Iron Infusion No. 3 - Blood Deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine
It’s time for my third iron infusion for iron deficiency anemia.
And today, during drip number three, I'm going to talk about 'blood deficiency' from an Eastern or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective.
As a naturopathic doctor who went to the school that I did, I was trained in Chinese medicine throughout my naturopathic education.
I've hauled out some of my old TCM books to read from.
THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER by TED KAPTCHUK (Check it out here).
"In the generic sense, the fundamental quality of human life, like the cosmos itself, is an all pervasive Qi.
Qi is the quality of life that is dynamic and transforming. Blood is the responsive, accepting, effortless, soft and nurturing compliment to the clinical qi.
Qi and blood are the Yang and Yin of ordinary life activity.
Qi activates, blood relaxes.
Qi quickens, blood softens.
Qi is tense and tight. Blood is smooth and languid.
Qi embodies effort. Blood is effortless.
Qi is becoming. Blood is being.
Qi moves forward in time. Blood circulates in repetitive cycles.
Qi is the potential. Blood is the actualized.
Qi is creative and fosters newness. Blood is the already achieved and recognizes what has already been created.
Qi is visionary. Blood is memory.
Qi is Yang. Blood is yin."
2. THE PRACTICE OF CHINESE MEDICINE by Giovanni Maciocia
This book goes symptom by symptom and shares what acupuncture points what, what traditional Chinese medical herbs that you would use to support that.
Now, what is blood deficiency in Chinese medicine and how does it present?
Not unlike symptoms of iron deficiency or anemia, there can be:
fatigue
dizziness, sometimes only with change of posture.
lightheadedness.
dull pale face
poor memory
insomnia
palpitations
depressions
poor appetite
tongue is pale and thin.
Of course all these symptoms are rather general, not specific and could be related to many issues in the body.
In TCM there are conditions of excess (when there is too much of something) and conditions of deficiency (when there is not enough of something).
Remember my formula for health?
It's simple.
Health = NUTRIENTS in and WASTES out
We have to NUTRIFY what we don't have enough of and DETOXIFY what we have too much of.
In the chapter on dizziness, under blood deficiency Maciocia states that the intention of treatment is to:
Tonify the qi
Nourish the blood
Strengthen certain organs.
In TCM The liver stores the blood, the spleen distributes it, and the heart, of course, pumps the blood around the body.
One acupuncture point that could be helpful for dizziness related to blood deficiency is right at the top of the head: Governing Vessel 20.
One of my favorite things about Chinese medicine is that it incorporates emotions into the physical.
Every single organ in the body governs a specific emotion.
Three organs that I've mentioned already:
The heart is in charge of joy and its opposite sadness.
The liver is in charge of anger and it's counterparts: benevolence and kindness.
The spleen is in charge of worry, anxiety, overthinking and the flip of being calm, centered, grounded.
3. Classical Five-element Acupuncture: The five elements and the officials Vol 3 by J. R. Worsley
Next we'll talk about the Heart Protector, which could loosely translate to our Western pericardium, but it has a bigger job to do than just lining the outside of the heart. It helps maintain the flow of blood in TCM.
"In looking at the control of circulation, we have to go beyond our Western ideas about blood in order to grasp how important the Heart Protector's function is.
Blood in Chinese medicine goes hand in hand with Qi energy.
Qi is said to be the commander of the blood, while blood is seen as the mother of Qi.
By maintaining the flow of blood in the arteries and veins, the Heart Protector is helping to provide the flow of energy to every cell in the body.
What this gives us is not only the physical warmth and nourishment, but the mental and spiritual warmth.
For above all, what the blood provides in its flow to every cell of the body is contact and communication.
The generosity, the compassion, the understanding and the forgiveness.
The inner warmth which flows from the fire element are spread to every corner of the body, mind and spirit."
4. HEALING WITH WHOLE FOODS by Paul Pitchford (Check it out here).
This is the cheapest, most helpful book I've ever bought.
This book makes a note of how our hair is an extension of the blood.
Blood deficiency can create weak, brittle hair that might be graying prematurely or breaking.
This excerpt comes from the section under blood deficiency called:
The current age of anxiety
"It's commonly known in China that worry causes gray hair.
Much the same is said in the Western adage about hair:
'Grass doesn't grow very well on a busy street.'
Worry accelerates aging in general because it weakens the blood which carries nutrients necessary for cell regeneration.
The motivation behind worry is an attempt to figure things out from every perspective because of doubt and insecurity.
But when one has faith in a unified life process, for example, that life proceeds according to its own perfection, then real acceptance of the suchness of life becomes possible, and the busy mind can relax in relaxed awareness.
There exists, naturally, a greater understanding, even wisdom.
In this way, the knowledge so keenly sought after through worry finally arrives when worry stops."
I will say, that after infusion 3, I'm still loving my iron IV treatments. I feel so full of energy!
Reach out to find out if you're a candidate and learn more here:
https://nanaimoivtherapy.com/iron-infusions
So we can get your qi tonified and your blood nourished.
I'm newly and proudly offering IV iron infusions to the drained, depleted, exhausted folks of Nanaimo and Central Vancouver Island, BC…
So that they can increase their energy, focus, stress tolerance, and immune function, etc…
And keep up with life demands without their health suffering anymore.
Thanks for being here. I’m Dr. Tonia Winchester, a Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor, and certified IV nutrient therapist. I’m happy to help fill up your iron stores!
This is all taking place at Knead Therapy in Nanaimo, BC, central Vancouver Island.
