Mountain dwellers are no strangers to arthritis, years of carving powder turns, climbing frozen waterfalls and shoveling out driveways can lead to the pesky and problematic accumulation of cold, dampness and wind in the joints which the Chinese refer to as Bi syndrome.
Bi syndrome; It’s not just for the elderly anymore
Characterized by painful, stiff and swollen joints, Arthritis can be the result of prolonged cold exposure, scar tissue from old injuries, repetitive motion through work or play, underlying deficiencies, auto-immune issues or yes, the wear and tear of old age. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout or ankylosing spondylitis; your treatment plan will vary according to TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine.)
Types of Bi Syndromes:
Wind Bi: Characterized by pain that moves from joint to joint with an overall limitation of movement.
Damp Bi: Pain and swelling in a fixed location, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness and numbness that is worse with cold/damp weather.
Cold Bi: Aversion to cold, severe pain usually on one side of the body that limits movement.
Heat Bi: Severely painful joints that are hot to the touch, red and swollen. Usually occurs after chronic cases of any of the above types.
Phlegm Bi: Is actually worse than it sounds (hard to believe with a name like that) this can be the result of any of the above Bi syndromes when left untreated. Characterized by muscular atrophy, swelling and deformity of the bones in the joints.
Chinese Medicine to the rescue
While the steroids, opioids and NSAIDS you get from your doctor can take the edge off the pain, they do nothing to address the root cause of your arthritis woes. At Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I use a combination of Acupuncture, cupping, Moxibustion heat therapy and Chinese herbs to not only reduce pain and discomfort but resolve the underlying factors that got your joints all up in a knot in the first place.
5 Arthritis relieving Allstars:
Get Moxa-fied: When it comes to Bi syndrome, Moxibustion is key: Moxa (a form of herbal heat therapy) has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis. Moxa helps to draw cold, dampness and phlegm from the bones, resulting in a significant reduction of pain and occurrence.
Inject your pain away: Many of my patients have found lasting relief from Homeopathic injections like Traumeel and Zeel which help to reduce inflammation and pain while helping the cartilage to heal.
De-inflame: I carry a number of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving Chinese herbal formulas, supplements and cbd’s. Magic ingredients to look out for when it comes to arthritis are: turmeric, frankincense, Boswellia, tang-kuei, aconite, cinnamon and myrrh as well and fish oil.
Salve it up: CBD salves and Chinese herbal compresses or linaments can provide lasting topical relief that is easy to control and use as needed. Many of you have already experienced the incredible pain relieving effects of the 2,500 mg cbd salve I carry in the office. Additionally, there are a number of Chinese herb patches that address different types of Bi syndromes; hot patches for cold types and cooling patches for hot types.
Collagen-ate: lubricate those joints by supplementing with a high quality, organic collagen or bone broth, you can find a simple recipe here or ask me for my favorite flavorless collagen powder suggestions.
Additionally, send those achy joints packing by reducing sugar, avoiding nightshade vegetables, losing weight and exercising regularly.
If this week of wintery weather has left your knees, knuckles, elbows, shoulders, low back or neck in the lurch, schedule yourself so we can get you back out on your skis, snowshoes or shovel before the powder melts away!