Acupuncture AfterCare – What to do the next few days for best results.
When receiving a Chinese Medicine Treatment, Acupuncture is usually the primary modality used and it can go accompanied by: cupping or Gua Sha (myofascial release), Tui Na (Chinese Therapeutic Massage) or Moxibustion (herbal heat therapy). There are definitely things that we need to know and pay attention to, in order to enjoy the most benefits from the treatments and to avoid undesirable reactions.
On the previous Blog we talked about what to do before acupuncture. While there are some similarities, there are some important after care tips that can be a total game changer.
During a treatment, the practitioner communicates with the patient’s body, sending to it signals and information through the acupoints and nervous system with specific requests about what do we want to heal, what kind of resources we want it to produce more of, what needs to be balanced, what needs to be warmed up or cooled off and even what trapped emotions and mind patterns/habits do we need to get released in order to reach the state of health.
All of that needs to be processed and integrated by the body, so we can get the response and results that we are looking for. For that reason, is very important to develop more awareness of what the body is asking for in order to complete the task it was ordered to do. And what does that actually mean?
It means that in order to do what’s asked for, the body might require some extra energy and support, for instance: the support coming from a nutritious meal (so the patient might notice getting hungrier that day), or the hydration coming from some salt water, some bone broth or a nice bowl of soup (so the patient might notice feeling thirstier). The body might need to repair, build up, cleanse and detox certain things that can only happen during sleep (so the patient might feel sleepier). There might be the surge of an emotion that needs to be released, so making space for that and even getting a few minutes of silence to touch base with ourselves can be part of this process. For people that never stop and burn the candle both ways, actually burning their own precious vital energy, they might experience feeling “tired” after a treatment because their body requests “unplugging” for a little while to get a chance to rebalance. Someone might experience a large bowel movement or increased amount of urination later on that day or even days after the treatment as their body starts cleaning up what no longer needs to be there.
So, what does that say? It says, pay attention to your body and understand where that need is coming from. A lot of people nowadays don’t even recognize what’s like to feel deeply relaxed, mistaking it by being tired. If through a treatment someone was able to receive the release of tension that was in the body for decades, that might feel like opening the lid of a pressure cooker and letting that steam out. Is the job of the patient to give feedback to its practitioner and is the job of the practitioner to explain what is happening to its patient. If the body is requested to give something (healing) it also needs to get something as an exchange (nourishment, rest, silence etc).
The human body is so incredibly resilient and strong! And instead of using that in our favour we usually abuse it. We mainly ask, and take, and request and get mad when oh, my lower back is saying no to carrying all this weight while also stressed out, malnourished and dehydrated, how dare! But that’s the pattern of the disease of humankind nowadays, let’s take more, get more, buy more, consume more and give less. Breathing is a great example of the perfect balance between giving and receiving, that’s how is supposed to be. As we inhale, we need to exhale, as we give, we need to receive.
So big part of finding balance in our body is finding balance in our habits and lifestyle. Do we talk to our body? Do we say, I’m sorry, I know I’ve been working extra hours lately, I promise you I will nourish you with nice healthy meals and once this deadline is over, I will give you extra care and extra rest. Do we negotiate? Do we make it up for it?
What do we do for the maintenance of our health? How much attention do we pay to how to prevent being sick with simple things, boundaries, a bit more sleep, a bit more downtime, a bit more silence, a bit less indulgence, a bit less food. So we don’t have to start drastic changes when we get sick. The main way the body finds to teach us how to live a balanced life, a meaningful awakened life, is through pain and sickness, to show us we are off the path.
In summary, lets listen, the body is asking more sleep, can I arrange that or watching Netflix tonight is more important? The body is thirsty, can I stop for a moment and drink some water? I feel many emotions surfacing, Can I give myself 10 minutes to take deep breaths, feel and observe. I am cold, can I have a warm bath or actually wear more appropriate clothes? Is just a little bit of self-kindness and presence, in the mist of the frenetic rhythm of our modern lives.
Now, specifically to some treatments like gua sha, cupping and some particular acupuncture treatments, avoiding exposure to wind and cold right after the treatment and for the next 3 following days is a wonderful idea. When we use those modalities of Chinese Medicine, we are opening the pores up and moving out of the body toxicity and pathogens. That’s a time of vulnerability, because when the door is open to release, it is also open to receive, we don’t want any pathogens coming in at that time. So practically, what does that mean? It means, wear warm clothing to your acupuncture treatment, a wind stopper, a jacket, a scarf, pants when is cold instead of shorts, closed shoes instead of sandals when is no longer summer time…so after the treatment when you leave the clinic, your body don’t receive a shock, you can cozy up and go about your day, keep the relaxation going.
Eat well, hydrate, don’t consume drugs including alcohol right after would be great, refraining to use your sexual energy that day, to let the body use this energy for healing instead is also smart. Those small things go such a long way. So we don’t defeat the purpose of the treatment in the first place.
It's all quite simple really, re-establishing the connection with ourselves is the secret ingredient. Now is the time to build better systems, as we see what’s not working all around us. So the change is now, and it starts with all those little things and it starts with each one of us.
Do you want to reconnect with your being? Be in tune? in balance? Come! Your body will be so grateful for it!
