What Do the Stomach, the Muscles, and Urinary Symptoms Have in Common?
By Dr. Renae Haldeman · New to some of these words? See the glossary.
Several weeks ago, at least half a dozen teen boys sat at my kitchen table planning their first homecoming dates. My son asked me to make a feast of huge burritos, which we lovingly call Tacos Alcapulco. I was surprised that a couple of the boys ate very little. But one strong young man said, as he shoveled food into his mouth, “Muscles are made in the kitchen.” I said, “You are exactly right!” He did not know it, but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), muscles ARE made in the kitchen. The Stomach helps support the muscles.
A 48-year-old teacher came to the clinic for elbow pain. A muscle in her elbow had been bothering her for a couple of months. Her overall exam showed that the energy in her stomach channel (an energy pathway in the body) was out of harmony. She was also bothered by leaking urine (urinary incontinence) during the day. She noticed that the more her elbow healed with acupuncture, the less her urine leaked.
Acupuncture that supports the stomach channel can help urinary symptoms because of a special channel called the penetrating vessel (the “sea of yin, blood, and fluids”). The stomach pathway and the penetrating vessel give the body moisture (yin). This moisture gives strength to the muscles of the bladder and the bladder’s valve (called a sphincter), which helps correct incontinence. In Western medicine, these smooth muscles must stay toned to keep the bladder healthy. This patient’s muscle problems were linked to weakness in her stomach channel. After just a handful of acupuncture treatments, her bladder control got better.
A 42-year-old homemaker came to the office mainly for acupuncture to support her menstrual cycle and hormone balance. She is a muscular woman who loves to exercise and pushes herself hard at the gym. She said that after a handful of acupuncture treatments, her nausea, which used to bother her right before and during her period, went away. The urgent need to pee during the day, which came just before her period, also got much better.
Call us today for a free phone consultation about your stomach, muscles, and urine symptoms: (702) 258-7860.
Resources
- The Foundations of Chinese Medicine (Maciocia, 3rd Edition, Elsevier 2015, pages 85, 143, 193)
- The Practice of Chinese Medicine (Maciocia, 2nd Edition, Elsevier 2008, pages 387, 388)
- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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This article is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary. Please talk with a licensed healthcare provider about your own health.