Clinic Location: 16897 Placer Hills Rd. Meadow Vista, CA 95722 (530) 878-4828 |
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By Linnie O’Flanagan, L.Ac.
Each season challenges us in different ways. Just as the
cold of Winter causes puddles and creeks to freeze, the
movement of our blood, lymph, and other bodily fluids can
become sluggish and stagnant. This can lead to pain,
discomfort, and diminished ability to fight off disease.
According to Chinese medicine:
“If there’s pain, there’s stagnation. If there’s no stagnation,
there’s no pain.”
Cold is just one potential cause of stagnation, but cold pain
is considered the most severe of all. Cold can exacerbate
physical pain originating from other sources of stagnation,
such as injuries and operations (blood stasis), emotional
trauma (qi/energy stagnation), and pathogens (usually
phlegm accumulation).
If cold weather is aggravating your chronic pain, try adding
some of these to your diet: Ginger, turmeric, cayenne,
cinnamon, and curry.
Each season challenges us in different ways. Just as the
cold of Winter causes puddles and creeks to freeze, the
movement of our blood, lymph, and other bodily fluids can
become sluggish and stagnant. This can lead to pain,
discomfort, and diminished ability to fight off disease.
According to Chinese medicine:
“If there’s pain, there’s stagnation. If there’s no stagnation,
there’s no pain.”
Cold is just one potential cause of stagnation, but cold pain
is considered the most severe of all. Cold can exacerbate
physical pain originating from other sources of stagnation,
such as injuries and operations (blood stasis), emotional
trauma (qi/energy stagnation), and pathogens (usually
phlegm accumulation).
If cold weather is aggravating your chronic pain, try adding
some of these to your diet: Ginger, turmeric, cayenne,
cinnamon, and curry.
If your body tends to run warm or you are having hotflashes,
and the cold is aggravating your pain, it is important to get
the blood moving without heating you up too much. This
can be achieved with Chinese herbal medicine
combinations specifically formulated for you.
For abdominal pain or digestive problems aggravated by
the cold, eat warm foods and teas with spices such as
cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, and anise. We carry
a delicious Organic Green Chai Tea in the Confluence Tea
Shop, which contains some of these warming digestive
spices.
For the beginning stages of a common cold with clear
watery sinus drainage, achy neck and shoulders, and
chills, try a warm clear broth with fresh ginger and
scallions. Add mustard greens if your colds tend to go to
your chest. Ask at the teashop for more suggestions of
herbs to add to the broth.
and the cold is aggravating your pain, it is important to get
the blood moving without heating you up too much. This
can be achieved with Chinese herbal medicine
combinations specifically formulated for you.
For abdominal pain or digestive problems aggravated by
the cold, eat warm foods and teas with spices such as
cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, and anise. We carry
a delicious Organic Green Chai Tea in the Confluence Tea
Shop, which contains some of these warming digestive
spices.
For the beginning stages of a common cold with clear
watery sinus drainage, achy neck and shoulders, and
chills, try a warm clear broth with fresh ginger and
scallions. Add mustard greens if your colds tend to go to
your chest. Ask at the teashop for more suggestions of
herbs to add to the broth.
Linnie O'Flanagan, L.Ac.
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Winter Warm-up