Simply put…I was in pain. Chronic Neck Pain that radiated up both sides of neck down into my shoulders and lived primarily in the large bone at the base of my neck.I had tried everything: chiropractics, reflexology, yoga, massage, muscle relaxers, opiates, inversion therapy and detox treatments. Nothing relieved my pain long-term. I would get small breaks but it always returned so I just learned to live with it.
I am the symbolic “everywoman”—a busy working mom of two beautiful boys. I have a husband who loves me, friends I neglect, and an aging mother I worry about. I make lists, volunteer, cook meals, help with homework, squeeze in a yoga class between work and car pool and eat an energy bar (and beet juice) in the car on my way to a meeting. This life I have created is full and amazing and no different from most women I know. We wear many hats, play many parts and give of ourselves. A blessed yet unbalanced life.
THE INITIAL CONSULTATION
Dr Alison Warren DAOM,L.Ac.at OrthoCarolina was my last resort and at the risk of sounding over dramatic, I told her so. Her response was, “I get that a lot”. Among the select few in the top of her field, Dr. Alison Warren holds a Clinical Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
I will admit I was skeptical at the initial consultation. After-all, every mode of healing I had tried prior had let me down.
Dr. Warren went through my medical history, asked extensive questions about my eating habits, bowel movements, took my pulse and looked at my tongue. Digestion is big in acupuncture. The organ systems and meridians that regulate digestion are connected to all body functions, so a person’s digestive health says a lot about their overall health. The tongue can tell that story. A normal tongue in TCM is pink or light red with a light coating.
Determining that I am (besides the chronic neck pain) a healthy person with no pre-existing medical conditions who takes no medicine, exercises regularly, drinks plenty of water, doesn’t drink or smoke, and has a moderate level of stress; it was time for some acupuncture.
MY FIRST ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT
I wasn’t afraid. Truthfully, I was exhausted from carrying around the pain. Dr. Warren explained that upon insertion of the tiny acupuncture needles I would feel a dull ache that would dissipate after a few seconds. Lying face down on the table with my “wound” exposed (the large bone at the base of my neck) I was ready.
She began placing needles in both sides of my neck, lower back, feet and ears. It was exactly as she described: dull ache which dissipated quickly. I felt some needles-meridians more than others but none of them were painful. What followed for me was rather interesting. Instead of lying there and peacefully allowing my body to relax, I had an overwhelming urge to get up and run out of the room. A “fight or flight” kind of feeling. It was as if I didn’t want to let go of the pain. Then I began to cry.
Sometimes people cry during acupuncture. Emotions get stuck/blocked as we push through life. Piercing these points of pain allows the energy and emotion to begin to flow. It’s completely normal and actually a sign that the treatment is working (thank goodness!).From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, physical and emotional health are interconnected, so emotional shifts can precede physical changes. This does not happen to everyone. An emotional catharsis is not a requirement of acupuncture or healing. It was;however, the case for me.
The needles were in for approximately 15 minutes. She followed the acupuncture with some pressure point massage as if she could see through my skin hitting the exact places where my jumbled up muscles lived.
Upon leaving, I felt calm, pain-free, exhausted and ravenously hungry. My instructions were to eat something hearty, drink plenty of water and rest…so I did.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE FIRST TREATMENT
My body was depleted and starving. I felt exhausted yet deeply relaxed. Dr. Warren assured me this relaxation effect was a sign that balance and energy was being restored. My “everywoman†routine was effecting my health. While I was currently presenting NO signs of disease, I had just gotten a big signal to slow down and nurture my tired body. Acupuncture can jump start the healing but I have to be more aware of the food I eat, the rest I get and the amount of stress I allow into my life.
My neck, the pathway between my head and heart, was blocked, inflamed, stifled. I am a doer, pragmatic and independent. I push myself to the edge of each day crossing off my lists of accomplishments (Big Exhale). It was time for me to clear that head/ heart channel. Savor my days, my meals, my moments and listen to my heart.
FOUR TREATMENTS LATER
If you walk 5 miles into the woods, it is 5 miles back out.
Six years of neck pain can’t be erased in one treatment, but I felt such relief after the initial consultation that I decided to do whatever Dr. Warren said. She was onto something. The acupuncture had broken through to the frozen muscles and nerves (and emotions). A noticeable shift occurred—I was “all in”.
Acupuncture is cumulative. By the fourth treatment, my pain was significantly reduced. I felt like a weight had literally lifted from the back of my neck. My mobility had improved along with a few other added benefits:
1.Mental Clarity: a sharpness in thought returned. I felt more resolute, certain. The fog was gone.
2.Better Sleep: I am a light sleeper and tend to wake several times a night, but after just one treatment I had deeper, uninterrupted sleep.
3.Metabolism Boost: After every treatment I became super hungry. Acupuncture increases the flow of qi (pronounced chee)—or vital life energy–throughout the body, allowing all your organs to function more efficiently and making sure you get the most value out of the food you eat.
4.More Energy: Although it’s common to find yourself in “acu landâ€â€”a somewhat dazed, blissfully relaxed state—immediately following acupuncture, the after, after effect is usually increased energy. I found that I no longer had that sinking afternoon feeling around 4pm and I woke in the morning more energized—ready for my day.
5.Detox: This might be too much info, but a cleansing effect happened throughout my bladder and bowels.
THE YIN & YANG OF IT–How does it work?
Remember when I referred to my life as “blessed yet unbalanced”? The key to my healing (living pain free) is going to be balance. Acupuncture is a way to help my body get balanced, but it is up to me to maintain.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on an ancient philosophy that describes the body, in terms of two opposing forces: yin and yang. When these forces are in balance, the body is healthy. Energy flows along specific pathways, called meridians, throughout the body. This constant flow of energy keeps the yin and yang forces balanced. However, if the flow of energy gets blocked, like water getting stuck behind a dam, the disruption can lead to pain, lack of function, or illness. Acupuncture therapy can release blocked energy in the body and stimulate function, evoking the body’s natural healing response.
Think of it this way: Yin = slow, soft, passive, moon. Yang = fast, hard, aggressive, sun. Clearly the body needs both yin and yang and clearly I was out of balance—more yang than yin.
There is a path—an energy time line—the issue/pain follows before it becomes visible and impossible to ignore:
STEP ONE: Qi (energy) is in balance and harmony. You feel well
STEP TWO: Qi (energy) falls out of balance and harmony. You might start to feel vague discomfort and intermittent symptoms. Neck pain that feels like a sore muscle or “crickâ€. At this point you may begin to self medicate hoping it will go away.
STEP THREE: Internal organs start to show signs of energetic dysfunction and problems communicating with other organs. Symptoms become more prominent and uncomfortable. Nothing would show on standard Western tests because these tests yet. The body will show signs of lethargy, poor digestion, anxiety and increased pain.
STEP FOUR: The issue has become a physical problem. Your quality of life is affected. Finally, you call a doctor, seek help. You now have a physical health issue.
(chart source: tcmworld.org)
EAST MEETS WEST
Every health issue has a root cause from the TCM perspective. TCM doctors identify and address the root of the problem. The ancient Chinese believed that a superior healer was one who treated disease BEFORE it manifested while an inferior healer treats disease after it shows up. Dr. Warren told me that ancient Chinese doctors were paid to keep their clients healthy. Once the client became sick the patients did not pay them.The complete opposite of Western medicine where emphasis is placed on disease instead of prevention and treating the symptoms instead of the root cause.
Once I wrapped my brain around the Eastern concept of medicine, I became more aware and pledged to me more proactive. This really came into play when Dr. Warren began treating my son’s asthma. I’ll be writing about that NEXT.
MY LESSON
From the TCM perspective, everything happens for a reason, and the reason is always for a good purpose. Without illness there can be no real health. When we find ourselves in the midst of a healing crisis, we can actually choose to see it as a path towards our own healing and growth rather than an inconvenience or an obstacle in our way.
My journey into Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture with Dr. Warren has given me a more comprehensive view of my health. My body wants to be well, to heal. Its natural state is balance. Instead of powering through life at a breakneck speed determined to get it ALL done, my job is to listen to my body (my heart) and use the “ailments” as a call to well-being. Slow down, get into the Yin, put my mind where my feet are and breathe.
Next month I will share my son’s journey as Dr. Warren helps us battle his Asthma using TCM and acupuncture.
Interested in learning more…. read my interview with Dr. Warren, Exploring Traditional Chinese Medicine
Alison Warren, DAOM, L.Ac.
Dr. Warren has office hours at both The Spine Center in Charlotte and OrthoCarolina Huntersville. Call the locations to make an appointment.
THE SPINE CENTER Charlotte
2001 Randolph Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28207
704-323-2225
ORTHOCAROLINA Huntersville
10030 Gilead Rd
Suite 160
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-323-2800
