COLORADO SERENITY - DECEMBER 2003: Too Much Going In, Too Much Going On

Tracy Saraduke, RN, M.Ac. L.Ac.

3082 Evergreen Parkway, Suite 2

Evergreen, CO 80439

(303) 670-9181

www.acuwebpage.com

Today our bodies have to deal with unnatural levels of pollutants, toxins, heavy metals, antibiotics, hormones, over-the-counter medications and self-prescribed supplements. The acupuncture approach is to tune up the organs instead of adding more for the organs to process. It may take time to clear out toxins and re-energize the organs, but it is a logical approach.

Most of us do not know how to listen to our bodies. Many have gotten used to routinely taking sleeping pills, caffeine, laxatives, pain pills, aspirin, and antacids. This leads to a constant drugging to deal with living life out-of-balance, shutting down the body, interfering with natural healing processes and other basic functions.

There was a recent study of over 80,000 women without high blood pressure. The women and their use of pain-relief medication, such as ibuprofen (found in Advil), acetaminophen (found in Tylenol) or naproxen (found in Alieve), were tracked over a two-year period. The researchers found that women who took these medications more than 22 times a month were almost twice as likely to have high blood pressure. Other studies have shown how these drugs also contribute to heart and kidney failure. How many of us take medication with no idea that it could eventually cause another problem?

I often see patients who complain of fatigue, headache, and malaise. It turns out that they are taking in too much (vitamins, medications, etc.) overtaxing their liver and kidneys. In these cases, it is not sensible to add more demands on overtaxed organs in an attempt to purge or balance the person.

Instead of looking for ways to get the toxins out, why not reduce what goes in. Try a nap to see if it helps your headache; hydrate regularly; chew your food adequately to see if it aids digestion; do a TV news fast; create a white space in your schedule; say "NO" to reading newspaper headline stories; go for a walk without driving to a place to walk. Especially during the holidays, we should all check to see if we have "hurry" sickness, and eliminate optional stressors.

The technologies of our time have created additional stresses not present for our ancestors. This makes it harder for us to follow our bodies' rhythms and cycles. Instead, we artificially cause sleep, waking, digestion, and relaxation.

Acupuncture helps the body to return to natural wellness. Needling, moxa, rest, carefully balanced diet, and specific exercises are used to address the root cause of problems, while calming down the overall system. This brings about normal function without overpowering, costly intervention.