Keep out the cold with acupuncture!
Winter is here – and in full force! If you live in New England, there are more chilly temperatures on the horizon. Our body is more vulnerable to muscle tightness and/or injuries, colds, stress, headaches, and emotional blues. The old folk tale that says "you can catch a cold from a draft or going outside with a wet head" is true!
Cold can invade the body and wreak havoc on our energy systems. Most typically cold invades the body at the base of the neck and lower back causing stagnation that keeps the body’s energy from flowing properly (imagine a stopped up kitchen sink). These blockages can lead to physical and emotional symptoms such as low back pain, gynecological issues, constipation/diarrhea, sadness, neck pain/tightness, and headaches, to name a few.
Providing energetic support in the cold winter months is important to prevent or fight off cold invasion. Acupuncture functions to rebalance the body’s systems from the inside out, thus eliminating stagnation. Because winter is energetically associated with the kidney meridian, specific acupuncture points are utilized to nourish the kidneys. The kidneys energetically help establish the essence of an individual (who you are). It is important to nourish the kidneys to fight off the winter blues and colds.
Moxa is also used to help warm the body’s core. Moxa is a dried herb (mugwart) that can be burned on the head of the needle to direct warmth into the body through the needle or directly on the skin to move Qi (energy) or stagnated blood. Causing warmth in the local area helps reduce muscle tightness, tension and back or neck aches.
What are you doing to fight off the winter blues? To find an acupuncturist in your area, log on to http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/findadoc/index.html - you might even be lucky in finding an acupuncture school with trained graduating students who can treat you for a reduced fee.
Exercising outdoors in New England winters
Brrr! That’s the typical comment that resonates in winter when talking about exercising outside. While warmth would push you indoors in the winter, you CAN still exercise outside safely. The human body has an amazing capacity to adapt to changes in the environment in order to control body temperature.
Here are a couple physiological changes when exercising in the cold:
- Carbohydrate use for fuel is increased because muscle glycogen levels are reduced faster than in warmer weather.
- Fat metabolism is reduced due to reduced blood flow to subcutaneous fat cells (even though fat mobilization is increased).
- Increase in protein breakdown, which places you in a semi-catabolic state.
- Breather heavier, heart works harder, fatigue faster, less muscle strength
In cold climates, we increase our body’s heat production, turn up the heat, or put on more clothes in order to maintain body temperature. Turning up the heat would be easy to do in your home, but there are no “heaters” outside. We have to regulate our temperature by layering our clothes and exercising properly.
Here a few simple tips to exercising in the cold:
- Dress in multiple layers; a windbreaker or 1-2 layers of polypropylene long sleeved shirts for the top and insulated tights with a wind proof front for the legs.
- To keep hands and feet toasty, slip on neoprene shoe covers and a pair of insulated gloves.
- Remember to protect your head with a hat that covers your ears.
This winter, exercise smart. Be mindful of the outdoor temperatures and dress accordingly. It’s always easier to cool off by removing layers than it is to attempt to get warmer by putting more layers on.