Whether you get the occasional headache or suffer from chronic or recurring headaches, you can benefit from simple acupressure techniques that you can do yourself at home.
Acupressure for a family member
If a family member has a headache, turn the lights down (bright light makes some headaches worse) and ask them to lie on their back. Seat yourself comfortably by their head. You might want to put on some soft music to help them to relax. If it’s cold, cover them with a blanket. Don’t feel you need to rush – take your time. If you are relaxed then this will help them to relax too.
1. Push-stroking the forehead
Put the pad of your thumbs above the middle ends of their eyebrows and slide/push above the eyebrows and out to the side hairline. The pressure is firm but not too hard. Each time you return to the middle, start a little higher. Repeat until you are sliding your thumbs across the top hairline. Repeat the whole sequence over about two minutes.
2. Point-pressing “Sun point” (Tai Yang) and “Wind pool” (Feng Chi)
First locate “Wind pool” with your middle fingers. Slide your hands under their head, so that your middle fingers meet at the hairline on the nape of their neck. Now move your fingers out sideways, along the hairline. You will feel a dip between the two neck muscles, about 5cm to each side. There is often a little depression in the skull bone here. Don’t worry too much about precise location – use slight pressure along the hairline until your “patient” tells you they feel a pleasant ache. This point is usually tender when someone has a headache.
Keeping your middle fingers on “Wind pool”, now move your thumbs outwards from the outside corner of the eye towards the side hairline. Roughly half-way, you should find a slight depression. It is likely to be a little tender. This is called “Sun point”.
Gently press these four points and gradually increase the pressure until they feel a pleasant distension (mild pressure) radiating up to the top of the head. Then gently pull the skin at these points, with firm but not hard pressure, three times.
3. Combing and rubbing the head
Using your fingertips like a comb and, vibrating your fingers quickly as you comb, slide your hands from the forehead hairline down to the ears. Then comb from the forehead hairline to the top of the head and to the nape of the neck. Repeat for about two minutes.
4. Point-pressing “One hundred meetings” point (Bai Hui)
The simplest way to find “One hundred meetings” is to gently fold the ears forward - the point at the top is the “ear apex”. Now draw an imaginary line between these two ear points over the top of the head. “One hundred meetings” is in the middle, at the top of the head. Place your right thumb pad on this point and press it with your left thumb. Ideally, they will experience a little numbness at this point. Hold for about one minute.
Self-acupressure
If you have a headache and no-one’s around, don’t despair! Try these simple self-massage techniques.
1. Squeeze and lift the nape
When seated, clasp your hands together behind your neck. Using the heel of the hand, use a gentle upwards pressure to lift the skin and muscles of the neck. Repeat for about one minute.
2. Pressing and kneading “Joining valley” (He Gu)
“Joining valley” is located in the fleshy pad between the thumb and index finger. It is tender in most people, and especially during a headache. Squeeze this area between your thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand until you find a tender point(s). Press and knead with a circular motion, alternating hands, for about a minute. Ideally you will feel pressure and heaviness radiating to the fingers.
3. Point-pressing “Great rushing” (Tai Chong)
“Great rushing” is located between the big toe and second toe. Slide your finger from the toe web along the top of your foot, between the two bones, until you feel the bones meet. “Great rushing” is located in the tender spot before the bones of the big and second toes meet. There could be several tender spots here!
Sitting comfortably, hold the right shin with the right hand and place it on the left thigh, or rest it on a pillow or footstool within reach of the left hand. Press “Great rushing” with the left thumb for about thirty seconds, until a feeling of soreness and pressure arises. Then do the same for the other foot.
Those of you who have been to the Clinic for acupuncture will recognise one or all of these points. The reason they are so commonly used is that they are very effective. Over thousands of years of acupuncture practice in China, these points have continued to show up as being useful in so many conditions.
You can use these simple, time-proven techniques to keep your own family healthy. Of course, headaches should always be investigated by a medical doctor. And if you have persistent headaches that don’t get a lot better with acupressure at home, then please call the clinic for advice.
For a free diagram of these acupressure points, please email the Clinic: info@oceanacupuncture.com.au
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
01 August 2008
01 June 2008
Alternatives to white sugar
White sugar is sugar cane juice that has been highly refined, so all that is left is “empty” energy.
The less refined the sugar product, the more complex it is, because it contains other nutrients. Substituting more complex sugars in place of white sugar can be an important first step in breaking a sugar addiction. Use this chart to see what you can find at the health food store to use in place of white sugar in recipes.
Sweetener -- Substitution for each cup of refined sugar -- Reduction of total liquid per cup of sugar
Barley malt or rice syrup -- 1 ½ cups -- Slightly
Honey -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Fruit juice concentrate -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Maple syrup -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Maple granules -- 1 cup -- None
Molasses -- ½ cup -- None
Unrefined cane juice powder -- ¾ cup -- None
Stevia (leaf powder) -- 1 teaspoon -- Add 1/8 cup
Source: Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
The less refined the sugar product, the more complex it is, because it contains other nutrients. Substituting more complex sugars in place of white sugar can be an important first step in breaking a sugar addiction. Use this chart to see what you can find at the health food store to use in place of white sugar in recipes.
Sweetener -- Substitution for each cup of refined sugar -- Reduction of total liquid per cup of sugar
Barley malt or rice syrup -- 1 ½ cups -- Slightly
Honey -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Fruit juice concentrate -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Maple syrup -- ¾ cup -- 1/8 cup
Maple granules -- 1 cup -- None
Molasses -- ½ cup -- None
Unrefined cane juice powder -- ¾ cup -- None
Stevia (leaf powder) -- 1 teaspoon -- Add 1/8 cup
Source: Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Cough season – kids and asthma
Do your kids get lots of coughs and colds in winter? If they have asthma, this can mean a potentially dangerous situation. From a Chinese medicine perspective, asthma is usually due to a weakness in one of the body’s organ systems. The drugs that kids take for asthma can further weaken their systems. When it comes to their safety, however, it is always best to have all available tools at your disposal.
The strength of Chinese medicine is that it can control the coughs and colds so kids get better sooner and, eventually, gives them better immunity so they don’t get sick as often. It can actually strengthen their organs and put them on track for a lifetime of better health. Please call the Clinic for more information.
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
The strength of Chinese medicine is that it can control the coughs and colds so kids get better sooner and, eventually, gives them better immunity so they don’t get sick as often. It can actually strengthen their organs and put them on track for a lifetime of better health. Please call the Clinic for more information.
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Winter is a time of stillness
As the shortest day of the year approaches, the yearly cycle of Yin and Yang moves into the phase of maximum Yin. This is the ultimate time to embrace stillness.
Yang is warmth, energy, light, dryness, day, summer, activity and movement. Yin is coolness, substance, darkness, moisture, night, winter, passivity and stillness. Yin and Yang are constantly changing from one to the other. Yin grows from Yang and Yang grows from Yin. Just as we can still have daylight (Yang) in the middle of winter (Yin), so everything is both Yin and Yang – it’s all about the balance.
Western culture values Yang to the detriment of Yin. We expect our minds and our lives to be incessantly busy. We value economic growth and cannot cope with decline. We obsess over youth and devalue maturity. We create artificial daylight in our workplaces and homes so we can continue being busy into the night. We charge our bodies and minds with refined stimulants such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol. We eat at our desks or on the run or, even worse, skip meals altogether. In order to relax, we then have to numb the mind with television or alcohol or continue the frenetic pace with excessive socialising, extreme exercise or overwork. Modern life is making us sick!
Try to spend a little time in stillness, and make a habit of it. Understandably, most of us have forgotten how. You could take a bath, listen to music by candlelight or go for a walk in nature. It is often in these moments, when the noise of the world becomes a little quieter, that our capacity for insight and inspiration is given a chance to shine through.
Stillness contains the seeds of your contentment, peace of mind and life satisfaction. By spending time in stillness, the choppy waves of the mind are given permission to settle. Without constantly Doing, we can enjoy the fullness of each moment by just Being.
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Yang is warmth, energy, light, dryness, day, summer, activity and movement. Yin is coolness, substance, darkness, moisture, night, winter, passivity and stillness. Yin and Yang are constantly changing from one to the other. Yin grows from Yang and Yang grows from Yin. Just as we can still have daylight (Yang) in the middle of winter (Yin), so everything is both Yin and Yang – it’s all about the balance.
Western culture values Yang to the detriment of Yin. We expect our minds and our lives to be incessantly busy. We value economic growth and cannot cope with decline. We obsess over youth and devalue maturity. We create artificial daylight in our workplaces and homes so we can continue being busy into the night. We charge our bodies and minds with refined stimulants such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol. We eat at our desks or on the run or, even worse, skip meals altogether. In order to relax, we then have to numb the mind with television or alcohol or continue the frenetic pace with excessive socialising, extreme exercise or overwork. Modern life is making us sick!
Try to spend a little time in stillness, and make a habit of it. Understandably, most of us have forgotten how. You could take a bath, listen to music by candlelight or go for a walk in nature. It is often in these moments, when the noise of the world becomes a little quieter, that our capacity for insight and inspiration is given a chance to shine through.
Stillness contains the seeds of your contentment, peace of mind and life satisfaction. By spending time in stillness, the choppy waves of the mind are given permission to settle. Without constantly Doing, we can enjoy the fullness of each moment by just Being.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” - Sir John Lubbock
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
01 April 2008
Ginseng – the wonder herb
Feeling tired? Finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning? Feeling the effects of stress? Looking for a pick-me-up that's better than caffeine? Maybe you need ginseng!
Ginseng has been revered in Asia for thousands of years. Modern research is just beginning to show the many amazing qualities and properties of ginseng.
There are lots of ways you can use ginseng to improve your health. The easiest way is to buy some sliced, dried ginseng root from your local Asian grocery store. Then put a pinch of it in a cup and steep in hot water for an energising alternative to tea and coffee. Or put a few slices in with the next soup or stew that you make. Call the Clinic if you want to use ginseng in a herbal formula for your health problems. For a delicious and revitalising chicken ginseng soup, see the recipe below.
Healing properties of ginseng
Ginseng is used in Chinese medicine to strengthen the Qi (energy). Ginseng works on many of your body’s systems as well as providing all-over benefits. Here are just some of the properties of ginseng that have been revealed by modern science:
Types of ginseng
There are several different types of ginseng and each type has its own properties in Chinese medicine.
Ginseng recipe – Samgyetang (Korean chicken & ginseng soup)
This is a wonderful soup to strengthen the body’s energy and combat the effects of stress.
1/3 cup glutinous rice
5 dried Chinese red dates (Hong Zao)
4 dried chestnuts
2 fingers dried ginseng
1 whole organic chicken
Salt and pepper
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Ginseng has been revered in Asia for thousands of years. Modern research is just beginning to show the many amazing qualities and properties of ginseng.
There are lots of ways you can use ginseng to improve your health. The easiest way is to buy some sliced, dried ginseng root from your local Asian grocery store. Then put a pinch of it in a cup and steep in hot water for an energising alternative to tea and coffee. Or put a few slices in with the next soup or stew that you make. Call the Clinic if you want to use ginseng in a herbal formula for your health problems. For a delicious and revitalising chicken ginseng soup, see the recipe below.
Healing properties of ginseng
Ginseng is used in Chinese medicine to strengthen the Qi (energy). Ginseng works on many of your body’s systems as well as providing all-over benefits. Here are just some of the properties of ginseng that have been revealed by modern science:
- Cardiovascular system: Stimulates the heart at low doses, slows the heart at high doses. Dilates (widens) vessels in the heart and brain. Stimulates production of white and red blood cells.
- Nervous system: Sedative and tranquillising effects. Significantly improves alertness, relaxation, appetite and vitality.
- Endocrine: Stimulates production of hormones that deal with stress and reproduction.
- Metabolism: Lowers blood glucose. Improves protein metabolism, appetite, body weight and growth rate. Lowers cholesterol.
- General: Regulates immune system to increase disease resistance. Anticancer activity. Anti X-irradiation activity. Anti-ageing effect. Anti-inflammatory.
- Adaptogen: Helps the body to deal with stress.
- Ginseng is a source of the trace element Germanium. Germanium foods and supplements are used as cancer remedies and to generally strengthen the immune system.
Types of ginseng
There are several different types of ginseng and each type has its own properties in Chinese medicine.
- Standard ginseng is called Ren Shen (Panax Ginseng) which means “human root” in Chinese. It strengthens the body’s core energy as well as the energy of the lungs, digestion and heart. It is calming and generates fluids to stop thirst. The best quality is wild ginseng from Ji Lin province, called Ji Lin Shen.
- There are two types of ginseng that have a stronger property for generating fluids and nourishing Yin. One is cultivated ginseng from China called Sheng Shai Shen. The other is American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolia) – Xi Yang Shen. These types are cooler and are better for people with “heat” (eg red face, thirst, feeling hot, night sweating or constipation).
- When cultivated ginseng is cured by steaming, it changes colour from white to red and is called Hong Shen (“red root”). Most Korean ginseng is cured in this way. Red ginseng is warmer than other ginsengs and is good for people with “cold” signs (cold hands and feet, fluid retention, feeling cold or sluggish digestion).
Ginseng recipe – Samgyetang (Korean chicken & ginseng soup)
This is a wonderful soup to strengthen the body’s energy and combat the effects of stress.
1/3 cup glutinous rice
5 dried Chinese red dates (Hong Zao)
4 dried chestnuts
2 fingers dried ginseng
1 whole organic chicken
Salt and pepper
- Wash rice and soak in water for ½ hour
- Rinse dates, chestnuts and ginseng
- Clean the chicken and place the rice, jujubes, chestnuts, ginseng and six cloves of whole peeled garlic into the cavity. Tie the cavity shut with string to keep the ingredients inside while cooking.
- In a very large pot, boil water and place the chicken carefully in the water. Return the water to the boil then simmer for around three hours. Skim the top to keep the broth clear.
- To serve, place some broth and meat into bowls and garnish with stuffing ingredients (eg dates). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the rice stuffing in a separate bowl.
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
01 March 2008
Making the most of Autumn
The weather is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter and the still afternoon air echoes with the sound of migrating birds heading for warmer places. Autumn is a time to gather together the abundance created throughout the Summer, and to store it away for the cooler months. It is a time to start looking inward, to prepare for the stillness of Winter.
Letting go
In Chinese medicine philosophy, Autumn is associated with the element of Metal. Metal relates to the ability to let go and to express grief. If your Metal element is healthy, you are able to hold on to your values and principles, while letting go of the ideas and possessions that no longer serve you. Autumn is a great time to get rid of clutter, to simplify your surroundings and to only hold on to the things you need.
Nurturing foods
While it is a good time to "detox" your home or office, Autumn is not a great time to detox your body.
Instead, it’s a time to start having more nurturing foods. Root vegetables are nature’s energy storage and you can start introducing them now – try baked potato, carrot, sweet potato, kumera and parsnip.
Raw food is too draining in cool weather, so you can start replacing salads with healthy stir fries instead (use a tiny bit of oil and splash in water so you are steaming rather than frying). Light soups are a great way to extract the energy from your food to help with storage.
Autumn’s energy is abundant but contracting, so use sour-flavoured foods to astringe the food’s energy, drawing it inwards to help with storage. Sour foods include sourdough bread, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, leeks, aduki beans, salt plums, rosehip tea, vinegar, cheese, yoghurt, lemons, limes, grapefruit and sour varieties of apples, plums and grapes.
“Metal” symptoms
The organ energies that relate to Autumn and the Metal element are Lung and Large Intestine. These also relate to the nose, air passages, skin, mucous membranes and immunity. Imbalance in any of these areas can signify that your Metal element needs adjusting.
If you have symptoms in any of these areas then please contact the Clinic for further advice. You might need some acupuncture or herbal treatment, or we can give you a personalised food plan to support you.
Easy Autumn recipe – Shepherd’s Barley Soup
¼ onion, chopped (optional)
4 carrots, grated
2 parsnips, diced
1 tablespoon oil
2 ½ litres water
1 cup barley
1/3 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 tablespoon natto miso
Parsley
• Sauté onion, carrots and parsnips in oil
• Add water, barley and ginger. Simmer 1 ½ hours
• Add salt/ miso and simmer 15 minutes
• Garnish with parsley
Serves 8
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Letting go
In Chinese medicine philosophy, Autumn is associated with the element of Metal. Metal relates to the ability to let go and to express grief. If your Metal element is healthy, you are able to hold on to your values and principles, while letting go of the ideas and possessions that no longer serve you. Autumn is a great time to get rid of clutter, to simplify your surroundings and to only hold on to the things you need.
Nurturing foods
While it is a good time to "detox" your home or office, Autumn is not a great time to detox your body.
Instead, it’s a time to start having more nurturing foods. Root vegetables are nature’s energy storage and you can start introducing them now – try baked potato, carrot, sweet potato, kumera and parsnip.
Raw food is too draining in cool weather, so you can start replacing salads with healthy stir fries instead (use a tiny bit of oil and splash in water so you are steaming rather than frying). Light soups are a great way to extract the energy from your food to help with storage.
Autumn’s energy is abundant but contracting, so use sour-flavoured foods to astringe the food’s energy, drawing it inwards to help with storage. Sour foods include sourdough bread, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, leeks, aduki beans, salt plums, rosehip tea, vinegar, cheese, yoghurt, lemons, limes, grapefruit and sour varieties of apples, plums and grapes.
“Metal” symptoms
The organ energies that relate to Autumn and the Metal element are Lung and Large Intestine. These also relate to the nose, air passages, skin, mucous membranes and immunity. Imbalance in any of these areas can signify that your Metal element needs adjusting.
If you have symptoms in any of these areas then please contact the Clinic for further advice. You might need some acupuncture or herbal treatment, or we can give you a personalised food plan to support you.
Easy Autumn recipe – Shepherd’s Barley Soup
¼ onion, chopped (optional)
4 carrots, grated
2 parsnips, diced
1 tablespoon oil
2 ½ litres water
1 cup barley
1/3 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 tablespoon natto miso
Parsley
• Sauté onion, carrots and parsnips in oil
• Add water, barley and ginger. Simmer 1 ½ hours
• Add salt/ miso and simmer 15 minutes
• Garnish with parsley
Serves 8
This post is brought to you by Lois Nethery, acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist at Ocean Acupuncture in Curl Curl on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Ocean Acupuncture is a natural medicine centre of independent health practitioners. The views expressed in this blog are the author's only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other Ocean Acupuncture practitioners.
The information presented in this blog, and on the Ocean Acupuncture website, is for interest and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for health or medical information or advice. For health or medical advice, please consult your health professional.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)