Lack of sleep leads to depression, anxiety, A.D.H.D and cognitive impairment. As a bonus, quality sleep fortifies our immune system!
Many men have an elevated PSA and can relate to the above urinary pathologies. As we age, the weakening of our pelvic saddle (the connective tissue in our pelvic floor), can cause the urinary patterns mentioned above. Medications may also cause urinary difficulties.
A Drug-Free Path to Sweeter Dreams
Insomnia is one of the most common health complaints following chronic pain and headaches. Insomnia can be defined as difficulty falling asleep or waking up within the sleep cycle or both. As a nation, the majority of Americans have accrued an enormous sleep debt and it must be repaid. The average person lacks up to an hour and a half of sleep every night. A healthy adult optimally needs six to eight hours of quality sleep. If your peak performance is based upon seven hours of sleep and you receive six hours during the weekdays, you are consequently in a sleep debt of five hours. Sleeping in on weekends replenishes some of that debt, but it does not entirely erase it. Essentially it can take several weeks to replenish the average American’s sleep debt. The toll on our well-being and quality of life is quite significant. Cognitive function falters and the risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and high cholesterol increase exponentially with every increase in this sleep debt.
In Chinese Medicine, the spleen and stomach are pivotal to the digestive process. The stomach receives our food and is referred in classical texts as “the sea of grain and water.” After the food enters the stomach, it is “steamed” by the influence of stomach Qi. The main role of the spleen is to suck or extract the vital essence of our food to provide nourishment to the body. The dregs are discarded downwards and eliminated as waste. Another vital role of the spleen is to provide a healthy appetite and engender the sense of taste. There is an emotional influence related to each organ system in Chinese Medicine. For the spleen, excessive worry or pensiveness weakens its digestive power. Because the spleen is ruled by the earth element we may risk damage to our digestive Qi if we feel ungrounded or eat in a hurried or distracted mental state. An example of this is dashboard dining or eating lunch at our desk while working. Therefore eating in a relaxed state is very important.
I am often asked how Japanese acupuncture differs from that used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other styles.
There are four practices in which the Japanese method differs:
Join me on Facebook!
Click the map above for bigger map and driving directions.
