Feel Good Zone – living a simpler life

TUI NA & ACUPUNCTURE guest interview with Acupuncturist and Tui Na therapist, Chris Tappenden

So you are in bed and it’s hot, perhaps you like having ventilation with open windows. Maybe when you wake up the next day you have a stiff neck, back or elsewhere. Perhaps you are feeling a bit more angry or agitated. You slept well so why do you feel so ‘rubbish’ with aches and pains that you did not have before you went to bed and sleep?

FGZ: Welcome Chris to this blog on holistic lifestyle, living and sleep well. As a Tui Na and Acupuncturist can you explain why someone would get these symptoms?

Chris: If I get a patient who says they woke up with stiffness in the shoulders or back, I ask them if they noticed any drafts or if they keep their windows/doors open or were using a fan or air conditioning unit which may be causing ‘wind’.

Chris: In traditional chinese medicine terms ‘wind‘ could be simply a whispery draught, from a 1/2″ open window, or not closed properly. When this happens it’s called ‘wind cold invasion‘.

Ref: Chinese Medicine, The Web that has no Weaver, Ted J Kaptchuk. About Wind states:
‘The presence of Wind allows even promotes the invasion of the body by the other Influences. .. injury by Wind first affects the upper parts … and outer portions of the body, especially the face, skin, sweat glands and lungs, … people affected by Wind will recall recent exposure to drafts.’

FGZ: I remember our mum used to say ‘wrap up warm’, ‘tuck in your vest’, ‘put a scarf around your neck’ or you’ll wake up with a ‘crook in the neck’. I guess this a folk, traditional way of preventing painful stiffness and pain symptoms.

FGZ: Surely though simply having the window open doesn’t mean we all get back, shoulder, neck stiffness and pain?

Chris: ‘Wind‘ is what’s called a Pathogen (in TCM). It will only affect you if your ‘protective chi‘ (known as wei chi) is low in relation to how strong you are to this external pathogen. Pathogen in this meaning is the element that’s attacking your body, it’s an ‘external’ influence in a chinese medical sense, ‘wind cold‘.

FGZ: What about using oscillating fans when sleeping?

Chris: As these move the air they are not considered that good as it’s a constant driving wind that’s created, almost like being subjected to windy weather. If you do want to use a fan I suggest aiming it towards the ceiling so it circulates the air upwards rather then directing it onto your body. Draughts directed onto the body may cause the ‘Cold Wind‘ to be drawn into the body (created by the cool air circulating) which can then be locked in, thus creating the symptoms such as shoulder, neck, back stiffness and aches.

FGZ: Are air conditioning units good to use when too hot to sleep?

Chris: The same as with oscillating fans, the cool air created by air con can draw the Wind into the body, even along with ‘Damp‘ which creates worse symptoms. (‘Damp’ = water created in the aircon goes into the atmosphere) The condition of ‘Wind, Cold, Damp‘ affects the lower body, lower back, knees, joints.

FGZ: What suggestions can you give to help people sleep if it’s too hot?

Chris’s Tips for sleeping well:

• Air con – avoid setting it on ice cold, have it on lowest (least cold) setting
• Fan – direct it upwards or away from the body, will still get air circulating
• Windows open – use good quality cotton or natural fibres for bed linen, light weight to cover you protecting from Wind Cold and also allows your body to breath, perspire.
• Windows – avoid sleeping directly next to an open window or in the path of a draught. Open windows in other rooms with the door open allows improved air flow.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaptchuk

Feel Good Zone says ‘Sleep Well’