October 18, 2019

The Earth’s Energy

By Jessica Cantrell

For those of you who have already had some contact with one of the branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, you will know that it is not only a tool for curing illnesses, but also for teaching the patient why he or she has become ill, and how, through small changes in his or her life habits and with natural and innocuous treatments, he or she can prevent them.

We consider the human body as a microcosm that must vibrate in harmony with the macrocosm where we live. Any disharmony and energy imbalance will lead to disease. Thus, we start from the fact that TCM recognizes the person as an “individual”, that is why, when faced with two people with the same disease, the treatment to be followed will not be the same.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, usually associated with chronic fatigue. The causes of this disease are not known, but some people attribute its appearance to certain factors such as strong stress situations, viral or bacterial infections, a decrease in serotonin…, some scientists even believe that a genetic factor may exist.

But fibromyalgia is a disease that goes far beyond pain, it involves several disorders that affect the daily life of those who suffer from it, such as tiredness, insomnia, depression, asthenia, irritable colon,…

The conventional treatment currently offered consists of helping to relieve the pain with various types of drugs (anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, muscle relaxants,…).

As we have said, in TCM there are no diseases, only syndromes, and in each syndrome there are many factors to take into account, such as the energy we inherit from our ancestors, the climatic factors of the area where we live, the food we eat and the way we lead our lives in general.

So, how should we treat this condition? Why do we say that the energy of the Earth is the key to successfully treating this disease?

The physical balance of the organism will depend on the capacity of the Earth to transform useful energy and distribute it in a balanced way. Any alteration due to a malfunctioning of the Earth will reach the totality of the organs, since they will not be nourished, producing a general weakness of the whole organism.

The Earth element comprises the Spleen and the Stomach, because they are responsible for the transformation of the food we eat into energy and for producing the blood that feeds our cells. The Spleen directly influences the tone and condition of muscle tissue. Weakness in the extremities and muscle atrophy indicate that the energy of the Spleen is weak.

On the other hand, when there is pain we say that there is stagnation. In the case of fibromyalgia there is stagnation of the Liver and Gallbladder Qi.

From the point of view of TCM, the person who presents the symptoms that are associated with this disease are related to the Gallbladder, since for them the Gallbladder is much more than a small sac located under the Liver that stores and concentrates the bile.

This viscera, part yin of the Liver (part yang), is like a hinge, making any mechanism (door, window…) open and close without difficulty. The Gallbladder is like the gear of the body, which facilitates movements. But that would be if the hinge is in good condition, because the hinges are responsible for providing mobility and elasticity to the body, and if they squeak when opening or closing, they hurt.

The same happens with the body, when the gallbladder does not fulfill its functions properly, symptoms such as those associated with fibromyalgia appear. Therefore, any joint movement you make, whether in the wrist, hip, shoulder, knee, neck…, is a pain for the patient.

On the other hand, the gallbladder secretes bile, which is necessary to digest and metabolize fats, and collaborates with the lymphatic system to expel the toxic products of metabolism that settle in the muscles, creating pain and muscle fatigue. In TCM the blockage of the gallbladder meridian causes headache, neck and shoulder tension. You only have to look at the path of this meridian.

We cannot forget that contact with the outside world generates inner emotions. And every emotion we generate triggers physiological reactions throughout the body, secretions of various hormones, release of neurotransmitters in the brain and nervous system, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, adjustments in breathing…

When these emotional reactions are moderate they do not cause any serious damage, but when they become extreme or prolonged in time, when we keep them and try to hide them, they end up becoming ingrained, and that is when they become harmful to our body.

The emotional stress we live under, excessive worry, anxiety, fear, guilt, sadness, coupled with an irregular diet, fast food, skipping meals …, all this leads to an energy deficiency of our organs.

Thus, emotional disorders and metabolic disorders form a vicious circle of disease that feeds itself.

In relation to emotions we say that the gallbladder is linked to courage, daring, it gives the impulse for determined action. In fact, it is often said that in ancient times, warriors who fought in the front ranks were considered to be very bilious people. People who have blockages in this meridian have a lack of courage, personal initiative, a touch of shyness or unjustified cowardice, they find it difficult to make decisions and endure changes.