Back Pain Doesn’t Have to Hold You Back

Back Pain Doesn’t Have to Hold You Back

Energy Update, HEALTH & WELLNESS

Back pain is an all-too-common struggle. Did you know it’s one of the leading reasons people miss work and the second most common reason for visiting the doctor? Shockingly, 80% of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives.

Whether it’s hours spent hunched over a desk, long drives, sports injuries, or simply the wear and tear of daily life, back pain can seem inevitable. But it doesn’t have to be. With the powerful tools of Qi Gong, Food Medicine, and Acupressure, you can take charge of your health and alleviate back pain—naturally and effectively.

Instead of accepting back pain as part of life, imagine addressing it head-on, restoring balance, and preventing it from progressing into a more debilitating issue.

Understanding Back Pain Through the Lens of Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, back pain is often rooted in Qi and Blood Stagnation.

Qi Stagnation:

Qi, the vital energy flowing through your body, moves along meridians (energy channels). When this flow is blocked, discomfort begins as a dull ache but can develop into sharp, fixed pain.

For example, women with painful periods often experience lower back pain due to stagnation of Qi, which prevents blood from circulating freely.

Another common culprit is the invasion of cold or dampness into the bladder meridians of the spine.

Think of Qi like water flowing through a river. When temperatures drop, water slows, thickens, and may even freeze, unable to move freely. Qi behaves the same way—cold or stagnation can stop its smooth flow, leading to pain and discomfort.

Moving the body with gentle exercise such as Qi Gong can create heat in the body, warming the meridians, the muscles and the fascia which in turn helps the Qi and blood to flow.

Blood Stagnation:

Trauma, injury, or sedentary habits can lead to poor blood flow. Like a bruise that lingers, blood stagnation can intensify pain.

A sedentary lifestyle without physical activity plus slouching or sitting slumped on your office chair or couch, hunching forward while weeding your garden or standing washing dishes for a long time, can cause Qi stagnation.

The good news? The treatment is the same: Get moving, stay warm, and stimulate circulation.

In Chi Flow with Jo, you’ll learn targeted exercises like spinal cord breathing and massage techniques for acupoints BL23 and BL52, which support back health and relieve pain.

Bladder 23 (Shenshu) and Bladder 52 (Zhishi) are pivotal acupoints along the Bladder meridian, renowned in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for alleviating back pain by enhancing Qi and blood circulation.

Locating Bladder 23 (Shenshu) Kidney Transporter: This point is situated on the lower back, level with the space between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, approximately two finger-widths (1.5 cun) lateral to the spine.

Locating Bladder 52 (Zhishi) Willpower room: Found at the same lumbar level as Bladder 23, Bladder 52 is positioned further outward, about four finger-widths (3 cun) lateral to the spine.

Benefits of Massaging and Warming These Points:

Enhancing Qi and Blood Flow: Gentle massage stimulates these acupoints, promoting the smooth flow of Qi and blood along the Bladder meridian, which can alleviate stagnation and reduce back pain.

Kidney Support: Bladder 23 is closely associated with kidney health. Massaging this point can strengthen the kidneys, which, in TCM, are vital for maintaining overall vitality and back strength. (See below)

Therapeutic Warmth: Applying warmth to these areas, such as using a warm compress or engaging in practices like ginger foot soaks, can further enhance circulation and provide relief from discomfort. (see the latest Ask Me Anything for further information) Grief & Back Pain

Supporting the Kidneys Through Food Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are the foundation of lower back health. When the kidney system is deficient, back pain and other symptoms, like fatigue, sweating, dizziness, or insomnia can arise.

Whenever there is back pain the Kidney system will be treated in Chinese medicine.
‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’ (206 BCE–220 CE) states;

If there is free flow, there is no pain;
If there is no free flow, there is pain.

We have already discussed the Qi and/or blood stagnation in the channel(s), if specifically through the region of the low back, there will be pain.

The kidneys relate to the water element so again return to the image or a river flowing unimpeded and suddenly a tree falls across the river, we see in our imagination the water no longer flowing freely, but getting blocked by the log, pushing into the banks of the river.
The basic concept of exercising the meridians in Qi Gong is to re-open the river, create a circulation so that the log lifts and normal flow is restored.

As I discussed. We can do this with Qi Gong and acupressure but within the five element system of Chinese medicine which I lay out clearly in my books we can also do this with food.

To nourish your kidneys enhancing the river flow of Qi, incorporate blue/black-colored foods, such as:

♥ Black sesame seeds
♥ Black beans/Adzuki Beans
♥ Seaweed
♥ Blueberries
♥ Black rice

These foods are rich in minerals and nutrients that support kidney health and overall vitality.
The salty flavour is associated with the kidneys so make sure you keep hydrated and take good quality salt, seaweed, walnuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts and goji berries which are packed full of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese and zinc which are all brilliant to help muscles, ligaments and tendons relax, letting Qi flow.

In my books, I dive deeper into the 5 Element system and provide delicious recipes like Red Date and Goji Berry Tea, which strengthens the kidneys and spleen while enhancing your immune system. 

The Connection Between Digestive Health and Back Pain

Did you know that intestinal inflammation can contribute to back pain? The nerves of your digestive system run through your lower spine, meaning bloating, period pain, or other abdominal issues can trigger discomfort in the back.

Fascia plays a crucial role here. This connective tissue surrounds your organs and muscles, and when it becomes tight, it can restrict movement and cause pain. 

Qi Gong works to release these tensions, improve blood flow, and restore flexibility, creating a ripple effect of healing throughout the body.

Join us in Chi Flow with Jo as we focus on Dragon Qi Gong, a practice rooted in the Water Element of the 5 Element system. This ancient movement targets the Kidney Meridian, a key player in lower back health.

Benefits of Dragon Qi Gong:

♥ Fascia Health: Lengthens and softens fascia in the lower back, improving flexibility and reducing pain.

♥ Kidney Meridian Activation: Boosts Qi flow, essential for relieving back pain and promoting kidney health.

♥ Spinal Twist & Stretch: Counter-rotation combined with internal pressure from breath has an effect akin to wringing out a towel.

Simple Practices for Daily Kidney Care

♥  Stay Warm: Keep your back and feet cozy, especially during colder months.
♥ Hydrate & Nourish: Drink mineral-rich teas like Barley Water and Kukicha Tea to support digestion and kidney health.
♥ Try Ginger Soaks: Before bed, soak your feet in warm ginger-infused water to relax your body and promote warmth.
♥ Move Your Body: Gentle stretches, twists, and Qi Gong exercises prevent stagnation and enhance flexibility.

Empower Yourself with Chi Flow

You don’t have to suffer in silence or rely solely on conventional methods. Take responsibility for your health with Chi Flow with Jo—a holistic approach that integrates movement, acupressure, and food medicine.

Let’s get moving, healing, and flowing—together, every day in Chi flow with Jo.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

WATCH & LISTEN TO THE
ENERGY UPDATE PODCAST

Reduce Pain & Inflammation for Fibromyalgia

Reduce Pain & Inflammation for Fibromyalgia

Energy of Food Blog

If you have fibromyalgia or pain due to inflammation in the body, what are the foods to avoid to reduce inflammation?

If you suffer from fibromyalgia, you will know that there are no two people who suffer the same. While there are foods that will help reduce inflammation as well as food that can be bad for it, nobody will react the exact same to every food I suggest.

So, I will be helping you to look into your body, locate the problem area, and showing you how to eat foods that can boost your body’s health with the help of my knowledge of Chinese Medicine!

WHAT CAUSES INFLAMMATION IN THE BODY?

When we are dealing with inflammation in the body, the first organ I go to is the liver. The liver and the gallbladder together are responsible for flowing blood around the body, as well as your metabolism.

If your liver is congested, you likely are experiencing problems with pain and inflammation.

FOODS TO AVOID THAT CONGEST THE LIVER

Liver congestion and inflammation can be caused by a diet that stagnates the liver. This diet would consist of very heavy fats, plenty of alcohol, and lots of meat, cheese and dairy.

So foods like pizza, cakes and biscuits that have lots of trans fats you will want to avoid, because they cause the stagnation in your liver that can lead to inflammation.

FOODS WE WANT TO EAT FOR THE LIVER

Now that we’ve covered foods to avoid, let’s go over some foods that can help the liver move and flow!

First, turmeric is a great ingredient for stimulating the liver into action. You can have this in your tea, or you can grate it over your mashed potatoes with a bit of ginger and lemon with a stick of cinnamon.

Have a look at my website for a really fantastic anti-inflammatory tea that uses fresh turmeric and ginger HERE.

Umeboshi plum is another ingredient that is great to help the liver and reduce inflammation and pain. Umeboshi plum is a salted, fermented, pickled plum. You just need to take a small part, dissolve it in water and drink it down to receive the benefits it can have on your liver.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

To learn more about food that stimulates the liver and helps reduce inflammation, watch or listen to this episode of Ask Me Anything where I discuss even more foods and ingredients that can be great for reducing inflammation.

WATCH/LISTEN TO ALL PODCAST EPISODES HERE

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

The Ask Me Anything podcast series has been created to answer your questions using my knowledge of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong, Qi Food therapy and Shiatsu. 

You can ask a question by clicking on THIS LINK, or you can watch past episodes to see if your question has already been answered.

Join the Chi Flow online community today!

Also, join me in Chi Flow with Jo every weekday morning for live online Qi Gong where we will practise Qi Gong, as well as self-acupressure, delicious healthy recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tips and Meridian stretches.  

You can sign up for a FREE online qi gong class with the form below.

Hope to see you in the Chi Flow!

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

Virus – get out!

Virus – get out!

Home, Powerful Points and Meridian Flows

Did you know that Covid and other such virus’s can remain in the body causing inflammation, lethargy, joint and muscle pain and other symptoms common in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue such as anxiety and depression.*1

Non classical monocytes patrol the endothelium and create an inflammation in response to an infection.
If viral remnants become lodged in the fascia the monocytes will keep creating inflammation in order to rid the virus from your body.

Studies show that for some people, long after a person is infectious, the immune response persists as the markers of non classical monocytes remain elevated.

So how to push the virus out of the fascia tissues of the body so that the inflammation response stop?

Qi Gong practiced in Chi Flow with Jo gently opens and releases the fascia. Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fibre and muscle in place.
Different to yoga, which tends to release and stretch tight muscles, Qi gong opens hydrates and lubricate the joints, ligaments, and fascia.
Qi Gong has worked with the fascia as a source of wellness way for hundreds of years.

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By gently stretching and making more elastic, the veins, arteries, nerve tissues, and other connective tissues, viral remnants are released from the body and inflammation, pain and stiffness is reduced.

In Chi Flow with Jo we combine Qi Gong exercises, acupressure and 5 element food medicine. Here is a fantastic point for releasing stiffness, pain and pathogens from the body. The triple heater also regulates the temperature of the body so if you find yourself having hot flashes or re-occuring fevers, try this point.

Triple Heater 5 (outer gate)
Find it by measuring 3 fingers up from the crease of the wrist on both arms, and press gently but firmly for approximately 30 seconds. Do this consistently during the day and every day.

However this point is generally not used alone.

Sweet, pungent foods are used in Chinese Medicine to expel anything trapped in the interior of the body to the exterior. Have a look at the delicious Pear, Cinnamon and red date tea.

If the body is weak, the Yin energy needs to be nourished so that there is enough Yang energy to expel viral remnants. As I discussed in my last blog the Kidney energy in the body can sometimes be too weak to push the virus out from the body. Bone broth and the other Salty flavoured foods build Kidney energy. This organ system is seen as the roots of the body, so build it from the inside.

Qi Gong, practiced in Chi Flow with Jo, together with the acupressure points, builds the Yin energy of the body so that there is sufficient Yang energy to move the blockages from the channels.

If you experience post viral or menopause symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, sore joints, painful muscles and hot flashes, come practice with us. No special equipment, clothing or previous experience necessary.

It’s easy, fun and effective – with almost 300 of us on line every morning – you don’t have to suffer alone.

  • 8.20 meditation
  • 8.30-9.00 Live Qi Gong
  • 9.00 Q&A Live with me and the group

Daily Live sessions recorded and emailed directly to you with Acupressure points and 5 element food guidance, so you can practice whenever and where ever suits you.      Also includes:

  • Mid-Monthly Health Talk
  • Guided Monthly Meditations
  • Access to extensive Library with Qi Gong/Acupressure and Food Medicine instruction videos

*1study: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.746021/full

The information in my blogs are complimentary therapy and are not intended to replace conventional medicine. If you are having distressing symptoms please visit your healthcare practitioner.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

How to stop catching colds

How to stop catching colds

Recipes

Have you ever wondered why some people catch more colds than others? or why you tend to catch colds more in the autumn? or most importantly, how you can protect yourself against those colds and flu’s?

Well, I share some of my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to show you why and how.

Just like western medicine which talks about our Immune system – Chinese Medicine has talked about Wei Chi for thousands of years. It’s the energy that forms a powerful boundary around your body, defending you against invading virus’s and pathogens. Chinese medicine likes to describe the body as a kingdom where each of the organs have particular roles: The Heart is the Emperor, the Lung is the Chancellor in charge of regulation, the Liver as the General for planning and executing orders and so on…… the Wei Chi is the wall that fortifies and protects the kingdom within.

If your defensive system is robust and the pathogen weak, you don’t get sick. But if the pathogen is strong, and your boundaries are weak, the higher the chance the invading virus makes it into your body and you “catch a cold.”

There are a few strategies to improve your defences such as good sleep plus being in-tune with your environment and dressing appropriately but most importantly, within the kingdom of your organs there must be balance.

What I do as a Shiatsu practitioner is to listen to your body and diagnose which of your organs is out of balance; what is too Yin and needs support or what is too Yang and needs calming, thereby creating harmony in your internal environment.

Without specialised training, you can do this by simply paying attention to your symptoms and following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, laid out clearly in my book, showing you what needs Yang warming and moving and what needs Yin cooling and nourishing.

As we move into Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, we can experience extreme external changes of cold winds, warming sunshine and drenching downpours, all in one day, so it is important to keep the internal system in balance.

Following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pungent flavour moves and warms the internal body. It moistens the Lung & Large Intestine, the organs associated with this season and largely responsible, together with the Spleen, for the strength of Wei Chi Immunity. They stimulate blood circulation and prevent the accumulation of internal dampness which can be pernicious in Autumn.

These pungent foods include onions, scallions, radishes, ginger, wasabi mustard, garlic and horseradish. Here I share one of my favourite Autumn recipes from my first, smaller 5 element cookbook – Vegetarian French Onion Soup, which strengthens the Lungs, warms the Large intestine and fortifies your Wei Chi.

All through the month of October in Chi Flow with Jo every morning we are practicing Qi Gong exercises, recipes and acupressure points to benefit breathing. In November we will move specifically to focus on the Immune system. Doors are closed to join Chi Flow with Jo until Sunday 24th October but you can join the wait list and receive free classes at the end of the month.  (see form below)
If you can’t wait that long you can always buy my books which lay out clearly what foods to eat for which organ and time of year or why not book an online consultation or in person Shiatsu if you’d like a personal diagnosis.

In the meantime try this wonderfully warming, pungent soup and fortify your inner kingdom

As you are cooking the miso, you retain the delicious flavour, but will kill most of the probiotic contained within the paste. So just before cooking use a mug to remove some of the soup, dissolve a further tablespoon of miso into the mug of removed liquor, turn off the heat and stir back into the soup. Remove the twiggy stalks of thyme and serve with delicious spelt bread which is the following recipe in Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

25 g butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1.5 kg onions
Large sprig of fresh thyme
4 crushed Bay leaves
Good splash of toasted
sesame oil
2 pints miso stock (to taste)

Melt the butter together with the oil, add the onions and fry for a minute or so on a high heat. Give them a shuffle and a stir, making sure the butter doesn’t burn and the onions don’t stick.

Throw in the herbs, bay leaves, a splash of sesame oil and turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting leaving the lid on. The onions need to cook for at least 20 minutes until they are a toffee colour and sticky consistency. Pour in the miso stock and simmer for at least another 20-30 minutes.

The longer the better. A slow soup in the making but worth the wait.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.