Acupuncture Helps Time Change Adjustments

Acupuncture Helps Time Change Adjustments

Do you have trouble adjusting when the time changes?  Did you know that Acupuncture helps time change adjustments?   Read on….

This week we celebrate getting re-tuned to our surroundings. The clocks will march forward one hour in most of the United States.I  if you never adjusted the clocks in the fall you will be right on time now!  The flowers are coming up, buds opening, and the air is filled with wondrous scents.  Nature is in-tune with the sunlight and now us humans have to adapt to the new changes in time. With all this electricity and technology we have control over time and sunlight whenever we want it.   It’s effective for efficiency of farming.   But we are pushing past our boundaries and natural circadian rhythms?

How the Time Change Affects our Health

I know I get thrown off for a few days or weeks. Anyone else have this issue? In an article found at http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-saving-health.html.   They state that “many people say that daylight saving time affects their sleeping patterns and body clocks. Drowsiness, headaches and additional stress are among the complaints given by those who feel negatively affected by time changes.”

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked health problems for twenty years.  They found that heart attacks increased significantly for the first three weekdays after the time change in the spring.  This was especially evident on Mondays and in women. In contrast, there were fewer incidences of heart attacks after the time change in the autumn. They believe the most plausible explanation is the adverse effect of sleep deprivation on cardiovascular health. People used to sleep for 9 hours and now the general population sleeps 7.5, and less with the time change.

So how do we best support our health during the transition time? At RiverWest Acupuncture in Portland, we use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to calm and balance the body as well as help it sleep. Chinese Medicine is fantastic for readjusting the body seasonally as well as with jetlag. Acupuncture mixed with a natural light lamp will help you adjust in this time of change.