We all know someone in our lives, past or present, who claims to be able to predict the weather by how their body feels. Many chronic pain patterns and joint dysfunctions, in patients of all ages, tend to flare up when there are sudden weather fluctuations or periods of prolonged rain, humidity, cold or even heat. Western science doesn’t really have a great explanation for this. Despite research showing correlations between pain and higher humidity, lower atmospheric pressure and higher wind speed, scientists still can’t explain why or how weather should have any impact on joints and other pain symptoms. But East Asian Medicine has been deciphering the reasons for over 3000 years and has some solid interpretations.
East Asian Medicine practitioners diagnose many pain conditions as Bi, or obstruction problems related to wind, dampness, cold or heat. In some cases, they could be caused by external elements affecting the joints, such as an arthritic hairdresser whose hands are routinely submerged in cold water, or a surfer who surfs through the winter and throws out their back. Or they may just mimic the nature of these external elements and tend to get exacerbated by environmental changes.
1. Wind – Wind doesn’t always relate to the air that blows on your body. It can also describe sudden changes or abrupt movements. In wind patterns, symptoms may be exacerbated by windy conditions, air conditioning, sudden dramatic fluctuations in barometric pressure or even sudden changes in personal life circumstances, like the “whirlwind” of chaotic events that might come with unexpected bad news. This can lead to symptoms like that crick in your neck. Wind conditions tend to move around, come and go and change quickly. It may be the kind of pain that shows up in one place, resolves quickly and then shows up somewhere else. There may be twitching, spasticity or tremors. Wind loves to fill a vacuum, so when there’s a deficiency of blood or fluid in the system, people may be especially vulnerable to this element. Treating wind conditions doesn’t always mean treating the area of pain directly, since chasing the wind is usually futile. Instead, points are used that help to treat the root cause of the problem.
2. Dampness – Dampness is a problem of excess fluids, fluids stagnating and not flowing or fluids being in the wrong place. Often dampness comes with swelling. Damp conditions usually develop gradually, are slow to change and slow to improve. Movement might feel difficult or blocked, but if a patient can push through and get moving, they will feel better after fluids start circulating more. Dampness can be tricky and might sometimes look dry, like a lack of synovial fluid. This is because compromised fluid circulation will lead to a lack of physiologic fluids in the right place and pathological fluids in the wrong place. Think of it this way, when a beaver builds a dam, it causes water to pool, which makes the area below the dam seem dry. The same thing happens with excess dampness in the body. The pooling dampness at the point of blockage can create dryness in other areas of the body because the flow of blood and other bodily fluids are impeded.
3. Heat – Heat makes particles speed up. It’s also expansive. Heat conditions may look like an excess of inflammation. There may be swelling, redness, infection or burning sensations. It’s when this inflammatory response becomes excessive and obstructs healing, that ice or cold therapy might be helpful. Heat also has a drying effect and may go along with a loss of fluid in the joints, making the muscles seem brittle and tight.
4. Cold – Cold makes particles slow down and contract. When water freezes, it becomes solid and doesn’t move. Cold as a disease factor, relates to conditions that make things stop. Besides actual cold in our environment, this could also be sudden shocks that put us into a freeze response or abrupt physical trauma that leads to a lack of circulation. Cold has long been a foundation of the R.I.C.E – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – theory for treating acute injuries. But there has finally been more research and debate about this approach, and many Western practitioners are starting to rethink ice. While ice may slow down nerve signaling and help numb pain, it may not be doing much to help tissue healing. Some argue that it reduces inflammation, but the inflammatory response to an acute injury is a critical step in the healing process. In East Asian Medicine, we usually try to first distinguish the nature of the pain before advising if ice is appropriate. And generally speaking, unless there is obvious swelling, ice is rarely recommended.
In practice, combination patterns are frequently observed and usually need to be treated in stages. This is why East Asian Medicine may take longer to relieve symptoms. There are steps that have to be taken to eliminate all blockages. If a person presents with both excess and deficiency symptoms, the excess should be cleared away first before boosting the deficiencies. If not, the situation can actually be made worse.
When there is a strong elemental component to a pain condition, treatment plans are customized accordingly. Besides acupuncture, there are several other treatment modalities that can be used to target each of these conditions. Modalities like gua sha can dispel wind from the surface. Moxibustion (moxa) can help to warm a cold condition or dry a damp one. Cupping can be used to clear heat and dampness. Topical and internal herbs can also be prescribed to help your body balance out these elements and make your body more resilient when the weather is not on your side.
If you suffer with weather related issues, why not consider utilizing East Asian Medicine? As shown, there are many ways to help. Give us a call to find out more.