Autumn is here and the October slide is in motion. You probably know this phrase already, but in case you don’t, here’s the TL/DR: the weather patterns are shifting and you are experiencing flares, increased fatigue, worsening pain, extra-fuzzy brain fog, and/or vertigo to go along with the cooler temperatures and social changes that mark the advent of October.
Normies don’t tend to know what the October slide is but people in the chronic illness and pain communities sure do. And though it’s not hard to find online articles about what to do and how to tend to yourself, I’ve noticed that there’s not a lot if you want to read about Chinese medicine and self-care during this period.
And so here you have it, a blog post just for you.
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~~The issues~~
Barometric pressure relates the weight of air molecules and the pressure that they put on any given point. A higher barometric pressure is what we get with clear and warmer weather; lower is how things go when it’s raining or otherwise stormy. When a storm is brewing, barometric pressure can drop quickly and even normies might feel that. Low pressure is especially hard on people with chronic conditions, though, because it allows tissues to expand slightly in response. Consequently, we feel it in our joints, maybe we end up with vertigo, and/or we suffer from migraine headaches as an added bonus.
During the month of October, as fall begins to blossom into its ultimate expression that then turns into winter, chronic pain patients everywhere have their thoughts on the matter. Some people like the colder temperatures but most, at least in my experience, do not enjoy the cold and dampness at all.
My practice is in Texas and I have patients who want the treatment table warmer on year-round. Once we get into fall, I supplement the table warmer with fuzzy blankets and a TDP lamp. Everyone, normies and zebra fam alike, loves the TDP lamp. Have you ever experienced this marvel? Created by a Chinese inventor in the 1970s, a TDP (short for “Teding Diancibo Pu,” or “special electromagnetic spectrum”) lamp has a heated mineral plate that provides thermal heat for pain relief. It’s heavenly on the lower back and the shoulders, not to mention the feet.
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“If you’ve never heard of it, or you’ve never heard the word spoken out loud, it is pronounced “twee nah,” which means “push” and “grasp,” respectively. It is somewhat like massage and it’s also akin to acupressure and channel work (as opposed to acupuncture directed to specific points). Tui na is one of the pillars of Chinese medicine (the others being: acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and the breath/movement practice known as qigong) and it is a medical specialty. If you are a practitioner in China, you can specialize and treat the same patients as a rheumatologist or an orthopedic doctor would. Tui na is less common here in the United States, and not everyone is as fortunate as I was. My school, at least, had a dedicated training program in tui na and my teacher in the program was a renowned instructor from Beijing.”
—“Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Tui Na, and You” Revisited (Some Thoughts on the OG Blog Post)
Tui na is marvelous year-round, but extra-special wonderful when it’s cold. I’ve been practicing for over a decade now and cold weather joint and body pain respond very well to this modality. If the patient is fine with the smell (I ask first and give them a chance to catch a whiff) of rue, I may add essential oil to a topical herbal treatment the patient already knows. The combination of herbs in the oil makes a warming concoction that (as long as we’ve established that the patient is fine with the woodsy smell) soothes even the angriest joints. And yes, acupuncture and herbal formulas are a possibility too. It all depends on the presentation.
For headaches, there a number of acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas we can employ; tui na is also a possibility too.
What about the day-to-day of this month? Remember: October brings us less sunlight and shorter days, first of all. For anyone who has a hard time with their vitamin D or serotonin levels, this is not a good thing at all. And the days are shorter, you may be experiencing disrupted sleep, and the holiday season is looming. All of this can add to stress levels and when we’re stressed, most of us experience a lower pain threshold. Considering how we normally have extremely high pain thresholds, the surge in pain and the challenges associated with managing it are remarkable.
I feel very strongly about holiday season as a mastie and I also think that many of us have our thoughts on holidays, with or without MCAS.
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“I seriously almost titled this essay ‘girding your loins for the holidays when you have MCAS.’”
—Holidays and MCAS: Surviving and Thriving From November To January
What about you? How do you feel about the upcoming holiday season? Your acupuncturist can work with you on your nutrition, your sleep, and your increased pain via any of the modalities (acupuncture, herbs, TDP lamp, tui na) mentioned above, but when it comes to depression, anxiety, grief, or overwhelm we also have resources that can help.
Did you know that Chinese medicine associates an organ pair and an emotion to each season? We do, and fall’s organs are the Lung and the Large Intestine, and the emotion of this season is grief. The ancient physicians who created the templates for Chinese medicine were wise in how they recognized that falling leaves, shorter days, and colder weather didn’t just make animals start hunkering down for winter. Human beings do the same, and on a spiritual and an emotional level, there is a sense of loss and the potential for grief during this time. They knew.
Your practitioner can tailor your treatment to nurture your energy levels and even soften the sharp edges of grief. We do this for patients at any time of the year, but during fall, we usually will treat via the associated organs. Now is the time to be gentle and nurturing. You certainly deserve that at your appointment for Chinese medicine.
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“Fall and winter are when people get the blues, or seasonal affective disorder. But chronic illness can mean that you already started from a position of anxiety or sadness. If this is so, it might help you to look at things from the perspective of Chinese medicine. For Chinese medicine, the Lung is associated with the emotion of grief. The Large Intestine relates to the idea of letting go. If you do decide to try Chinese medicine at this time, your practitioner will probably give you treatment to nourish these organs, especially if you are sad.”
—Living With the Seasons According to Chinese Medicine: The EDS Version (Are You Ready For Fall?)
Indoor air, humidity, and MCAS triggers? Air quality is another factor involved in the October slide. Are you stuck inside more so than usual and reluctant to open windows for some fresh air when it’s colder out? What about allergies? Here in Austin, we pretty much have a year-round allergy season. The standout allergens in October here are ragweed, elm, and mold. What about where you are? Especially if you have MCAS, October can be an extra-tough month when it comes to triggers.
For allergies and mast cell reactions, it does help if you work with someone to bolster your defenses before allergy season hits you. But if that’s not possible, we still have options and we can still help you to weather the storm(s).
“But wait, there’s more!” is a phrase that rings a bell and not just in popular culture or the advertisement industry. We all know this trope when we live with chronic conditions. I mean… Virus season get into full swing and catching colds, especially if you have young children back in school, make things that much harder.
Colds and flu are pretty normal for this time of year, but when we’re already complicated we most certainly do not need this wrinkle. Do you still mask? I do, and I do in my office (and so do patients). For those who tend to easily catch colds, I will prescribe excellent herbal formulas either before the season gets into full swing or if a cold is brewing. Planning ahead can include working on gut health, sleep hygiene, and stress levels, among other general health topics.
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Bottom line?
Now is the time to take some extra care of yourself. You’re not being dramatic if you’re feeling the effects of October. The slide is real. And though I am, of course, biased in favor of Chinese medicine and the modalities I discuss in this essay, there are still other things you can do in the absence of it.
Are you being intentional about rest? Intentional and not apologetic? If you need extra rest, you need extra rest. That’s not a reflection of your worth as a human being. It’s a reality. So… get good rest and don’t beat yourself up for needing it.
And yet… bed rotting or turning into a complete couch potato will backfire eventually. Are you able to get a little gentle movement in your day? If you are able to work out vigorously, that’s great, but if you are not? That doesn’t mean that gentle movement is worthless.
If you’re not sure where to start or you struggle with executive function and/or lack motivation, do you know where to find structure and support? What about health coaching or a consultation? Having a plan and a clear template for your individual version of success can make the difference between playing whack-a-mole with your self-care and actually creating a meaningful path forward. If it’s available to you, coaching can be a great resource.
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“When we are so tethered to our doctor’s appointments and the uncomfortable and challenging aspects of chronic pain or illness, it may seem frivolous to want to work with a health coach. It’s not, though. The little things that you do every day and the messages that you impart to yourself build your worldview. Sometimes, we get caught in a narrative that keeps us on track (more or less) but at best, it keeps us stuck and worst it hurts us. Sometimes, a guide for a portion of our health journey sees us realizing avenues that we did not even know existed.”
—Health coaching, Edu-coaching, Consultation: The Which and Why and When for People with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Whatever you do, there is one thing that matters most of all.
That’s compassion and kindness. Cut yourself a break. Internalized ableism does nobody any good and it certainly doesn’t make the October slide any less of a slippery slope. When you make a plan for self-care and decide that you are doing what you can do, that’s enough. When you’ve challenged yourself as much as you can (and not to the point of making yourself sicker), that’s enough.
I was a professor in my first career and I used to tell my students that I expected them to do their best at every class and with every assignment. But, as I would explain, “one’s best” is a shifting thing. Some days, your best looks like you’re superhuman: you’re doing all the things, it’s all turning out wonderfully, you are productive. Other days, it’s that you got out of bed and showed up, or you genuinely made an effort, even though nothing worked out the way you expected. And most days, it’s in the middle: some stuff gets done, some ah-ha moments are experienced, and some of it just drops by the wayside.
In terms of the October slide, it’s the same. So cut yourself a break and do the best you can, whatever that means to you. And the next thing you know, spring will be here and there’ll be other joys and challenges.
What will you do to take care of yourself today?
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Dr. Paula Bruno, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, an AOBTA-CP traditional Chinese bodywork therapist, an author, and a health coach. She maintains an active and growing practice at Two Hearts Wellness, her Austin, TX office. Dr. Bruno is also available for distance appointments for wellness consultation or coaching.
In her first career, she was a Spanish professor.
Dr. Bruno’s specialties as a Chinese medicine practitioner include: • Musculoskeletal health (acute or chronic pain relief; Ehlers Danlos syndrome & hypermobility support) • Digestive support, gut health, and weight loss • Aesthetic treatment, including scar revision • Men’s health • General preventative care and wellness support for all persons.
She is the author of Chinese Medicine and the Management of Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Practitioner’s Guide.
When you are ready to discover what traditional medicine plus a vibrant and engaged approach to holistic health can do for you, either contact Dr. Bruno or book an appointment online.
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Note: Material on this web site site is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease, illness, or ailment. A Chinese medicine practitioner in Texas identifies syndrome patterns but does not diagnose illness. Material on this web site does not purport to identify syndrome patterns.
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