Cancer, Chemo & Acupuncture

Going through cancer can feel like a very stressful, exhausting, and physically painful experience. It may not be the cure, but acupuncture can make your cancer journey a whole lot better. From managing fatigue, reducing inflammation, and alleviating pain, acupuncture can be a great resource for those going through chemotherapy treatments. How, you might wonder?

Acupuncture works by stimulating the body's nervous system to respond to the acupuncture needles depending on where they are placed. Each point elicits a different response, thereby allowing your practitioner to guide the body in reducing your pain, promoting circulation, or reducing inflammation. In addition, acupuncture may help regulate dopamine production allowing the body to relax, and help your mood[1]. When your body’s less stressed, your immune system may be able to respond better[2,3].

Does it matter what type of cancer you have?

Yes, and no. Regardless of what type of cancer you have, acupuncture may help alleviate your symptoms. However, knowing what type of cancer you have can allow the practitioner to also focus the treatment on treating the cancer as well. Also, knowing what stage of cancer you are in, whether that is stage 1, 2, 3, or 4, will be helpful in determining how gentle or strong of a treatment your body can handle. Usually we perform a gentler treatment for more advanced stages of cancer.

What symptoms can acupuncture help with?

When treating symptoms related to cancer or effects of chemo, some individuals can show up with heightened levels of inflammation. This can be burning eyes, dry mouth, or even mouth ulcers. Acupuncture can be done to reduce inflammatory effects of the chemotherapy, and have you feeling better and more balanced as you go through chemotherapy treatments.

Some individuals may experience fatigue, or tightness in the neck and shoulders. In fact, these symptoms can be related, in that when our circulation is poor, we feel fatigue and tightness. By improving circulation in the body, acupuncture can help you feel more energetic, and less tense.

Nausea, vomiting, & diarrhea

These symptoms are a result of a heightened level of inflammation in the body. Often times by clearing away the heat from the body, or reducing inflammatory levels internally, these symptoms tend to subside as well.

How can treatments address cancer?

In addition to alleviating symptoms, there may be days where the majority of symptoms are at bay, and under control.

In those situations there is an opportunity to treat the actual cancer with a slightly different therapy called moxibustion. Moxibustion is where we would apply a herb to the acupoints and burn it. In doing so, this adds an element of heat to promote blood circulation in the organs. For example if you have colon cancer, we could target points that relate to the large intestine. Alternatively, for liver tumors, we would target acupoints that affect the liver.

You can think of it like we are trying to accelerate the immune response, and removal of cancer cells from the organ. Don’t worry, the burning herb is extinguished before it makes direct contact with the skin, thereby preventing burns & scalds. This type of therapy, if practiced correctly, can be very gentle and soothing.

So if you're struggling with chemo, or just want to overall feel better through your cancer journey, consider adding acupuncture & moxibustion to your regimen.

1. Szmelskyj, Irina. https://cam-therapies.co.uk/acupuncture/how-does-acupuncture-work/

2. Mustafa, Zainab. (Apr 14, 2022) How does stress affect your immune system. https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-does-Stress-Affect-Your-Immune-System.aspx#:~:text=Prolonged%20periods%20of%20stress%20can,a%20statistically%20significant%20health%20risk.

3. Peck, Molly. (April 22, 2022) Is there a connection between chronic stress and cancer. https://www.cityofhope.org/living-well/is-there-a-connection-between-chronic-stress-and-cancer#:~:text=Stress%20can%20speed%20up%20the,released%2C%20which%20stimulate%20cancer%20cells.

3 Tips To Boost Your Immunity This Fall

It can be EXHAUSTING keeping up with yourself sometimes. Your body knows it, but do you?

As we enter fall, temperatures begin to drop, trees begin to lose their leaves, marking a time when things slow down in nature. We too ought to slow down in life. Most of us, however, are still working harder than ever in a competitive workplace, trying to keep up with our demanding lifestyles, and still trying to cram in more into our already busy schedules. 

If you already caught a cold, have a bit of runny nose, or a sore throat, this is your body signalling that you need to SLOW DOWN. 

It's a clear sign you're operating on overdrive as you lack the resources to manage your body's immune system. To prevent things from getting worse HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

1. Hit Pause

Ever feel that "stress-mode" come on, as if you're in a panic, as if you don't have enough time to get through the amount of work that needs to be done? Once we get into this mode, our minds get ahead of ourselves, thinking about the next 10 possible scenarios that could happen. We begin to lose track of what we need - TIME, SPACE, FOOD, and REST.

The next time you catch yourself feeling the pressure of stress, give yourself 1-2 minutes to just sit down, breathe deep and slow, and allow your mind to pause for a moment so your body can catch up with you. You'll feel your energy come back again, and your stress levels drop significantly, which will make you more effective to the people you're trying to serve.

2. Chai Tea

With warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom this tea can help boost the body's immune system, and balance off fall's cooler climate. The next time you feel cold in the office, or at home after a long day, warm up with a nice cup of chai.

3. Let Go Of The Unnecessary

Trees let go of their leaves during fall. Fall is also a time when the large intestine is more active, the main organ for elimination of waste from your body. A problem in this department can be a sign that you have a hard time letting go of things.

Some of you have a tendency to hang on to your busy schedules. Not realising that many of the things you do, you either don't really want, or need to. Let's practice letting them go.

Take a look at your schedule, and ask yourself which things do you actually want to do, or absolutely HAVE to do. Then eliminate everything else. This will clear your schedule, clear your stress, and give yourself the time and rest you need to slow things down in your life. Then you can hopefully schedule in some self-care, like acupuncture.

You can also apply this to "Things" in your home. Clothes, electronics, books, paperwork. If you haven't used or looked at it in the past 3 years, chances are you can let it go now.

Have a wonderful fall season, and enjoy the cooler climates by going for walks in the park, and breathing in the fresh crisp air. Don't forget to wear a scarf.

---

If you're interested in booking some self-care acupuncture time, feel free to book online. We focus on creating the change your body needs to heal through pain, chronic conditions, or mental emotional blockages using acupuncture & food therapy. Our acupuncture clinics are located downtown Toronto, and Vaughan. Our practitioners are registered acupuncturists, and we provide a receipt for insurance purposes.

Say goodbye to your NECK PAIN!

We have important news! Neck pain isn’t normal. Neck pain isn’t something that you have to accept.

Unfortunately, too many people think that mysterious neck pain is just a “normal part of getting older.”

It’s not!

Think of all the inconvenience annoying neck pain has caused you.

You just woke up one day, turned your neck one direction, and all of a sudden it hurt like HELL.

Now you have to skip the gym this week. You flinch in pain if you turn your head too fast.  You feel like you’re trying to walk around a mine field of posture positions just to avoid another stab of pain.

This week I want to help you free yourself from this pain.

Let’s get you back to feeling freedom of movement without any mystery pain!

Let’s get you back into the gym. Let’s get you through the workday without a stab of pain from nowhere. Let’s get you back to feeling comfortable, relaxed, and not having to sit or stand in awkward positions just to avoid pain.  

What is the most common culprit for neck pain?

Stress! And here’s how…

When you’re under stress, your body tenses up. The first part of your body that your system wants to protect is your neck – with good reason. Your neck is one of the most vulnerable parts of your body, and in nature, predators, like lions, always attack at the neck.

So when you’re stressed, or feeling anxious, the tension you create actually reduces the circulation of blood that’s supposed to nourish your tendons and ligaments.

….then all it takes is one quick move in the wrong direction, or sleeping in an uncomfortable position, and WHACK! Your neck is strained.

One trick I want to share with you is one of the best acupressure points on the back of your hand for alleviating neck pain:

It’s about 1 inch above your knuckles between your index and middle finger. Found it? Press on it hard, and take a few deep and slow breaths as you try moving your neck again. Now, I hope that this temporary relief gives you … well, some relief!

And if you would like to finally eliminate this pain (and many others), then might I suggest that you look into an acupuncture session. My clients notice a significant change even in the first session. Why is that? Because acupuncture improves circulation, and pain is either the result of constricted circulation or the pain has caused you to take on poor postures which also hinder your body’s circulation. That’s just one way that acupuncture can free yourself of pain. And there is the BONUS that it also nourishes the tendons and ligaments that are out of whack - also due to poor circulation and poor posture. It’s all connected!

If you’re interested in relieving the pain we are available at both the Toronto and Vaughan acupuncture clinic locations.

We’ll discuss the problem in more detail, provide some food therapy recommendations and do some acupuncture to free you from the pain in your neck. 

Swelling During Pregnancy & What To Eat

Are you pregnant and experiencing swelling of your hands, feet, or face? These are signs that your body is not metabolizing water properly. This can happen for two reasons in Chinese Medicine - a weakness in the Kidneys or a sign that your energy has become stagnant. Both can easily occur during pregnancy, and here's why: 

Kidney Deficiency

According to Chinese Medicine your Kidneys are the key organs involved in reproduction & development. Hence, as they work hard on growing your little one, they may become depleted and fail to perform regular body functions of metabolizing water. Talk about motherly-instincts being wired into you, your body will first put all of its resources towards nurturing the growing baby inside of you before taking care of yourself. The swelling which occurs with a Kidney deficiency usually manifests more in the ankles, and feet. Foods that can boost kidney function according to Chinese Medicine are pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. Black beans are another good option as they boost kidney function and have a drying quality to help eliminate edema.

Stagnation

Feeling irritated? sighing a lot? As the mother progresses into her third trimester of pregnancy, the baby gains weight rapidly at about 1/2 a lbs per week. The increased weight not only makes you feel heavier, but can leave you feeling stagnant as well. If you experience swelling in your hands, and face these signs indicate that your energy has become stagnant according to Chinese Medicine. You may even feel some achiness in your finger joints. If so, it may be time to include some stretching, or prenatal yoga in your morning rituals to promote the flow of your energy and alleviate stagnation. Foods that can help are leafy greens, peppermint tea, and spices such as garlic, onions, or chives in moderation. 

Sign up for our blog for more health tips to balance your soul:

How Acupuncture Relieves Pain

We tend to perform the same motions day in and day out. The majority of the time this isn't an issue as long as we have the right posture, and are using the right technique. It's when we aren't being mindful of these things that we tend to develop imbalances, which leads to pain, and tension.

POOR POSTURE

The imbalances poor posture creates is endless, from pain in your shoulders, to pain between your scapulas (upper back), to lower back pain. All of these areas become obstructed, and can even lead to tingling sensations running down your leg, or through your arm. Acupuncture can actually help to alleviate pain by improving circulation, and re-activating energy channels that run through the areas of pain. So how does it work? From a western medicine perspective, when your body detects an acupuncture needle, or a foreign object in the body, your immune system naturally sends its immune cells to scope out the area[1]. Indirectly what this does is increase blood flow to the area, and improve circulation[1]. In Chinese Medicine, pain is a sign of stagnation, or a blockage. By examining what area you experience pain, this tells the acupuncturist what energy channels to open using the acupuncture points along the channel. Other signs of stagnation are a tendency to sigh, feeling depressed at times, or pain along the ribs. 

WHEN YOU'RE BURNT OUT...

When your body is feeling tired, you might find yourself getting lazy, having a tendency to slouch, or just using piss-poor technique. And then just like that, you hurt your neck, or your lower back lets out. For the next week, you're spending your spare time rubbing tiger balm, and vaporub, along with ice and heat packs to try and relieve this agonizing pain.

But it's not just the bad technique that leads to injury and pain. It's the fact that your body is tired that leads to injury as well! When you're tired, your body has a more difficult time keeping things together. The first thing we do when we're tired is we slouch. It's like your body is too tired to hold itself up, so it just lets yourself go aloof.

This concept can be used to understand why people get slipped discs or bulging discs leading to sciatic pain. And may also explain why in the elderly their organs prolapse as their bodies are slowly running out or resources to hold everything in place. 

In this case, popping needles into where it hurts does little to improve your condition. When acupuncturists do acupuncture, we focus on the internal imbalances. In this case, we need to improve your energy. The best organ for that is the Kidneys. Just think about adrenaline - it's a form of energy, and where it comes from (the adrenal glands), which sit on top of your kidneys! So by using acupuncture to stimulate points that strengthen the kidneys, you should expect to notice an improvement in your condition by the end of that acupuncture treatment.

INFLAMMATION

For some of us, the areas we get pain, also feel hot, and appear red at times. These are signs of "Heat" in Chinese Medicine, or "Inflammation" in western medicine. In Chinese Medicine, some points have the function of "Clearing Heat". This may seem like a foreign concept, but actually western medical studies have been performed to prove acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing inflammation [2]. Other signs of heat in the body are a red face or rosacea, unquenchable thirst, constipation, or dark urine. 

By paying attention to your body, you can become more mindful of what is causing the pain.

If you're looking for relief from pain, ACUSOUL is an acupuncture clinic in Toronto that provides relief to pain, along with many other health issues. If you haven't already done so, book an appointment today at one of our Toronto acupuncture locations.

Not only can we detect what kind of imbalances you have, but also treat them and provide preventative measures to keep your body free from pain using acupuncture and food therapy.

Sign up for our blog to for more health tips on how acupuncture and food therapy can balance your soul!

References

1. http://www.elotus.org/article/mechanisms-acupuncture

2. http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1352-acupuncture-anti-inflammatory-effect-revealed