You’ve probably had lower back pain—80% of us have.

You can be innocently doing the dishes and something tweaks, or you can be working all day in the garden.  In either case, suddenly you can’t move.  Aches, shooting pain, restricted range of motion, weakness…

Western Medicine describes the cause of lower back pain from a physiological perspective.  Typical causes are sprains (overstretching the ligaments), strains (tearing a muscle), herniated discs (budging spinal discs) or sciatica (compression or irritation to the sciatic nerve).

But Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a different perspective and recognizes 3 main causes of lower
back pain:

1. Deficiency:  This pain is dull and chronic. Rest relieves the pain and it is common in middle-aged to elderly people.
2. Stagnation:  This back pain is severe and stabbing.  The muscles are stiff and tight. Rest makes the pain worse.  Although this pain is common with acute sprains and strains, it can reoccur if there is an underlying deficiency.
3. Cold damp: This pain can accompany numbness, swelling or a general feeling of heaviness.  It is worse in the morning or in cold, wet conditions.  Heat relieves the pain.

For the most effective pain relief, make an appointment with an acupuncturist for a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.  But if you can’t get to an acupuncturist, what can you do at home to get some relief?

1. Ice and Heat.  Heat relaxes and loosens your muscles and increases blood flow. Ice reduces inflammation and relieves pain.  Many people like to alternate heat and ice.
2. Walk.  Keep moving, especially after the initial pain has passed.  Walking loosens the muscles and gets your blood flowing.  It is also a pleasant diversion from your discomfort.
3. Stretch.  Once the acute pain is over, stretch your hips.  Pay attention to stretching your hamstrings (the backs of your legs) and your front groins.  Go slowly and gently.  Use supports to keep from stretching too far.
4. Lie on your back with your knees bent.  Some people find relief by resting on their back.  Be sure your knees are bent to prevent over-arching your lower back.
5. Wintergreen.  Salves and balms with wintergreen may relieve your pain and reduce inflammation.  Wintergreen gives a cooling sensation and has a very pleasant smell.
6. Have fun.  Watch a funny movie. Visit some friends.  Laugh.  Enjoy yourself.  You’ll feel much better.
7. Massage.  Massage is quite effective for relieving back pain.
8. Swim.  Swimming is gentle exercise and terrific for your back.

Chinese philosophy is a sophisticated method of understanding relationships, change, and cause and effect.  One of the primary ways to understand those relationships is with the 5 Element Theory.  This theory ties together the relationship of all energy and substance.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is one of the tools an acupuncturist has to understand disease and support the body’s healing.

All elements and energy are governed by the 5 elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.  There are many associations with each element—colors, sounds, tastes, planets, even shapes.  But it is easiest to think of them in terms of the seasons.  Wood is like spring, when plants begin to grow.  Fire is summer-like, when plants flower.  Earth is a season of fruition.  It is called “late summer,” but in the West we don’t recognize late summer as a separate season.  This is the time that the growth of plants plateaus and they set fruit.  Metal is like fall and harvest time. And water is the time of winter, still and restful. The cycle of early growth, flowering, fruition, harvest and rest is repeated in everything.

The 5 Element Theory is elegant and complicated.  Each element is understandable if you think of it as part of a cycle of relationships.  “Wood” is not as much wood as “wood-like.” When a weak wood-like substance interacts with a strong fire-like substance, the result is predictable—the fire burns the wood up.  However when both forces are equal there is balance.

Interacting Elements

Since the 5 Element Theory is about relationships the 5 elements are always interacting with each other. There are 2 main ways they interact.  The sheng cycle (or mother-child cycle) is a generating cycle.   Wood creates fire.  Fire creates earth (ash).  Earth creates metal, which creates water, which creates wood.  The hardest relationship to understand is how metal creates water, but if you imagine condensation on metal you can see that it does.

The other important cycle is a controlling cycle.  The ke cycle (or master-servant cycle) is series of checks and balances.  Each element controls and is controlled by an element and both must be balanced, neither too strong nor too weak, to keep order.  In the ke cycle wood controls earth because trees grow on it and put their roots deep into it.  Earth controls water by damming water and changing its flow.  Water controls fire by extinguishing it.  Fire controls metal by melting it.  And metal controls wood by becoming an axe.

The Five Elements and Your Health

In Traditional Chinese Medicine your body has 12 meridians, or energy pathways.  The meridians nourish your organ systems and these are the pathways that I balance when you come in for a treatment.

Your meridians are divided among the 5 elements.  During a treatment I diagnose which meridians are out of balance.  By understanding the sheng and ke cycles, I determine which elements are overactive or underactive and treat the source of your imbalance.

I view all your body systems as working like a team.  Each team member must be healthy and balanced, neither too strong nor too weak, or the entire team doesn’t perform at its peak.  In the same way, no organ system functions independent of the others.  For optimal health you must balance all 5 elements.

In most parts of the country as your lawn greens, it also yellows—yellows with dandelions.  For such a beautiful flower, dandelions can cause a lot of dread.

But did you know that your lawn’s enemy is your health’s ally?

Dandelions are a great source of nutrition, but few people eat them.

If your lawn is organic you can control dandelions and eat healthy, all in one meal.

What are the Health Benefits of Dandelions?

Many people know that dandelions are great for detoxing, but that is just the beginning.  The roots are a fantastic liver tonic.  The leaves are a digestive bitter and support your circulatory and lymph systems.  The flowers are great for your skin.  Even the sticky sap is useful—it can erase warts, corns and calluses.

The entire plant is packed with nutrition.  Dandelions are high in vitamins A, B, C and K.  They contain a lot of minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese.

Controlling your blood sugar is easy with a dandelion meal.  They are a low calorie, high fiber and high protein food.

Dandelions are also recommended for many health conditions.  People with bone health concerns, liver disease, diabetes, urinary disorders, skin care, acne, weight loss, cancer, jaundice, gall bladder issues, anemia and high blood pressure all benefit from eating dandelions.  The nutrients found in dandelion greens may help reduce the risk of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cataracts and stroke.  And on top of all of these benefits, dandelions are anti-inflammatory and may offer benefits to people with inflammatory conditions.

How do I Gather Dandelions?

It’s not hard to find dandelions in the wild since you can find them in lawns all over the country.  Your biggest challenge will be finding dandelions that haven’t been sprayed.  Make sure you know the history of your dandelion patch.

Harvest time depends on which parts of the plant you intend to eat.  Springtime is the best time to gather dandelion greens.  Tender young leaves are the least bitter; look in shady areas for the tenderest plants.  The best time to harvest is after a series of cool rains, when the nights are still cool and before the plant blooms.  You can gather roots any time of year, but typically people harvest them in fall.  And, of course, gather the flowers while they are blooming and look fresh and yellow.  Be quick because the time from flower to seed is less
than 2 weeks.

Since harvesting dandelions is dirty business, the easiest way to eat dandelions is to buy them at a store.  Many specialty grocery stores now carry dandelion greens.

How Do You Eat Dandelions?

There are many ways to eat dandelions and the internet is full of recipes.  The entire plant is edible—leaves, flowers and roots.  As a rule of thumb, use the leaves the way you cook with spinach and the roots the way you cook with burdock.

The flowers and roots can be both meal and beverage.  You can boil and stir-fry both the flowers and roots as a cooked vegetable.  And you can make wine with the flowers and roast the roots to make a coffee substitute.

The leaves are the most common part to eat.  You can eat dandelion leaves both cooked and raw.  In addition to steaming, boiling or stir-frying the leaves, you can throw them in a soup or combine them with kale, lettuce or cabbage.  Use the raw greens in salads or on sandwiches.  Dry the greens and use them for an herbal infusion.  You can even juice the leaves or add them to a smoothie.

Surprise your family and friends by gathering dandelion greens and making a pesto.  Serve the pesto with some crusty bread, delicious cheese and fresh spring-time fruits.  Enjoy your meal while looking at your weed-free lawn.

Dandelion Pesto

Ingredients

• 12 ounces washed and cleaned dandelion leaves
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 tablespoons pine nuts,
• lightly toasted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 1/2 ounces Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Preparation

1. Put one-third of the dandelion greens in a food processor or blender with the olive oil and chop for a minute. Add the remaining dandelion greens in two batches until they’re finely chopped.
2. Add the garlic, pine nuts, salt and Parmesan, and process until everything is a smooth puree.
3. Taste; add more salt if necessary.  Thin with olive oil or water if needed.

Storage: The pesto can be refrigerated in a jar for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.  To prevent the top from darkening pour a thin layer of olive oil on top.

From: David Lebovitz www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/03/dandelion-pesto-recipe/

It’s time to write the book you’ve always wanted to write, to play the instrument that is sitting in your closet or to paint the picture that you see in your dreams.

In your busy life, it’s hard to be creative.  Jobs, family, community—they all demand your time and attention.  Often they require linear thinking and Olympic-level time management.

Linear thinking and time management are great for managing your life, but they don’t lend themselves to creative pursuits.  Without right-brain activities, your life becomes dull and mechanical.  And predictably, the more dull and mechanical you feel the less likely you are to be creative.

Donna Eden in her book “Energy Medicine” has an easy way to unlock your stuck creativity.  Donna works with the body’s energies and her principles include those of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  By activating acupressure points and stimulating meridians, you can increase your health, boost your energy and super-charge your vitality.

Basically, you thump and stretch your way into feeling more alive and creative.

The Three Thumps

“The Three Thumps” is part of Donna’s Daily Energy Routine.  Thumping these 3 points makes you feel less tired and more vital, and supports your immune system when you are stressed.  Vitality is the first step to feeling creative.  Usually you do the Three Thumps as part of a bigger routine, but think of these 3 simple exercises as your portable creativity toolkit.  You can thump anywhere and anytime you need a lift.

Thump #1:  K-27 Points

The K-27 points are versatile acupuncture points that relieve throat, chest and back pain, help you breathe deeply and help release endorphins.  To find these points, place your fingers in the depression above your breastbone, where a man knots his tie.  Move your fingers out to each side and down 1”—just below your collar bone.  You should feel a small soft spot.

Firmly tap or massage these points while you take three deep breaths.  Don’t worry about being exactly on the points.  Use several fingers to tap in the approximate area and you’ll get the benefit.

Thump #2: Thymus Gland Thump

Your thymus gland supports your immune system.  By thumping the thymus you awaken your body’s energies, support your immune system and increase your energy, strength and vitality.

Place your fingers in the center of your sternum, about 2 inches below level of the K-27 points.  Use your thumb and fingers to tap your thymus as you take 3 slow, deep breaths.

Thump #3: Spleen Points

The spleen meridian lifts your energy, regulates your blood sugar, removes toxins and supports your immune system.  Stimulating spleen acupuncture points lifts your energy and decreases your stress levels.

The neurolymphatic spleen points are beneath the breast, in line with the nipples and down one rib.   If you are below your rib cage, you have gone too far.

Thump the points firmly while taking 3 deep breaths.  If any spot is tender, take a little extra time to massage it.

In the winter, it’s dark when your alarm goes off. It’s dark and cold and getting out of bed is even harder than usual.

But like most people, you get up anyway. You start your day groggy and plow through until you fall into bed exhausted.

If you find yourself dreaming of a time when you wake up refreshed, have energy all day long, and go to sleep easily, you’re not alone. More and more people struggle with exhaustion.

In many cases the culprit is sleep deprivation.

As a nation we are getting less and less sleep. The average person gets 500 fewer hours of sleep each year than 100 years ago.

And the decrease in sleep takes its toll. Short term effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, memory loss, drowsiness, trouble concentrating, blurry vision, and impaired judgment. Heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, obesity and type 2 diabetes can result from long term sleep deprivation.

Clearly, you need sleep to be healthy.

For most people, not sleeping enough can be attributed to two key problems. Some people don’t allow enough time for sleep. Others want to sleep but can’t.

Schedule Time to Sleep

The most obvious way to get more sleep is simple but not easy.

Sleep more.

In today’s busy world where parents work all day, attend school events all night, balance personal time with couple time, run the household and give to the community, it’s easy to run out of hours in the day.

And besides the demands of work, family and community, even advocates for your personal growth demand your time. Some personal development advisors will suggest that if you just get up one hour earlier every morning, you’ll have 365 extra hours every year to accomplish your goals.

But the lack of sleep catches up with you. Soon the lack of focus will defeat the extra hours you gain in the day. Time spent sick will reduce your productivity. You’ll be prone to accidents and forgetfulness.

A much healthier balance is to accept that you can’t do it all. Block out sleep time in your schedule before you plan other activities. If you are over age 18, allow at least 7 – 8 hours. Guard your sleep time to guarantee your body the rest it deserves.

How to Fall Asleep at Bedtime

Some people find it hard to fall asleep. If your life is highly stimulating, your body is active, your nervous system is cranked and your emotions are on edge all day long. It’s hard to turn off after you’ve gone 100mph.

If falling asleep is a relatively new problem, try some natural remedies. However, if your problem is chronic, talk with your doctor or acupuncturist. Once you’re sure that nothing serious is going on, try natural remedies to fall asleep.

• Essential Oils. Essential Oils are very calming. Buy some high quality oils and put a couple drops on a cloth by your pillow. Start with Lavender or Roman Chamomile.
• Homeopathy. Picking a homeopathic remedy can be tricky, so it’s easiest to start with a prepared blend. Ask your Health Food Store what sleep remedies they carry.
• Acupuncture. Visit your acupuncturist for a tune-up.
• Herbs. Many herbs calm the nerves and induce sleep. Herbs are usually taken as teas or tinctures. Start with Lavender, Chamomile or Valerian or ask for help choosing one at your Health Food Store.
• Reduce noise and light. Noise and light stimulation can make it harder to sleep. Cover your windows completely. If your bedroom is noisy, try using a white noise generator or play soothing music as you fall asleep.
• Create a sleep routine. Many experts say that you can train yourself to sleep by creating a bedtime ritual. Go to bed at the same time every night. No stimulants near bedtime including coffee, tea, chocolate, or stimulating activities. Take a warm bath to relax. And when you are in bed, practice a few minutes of deep breathing. Any routine done regularly will train your body to sleep.

Without enough sleep, you are susceptible to more than just discomfort and drowsiness; your health is at stake. The darkness of winter is a great time to start the habit of sleeping for health. With enough hours of restful sleep, when your alarm goes off you’ll be refreshed and ready for a new day.

Points Toward Health

Rubbing acupressure points with your finger for 30-60 seconds can stimulate these points and promote health and well-being.

Kidney 27 (KD 27)

Location:
Located off the breastbone, in the hollow below the collarbone. There may be a slight indentation.

Function:
Strengthens the immune system, relieves allergies, alleviates drowsiness, chest congestion, breathing difficulties, asthma, coughing, hiccups, sore throats, anxiety, premenstrual tension, and depression. Also used to improve focus and performance.

Kidney 6 (KD6)

Location:
In the small indentation approximately 1 inch directly below the inside ankle bone.

Function:
Used for painful, swollen and sore throat, tightness in the throat, painful and red eyes, sleep disturbances, dizziness, irregular and painful menstruation, post-partum difficulties, genital problems, chest fullness, leg tightness, heavy limbs, ankle and foot pain.