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:

1. 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.  

2. 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.  

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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!

And why can't my health practitioners stop talking about it?

After years of flinging this mystical myofascial word around in the office and at the studio, it recently occurred to me that the majority of my clients have no idea where or what their myofascia is and why I can't shut up about it.  Therefore, I've decided to compose a series of newsletters detailing the different myofascial lines, how their imbalances can manifest in your body and how Acupuncture and yoga can help. So, fasten your seat belts folks, for numero uno in a series of 6 newsletters where we will tackle the big question, what is myofascia?

Were you aware that you have super powers?

 
Well, maybe not in the way that you're thinking, but underneath the skin, your entire body is held snuggly in what resembles a spiderman suit. This web of myofascia surrounds and supports all of your muscles in a flexible yet strong silk threaded sweater  that resides just beneath the skin.  This web of tissue comprises your very own spidey suit and forms as a highly intelligent and sensitive network of microscopic cords which connect every part of the body to each other via tensegrity.  This tensegrity or interconnectedness is what gets all of your health practitioners and body workers so excited.  It means that just Like a snag on a sweater, damage to a single area of your fascia can affect distant areas in the body, sometimes even after years.  

When fascia gets in a kink it can be a real drag

Healthy fascia is soft and supple, but prolonged sitting in cars, desk jobs, over exercise (without stretching) and physical trauma can cause the fascia to become inflamed and lose its pliability, turning our fishnet body sock into a tangled up superglue nightmare. Over time, the  result can be an endless feeling of stuckness and pain experienced in a variety of places, from headaches and neck pain to sciatica, tight or torn hamstrings, hip issues and plantar fasciitis with numbness and tingling, breathing difficulties, inflexibility and very poor posture.  
 

Tom Meyers and Ida Rolf

You can't talk about myofascia without sighting the brilliance of these two.  Dr. Ida Rolf, developed and introduced the therapy of Structural Integration as a way of correcting the health issues resulting from poor posture. She understood the importance of a neutral spine, core strength and the vital role supple fascia play in proper alignment.  Tom Meyers took things further, by outlining in great detail (details that make it difficult to keep your eyes opened when reading his manuals) the different pathways these myofascial trains take and their relationship to the body. 
 

The unsticking of you

Don't let you super hero underwear get into a bunch.  There are a variety of ways to help your fascia recover it's limber and sleek self.   Acupuncture can help rehydrate fascia by activating the trigger points (pulls in the sweater) that refer pain to other parts of the body.  I work with the myofascia every day in my office by releasing  muscle tension and increasing blood flow to the affected area.  I can also help by recommending diet and supplement prescriptions to aid in reducing inflammation.  There'll be no time for slouching either, as you'll be expected to take an active role in your recovery.  I'll give you insights into your own postural habits and strategies to rectify those imbalances with specific therapeutic yoga poses tailored to meet your needs.

Sciatica, it’s more than just a pain in the butt in Durango and Acupuncture can help.

While it’s physical manifestations may be confined to the buttocks or leg on one side, Sciatica, piriformis syndrome and herniated disks can create some serious limitations when it comes to doing the activities you love.  When an injury or condition keeps you off your bike, out of the gym, away from your yoga, running or hiking practice, the emotional pain of vulnerability and depression can be far worse than the original issue. Here are some of the common complaints I hear from my sciatic patients at Durango Acupuncture Clinic.

1. Pain in the butt that is worse with sitting, hello desk job!

2. Numbness or burning pain that radiates down the leg.

3. Pain worsened by exercise, and generally everything fun.

Causes:

Structural impingement or compression of the sciatic nerve, which runs through the buttocks and branches down the leg to the calf and toes is the underlying culprit.  While those with ultra tight hamstrings and back myofascial lines like couch potato’s, desk jockeys, car commuters and gym junkies compose the majority of the afflicted, yoginis aren’t in the clear either.  Hyperflexibility is often a liability when it comes to the health of your joints, fascia and tendons, landing a number of cirque de soleil style yogis in my office with butt pain in Durango.

Why Acupuncture is the bomb when it comes to pain relief

It stimulates the nervous system which then tells the brain to:

1. Increase blood flow to the area of pain.

2. Reduce inflammation and reduce muscle contraction.

3. Release a cascade of your body's natural painkillers like endorphins, serotonin and enkephalins.  Say goodbye to that pain in the tush!

How your MD treats Sciatica: Surgery, steroid injections, pain medications, hot and cold therapy and a surprising number of especially cool Doctors and PA’s are also referring their patients to Acupuncturists as well. :)

How I treat sciatica:  After a thorough intake where I gather as much information about you, your symptoms, and their physical and emotional impact on your life, I’ll check your pulse and tongue and begin to make a  Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis.

You’ll be invited to undress and slip under the warmed flannel sheets and blankets of my treatment table.  Using oil massage techniques, I’ll begin to examine your back, detecting adhesions and trigger points along the length of the back and glutes.  Once I find these active points, tiny needles are painlessly inserted. While your needles do their thing, you’ll be coaxed into deep relaxation through a short guided meditation after which you’ll be left for a few minutes of nap time with soothing music in the background.

These treatments also involve one or more adjunct therapies, including cupping, essential oils, moxibusition (heat therapy), myofascial release techniques, e-stim, guasha ( a deep tissue form of body work) or homeopathic traumeel injections.  Traumeel injections are an effective, safe, natural and practically painless alternative to steroid injections and can be added to your treatment for a small additional fee.

Your treatment will likely conclude with a brief and minimal front  treatment where distal points are used to increase circulation, blood flow and your body’s ability to heal itself.  Prepare to be nurtured, and to leave feeling incredibly relaxed!

Typical treatment plan

I like to get you back on your bike, hiking trails or couch as quickly as possible.  Often this requires twice weekly treatments for the first week or two. In this way, we’re able to ride the wave of progress we create together.  Notice that I say we, because you’ll be expected to take an active role in your healing, I may recommend specific therapeutic yoga poses, exercises, supplements, foods or rest to ensure that you get the most efficient and dramatic results possible.  Most patients experience significant results in these first few weeks and then gradually reduce their visits until they no longer need help or just come in occasionally for maintenance.