TCM Perspective: Frequent Dreams, Swollen Eyes, and Cold Extremities May Signal a Weight-Gain-Prone Constitution
A practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explains that symptoms such as restless sleep, waking with swollen eyelids, and cold hands and feet can be indicators of a body constitution prone to gaining weight. TCM identifies three main types: Spleen Deficiency with Dampness, Liver Qi Stagnation, and Kidney Yang Deficiency. The treatment approach focuses on restoring organ balance and metabolic function through specific herbal formulas and acupuncture to foster a constitution that is less likely to accumulate fat.
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According to Chang Chin-wei, a director of a TCM clinic, addressing weight management from a TCM perspective involves adjusting the balance of internal organs and metabolic functions to restore the body's natural fat-burning capabilities. Obesity is often linked to the functions of the spleen, kidney, and liver.
Three common constitutional types associated with obesity are identified:
1. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness Obstruction: Characterized by flabby muscles and slight eyelid swelling in the morning. Treatments focus on strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness, using formulas like Shen Ling Bai Zhu San and acupuncture on points such as Zusanli and Zhongwan.
2. Liver Qi Stagnation: Associated with emotional symptoms like anxiety, irritability, insomnia with dreams, and a sensation of a foreign object in the throat, leading to stress-related obesity. Treatment aims to soothe the liver and regulate qi, often using Jia Wei Xiao Yao San and acupuncture on points like Taichong.
3. Kidney Yang Deficiency: Symptoms include cold hands and feet, weakness in the lower back or knees, and in women, painful menstruation due to a 'cold uterus'. Treatment focuses on warming and tonifying the kidney's yang energy, utilizing formulas like Ba Wei Di Huang Wan and moxibustion or acupuncture on points such as Shenshu and Guanyuan.
The practitioner advises that weight loss should be gradual, ideally 1-2 kg per week, and must be combined with diet and exercise. It is crucial to seek treatment from a qualified TCM physician and to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions.
Three common constitutional types associated with obesity are identified:
1. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness Obstruction: Characterized by flabby muscles and slight eyelid swelling in the morning. Treatments focus on strengthening the spleen and dispelling dampness, using formulas like Shen Ling Bai Zhu San and acupuncture on points such as Zusanli and Zhongwan.
2. Liver Qi Stagnation: Associated with emotional symptoms like anxiety, irritability, insomnia with dreams, and a sensation of a foreign object in the throat, leading to stress-related obesity. Treatment aims to soothe the liver and regulate qi, often using Jia Wei Xiao Yao San and acupuncture on points like Taichong.
3. Kidney Yang Deficiency: Symptoms include cold hands and feet, weakness in the lower back or knees, and in women, painful menstruation due to a 'cold uterus'. Treatment focuses on warming and tonifying the kidney's yang energy, utilizing formulas like Ba Wei Di Huang Wan and moxibustion or acupuncture on points such as Shenshu and Guanyuan.
The practitioner advises that weight loss should be gradual, ideally 1-2 kg per week, and must be combined with diet and exercise. It is crucial to seek treatment from a qualified TCM physician and to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions.