Restore with Kidney 1 | Point of the Month
Kidney 1 for cancer prevention or restoration.
The Chinese medical approach to cancer starts with prevention by maintaining a healthy state, but in the event of a cancer diagnosis, Traditional Chinese Medicine can help address root causes and restore healing.
October is breast cancer awareness month and an important focus of this awareness is how to prevent it from occurring in the first place or from recurring after a diagnosis, instead of simply looking for it with imaging. I read a quote today by an unknown author that said, “if you do not make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” It’s important to engage in ways that prevent cancer such as eating a healthy diet that is organic and pesticide free when possible and using non-toxic products on your body and in your house to avoid chemicals that disrupt hormones and can cause cell mutation, as well as engaging in other healthy lifestyle practices like exercising, relaxation, and good sleep to decrease stress.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, herbs, Qigong meditation, bodywork and nutrition can be used at any stage of cancer awareness or treatment—from prevention to early diagnosis, before and after surgery, during conventional treatment, to after those treatments are completed, or alongside your personal journey in however you chose to treat your cancer.
Receiving regular acupuncture treatments whether weekly, monthly, or seasonally can help prevent the occurrence of many diseases. Your acupuncturist will give you recommendations on frequency of treatment. These treatments can help strengthen the body to improve immune function, inhibit cancer growth, detoxify, alleviate side effects of conventional treatment, protect the organs and ensure their healthy functioning, and calm the mind and emotions.
One point that might be used in breast cancer prevention and treatment is kidney 1, named ‘Yong Quan’ which translates to gushing stream. It is located on the bottom of the foot approximately one third of the distance between the base of the second toe and the heel. The kidney meridian travels up the inside of the leg through the abdomen, chest and breast area and if breast tumors are located along that pathway, kidney points will definitely be chosen. Because the bottom of the foot is a tender area to needle, heat and/or pressure can be applied here instead.
According to Chinese medicine, we are born with a given amount of energy, kind of like a savings account, and then it is up to us to continue to replenish and build our reserves through good lifestyle practices that will ensure longevity, like a checking account that we sometimes withdraw from, but also need to make deposits into. The kidneys are considered “the body’s energy foundation that generate the power for the entire body and support the activities of all other organs” (Lu, p.133.) This point is an area of focus in some forms of Qigong meditation for its ability to nourish our deepest source of energy. Applying pressure by rubbing the foot here will also help unbind negative emotions, like fear or anger, that can cause agitation and insomnia. You can even activate this point by rolling your foot over a tennis ball.
For a more in-depth discussion of the TCM approach to cancer see my previous blog post: https://stramcenter.com/blog/blog-detail/cancer-the-chinese-medical-framework-view/
Sources:
A Woman’s Guide to Healing from Breast Cancer by Nan Lu, O.M.D., L.Ac.
Jade Woman Qigong, The Healing Power of Taoist Medicine for Every Woman by Master Liu He
A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman.
