Have you ever felt like your hands and feet are always cold? Or that your legs get really puffy by the end of the day? These could be signs your body is trying to tell you something.

What are the main causes of coldness and swelling?Think of your body like a river with flowing water. If this flow gets blocked, coldness and swelling can easily occur.

　　　

Causes of Coldness

📍 Poor Blood Circulation: Staying in the same position for too long or not getting enough exercise can make it hard for your blood to flow smoothly. It’s like trying to water your garden with a hose that’s only letting out a trickle.

📍 Weak Muscle Pump Action: Your muscles act like pumps to push blood back to your heart. If your muscles are weak from lack of exercise, this pumping action weakens, making you feel colder.

📍 Imbalance of the Autonomic Nervous System: Stress and irregular sleep can mess with your body’s temperature control system, called the autonomic nervous system, making you more sensitive to cold. * Eating and Drinking Too Many Cold Things: Consuming a lot of cold food and drinks can cool your body down from the inside.

Causes of Swelling

📍 Poor Fluid Circulation: If excess fluid in your body isn’t drained away properly, it can build up and cause swelling. Imagine a clogged drain where water starts to pool.

📍 Slow Lymphatic Flow: Lymph fluid carries waste and extra fluid away from your tissues. If this flow becomes sluggish, swelling can occur.

📍 Eating Too Much Salt: Salt makes your body hold onto water. So, eating a lot of salty foods can lead to water retention and swelling.

📍 Standing or Sitting for Long Periods: Staying in the same position for a long time can cause gravity to pull fluids down to your lower body, leading to swelling in your legs and feet.

The Approach of “Japanese Acupuncture”

Traditional Japanese acupuncture can help improve coldness and swelling. Your body has many “Tsubo” or acupoints, which are like energy hubs. And these energy hubs are connected by pathways called “Meridians.”

In acupuncture, thin needles are gently inserted into these Tsubo, or warm moxa (made from a herb) is used to warm them. This helps to smooth out the flow of energy in your body and bring it back into balance.

How it Helps with Coldness and Swelling

📍 Improves Overall Circulation: It helps to get stagnant blood and fluids moving, warming up your entire body.

📍 Supports Internal Organ Function: It especially helps the organs involved in fluid metabolism (like what’s called “Spleen” in Eastern medicine) to work better and drain excess fluid.

📍 Balances Your Body: It regulates the autonomic nervous system and helps your body’s natural healing abilities to work effectively.

Let’s try…

Instead of just focusing on one Tsubo for one symptom, practitioners look at your whole body to find the root cause of your coldness and swelling and choose Tsubo that are right for you.

If you’re struggling with cold hands and feet or swelling, why not give Japanese acupuncture a try? You might experience a gentle warmth spreading through your body and a feeling of lightness!