The Seasons & Your Health!
Have you ever wondered why you might have a change in your health, either for the better or the worse, with the shifting of the weather?
Aggrevated by Weather: Arthritis
For instance, you may be a person with arthritis that may experience more pain and discomfort on damp days, and relief on a warm day.
Some people with Arthritis claim that they can predict when it will rain, based on how much their joints ache!
Aggrevated by the Environment: Asthma
Perhaps, you may be a person suffering from asthma that may experience more problems with a hot environmental temperature… or perhaps someone who’s asthma improves with heat, or even the time of day?
Other Sources Validating The Environment & Asthma Connection
While these articles linked above confirm the environment-body-health-disease connection, and all through scientific study, they often do not paint the whole picture.
Even though they can tell you HOW disease often works, they never ever can truly tell you WHY it works this way.
Chinese Medicine has been in search of unveiling the ultimate question…
Why You?
Even people with the same diagnosed disease have different experiences.
If the disease is truly “the same”, then how can it be that people experience it differently?
Perhaps, because, it is really not the same at all.
Despite the fact that Chinese Medicine has recognized the environment-body-health-disease connection for eons, this key principle is something that has yet to be acknowledged in Western/Allopathic Medicine. For this reason, most people do not understand the complexities behind this phenomena.
Perhaps a new perspective could illuminate this important connection between the weather, seasonal changes and health issues? Let’s dive in!
How The Seasons Affect The Physical
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dictates each season has specific attributes which are then classified into different patterns that directly affect your body and health issues. What makes this interesting is that through the knowledge of the different seasonal pattern classifications, you can begin to understand how any season can relate to you on a personal level!
This knowledge can then help you understand how you can affect your health on a positive level! With the proper Chinese Herbal formulas, diet and lifestyle changes, your health can be optimized! This perspective enables us a keen insight into many health questions and provides the appropriate, correct answers.
Questions related to timing such as:
- Why do I get my allergies acting up in the spring or fall (or both)?
- Why do I pull my back at the same time every year?
- Why do my joints get worse in the spring?
- Why do my headaches get worse during the spring season (or at night)?
Or maybe:
- Why do I get acne, but my friend doesn’t?
- Why am I sick all the time, but my spouse is never sick?
- Why am I more stressed out than normal even though life is calmer?
- Why is my PMS and menstrual cycle giving me more trouble than last year?
Our Seasonal Buying Guides is closely linked to the Body Guide, but yet, takes a different approach in researching a solution that may fit your needs. What you may not know, is that each season is associated with a specific Chinese Medicine Organ System and specific Chinese Medicine Patterns. It can also be said that a particular Chinese Medicine Patterns also a “seasonal state” of disease.
For instance, when you are experiencing Liver Chi Congestion–which is all too common of a pattern with typical Daily Disharmonies such as: increased amounts of stress, anger, anxiety, stiffness, digestives issues, IBS, PMS, neck and shoulder tension, headaches and depression–that you are in a blocked and stagnant Spring Seasonal state.
We have compiled a listing of common Chinese Medicine Patterns that show up during the various seasons. If things have changed for you recently, you may want to look up what season you are currently in to discover if the season has any relevance to your current concern. You also may want to poke around Chinese Medicine knowledge base!
The Five Seasons
Liver Organ System – Spring Seasonal Guide
This is a great resource for learning more about your Liver Organ System.
Gallbladder Health Buying Guide
If you are interested in your Liver Organ System, you may also be interested in your Gallbladder Organ System also associated with the Spring Season.
Heart & Small Intestine – Summer Seasonal Guide
Ah! Those wonderful summer days! Yet, everything has a pro and a con, right?
Spleen & Stomach – Late Summer Seasonal Guide
Thank you for your patience as we rebuild this content. It will be available again soon!
Lung & Large Intestine – Fall Seasonal Flu & Immune Network
Be prepared this Fall Season and stock up on your personal Chinese Herbal Medicine Cabinet with all of the important essentials!
Kidney & Bladder – Winter Seasonal Guide
Please visit this page to learn more about the importance of the Kidney Organ System and the Winter Season.