Autumn Living: Slowing Down
As we've discussed before, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) draws its wisdom from the natural world, and Fall marks a time of quieting our pace and turning inward. Days are shorter and cooler, and we're bundling up and slowing down.
In terms of the elements, Fall is governed by the Metal element, with its qualities of precision, organization, and setting and respecting boundaries. Whereas summer is more carefree, autumn days are more structured. We're forming (or re-forming) routines that take us throughout the day, and our priorities and goals are often reoriented in preparation for the upcoming winter months.
For some of us, however, there are routines that cannot be set aside with the season, particularly those who live with a chronic health condition like diabetes.
Client Success Story: Managing Diabetes with Acupuncture and Bodywork
Kate is a young adult living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), the disease where your body attacks its pancreas and stops producing insulin. Kate has excellent control of her T1D, is a pro at administering insulin at all the right times, and has all the latest medical devices that help her automate her insulin delivery.
Even though Kate controls her T1D with apparent ease, she also lives with side effects. Diabetes management is a full-time job with no days off, which, for Kate, manifests as anxiety and digestion issues. She has periods of low appetite where food has no appeal, and it is hard to get nutritious food in her, and she gets nauseous if she does not eat.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine help improve Kate's appetite and reduce her nausea. When the symptoms get more severe, a custom herbal tea with angelica root, peony root, cinnamon, and licorice root before eating helps stimulate her appetite. The anxiety that comes with chronic illness is also quieted with regular acupuncture sessions.
But the symptom Kate struggled with most was diabetic neuropathy, or more simply stated, foot pain. Kate had seen several neurologists since she was a teenager, most of whom opted to prescribe medication for pain management.
While diabetic neuropathy symptoms can be mitigated with acupuncture and infrared sauna, the game changer was working with Joseph in his signature Anatomy Trains Structural Integration Sessions.
With Joseph's guidance and help, Kate began to see and feel the effects. As she explains:
Week by week, my pain relief lasted longer and longer, and because Joseph focuses on alignment and putting the body back where it needs to be, I noticed other benefits too. For example, I'm knock-kneed, and Joseph identified how that was affecting my posture. He taught me exercises that strengthened my body and retrained my mind to hold my body in a better position and walk in a more supportive way.
If you are living with chronic illness, please reach out to Polina at polina@acuboston.com or Joseph at Boston Integrated Body at bostonintegratedbody@gmail.com so we can help you live a better life.
And if you know anyone living with chronic illness who needs help mitigating side effects/pain, please share this newsletter with them.