Chinese medicine

TURNING EAST

Once again, I'm turning to Eastern forms of medicine to alleviate the symptoms causing distress. 

The nerves were getting so bad this week (understandable with the pressures I'm under at the moment), that I was necking the painkillers. And there's only so many ibuprofen one can safely take and so much they can do to benefit my situation, so I had to look for alternatives. The meditation and daily yoga is greatly helping me, but by Thursday, I was actually starting to 'vibrate' with jangly nerves which was probably being worsened by excessive yoga stretching.

Luckily, I managed to find a Chinese treatment centre in Kensington. The doctor did the compulsory checking of my tongue/pulse and after listening to my description of the problem, got me to lie face down in a darkened room with multiple pins stuck in my back and arms, where I happily snoozed for 30 minutes. After the acupuncture session, the charming young lady on reception, convinced me to buy some fairly pricey tea. 

I have to say, even though I have had positive results from acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the past, I still reserve some scepticism towards the benefits of what has been portrayed through scientific research as 'quakery'. Yet, I should have more faith in the healing abilities, as the symptoms do seem to have reduced somewhat today and the tea, a remedy for improving circulation, expensive as it seemed to me for a cuppa....has helped. 

So, applying the modern-world medicines/practices along with the ancient-world remedies/practices - coupled with the learnings of mindfulness, meditation, Qi Gong and Yoga, I really should be able to fix these ailments for good. The desire to heal and the power of my mind to be a part of this process, will likely be the key factor in determining a successful outcome.

Stress Relations

MANIFESTATIONS OF STRESS

Back problems can be a manifestation of stress, called Mind Body Syndrome or TMS. American doctors are now talking more about the symptoms of back pain being originating from psychological issues and there's been a few latching on to the idea now here in the UK too.

Those suffering with chronic back issues, and wishing to avoid surgery (often not required anyway), have been looking inward at any psychological factors that may be causing the symptoms. 

I've been suffering with lower back, neck, shoulder and elbow pain over the last 5 years. I have been scanned, stuck with pins, had electric nerve conduction studies and all kinds of therapies, some of which have been assessed by some long-standing professionals in the field of medicine. Yet no answers from any experts of how to fix these pains. It's just a part of getting old, I've been told or wear & tear and I've been told to just try and manage it as best as I can. 

After reading about TMS studies and learning more info on some on the common findings in individuals suffering from stress related ailments, I have clearly seen parallels in what my symptoms are and seen how my job & working environment plus other life circumstances have affected me psychologically to such a degree that, even after months of rehabilitation, the symptoms still persist. 

Through yoga, Qui Gong, meditation and having a better understanding of myself, including my character type (which appears to suffer the most from this stress syndrome) and hearing about other people's stories, I am much better equipped to deal with the healing process with the new tools I now possess. 

Stress As A Friend?

Stress affects us all. Stress is also good for us. It readies us for challenges and helps us achieve goals. But too much stress can be a killer. Understanding when stress is good and bad, will help us manage our lives better and we'll know when we are over-stressed. 

Everything has a cause & effect, and we are influenced by everything we see, hear, read and believe. Hence, the the idea that stress can be damaging, according to Kelly McGonigal's video below, is actually more harmful than we realise, as we place so much power on words, we feel stress effects psychosomatically even when the stress we are experiencing is normal and healthy for us to better perform. 

Resetting Posture

TWISTED LOGIC

Our bodies adapt to our environment. We repeat the same movements over and over and we become set up to work in this way. So if our environment is an office in a hunched seated position for a third of our day, time will evolve our bodies to hold that shape which best fits the dominant position it holds for the longest period of time. This happens to be in my case, is the office chair. Due to the nature of the work and position I spend my days in, I've become twisted in my posture over time. 

Working in front of a computer over many years and being held in a set position, especially while under stress, trains our muscles and connective tissues to perform in a certain way. Being that the body is made to be functioning in a well balanced state, having an imbalance over sustained periods will cause irritation to the nerves and this is where the position can be 'set' as the pain receptors activate the muscles & tendons, effectively holding the body in a state this is out of balance with natural equilibrium. 

There comes a time when we realise passive rehabilitation has not been effective enough in forming a recovery. Another realisation comes at a later interval when it becomes clear that our best efforts for correction through yoga and other low impact exercise and physio, equally has not been effective enough for making a full recovery. It's at this point that we have to look at the pharmaceuticals. 

Prescribed Fixes

Pregabalin acts as a pain suppressor to regulate the pain signals which are holding the tension in muscles - in turn which are then causing the pain signals to be sent creating a viscous circle of pain. The idea is simple: stop the circle of pain signals and the body will be free to find a state of balance once again. Only time will tell so let's see if the only option available to me now, has a more positive effect.

Take The Pressure Off

PRESSURE GOOD - STRESS BAD

Doing something difficult, dangerous and time-precious and getting good results at the end, will leave us feeling invigorated and satisfied that we are successful at delivering under pressure. I like doing adrenalin sports for the same reason that I like performing at my peak. Mind & body working together in 'the flow' - enjoying the feeling of being focussed & connected to the environment and the task in hand. The thing is, as you do more adrenalin sports over time, the fix will lesson as you become used to the danger situation or your adrenalin levels drop as you fatigue. You need to take a break because constant exposure to high-pressure becomes exhausting.

Adrenalin sports are fun for me - and I don't want to take the thrill away by having too much of the same thing, plus there's a risk of performing in potentially damaging situations when you're tired. It's the same for being in a work environment and having deadlines to meet. You get the buzz of completing a task in record time but if you continue to function in this heightened state, you either flood your system with the stress hormone Cortisol, creating an imbalance or your body starts to weaken as the effects of prolonged release of this hormone take it's toll.

Work is rarely fun and ceases to be enjoyable a lot quicker if the pressure becomes too much. Unlike adrenalin-fuelled pass times that you can stop when you've had enough, work has to be endured until it's finished. So it's easier to move from being under a lot of pressure to being over-stressed if you're putting up with these levels for sustained periods of time.

Cortisol
The hormone Cortisol is secreted by our adrenal glands and helps maintain blood pressure, immune system, blood sugar levels and is important in heightening our systems for responding in survival situations. Cortisol, released by glands forming part of our endocrine system, is also termed 'the stress hormone' and having too much of this in our bodies can weaken our immune systems, cause fatigue, insomnia and a number of other health issues if measures are not taken.

Cortisol levels can fluctuate throughout the day with the circadian rhythm of the body and can be maintained by relaxation (deep breathing, meditation & yoga) and via taking adaptogenic herbal supplements shown to improve//lower/restore cortisol levels.

If you are subjected to being in a stressful environment and are suffering with anxiety, digestion issues, tiredness, insomnia - chances are, you've over-stressed your body and need to take time to relax or get some additional help via having some of these 7 adaptogen herbs in order to bring back a balanced state of wellbeing.

Rhodiola
One of the key herbs for treating stress, anxiety, improving perfomance/stamina and combatting fatigue is Rhodiola and can be found in high street stores like Holland and Barrett. More information on herbs for strength, stamina and stress relief can be found in this comprehensive book by David Winston and Steven Maimes.

Healing Body First Steps

SECOND DAY OF 2015

How's it going so far? After getting up early yesterday and with no hangover, I was able to write a short entry into my blog and relax a little knowing I'd started the year on a good foot. A massive step considering all the other temptations to go out late on NY and sleep in the next day – plus a real positive considering my mis-trust of the internet. I'll come back to the topic again at a later date but just a little on the subject here... I got into bed (early again) after a lazy day watching a couple of pretty decent films, read a little and used the quiet time before sleep to think about what I wanted to achieve the next day. A good bit of this time was taken up with preparing in my mind, the next instalment for my journal and sharing my words on the internet. We have such a powerful tool to discover pretty much anything that we wish to learn – and there are so many people out there willing to give their advice for free – and yet, I'm actually wary of putting any of my opinions, findings and (I'm over 40 now, so justified...) wisdom out there. I struggle with Facebook (to the point of never using it) and I haven't even gone public with this post – or allowed comments....yet. One step at a time....thing is, I have a real issue trusting the integrity for what is shown on the web and difficulty connecting to others in a virtual space, which stops me using the internet in the way many others do - and I'm likely missing out.

The last thing I looked at before going in – was an email from my dear friend, Dean. It was on the subject of healing injuries which is exactly what I needed to look at today!
It's interesting how those things that you open your eyes to – stuff that is all around you all the time but you just don't 'see' – seems to 'jump' when you need them. I've read about this – I've watched video clips and talked with friends about the 'magical' things that happen when you're in the right head space. It's kinda like when you buy a new car. Suddenly everyone has the same car and even the same colour – and the reason you're reminded of that same car/colour is because it's new and you love your new car. My reasoning is that to keep yourself in the right head space and to keep 'plucking out of the air' all those thoughts and acting on all the new found wisdom you've taken on board and to then make progressive improvements – you need the time to be in this receptive head space and you need to have that fresh feeling regularly. This is where the blog writing comes in. Keeping a fresh, daily journal is the way to remind myself, cement the thoughts and track progress. I'm on holiday today – so I have the head space, but as of next Monday, it's going to get messy in my thoughts again and I'll have to find that time with the 5am starts. Let's see if I can keep this going for a week...

So, to get back to the healing first steps.
I have a weak right bicep – likely caused by injuries from neck and shoulder accidents from my younger snowboarding past. Other muscles are over-compensating (and consequently getting injured too) and because I continue to be active in my hobbies (climbing, biking, boxing), plus I'm not doing anything to try fixing my ailments – things are getting worse.
Here's what Dean sent me – Paul Chek – this guys really knows his stuff and I'm going to use these techniques today and see if I can make some progress.

There's more on  there - I've subscribed for later reference...I'll definitely go back to look at Paul Chek more at a later date - as I can see he's got a lot of great stuff on complete physical, mental and spiritual health...

I'm going to watch a film later on that Dean has also suggested called The power of the Heart

I'll feed back what I thought of it tomorrow and write up any thoughts for day 3...