Insomnia
Insomnia relates to a persistent disturbance of sleep, including trouble falling asleep, waking up from sleep during the night, sleeping restlessly or dream-disturbed sleep.
If there is no pathological cause, western medicine generally attributes insomnia to emotional disturbance such as stress, anxiety or depression for which the patient will be prescribed hypnotic, anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. These medications often result in dependence, thus not desirable for long term use.
In Chinese medicine insomnia is a symptom of an underlying energetic imbalance in the body. This imbalance may be caused by such things as stress, overwork, improper diet, hormonal changes and blood depletion.
Insomnia is associated with a disturbance of the “shen”, which relates to the mind, consciousness and spirit of a person.
The liver, kidney and heart organs are said to anchor or “house” the shen. When these organs are imbalanced the shen becomes ungrounded, resulting in mental and emotional disturbance. To re-anchor the shen, the imbalance of the affected organs must be corrected. In some cases, there may be a depletion of the blood and fluids for which specific blood-nourishing herbs are used. In other cases there may be heat agitating the heart or liver for which cold, bitter and sweet herbs are used to clear the internal heat. Stress and emotional issues may have blocked the energy(Qi) through the liver for which strong dispersing herbs are used to invigorate this flow of energy.
Through its effect on the nervous system, acupuncture is used to calm and sedate the mind, quiet the spirit and promote sleep. The associated release of endorphins with acupuncture reduces stress and promotes a deep state of relaxation and well-being.
Addressing any diet and lifestyle factors that may be aggravating the insomnia are addressed during the treatment. Qi Gong meditation(www.openskyqigong.com) is also powerful tool to re-anchor the shen on a day to day basis and is a great adjunct to Chinese medicine treatment.
To start managing your insomnia naturally, book in your initial Chinese medicine consultation with Dr Rachel Berners(CM) at her Eltham or City practice. Call Rachel direct on 0417325393.