Spleen & Worry

by

Ramsay Falcove LMT

Chinese Medicine is based on a very different world view than that of Western Medicine. Since the 17th century, westerners have tended to think in terms of a body/mind split. There is the body and there is the mind: and many a Western philosopher and scientist has tried to puzzle out the relationship between these two. In order to understand Traditional Chinese Medicine one must first and foremost understand that no such dualism between the body and the mind exists. The body is the material basis for the mind which is seen as the natural expression of the functions of the body. There is no prejudice in TCM of the psychological over bodily functions or symptoms. Mental activity has always been considered to be inseparable bodily diseases. The causative relationship between the psyche and the body in Traditional Chinese Medicine is completely bidirectional.

Modern Psychology tells us that first we have a thought then we produce an emotion (energy in motion) to that thought. . The more thoughts we have the more energy we produce. This is productive up to a point.

In my last article, I introduced the concept of the different vital organs of the body in Chinese Medicine working as organ systems rather than a single vital organ. The spleen is a soft spongy organ about fist size that is located in the left upper part of the abdomen just under the rib cage. Its function is vital to certain immunities. In Chinese Medicine, the spleen is an organ network that includes the spleen, small intestine and stomach. They work together primarily to assimilate food and drink. Our diet can be very important in this regard.

Out of this process comes the sentimental activity of pensiveness, pondering, thinking. The Chinese Masters say the root of our ideas come from the spleen, then they are made into reality through the heart spirit. The act of pensiveness means to be thoughtful or to ponder. As we get older we tend to participate in this activity more. As I have said in previous articles, emotions become pathological when they are indulged in for a prolonged period of time. They overwhelm the physiological process of the body and tilt the yin/yang balance.

When being thoughtful turns into worry and pondering turns into obsession, we may become ill physically and begin having symptoms. Similar to the Liver, when anger is intense or blocked it leads to a slowing down or stagnation of Qi. When we think too much our thoughts become overcrowded and they go nowhere and are not resolved. This means our Spleen Qi(life energy) stagnates and has nowhere to go.

If you remember when gasoline engines used to have carburetors(this example is more for the guys), the carburetor would mix the fuel(emotion) with the air to the proper mixture. This produced fire for the internal combustion engine. If you made the mistake of pressing too long on the accelerator, it would upset the fuel/air  ratio and the engine would flood and not start. This is what happens when a person over thinks. When we have a thought, we produce an emotion(energy). More thought = More energy. When you produce too much energy in too small a space (the spleen), the energy overcrowds and stagnates.

The Spleen has a very close relationship with the Heart and nourishes the heart.  A stagnation of Spleen Qi(life energy) means that it will eventually have an effect on the Heart Spirit. I will  cover this relationship in my next article.

When Spleen Qi is stagnated or blocked, a person gets symptoms like poor appetite, abdominal distention and diarrhea. They may get a “heavy feeling” in the body and feel a lack of strength. College students can easily suffer from this. This can also happen if you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer. With the introduction of computers and technology into our everyday lives it is very easy to see these kinds of symptoms. If you sit at a computer for hours on end( you could be on the internet or doing accounting or just solving problems) your mind is constantly working and  being bombarded with new information, new technology, new everything. All of which is impossible to absorb. This may cause an overload on the spleen thinking function and cause stagnation in Spleen Qi(life energy).  A person may become mentally dull, they get palpitations, insomnia and become very dreamy.

In Western society we may call this “spending too much time in our head” . What we are actually doing is spending too much time in our spleen. Finding a balance between thinking and feeling and acting and resting can be very hard in American society. We are constantly being urged to come up with the latest idea, the fastest at production and competitive in the marketplace. Staying in our heads and out of our bodies is the norm in America. Our being out of touch with our bodies may be the cause for the health care crisis in this country. Our natural inner self will warn us of impending health crises if we listen to it and as we listen to it we can make the appropriate changes. If we are constantly in our heads(or spleen) then we do not hear the messages.

A proper diet is essential in maintaining Spleen health. Our bodies were designed to eat fresh, whole, nutrient rich foods. In the fast food nation we live in, we are consuming little more than carbohydrated pulp and the very basic proteins. Vital nutrients, minerals & vitamins are “processed” out to get you food quicker and on time. Our entire postpartum experience depends on the food we eat and the air we breath. Please be careful about the food you consume.

Sticking a needle into an acupuncture meridian acts as a pressure relief valve to draw the energy away from the excess that has stagnated the Spleen. It opens enough space in the spleen to allow it to regain its normal function. Acupuncture does little except give the body a chance to heal itself. Acupuncture is a very natural process and sometimes can be misunderstood. I have heard people say, “I got better after my treatment but I don’t think it was the acupuncture, my body just healed itself. “

(Note to the editor: Please publish this next section as written. Thank you.)

Ramsay Falcove became an acupuncturist through 5 years of apprenticeship with a well know licensed acupuncturist from China. He has been in practice on his own for 2 years and is eligible to take the NCCAOM licensure exam. He can be reached at 205-369-0385 or on the net at www.ramsayfalcove.com Look for Ramsay’s next article “Heart & Joy”