People are crawling out of their cocoon’s and are feeling neglected. People feel very low and beaten down by a full year of enforced rules, financial troubles and family issues, there isn’t anyone on this planet that hasn’t been effected by Covid19.
Since coming out of lockdown in April 2021 the selfcare industry has gone from strength to strength. I am the busiest I have ever been and its getting busier and busier with no signs of slowing down. Currently I’m offering 12 hour days and introducing an extra day to spread the work load. The ladies in my building, who I share with, are also pulling heavy days and evenings. People are wanting to feel good about themselves and what better way than a touch of pampering. We are still a long way to go though. The threat of another lockdown looms in the not so distant future and the NHS are preparing for the worse. Hospitals are seeing a higher number of infected people however, possible due to the vaccine, the severity of the virus is showing signs of reducing.
Many people, who are feeling let down by the Drs and/or the NHS, are seeking alternative therapies simply because they have no where else to turn too. I have a client that has just welcomed his 90th birthday that hasn’t even had a phone call in the whole lockdown from his GP. You can only imagine how he feels. Some GPs have returned to work, however some are still only taking telephone calls and trying to get an appointment with as rare as hen’s teeth. The knock on effect is filling up our A&E department and clogging the system.
So, the question is, with the Doctors leaving a gap in the healthcare system, is there space for alternative therapies including acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Its been an age that ‘The West’ has known long term negative emotions can make you poorly, for example the liver – the emotion attached is anger. If the emotion isn’t control and dealt with it can cause high blood pressure, strokes and anxiety. If we look at a client aged 65 who has had a stressful life with lots of anger issues, he will most likely have or is heading towards all of those symptoms above. We all know how ‘The West’ would deal with that issue, however alternative therapies have a much more gentle and profound effect on the body without the use of drugs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views that pathogens can enter the body in 6 ways and makes the body out of balance. Heat, intense heat, damp, cold, wind and dry are known as the 6 evils. All diseases stem from these evils. Some of it will make sense to even the untrained person.
Acid reflux is a perfect example of a body being out of balance. Acid reflux forms heart burn, a cough or burping. In TCM its considered energy moving the wrong way, stomach energy is moving upwards and not downwards. A few needles in choice places gently tells the energy to move the right way. It stops the heart burn or cough or whatever the symptom was. I personally know this as I’ve been diagnosed with acid reflux 3 years ago. I took the tablets to verify that it was as my symptom were a cough. I then got a given a repeat prescription of Lansoprazole for life! This wasn’t the path I wanted. It only masks the symptoms it doesn’t change anything so then went down the holistic approach of acupuncture. After 4 treatments all symptoms have gone, if they return which they can do after a big night out, I simply book an appointment and all is good in the world.
Being prepared to work side by side I believe would benefit us all. I have asked the Drs about my acid reflux journey and have been told that acupuncture is a placebo. However I know it helps with a multitude of things from headaches, period pain, arthritis the list goes on and on. I will certainly refer people back to their doctors if there is no improvement or signs of things that aren’t right, but sometimes the Drs don’t have all the answers.
And so self care and self love. Take time to love yourself as there is no one that loves you like you do.