Hacks For Dealing With Chronic Pain

Posted on February 8, 2021 by eresko

Chronic pain, chronic illness, chronic stress… chronic you name it. All of these can wreak even more havoc on your life than you even know.  It is a detrimental snowball effect that seems to roll dangerously out of control and begins to have an effect on your daily living, your mental health, your emotional health, your sleep patterns, your blood sugar, and really just all things health.

So, how do we manage something like chronic pain, naturally?

Top 10 Tips to Ease Chronic Pain Without Medication

 

Chronic pain isn’t an easy condition to handle, but you can take control. Simple changes in your lifestyle, diet, and exercise routines can help ease your pain.

 

Try these techniques to experience relief:

 

  1. Manage stress. Stress can increase chronic pain and make it more difficult to manage. Try a variety of strategies to relax and reduce stress to see which ones work the best for you.

 

  • Yoga and meditation are two stress-reduction strategies that can help.

 

  1. Try breathing exercises. By simply focusing on your breathing, you can relax your muscles and reduce pain. Deep breathing exercises can also reduce blood pressure, eliminate stress, and decrease the heart rate.

 

  1. Find fun distractions. Instead of concentrating on the pain, try distractions that help you forget about it.

 

  • Hobbies and activities such as watching your favorite movie or reading a new book can help. You may also want to try drawing, other art projects, or other creative outlets that help you fill your time and avoid thinking about the pain.

4.  Increase your water intake. Dehydration can make chronic pain worse.

5.  Avoid inflammatory food. Fast food and processed food can increase inflammation in your body, so your chronic pain also increases. Foods with a lot of sugar also contribute to inflammation and increased pain.  At best, reduce or remove these things and see how much that helps.  To make an even bigger difference, start to experiment with the biggest food sensitivity culprits such as eggs, dairy, gluten/wheat, corn & soy.

  • Cut out nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers).
  • Cut out oxalates – commonly helpful for treating migraines, kidney stones, and joint pain. (legumes, leafy greens, beans, beer, beets, berries, nuts, spinach, wheat bran).
    • yeah yeah… this gets a little sad and very limiting… which is why I always suggest starting at the top and work your way into all of the more limiting diets).
  1. Add more anti-inflammatory food. On the other hand, nuts, leafy greens, fatty fish, berries, and other items can help you fight inflammation and reduce pain. They have antioxidants that fight damage on the cellular level.

 

  1. Focus on posture. Posture can help reduce the stress on your back and cut down on chronic pain.

 

  • Consider the way you sit and stand. Experts recommend that you avoid slumping your shoulders and lowering your head. The spine should be straight, so circulation is better.

 

  1. Discuss your health. Researchers have found that talking about your health can reduce pain. The American Psychological Association points out that talking about your pain can help you discover management techniques.

 

  1. Try massage & acupuncture. Massages can reduce chronic pain by improving circulation and blood flow. Acupuncture is a great tool to manage inflammation, improve circulation, boost your mood (which has been shown to help with pain sensation), and ease pain.

 

 

  1. Find support. Health experts recommend finding support groups that focus on chronic pain. These groups give you the chance to meet others who suffer from chronic pain.

 

  • They can offer advice and tips for managing pain. They can also provide doctor and clinic reviews or recommendations. By talking to others who have chronic pain, you can learn new techniques to deal with your pain.

 

  • Chronic pain is linked to anxiety and depression. The social aspect of support groups can also help in coping with these side effects.

 

  • Support groups are less formal settings, and online groups offer privacy and anonymity, so you can feel comfortable sharing your experience.

 

  • In my own experience, I found some of my most helpful groups on Facebook (as much as I don’t really like that platform), these groups were where I learned the most and felt I found a community that understood my journey, which was extremely helpful to me.

 

Even if you take medication for your pain, you can further reduce it with these techniques. Follow your doctor’s advice, reduce stress and inflammation, and find support, and you’ll feel the pain relief you’ve been seeking.

 

If you are dealing with chronic pain, life can feel overwhelming at times and a little dark.  Your self-care and awareness are extremely important. Implementing any of these above tips can feel daunting at first, so start small, just start somewhere and incorporate pieces of it every day.  

 

We are each on our own healing journey, have different diagnoses and circumstances, so set realistic goals for yourself and keep at it.  You may notice quick and mind-blowing results and it may be a slow road to feeling better.  I can tell you this, it will be worth it, there is never any downside to adopting these strategies and practicing healthy habits.

 

Over time, you will be better managed and have more and more moments, hours, and days of feeling better and decreasing your overall pain, if not eliminating it.  The awareness surrounding your stress, foods, and environment is also super empowering and helps two-fold, giving you some sense of control over the chronic pain and easing your symptoms.

 

Till next time ~ be well

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The fall season is upon us…

Posted on September 22, 2020 by eresko


… and with it comes the beauty of falling leaves, colder temps, and bright blue skies (we can only hope).

This season, as with all the seasons in Chinese medicine, is associated with its own system of organs, elements, emotions, physical ailments, and even time of day.  This season is closely related to the lung and the large intestine, otherwise under cover of the Metal element in Five Element Acupuncture.

The Metal Element

Among these associations, we have the organs themselves, the channels associated with them, and all these present with exaggerated or collapsed expressions that become more obvious within the season. How this shows up in the fall, is as difficulties with breathing, the immune system, allergies, physical symptoms such as neck pain (stagnation along the channels), and problems with elimination like constipation.

Emotionally and mentally, we may have deeper feelings of grief, an inability to let things go, feel a sense of things being out of our control, and have stronger feelings of disappointment.  All things that are appropriate to let your body and mind feel, process, and move forward.

It’s the getting stuck in emotions that makes moving forward difficult and this is a particularly hard season to get unstuck.  Take a few moments reflecting or journal on this today and see how this season is affecting you personally, what is coming up for you more strongly these days than in the past, and does that relate to these associations?  How does the emotional aspect affect your physical and vice versa?  How does the change in temperature, light and season affect your mind and body?

As with what I’ve mentioned before, season changes come with changes in our food and diet as well.  What we eat during the summer, is not necessarily appropriate to continue through the fall, and can be damaging to our bodies and minds, exacerbating current health ailments or creating new ones.  In Chinese medicine, we talk a lot about living with the seasons, going with the flow of your environment, and letting the external natural rhythms guide your internal self and habits.

Among these is transitioning to more cooked foods, eating more root vegetables, pears, apples, stews, and soups. Eating with the seasons supports a natural rhythm in your body, that you may or may not even be aware of.  In essence, you are preparing for winter, you are making it easier for your body to rest and digest, breaking down your foods a little (with the cooking), warming your digestion so that it flows easier, and warming the inner fire to keep you warm and sustained through the cold and darker months to come, as well as providing it with more moisture as it is a drying season in nature.

For more on what the fall season and its associated Metal element say about your health, check out my previous post on all the elements and their seasons here.

and for just more info on the Metal element and its associations…

Taking care of your lungs.

Seasonal changes, in general, have a tendency to exploit any weakness we have in their associated meridian system, that or you can see a boost in the overall health of the organs in general.

Unfortunately, this year, we are being bombarded by a very potent virus that attacks the lungs and causes long-lasting effects that we don’t even understand as of yet, and to add a cherry on top, the west coast seems to be burning up and littering ash and particulates across the states and in our lungs… not to mention, it is allergy season for many as well.

In Chinese medicine, the lung system is paired with the large intestine organ system and makes up for our ability to inspire and let go accordingly.  This stands for both the literal sense of breathing in and letting it go through the breath and the large intestine as well as our mental and emotional associations with this concept.

Making sure that your lung and large intestine health is at the forefront of your priorities is of real importance these days, and that means taking care of your immune system, staying properly hydrated, and making sure your detox pathways are supported.

Some quick ways to aid in this are keeping a good air filtration system indoors, keeping the windows and doors closed, using a humidifier, and neti pot at the end of the day.

In addition, supplementation can be helpful as can Chinese herbal medicine.

Some of my favorites for Lung Health:

  • Strengthen Metal – Kan Herbs
  • Breathe – New Chapter
  • Vitamin D or a Vitamin D Complex
  • N-Acetyl Cysteine

For Immune Health and Allergy Relief etc. please check out my favorites through the link to my online FullScript store in the sidebar.

For signing up, you automatically receive a 10% discount on all supplements and herbs.

Thanks for reading ~ please like and share if you found this interesting!

 

Until next time ~ be well

Erin

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The Real Dangers of Stress and What You Can Do About It

Posted on September 3, 2020 by eresko

 

Truth: stress can kill you, or at least too much of it can. If unchecked and unmanaged, exposure to stress can wreak havoc in all aspects of your life.

 

Notwithstanding the fact that being overloaded isn’t a good feeling in general, but uncontrolled stress can also have ripple effects in your personal and professional lives, at work and at home.

 

Consider these real dangers of stress:

 

  1. Immune System. Both chronic and acute stress can weaken your immune system, putting you more at risk for everyday illnesses. Individuals who manage their stress well have fewer bouts with the common cold, allergies, and seasonal flu.  Seems like as good a time as any to take care of your immune system.
  2. Other Health Risks. Exposure to stress, especially uncontrolled stress, takes a toll physiologically on your body.
    • Certain chemicals, such as dopamine, epinephrine, and other neurotransmitters are released during times of stress. You may experience higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, and other symptoms when you’re stressed.
    • High-stress levels have been linked with many health challenges and illnesses. You are at a greater risk for strokes, heart attacks, headaches and migraines, and other cardiovascular diseases if you don’t have a system in place for dealing with and managing stress.
    • Cancer has even been linked with uncontrolled stress in some research studies.

 

Your Mental and Physical State Without Stress

 

As you can see, the case can certainly be made for examining the stressors in your daily life and working towards eliminating some of the issues. Effective stress management plans will make you feel better overall, in both your physical and mental health.

 

You’ll experience a greater amount of energy, experience less physical pain, and enjoy more quality of sleep because your mind won’t be preoccupied with stress.

 

In terms of your mental state, lower stress levels may lead to better concentration and focus, a calmer mood, and less irritability. Lower rates of depression, adjustment disorders, and other mental health issues are also experienced with lower stress levels.

 

Managing Your Stress – Putting Yourself First

 

If you say to yourself that dealing with stress is part of your job, that you just “deal” with it, or that you work well under pressure, then you may be doing more harm to yourself than good.

 

Indeed, many employers, institutions, and organizations today are putting into place “wellness plans,” which are sometimes focused on stress management.

Creating an Individual Plan

 

There are all sorts of ways to get your stress under control. Perhaps the best way for you to work on getting your stress down is by coming up with a plan that is individually tailored to you and your schedule.

*Wouldn’t you know it – I put together an 8-day program just for you – it starts Monday, September 14th and will give you the tools you need to create a more stress-free life)*

Consider adding these stress-reducing practices to your plan:

 

  1. Meditation and mindfulness. Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to have a positive effect on a person’s stress level and their ability to manage stress.
    • These practices involve setting aside at least five or ten minutes each day to spend in a quiet space, free of distractions.
    • Paying attention to your body’s natural breathing patterns is an important part of these practices. Focus on your breath and alleviate your stress.
  2. Exercise is also a way to de-stress. The release of endorphins to your brain acts as a buffer against stress and is almost like a natural antidepressant. Whether you go for a daily run or take a trip to the gym, physical activity is good for both your brain and body.

 

The most important part of stress management is establishing a routine. Setting aside a specific portion of your day, even if you have to schedule breaks in your workday, ensures that you’re giving yourself the time you need to de-stress.

 

Failing to get your stress under control, however, will lead to negative repercussions in your physical, mental, and overall well-being.

 

Start reducing your stress today with a regular routine of meditation, mindfulness, and exercise. Soon, you’ll be singing the praises of your practices as you see your stress melt away and you enjoy greater health.

 

Need some help – maybe a guide, a program to keep you accountable to your self-care and stress management program?

I’ve got you!  Download your free healthy habits tracker from the link below to get started on your journey and check out my newest offer – Wellness Packages.  The first in this series is for, you guessed it, stress management!

 

Each Wellness Package comes with a series of emails to educate, learn & practice simple techniques and tips to manage your stress in your personal, home, and work-life.

In addition, each package comes complete with a Care Package put together as a perfect addition to your new stress management program.

 

Included in your Care Package:

  • Aromatherapy Eye Pillow
  • Journal
  • Calmer Essential Oil Roller from DoTerra
  • Lavender Bath Salts
  • Supplement – Host Defense Stress Decompress
  • Ear Seeds Kit (DIY Acupressure) specific for Stress & Anxiety Relief

 

Right now – you get $50 off your Package price –

~Your price is $150, which is the price of your care package alone, plus free shipping~

Take advantage today – kits are limited.  Think of it as a subscription box for personal care with a side of daily tips and do it yourself tools.

Till next time ~ Be well, be happy and take care of YOU!

Erin

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Late Summer Season

Posted on August 26, 2020 by eresko

 

Here we are, officially in the thick of what we call ‘late summer’ season in traditional Chinese medicine.  Recently, you have heard me talk a lot about the seasons in Chinese medicine and how it relates to different organ systems, different pathology’s, and how it can correspond closely with body types, personalities, and even tastes and smells.

Late summer officially starts in the 3rd week of August and goes until the Autumnal Equinox.  It is the Earth phase of the seasons, the fifth season.  Interestingly enough, this extra season is also patched on every other season as a transition period between, taking up the space of the last 15 days of each season.

So, what does it all mean?

The Earth element is all about nourishment.  Nourishment from foods, for the physical body, nourishment to the soul, and the emotional being.  Receiving the bounty from the summer and digesting that into our bodies, minds, and spirits keeping us ‘well-fed’ through the coming winter months. The earth element takes on the personality of what you would expect of a motherly figure.  It is associated with the digestive organs of the Spleen and Stomach in Chinese medicine.  Late summer is the perfect time to support your Earth element and the stomach and spleen with diet and activity and to address any imbalances you might find within the network.

Diet & food therapy – 

Focus on foods like squashes, zucchini, root vegetables, and leafy greens.  Often it is helpful to the digestive system to lightly cook your foods so as to start the digestive process and ease the strain on the system – this makes all your nutrients easily available to absorb and process. Things to limit, which can be hard on the system are processed foods, refined carbohydrates, dairy, sugar, and cold drinks.

How to know if you have an imbalance?

Things like bloating, nausea, gas, constipation or loose stools can all be signs that your Earth element is out of balance.

What to do about it?

Schedule an appointment with your acupuncturist or herbalist, there are many ways in which to rebalance the organ networks with both acupuncture and herbs.  This is also as good a time as any to just give your Earth network some extra support and love so that you are primed for the coming season, and limit health issues down the line. After all, we know how important a healthy gut is in all things – it affects your mood and emotions (depression/anxiety/brain fog), it affects your immune system and even your hormonal regulation.

 

Check out this chart for some other fun facts about the Earth Element in Chinese medicine. For more on all the elements check back in on this blog post.

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The Surprising Link Between Sleep and Dehydration

Posted on August 17, 2020 by eresko

You probably know that you need adequate sleep and hydration to stay healthy, right? What you may not realize, is how closely the two are connected.

 

Did you know, adults who sleep 6 hours or less each night are up to 59% more likely to be dehydrated, compared to those who get a full 8 hours of sleep. That’s according to a recent study by Pennsylvania State University.

 

Researchers believe one underlying cause is vasopressin. This hormone maintains your water balance and rises during the later stages of sleep. If you miss those hours, your kidneys won’t retain enough fluid.

What’s interesting about this, (for me, at least) is how this relates to Chinese Medical theory.  In Chinese medicine, we often note that insomnia and other sleep disorders are caused by patterns involving the Kidney organ system.  One common pattern is a disharmony of the Kidney and Heart, where a person may have mental restlessness, poor memory, dizziness, a sore low back, and night sweats in addition to insomnia.  Another is Kidney Yin deficiency, where hot flashes, night sweats, nocturia (nighttime urination), tinnitus, and dark-scanty urine (dehydrated much?) are common presentations.  *this is all starting to really make sense*

 

This example of vasopressin is just one example of how fluid intake and sleep affect each other. So how do we get more sleep and stay hydrated?  Well, first I have to plug Acupuncture in here because it’s awesome and helps with sleep, kidney function, calming the nervous system, detoxing and hormone balance so HUGE bang for you buck… but in addition, implementing these next habits can really make a difference in your sleep life.

For a more detailed blog post on how Acupuncture can help with sleep and other disorders check out this post from The Mattress Nerd.

Get Yourself Some Good Sleep Habits:

1. Schedule sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is one of the most effective ways to increase the quality and quantity of your sleep. You’ll lower your risk for insomnia and dehydration by strengthening your body’s natural rhythms.  Once again, another kidney reference here… your natural rhythms are highly influenced by cortisol release.  Your cortisol should spike at certain times of the day, the morning being one of those – it’s what gets you up and out of bed and gives you a feeling of alertness.  If this cycle gets out of balance, your cortisol release is too high overtime (hello stress) or you’ve stopped producing the correct amounts of cortisol after chronically being in the previous state, your natural cycle is a mess, and here we have another imbalance in the kidney organ system.

2. Practice nasal breathing. The average adult loses about 1 liter of fluid each night. You can dramatically lower that amount by breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. Lying on your back with your head slightly elevated will help.  Essential oils can help open the airways, as can, you guessed it, acupuncture.

Practice alternate nostril breathing prior to bed, to prime the airways.  Learn the technique and other breathing exercises here.

3. Cool off. A hot bedroom also contributes to moisture loss, so turn your thermostat down. As a bonus, you’ll save on energy and probably fall asleep faster.  There are also some pretty cool things on the market that help dial in your sleep temperature from your mattress… check out the Chili Pad.

Hydration Habits:

 

  1. Spread out your intake. Aim to drink about an ounce of water for each pound of body weight. It’s easier if you sip throughout the day. Foods like celery, strawberries, and tomatoes count too.
  2. Drink water first thing. Start the day with a big glass of water. It will help to make up for some of the fluid you lost overnight.  Add some lemon juice or some apple cider vinegar and a dash of Himalayan sea salt for extra minerals and hydration.
  3. Postpone coffee. That glass of water will probably wake you up just as well as your usual cup of coffee, so you can save your latte for later. Excessive caffeine may interfere with your sleep, especially if you continue consuming it after about 2 pm.
  4. Rehydrate during and after workouts. Water is usually sufficient for replacing the fluids you lose at the gym. There are some great hydration mixes you can get these days to add your loss of electrolytes and minerals back in, I’m not generally a fan of sports drinks as they tend to just have a lot of sugar and not much more.  It’s generally just as good to eat your fruits and or more carbs following your workouts – but this is all highly sensitive to the amount of time your exercising, the type of exercise, and where and when you are. One of my favorite electrolyte/salts mix to use these days is LMNT which you can buy here.
  5. Limit alcohol. It’s the one beverage that actually dehydrates you. Drink responsibly and avoid any cocktails close to bedtime.  Plus, it usually disrupts your sleep cycle anyway, gives some people night sweats… see a pattern yet?
  6. Avoid sugar. Dehydration tends to make you crave sweets, but sugary beverages are more difficult for your body to absorb. Stick to plain or naturally flavored water.

 

More Tips:

 

  1. Treat nocturia. If you make 3 or more trips to the bathroom each night, you may have a condition called nocturia or nighttime urination. Trying to control it by drinking less water can backfire because your urine becomes more concentrated. Remember when I mentioned Kidney Yin deficiency…
  2. Fight cramps. Stiff muscles are another physical symptom of dehydration that may keep you up at night. In addition to water, try adding a good electrolyte mix, some magnesium into your diet or supplementation, and daily stretching.
  3. See your doctor or another care provider. Your family physician, acupuncturist, or naturopath can answer your personal questions about hydration, sleep, and other health issues. That may include the implications of any chronic conditions or medications that are concerns for you.

So, there you have it.  You’ve got the tools, a little extra knowledge, now go get some sleep and improve your quality of life!

 

Till next time, sweet dreams~

 

Erin

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