by Lynn Jaffee

Have you ever heard people talk about having butterflies in their stomach, a gut feeling, a nervous stomach, or a visceral reaction? Of course you have. We use these terms because we intuitively know that our emotions are very closely tied to our digestion.

One of the most common conditions that we see in the clinic is something called a Liver and Spleen disharmony. This just means that strong emotions are interfering with the digestive process. If you’ve ever had a huge emotional upset that has ruined your appetite or given you an upset stomach, you know what I’m talking about. A Liver and Spleen disharmony is similar, but it usually works in slow motion.

Your Chinese Liver is an organ system that oversees the smooth flow of everything in your body, including digestion, bowels, circulation, menses, and emotions. Stress, anger, or an emotional upheaval can cause the Liver system to stagnate. When this happens, one of the first things it affects is your Chinese Spleen, which is your organ of digestion.

In the clinic this pattern is a player in many, if not most, conditions affecting our patients. It can manifest in conditions such as Irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, depression, insomnia, PMS, fatigue, and even obesity, to name just a few.

So what exactly is happening when you are stressed out, upset or worried? Your stomach is a muscle, and when you’re in the emotional wringer, that stomach muscle contracts, making it difficult for you to digest much of anything.

Why you have this reaction goes back to the fight or flight response you experience when you’re stressed or feel threatened. Your body responds by shutting down those functions that aren’t necessary to run or fight, including digestion. The idea is that in ancient times, feeling threatened was a short-lived affair—only as long as it took to chase off or kill the wild animal lingering in front of your cave.

Today, however, many of us are in a constant state of fight or flight due to the unrelenting stress of our daily lives—whether it’s a cranky boss, a sick kid, a late mortgage payment, or having too much to do. Constant emotional upheaval doesn’t give your body time to recover its equilibrium, and your digestion stays on the back burner, unable to do its job effectively.

What can you do to get your digestion back on track and working efficiently? The most important thing to know is that it’s a two-step process: getting your stress and emotions under control, while you pamper your digestive tract. Acupuncture can be extremely effective for this kind of imbalance. In fact, many of our patients who have recovered from this kind of pattern never dreamt that they could ever feel good again. Two things you can do for yourself:

-Calm down and chill out. This may seem to be the most obvious, but is often the hardest thing to do. Find time during your day to relax; whether you take a yoga class, meditate, go fishing, or take a stroll in the woods. Without decompressing, your emotions and digestion will not have an opportunity to recover.

-Pamper your digestion. This means sitting down and actually eating a meal—not something on the run in between meetings or kids’ sporting events. This also means eating good food, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and a little protein. Cooking most of your food makes it easier to digest—raw foods take more digestive effort to break down. The same goes for very cold foods; when you drink or eat something frozen, it uses up a lot of your digestive energy. Chewing your food and enjoying the dining process will help you digest your meal more effectively.

There was an article in my local paper last week about the relationship between stress and weight gain.  The gist of the article was that during the current economic crisis many people who are stressed about their financial situation turn to food as a way to cope.

Medical experts know that stress and other strong negative emotions have an impact on your body’s hormonal balance, specifically the balance of adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin.  In addition, it’s known that hormonal changes caused by stress can be responsible for weight gain around your middle, and can increase your risk for certain cardiovascular health problems.  Your doctor may describe this phenomenon as the difference between being pear shaped (good) versus apple shaped (not so good).

In Chinese medicine, this same phenomenon would be described as a Liver/Spleen disharmony, or a case of your emotions upsetting your digestion.  Your Chinese Liver is the organ system that regulates the smooth movement of everything in your body, including your emotions, circulation, menstrual cycles, and digestion.  The function of the Spleen system is to efficiently turn food into nutrients, energy, and blood—in other words, all aspects of digestion.  You know your Spleen isn’t up to par when you have signs or symptoms related to your digestion, including food cravings or a loss of appetite, constipation or loose stools, stomachaches, nausea, and weight gain.  You might think that if you’re gaining weight your digestion is just fine, thank you very much, but in reality, weight gain is a signal that your digestion is impaired in some way.

How can acupuncture or Chinese medicine help?  There are a couple of answers.  First, acupuncture is an excellent way to soothe your emotions.  It can effectively help people who are feeling stressed, anxious or depressed.  It seems odd that the insertion of a couple of needles can affect your emotions or mood, but research has in fact documented that acupuncture alters brain chemistry in a good way.

Secondly, using a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and food therapy, a practitioner of Chinese medicine can help you get your weight under control.  Not only can it help you with food cravings, but Chinese medicine is an incredibly effective treatment for digestive problems.

 If stress is impacting your health or causing weight gain, think about acupuncture.  It’s safe, effective, and organic.

by Lynn Jaffee, L.Ac.

If this cool fall weather has you thinking of palm trees, sunny beaches, and moving south, you’re not alone!  Everyone feels the effects of fall in one way or another.  However, for some, the move from the bright days of summer to the cool winter weather brings with it a form of depression, called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

People who suffer from SAD feel fine during the warmer months, but suffer from symptoms such as depression, fatigue, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, and lethargy during the late fall and winter.  Over ten million people in the United States suffer from SAD, two-thirds of which are women.  The cause of SAD is unknown, but it is thought by western doctors to be related to a drop in melatonin levels in the brain caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter.  Currently, SAD is treated through the use of light therapy, and in some cases, antidepressants.

From a Chinese medical framework, SAD is related to an imbalance between Yin and Yang.  The theory of Yin and Yang was developed thousands of years ago to describe the relationship between opposing forces in nature.  Yang describes that which is bright, active, moving, warm and transforming.  In contrast, Yin describes those things which are cool, dark, still, and nourishing.  This time of year the seasons are changing from summer, which is a bright and warm Yang time of the year to the colder, darker, and more nourishing Yin winter months.

For some people, the abundance of Yin during the winter becomes overwhelming, giving way to the hallmark symptoms of SAD.  Lethargy, fatigue, and lack of motivation all reflect Yin characteristics.  Like a frozen river, this lack of movement ultimately creates stagnation which manifests as depression and feelings of sadness.

While there is no magic bullet for SAD, incorporating some Yang activities into your life can help.  Remember, Yang is warm, bright, and active.  Try to get outside during the middle of the day if possible, especially on sunny days.  While you may not feel motivated, taking a walk, going to the gym, or cross country skiing are all good ways to stir up the warmth and activity of Yang.  Also, activitiy in the form of change–trying something new–is a way to boost Yang.  Choose activities that warm not only your body, but your heart as well.  Time with friends or a special family event are both moving and warming activities.

Needless to say, Chinese medicine can offer some relief for SAD, too.  Acupuncture, combined with heat therapy and some Yang fortifying foods and/or herbs can be an effective way to get through the winter.

by Lynn Jaffee, L.Ac.

If you’re like many people, you have a fair amount of stress in your life.  This is more true now than ever before.  Whether you’re dealing with financial issues, a troublesome co-worker, or not having enough hours in the day, stress is taking its toll.  You’ve heard from everyone from your doctor to fitness gurus that stress impacts your health, and you know it makes you feel bad.  But what’s the big deal about stress anyway?  The answer in one word:  hormones.

When we think of hormones, most of us think of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone.  But actually, there are hormones in our bodies that are much bigger players than the sex hormones.  Without them we could not survive even for a short period of time.  Those major players are adrenaline, insulin, and cortisol. 

Interestingly, the hormones that are released when you are under stress are adrenaline and cortisol, both of which are “breaking down” hormones, because they use up chemicals and nutrients in your body.  Both are released during stressful situations that give you the feeling of impending threat or danger, called the “fight or flight” response.  Adrenaline causes muscle loss because it helps your body use (or break down) anything available for fuel in order to escape.  Cortisol’s job is twofold:  first, to raise blood sugar so there is energy to move your muscles and run away.  The second job of cortisol is to shut down any high-energy functions of your body not needed for the fight or flight response, including the immune system, and some functions of the brain and emotions.  Prolonged high cortisol levels are associated with depression, memory loss, and frequent illnesses or infections.

When cortisol levels are high, and all that extra energy isn’t used (which is usually the case–we never actually run away from a short deadline or demanding boss!), more insulin (a “building up” hormone) is produced to lower blood sugar.  Here’s the interesting part–people with consistently high insulin will gain weight over time, and are prone to inflammation, arthritis, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

So, in response to the question, what’s the big deal about stress, anyway?  There are two answers.  The first is that it feels bad and aggravates existing health conditions.  The second is that it is associated with suppression of the immune system, depression, weight gain, muscle loss, memory loss, arthritis, inflammation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Now, knowing how damaging stress can be to your health, what can you do to bring more tranquility and less “overwhelm” into your life?  While there are many ways to tame stress, most people don’t think about acupuncture, which is incredibly effective for stress and anxiety.  In just a treatment or two, you can change your stress response, support your immune system, and feel less overwhelmed.  What a great way to bring more peace and pleasure into your life!

By Lynn Jaffee, L.Ac.

My friend, Karla, seems to catch every illness that is going around.  She recently had the intestinal flu that her kids caught a few weeks earlier. This was right after she had gotten over a nasty cold.  Last week she was laid out with a headache that made it impossible for her to concentrate at work.

When I think about Karla, I realize that she is one of the most stressed women I know.  She worries about her husband’s job, struggles to balance work and her kid’s after-school activities, and is the consummate volunteer. She is overwhelmed and on the go, and it makes perfect sense to me that she doesn’t feel well much of the time.

We know that stress makes us ill; because when we are stressed our bodies produce cortisol and other hormones that in overabundance can damage our health.  In addition, prolonged stress keeps our bodies in a constant state of readiness, which is ultimately depleting.

Practitioners of Chinese medicine have a different explanation as to how stress makes us ill.  According to the Chinese, energy flows in our body through a network of “roads”,  like a highway system.  Stress or anxiety can interrupt the smooth flow of energy throughout the body, acting like a traffic jam. For example, many people who are under a lot of stress complain of upper back, shoulder and neck pain.  This is because stress is causing tension in those areas, blocking the free flow of energy, causing pain, tightness, and often leading to headaches.

In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may also be backed up on  secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area.  This is true in the body, too.  Stress may affect many other parts of the body, most notably digestion, the ability to sleep, pain conditions, and immunity.  Stress can also aggravate an already troublesome health condition.

Through acupuncture, these energy blockages can be addressed.  Acupuncture points serve as the on and off ramps to the energy highway, and can help energy flow smoothly, and alleviate not only the symptoms of stress, but the stress itself.

Beyond acupuncture, Chinese medicine offers other ways to alleviate stress and move energy including:

-Breathing–the breath is a source of energy in Chinese medicine, and slow, deliberate breathing can be very calming.

-Gentle exercise, such as Tai Qi or Qi Gung, which is a great way to cultivate and move energy.   However very strenuous or prolonged exercise sessions are considered to be depleting.

-Good nutrition and digestion.  The Chinese consider digestion to be as important as nutrition.  They shy away from very cold foods or iced drinks, too many raw fruits and vegetables, and very greasy foods.

With my friend Karla in mind, I would also like to add that taking a little time each day for yourself can be a great way to break the stress cycle.  Sometimes a few moments of quiet are all it takes.

By: Lynn Jaffe

Fourteen-year old Nathan came to me with trouble sleeping. He was a healthy, active young man, who had trouble getting to sleep at night, and many nights was awake for hours. He tried sleeping on the floor to “get comfortable”, and rearranging his bedcovers in a variety of ways, none of which helped him sleep. Nathan had trouble getting up in the morning because he was starting his day exhausted from the lack of adequate sleep.

The incidence of insomnia is far-reaching. It can be an annoyance for most people at one time or another. For many, however, it’s a chronic problem that leaves its sufferers exhausted, irritable, and unable to handle the physical and emotional stresses of everyday life.

Sleeplessness comes in many forms. For people with mild insomnia, dropping off to sleep may be a problem. Many sufferers are able to fall asleep, but wake during the night and spend the early morning hours wide-awake. In the extreme, people who are plagued by severe insomnia may be sleepless all night long.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, insomnia is considered to be a disharmony between Yin and Yang, in which the Yang of daytime is unable to enter, or change into, the Yin of the evening and nighttime hours.

The principles of Yin and Yang can best be understood through the Chinese characters for each. The character for Yang was originally a pictograph representing the sunny side of the hill. It contains the radicals for mound, the sun above the horizon, and rays of light shining down from the sun. In contrast, the character for Yin contains the radicals for mound and the presence of clouds, indicating the shady side of the hill.

These characters tell us a lot about the nature of Yin and Yang. The sunny side of the hill, Yang, is warmer and brighter than the shady side, Yin, which is cooler, darker and moister. Yang represents fire, is active, and moves upward and outward. Yin represents water, is calm, and moves down and inward. Most important to this discussion of sleep, however, is that Yang represents the bright and active daytime hours, and Yin represents the quieter, darker nighttime hours.

During the day, Yang energy is strong, keeping us awake and alert and giving us the energy to conduct the activities necessary for each day. As the day moves into evening, the Yang energy begins to decline and turn inward, allowing us to relax and slow down. To be able to sleep, the Yang energy of the day must completely enter into the Yin aspect of the evening and nighttime hours. Therefore, normal sleep requires that the Yin and Yang energy of the body be in balance. Insomnia occurs when this balance is lost.

The Heart also plays an important role in our ability to sleep. In Chinese medicine, the Heart houses the spirit, which includes all thought processes, memory, emotions and the ability to sleep. During the night, the spirit also moves into the Yin, and people become calmer, quieter, and fall asleep. When the spirit is unable to move into the Yin, or when the spirit moves into Yin but is unable to quietly stay there all night, insomnia occurs.

For insomnia to occur, the spirit must be disturbed in some way. There are a variety of imbalances that may cause a disruption of the spirit, including heat, deficiency, or stagnation. The causes of these imbalances are often related to lifestyle, which means that there are changes that we can make on our own to sleep better. Common causes of insomnia in Traditional Chinese Medicine include emotions, diet, overwork, and a weak constitution.

Heat in the body is a common factor in insomnia. Heat is by nature Yang energy, which is active. Too much heat, or excess Yang, disturbs the Heart and spirit, making it difficult for Yang to transform into Yin at the end of the day, causing restlessness and irritability.

There are a number of patterns, or conditions, in Traditional Chinese Medicine that can cause heat. Excess heat from an external factor, such as a fever or the flu is one form. However, an occasional fever or an attack of the flu is short-lived, and not sufficient to cause chronic insomnia. Only when heat resides in the body long-term, will it ultimately disturb the Heart and spirit enough to interfere with sleep.

Heat may arise out of a deficiency of Yin energy. Remember, Yin is cool, moist and nourishing. When Yin is in short supply in the body, Yang becomes exuberant, causing heat and restlessness, disturbing the spirit and disrupting sleep. A classic example of this pattern is during menopause, when deficient heat in the form of hot flashes and night sweats accompany sleeplessness.

There are other substances in the body that can become deficient enough to cause insomnia. Qi (pronounced chee), described as life energy, or the transformative energy in all things, can become depleted. Blood is another substance that when deficient can cause insomnia. In Chinese medicine, Blood is considered the substance that nourishes the body and maintains muscle mass and fat. When Qi and/or Blood become depleted, the spirit is undernourished and unable to easily move into Yin and stay there during the entire night. Typically, a person suffering from insomnia due to deficiency may fall asleep easily, but wake during the night or have vivid, disturbing dreams.

Stagnation, especially of Qi, can also be responsible for insomnia. This type of insomnia is commonly associated with emotions. Qi normally moves smoothly throughout the body. However, strong emotions, especially anger, anxiety or depression, can impair the flow of Qi and cause it to stagnate. This stagnation over time turns into heat, disturbing the Heart and spirit, and causing insomnia. Frequently, people who can’t sleep because their “mind is running” all night are suffering from Qi stagnation.

The treatment of insomnia using Traditional Chinese Medicine might involve acupuncture, herbs, Tui Na (Chinese bodywork), and possibly diet therapy. If you suffer from insomnia, however, there are some changes you can make that may help you get a good night’s sleep.

-During the evening hours, try to move from Yang to Yin activities. For example, save exercise, studying, or physical work for earlier in the day. During the evening, quieter activities, such as reading and relaxing will help you move into Yin energy more easily.

-Wait a few hours after a large meal before you try to sleep. Eating too much food before bedtime can stagnate and interfere with your sleep.

-If you have trouble sleeping, avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine for several hours before bedtime. Very spicy or heavy, greasy foods, if eaten regularly, may also cause insomnia.

-If emotions are causing sleeplessness, try visualizing yourself in a favorite, calming place, or systematically relax the muscles in each part of your body.

Keeping these principles in mind in working with Nathan, I learned that he was instant messaging with his friends until he went to bed at about 11:00. Also, he had some issues that were causing him anxiety. I treated Nathan twice with acupuncture and herbs and advised him to begin winding down for bed an hour or two earlier. This meant turning off the computer and reading before turning out his lights. After two treatments, Nathan reported that he was able to get to sleep, and stay asleep all night.

By: Lynn Jaffee

What exactly is Insomnia?

Insomnia is the inability to get a full night of sleep. It can be an annoyance for most people at one time or another. For many, however, it’s a chronic problem that leaves its sufferers exhausted, irritable, and unable to handle the physical and emotional stresses of everyday life. An estimated 32 million Americans, or about 1 in 8, suffer from some form of insomnia.

Sleeplessness can come in many forms. For people with mild insomnia, dropping off to sleep may be a problem. Many sufferers are able to fall asleep, but wake during the night and spend the early morning hours wide awake, unable to get back to sleep. In the extreme, people who are plagued by severe insomnia may be sleepless all night long.

Is Insomnia treated differently in Traditional Chinese Medicine than in modern medicine?

Yes, within the framework of modern medicine, insomnia is usually treated through the use of prescription drugs, most often sedatives or tranquilizers. Unfortunately, while these drugs can promote sound sleep, they often produce side effects such as drowsiness, hangover, addictions and withdrawal. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, insomnia is considered an indicator of an underlying imbalance. Treatment is focused on correcting the imbalance, or the source of the problem, not just the outward symptoms.

What is out of balance?

In general, people who suffer from insomnia have a relative excess of Yang energy, which is active, warm and transformative. In contrast, Yin energy is quiet, cool, and nourishing. During the day, Yang energy predominates, keeping us awake and alert and giving us the energy to conduct the activities necessary for each day. As the day moves into evening, the Yang energy begins to decline, allowing us to relax and slow down. To be able to sleep, the Yang energy of the day must transform into the Yin energy of the evening and nighttime hours. In order to sleep well, the Yin and Yang energy of the body must be in balance. Insomnia occurs when Yin and Yang are out of balance.

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine Work to Treat Insomnia?

In order to determine the source of the imbalance causing insomnia, a practitioner will begin by taking your complete health history and interview. The practitioner will also look at your tongue and feel your wrist pulse to gain information about your condition. Based on your specific symptoms, constitution, and history, the practitioner will develop a treatment plan for you. The goals of your treatment plan will be to alleviate insomnia and correct the source of the problem, the underlying imbalance. A combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, dietary therapy, and lifestyle changes might be used.

Is acupuncture safe?

Yes. When performed by a Licensed Acupuncturist, acupuncture is safe. It is also a natural, drug-free, and effective way to address insomnia.

By: Lynn Jaffee

What exactly is depression?

All of us at one time or another experience feelings of sadness, anxiety, discouragement, or hopelessness. These feelings are a healthy response to events in our lives that may feel overwhelming. When we are balanced and healthy, we are able to recover from these periodic bouts. However, if we are unable to recover, these feelings may persist and interfere with our daily living, indicating that depression has set in.

Depression can present with a host of symptoms. Among them are low energy, a persistent sad or empty mood, lack of motivation, insomnia, appetite changes, irritability, suicidal thoughts, and body aches and pains.

How is depression treated differently in Traditional Chinese Medicine than in modern medicine?

Within the framework of modern medicine, depression is most frequently treated with antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. In fact, in 1998 doctors wrote more than 130 million prescriptions for antidepressants. Antidepressant drugs are effective in treating the signs and symptoms of depression. However, these drugs may cause a number of side effects, such as insomnia, fatigue, rash, loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction, and many more. As a result, many people taking these drugs want to avoid using them long term, and seek out other therapies.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine have thousands of years of experience in treating depression. A person who is suffering from depression has an underlying imbalance in their body. Treatment is focused on correcting the imbalance, or the source of the problem, not just treating the outward symptoms.

What is out of balance?

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine know that there is a strong relationship between the body and emotions. When we are upset emotionally, our internal environment also becomes upset, causing symptoms such as depression.

Depression can result from an imbalance or a blockage of Qi (energy) in one of the body’s organs or meridian pathways (energy pathways). When Qi becomes blocked, it stagnates and is unable to properly nourish the body. The result can be disease and emotional disturbance. A number of things can cause Qi to become blocked, including physical or emotional trauma, constitutionally weak Qi, improper diet, and stress.

How is depression be treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Your practitioner may use a variety of modalities. Depending on your specific imbalance, he/she may use acupuncture, Chinese herbs, dietary therapy, bodywork, and lifestyle changes. It is possible also to treat depression with modern medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine. In many cases it is the quickest way to treat depression.

Is acupuncture safe?

Yes. When performed by a Licensed Acupuncturist, acupuncture is safe. It is also a natural, drug-free, and effective way to address depression.