. "There is a lot of stress inside your body, almost all of which is stored right above your liver." (BINGO!)
3. "You have been sabotaging yourself emotionally, which is likely the cause of all this stress on the adrenal glands, liver and blood."

He then proceeded to tell me how detrimental negative thinking is to our health.  If you've ever read The Secret then you know the power of positive vs. negative thought.  I was told that I have a lot of fear.  Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of the worst possible thing happening - you name it, I'm afraid of it.  My negative thinking along the lines of "what could happen?" is my biggest issue.  He kept reminding me to stop thinking so much, to live life one day at a time.  It was a really unexpected therapy session that immediately had me fighting back tears.  You mean I'm doing this to myself??  All this bullshit that I've gone through is because of my horribly negative mental state?  That's a hard pill to swallow.  The kicker? I always thought I was a positive person.


After the not so subtle reminders to "don't worry, be happy" he started with the needles.  I received four or five needles in my feet and up my legs, one in each hand, and a final one right between my eyes.  I couldn't feel any of them.  Then some soft music was turned on, the therapist acupuncturist reminded me again to just let the fear and negativity go and he left the room.  I spent the next 10 (15?) minutes trying not to let his sharp words have the effect they were already having on me.  They definitely stung.


After my time was up, he came back in, removed the needles and asked me to lay face down.  More needles were inserted on the backs of my ankles, up my spine and two in my upper neck almost in my hairline.  I didn't feel any of them go in.  He reminded me again to calm myself down, stop the worrying and to just relax.  I don't know why it's so hard to do!  I couldn't stop thinking and I never realized just how much I let my mind wander into negative scenarios until someone tells me to STOP.  It's a shockingly difficult task.


Ten or so minutes later, he removed the needles from my back, neck and feet.  He let me know that he asked his receptionist to give me a supplement for my adrenal glands as well as a recommendation for a homeopathic treatment for my crazy anxious thoughts.

Look at that description.  And 27% alcohol!  It tastes like Everclear.

Thoughts
I enjoyed the actual acupuncture experience, it was completely painless and easy.  I'm sure it's not as mentally challenging for most patients though, which was a big drawback for me.  I'm not an outgoing or emotionally available person (obviously!) and if I wanted therapy I would go to a therapist.  I understand why he said the things he did but he did it in such a non-nonchalant and almost chastising manner.  It was surprising and sort of hard to hear.


I think I will seek treatment here in Ft. Collins soon and I'm hoping to see some positive results.  I'm curious to see if this will help my muscles/posture as well.  I've pretty much had enough of regular doctors who "treat" the symptoms and not the true cause.  But I do know that one way or another, I will be "normal" again.


For those interested:
Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Weakness (Source)

Fatigue, Weakness

Depression

Frustration

Premenstrual tension

Nervousness

Scanty perspiration

Inability to concentrate

Lightheadedness

Sweet cravings

Irritability

Insomnia

Allergies

Headaches

"If a person succumbs easily to allergies and infections, feels constantly drained and exhausted, suffers from low blood sugar and blood pressure, then the culprit may well be weak adrenals. For instance, most of the asthma sprays contain adrenal-like hormones that mimic cortisol in the body. One of the most prominent signs of adrenal gland insufficiency is chronic fatigue. In some fatigued patients, thyroid problems overlap adrenal problems. In these cases, the status of the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland must be assessed. The appropriate treatment should be undertaken only after this determination is made."

Treatment for Adrenal Weakness (Source)

"There are many methods that one can use to strengthen the adrenals. Acupuncture, herbs, meditation and relaxation techniques, exercise, and nutrient saturation through diet and supplementation can all help promote the healing process. Adrenal problems that are not serious or life-threatening are often treated with a combination of low doses of cortisol, DHEA, various herbs, and nutrients. Each of these is used under very specific circumstances determined by laboratory tests. When problems of adrenal insufficiency are identified and corrected, the result of treatment can be very rewarding. The positive effect on energy, stamina, and vitality can be substantial."

"Acupuncture and acupressure can sometimes give the adrenals a good boost. Chiropractic adjustments can also be helpful. The adrenal glands are richly fed by nerves that connect to the spine, and by releasing blockages through these simple and effective techniques, the glands can be stimulated and strengthened. In Chinese Medicine the kidney meridian often relates in western terms to the adrenals. Those who are susceptible to infections or allergies are often told that they have weak kidney energy, so the acupuncture points along that meridian can stimulate the healing process."

It is recommended that a person eat small, instead of large meals. According to the Oriental philosophy, foods which nurture deficient kidney energy are as follows:

millet	barley	tofu	string bean
black bean	black soybean	mung bean	mung sprouts
kidney bean	blackberry	mulberry	blueberry
melons	wheat germ	potato	seaweeds
spirulina	chlorella	black sesame seed	water chestnut
crab	clam	sardine	eggs

(Source)

"Take time to smell the flowers. Put a smile on your face. Enjoy each moment. Cultivate a positive mental attitude. Negative thinking has a very profound detrimental effect on the body. Any type of stress can lead to exhaustion whether or not you have a strong or a weak constitution. Stress will eventually catch up to the most robust constitution. Last but not least---SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE as much as possible."

That said - I will be taking a bit of a break from technology.

I've been following the recommendations to eat 60 grams of protein between breakfast and lunch.  Yesterday I had an English muffin with 2 eggs and half an avocado for breakfast (23g protein), some Fage 0% with granola for a snack (13g protein) and then some leftover sirlion with BBQ sauce, edamame and carrots for lunch (39g protein).  With a grand total of 75 grams of protein, all before 1:30.  Today I'm mixing it up between various sources.  Egg whites, nut butter, a Luna protein bar, plain Greek yogurt, turkey and cheese in a high protein tortilla...etc.  If you have any protein-packed snack ideas for me, I'm all ears.

Anyway, I think my job is where a lot of my stress is coming from.  It's also the place where I use the internet the most.  So I'm going to try to step back a little bit from blogging and reading so many blogs.  It might not last long but I think a technology detox is in order.

Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting me through all this - I really appreciate it!