Treating Chronic Inflammation with Chinese Medicine
In today’s deadline riddled, multitasking society, chronic inflammation seems to be an all too common occurrence. Though inflammation is a normal response to toxins, infections and foreign bodies; chronic inflammation can predispose an individual to various medical conditions. These conditions include: allergies, reflux, diabetes, heart disease, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and inflammatory bowel disorders.
“From the perspective of Chinese Medicine modern life generates excess heat. In western terms, this is a result of sympathetic overdrive – too much cortisol and adrenalin- that set the stage for inflammation.”
The treatment for excess heat in Chinese Medicine (CM) is to nourish the yin (moisture and blood) which will calm the heat of inflammation. Chronic stress keeps us in a fight or flight response which raises heart rate, blood pressure and releases glucose into the blood.
In CM chronic stress creates stagnation of energy and blood and forms phlegm. This stagnation interferes with circulation (hot head and trunk and cold limbs) thereby increasing body heat, drying secretions and making them difficult to release. Having your energy balanced with acupuncture or acupressure and utilizing Chinese herbs will help to restore the body to homeostasis clearing heat and phlegm and increasing moisture and blood.
