What do TMJ/TMD, Bloated Bellies and Constipation/IBS have in common?
This unlikely combination of symptoms all have in common one thing...they are representative of the body's desperate effort to get you to slow down!

Swimming in the pond of alternative health care with my fellow practitioners, we all observe and work with clients/patients who manifest variations of these three common symptoms. The level at which those who suffer with these symptoms are going to to get relief is heroic!

Millions are spending thousands of dollars on cures and treatments with no real relief and certainly without resolving the underlying cause. Look at the stats!

• Americans spend an average of about $4 billion yearly on treatments for temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ/TMD). Many patients face significant out-of-pocket costs, with some individuals reporting expenses exceeding $200,000 over their treatment journey.

 

• Approximately $136 billion is spent annually on gastrointestinal diseases, which include conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, SIBO and gut disorders.

 

• The all time high cost irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is  30 billion total economic of indirect costs related to absenteeism and lost productivity. For treatment, Americans spend an estimated $10 billion annually on direct medical costs for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Wrap constipation into the gut disorders and IBS, add it to the cost of cancer treatment, autoimmune disorders and that's an even bigger pile of money and health care costs we are all paying for.

What! That's insane. Here's a look at what that money gets spent on...

• Clenching and holding jaws so tightly TMJ/TMD sufferers are given Botox injections, mouth guards, electro stimulation ie. tens unit therapy. Many seek myofascial release and craniosacral practitioners to relieve the associated neck and shoulder pain that accompanies this symptom of the nervous system. Many patients with TMJ/TMD prescribed "tranquilizers" a.k.a. Benzodiazepines are oblivious to the hellish downside this form of medication comes with.

 

• The myriad of magic pills and cures for gut issues to be found online and on social media platforms is mind boggling. It is not uncommon for a client to come to see me having already been to multiple practitioners in a desperate attempt to relieve the unpredictable phenomenon of a bloated belly. Medical treatment revolves around the introduction of antifungals claiming that SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is the underlying cause of this disturbing difficulty. There may be an imbalance of flora in the small intestine, but that is not the root cause. Let us ask ourselves how did the bacteria get so out whack? Generally there is a preceding set of symptoms relating to constipation/IBS manifesting a digestive system that is not happy, therefor the individual is also not happy! There is no cure for most patients with gut issues because the underlying issue, unhappiness remains unaddressed. Antidepressant and anti anxiety medication use is a consistent precursor to gut issues in any cases.

 

• Those with chronic constipation a complex disorder manifested by the inability of the vagus nerve to provoke the signal that produces the normal usage to evacuate. It is not uncommon for patients with chronic constipation to have an average transit time for eliminating stools to anywhere from seventy two hours to seven days. A standard comment from an MD is likely to be, "that's normal for you.". This in response to what amounts to a backed up sewage system is absurd. The myriad of health issues related to constipation is huge. Take look at the Chronic Constipation blog for an indepth look at the suffering this condition brings.

 

• IBS, chronic constipation's evil twin is a nervous system sounding an alarm that the house is on fire. This symptom has the nourishment of food moving so quickly through the body it is release in waves of peristaltic spasms that over take the sufferer without notice. If you are one who suffers, you know you are living on guard constantly out of fear of an "attack". Treatment from the standard medical perspective starts with anti diarrhea medications, in some cases antispasmodics as well. Suffers are subjected to the FODMAT diet plan and are instructed to undertake multiple disciplinary efforts to overcome what is basically a case of "nerves", an old school term for being jittery and out of sorts with the world. There is a clue in that homespun diagnosis!

Enervation a feeling of being drained of energy or vitality
Is the common denominator for these conditions. Enervation is otherwise known as nervous exhaustion. This condition harkens back to the 1800's and sending someone off the coastal climes for a good long rest...right on! But, what exactly is nervous exhaustion?

That is, living in the body in a way that is overdrawing on the bank of stored energy the body expends for daily functions. This includes what we busily do each day to live and be in the world. It also includes the systematic maintenance of the organ systems to detoxify and restore themselves daily. When we have overdrawn funds from the bank, we are charged a fee as a penalty. Symptoms of TMJ/TMD, chronic constipation/IBS and gut issues are the penalty for doing over much...burning qi. Keep reading to discover how we are taking out more than we have.

As a wellness practitioner, I rely on the concepts of Taoist medicine in which the energetic manifestation of symptoms are the clues to resolving them. Nervous exhaustion is the manifestation of overspending Qi.

Let look at qi as understood by the Taoist's.
Qi is energy and information from source. However one chooses to define the energy that emanates and sustains all of the creation, it comes from somewhere! The "where" is Tao...the way. Tao is flowing and available to us as it is within us.

Tao is the source of all knowledge.
For the individual this would be wisdom and discernment. We find the knowledge the Tao offers us through awareness. As we come to be more attentive to awareness we are able to notice how we feel. How we feel is found in the visceral messages of the body. How do those who suffer these complaints feel?

• TMJ/TMD are feeling so overwhelmed they clench their jaws to the point of breaking teeth, igniting trigeminal nerve spasms and extreme referred pain. The clenching and grinding represent anxiety to an extreme. These patients often are completely unaware of how anxious they really are!

 

• Gut bloating is agony, it brings your day to a stop!  It is the nervous tummy ache we suffered when we didn't want to go to school, for whatever reason. This symptom manifests energetically as though it is saying, "stop the world, I want to get off"!  It is literally a spasm of the small intestines brought on by low production of salvia and weakened production of digestive enzymes. When the food we eat is not properly digested because of innovation, the small intestine, which is responsible for sorting out the undigested contents of the stomach is basically having a freak out! Undigested food molecules are getting into the bloodstream manifesting sensitivities to foods, allergies, and immunity issues. The small intestine is literally saying stop, something is wrong here! It feels like something is not right up top, because that is true...the body never lies!

 

• Constipation is a feeling of being stuck. Manifesting as an inability to release what you no longer need, stool. Metaphorically the constipation sufferers are literally stuck. The vagus nerve system that regulates evacuation of stool does so through a complex set of messengers. When one is exhausted and overwrought the vagal response is low or lacking tone. It's signal to release is so dampened the digestive system is unresponsive. Other symptoms related to low vagal nerve tone are GERD, acid reflux, gastroparisis, chronic hiccuping or coughing, spasms of the throat and psoas.

 

• IBS is the overactive version of this equation wherein the individuals fearfulness getters on the verge of panic! The urgency of the bowels is a symptom manifesting a state of overstimulation of the vagus nerve brought on by chronic flight/fight response. Evacuations are triggered by the elevated adrenaline of the fear response. IBS suffers are likely to swing back and forth mercilessly between not being able to stop going and not being able to go...constipation. The vicious cycle of this is in and of itself exhausting.

The consistent common visceral message of these conditions speaks to the level of exhaustion due to overstimulation of the nervous system, due to over expenditure of qi...the bank is overdrawn. This condition is so pervasive in our culture that few people recognize it as the root cause of most health problems!

Here it is...How do we become overdrawn on our bank of Qi?

• Doing too much, work'aholic, driven, materialistic urge to live beyond your means, a need to keep up with the Jones's, being in debt!

 

• Being a martyr! Sacrificing oneself for  the family, the company, for your partner. Doing obsessively for others as a means of feeling wanted, needed and secure.

 

• Striving to be the best, most fit, most well informed, most accomplished often driven by a sense of low self esteem, unmet needs of childhood.

 

• Believing that somehow someway you will be able to get everything done, fueled my the myth that if you have control over your environment and you get it all done all will be well with you...OCD a huge driver.

 

• Trauma and emotional pain another hidden driver, may not manifest in over activity but burns qi just to hold in the unresolved energetic charges that come with the inability to process through the fight flight response and rest the nervous system. 

I see these drivers manifested in all my clients who suffer from nervous exhaustion. Denial is what keeps them from seeing it. "I have it under control", "the endorphin rush from an extreme workout makes me feel better", "I will be able to slow down when I get to X. Y, Z!", "if only my_____, fill inthe blank wouldn't do this, would stop doing that everything would okay"

Add to this equation the qi burning layers of emotional states such as frustration, anger, resentment, unforgiveness, undigested hurt feelings and it's no wonder folks are cranky, drink too much and seek relief in zoning out or say yes to psych meds!

All the medications and meditation techniques and therapies and modalities won't do a person who's suffering from this condition any good at all until they learn not to overdraw the bank of qi. Going beyond that as they learn to cultivate qi they will gain an extra strength and stamina that will help them to maintain a healthy body throughout their lifetime.

What does that mean? This means first we have to learn not to overdo. Americans are always working at something to their own harm. We think because we push and push we're getting more done, but the truth of the matter is all that pushing is usually very ineffective and not moving us any further down the road of accomplishment. It is a very attachment to accomplishment that is a driver in this endless frenzy of overstimulation and over activity.

Cultivating qi means that we are actively able to achieve a state in which we can receive more wisdom, more intuition, more understanding and more power. This is a result of drawing close to the source of all energy, the Tao, God, the Godhead... by, whatever name you call it. It is the source of the life that we live. We were created to enjoy our lives and to bring joy to others. This source is LOVE. When we slow down we naturally become more aware of how we feel, we are able to receive the information that we would be best served by taking better care of ourselves. This is self LOVE.

The individuals who suffer from these symptoms of commonality are suffering, primarily from a lack of self love.
I can offer any one of these people a protocol that would resolve their symptoms in a relatively short period of time. It would seem miraculous to them, because it is miraculous. The body's ability to heal is beyond our understanding, and most of us fail to avail ourselves to the power of the body has to heal.

• Although I have the solution for your suffering, I cannot make you do the things to care for and love yourself into a state of recovery.

 

• The average person is so geared up with anxiety, frustration, angst, and emotional pain that they are completely unaware of how they feel, and therefore they cannot heal.

 

• Through my wellness practice, I teach people to heal...if they are willing to slow down and come back to themselves. Utilizing a multifaceted combination of holistic modalities I am able to facilitate a resolution of symptoms without fail, when the client becomes willing to feel. The results are miraculous.

Resistance
The average person's resistance can best be described as chasing down a kid who is completely exhausted and needs to take a nap. Literally getting to the point where one might need to sit on that flailing child screaming, I'm not tired, I'm not tired! Only to have them literally pass out from exhaustion within moments of being held still. RESISTANCE to what we need to feel better is another common denominator! What is your resistance all about? You cannot know because you don't know how you feel!


Vanessa Goldeen Wellness Consultant and Educator, author* and holistic practitioner is the founder of Bridge to Health offering Online Learn and Heal Courses as an affordable recovery option for those who seek healing.

Breathing, Sleeping, Laughing and Pooping a common sense guide to getting and staying healthy! Due out 2025, get in on the release announcement 

What do you mean when you say enervation?
Enervation is word that describes long term adrenal fatigue resulting in endocrine dysfunction and a wide array of manifestations of symptoms. Some subtle some not so subtle.

How does one become enervated?
Enervation is the result of too much adrenaline and too little serotonin. One falls into this condition as a result of being out of touch with the body and what the body needs.

How does that happen?
Adrenaline is stimulating. It's job is to give you the extra umph to get going when an emergency calls for it. It makes it possible for you to ignore injuries and fear in order to survive an event. That's a good thing. But, when your life situation, circumstances or lifestyle choices puts you into constant fight or flight response with adrenaline pumping continuously over time you become anaesthetized. You are unable to discern what your body needs.  Basic things like resting, breathing, eating...you are literally out of touch with what you need.

What is fight or flight?
The fight or flight response in a cascade effects of neurotransmitters that gets your body ready for action putting the body in a state of hyperarousal. This is an acute response for a limited time. Healthy people and wild animals are predominantly in the "alpha state" This describes a brain wave pattern that allows you to be calm and alert at the same time. This is a fluid state of being that allows you to respond and when the situation resolves you are able to return to a state of calm peacefulness.

How did I get stuck in the fight or flight response?
There are a lot of varied factors that lead to chronic fight or flight.

• Abusive situations whether it's a job, a marriage, partnership, family life, sexual abuse, living in a country that is at war or in conflict, serving in a war or conflict.
• Financial stressors or self imposed financial standards or relentless materialism.
• Messages from parents as children can lead to deep fears about being inadequate, feelings of shame or guilt. Pressure to achieve a certain station in life or rise to parents expectations.
• Experiencing situations that are frightening to you, even if it's just a chronic low level fear you may not be completely aware that you have.
• Working in a job you don't like, hate or do not feel fulfilled. Unable to find the right vocation.
• Being a work'aholic.

All of the above can be factors. The difficulty arise when a person is out of touch with themselves because of the high adrenaline levels. You don't feel any of this adversely, or so you think you're okay....but, over time the damaging effects of too much adrenal will take it's toll.

What does that mean?
It means that symptoms will begin to arise. A symptom is your body's way of getting your attention. Symptoms manifest so you can feel that something is not right and make a course correction. Failure to pay attention to the symptom at a lower level means you'll go along like everything is okay. The body will continue to produce symptoms until it gets your attention.

It is possible to ignore symptoms until the body no longer has the energy to create them! We have all heard stories of people dropping dead of a heart attack, as though it came from nowhere! Of a person being diagnosed with cancer and dying shortly afterward, when all their friends would say they seemed like they were in perfect health. These life threatening illness don't come out of nowhere. They are the result of years of tuning out the body's messages. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum we have the ultra-sensitive individual. Often ostracized for their sensitivity these individuals are overly sensitive from years of overstimulation of the adrenal complex and the endocrine system as a whole gets out of whack.

How can I recover?
Recovery takes a dedicated effort to support healing. It means slowing down so you can become more aware of how tired you really are. It requires a willingness to enter into the healing field. 

The healing field is an energetic reality that you create for yourself. Finding the right practitioner to support your healing process that you can trust. Learning how to be with what you feel, processing those feelings naturally in your dreamtime at night while your sleeping. Becoming more mindful of what you need and giving it to yourself...self love and acceptance. Letting go of control and surrendering to what is, rather that some notion of what you think should be!

​Bridge to Health Wellness 
Offer 5 modalities designed to restore body, mind and spirit.
DETOX - PURIFY - SUPPORT - HEART - UNWIND
These modalities create a "bridge to health", feeling better and enjoying life more
Guiding you back to an evolution to your true self, your inner voice.
Learning that you can trust yourself to know what is best for you.
​It's all about moving out of fear. 
Some modalities can be offered remotely
​

It's my pleasure to welcome to this platform
Linda Lofaro Lac. Acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine, who graciously offers the following information to help clear up confusion and controversy regarding what has come to be known as adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency.

Today we hear a lot about adrenal fatigue syndrome. What is it and why is it so prevalent?  According to the Mayo Clinic, adrenal fatigue is the name giving to a group of symptoms caused by an insufficiency of the hormones produced by the adrenal gland. These symptoms include body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. There isn’t, however, an accepted medical diagnosis for this malady nor are there sufficiently good remedies in the biomedicine world. Why? Because they don’t understand the root cause of the problem.

In Chinese medicine adrenal fatigue is depletion of kidney energy and in some cases kidney essence. The cause of depletion is typically prolonged or chronic stress often combined with a constitutional weakness of the kidneys or adrenal system that may be congenital or developed earlier by mental or physical trauma. Stress or trauma causes cortisol to be released into your body which reduces inflammation and assists with bodily functions needed for flight or flight. Chronic stress or prolonged trauma continuously dumps cortisol into the body and overtime leads to many diseases, the most common of which is adrenal fatigue. This has become common in adults, young adults and even children, because of too much day-to-day stress or the result of physical or emotional trauma and in many cases both.

The solution then is not to pump up patients with hormones, or thyroid medications but to tonify the kidney energy, essence and function. Herbal supplements, like Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Root, Holy Basil are good at helping the body regulate cortisol to decrease the effects of ongoing stress, but they don’t tonify the kidney.  They rely on decreasing further depletion (a good idea for those with chronically stressful lives) but they don’t build. That is why these supplements either don’t often help people to feel better or take long to produce noticeable results.

This is where acupuncture and Chinese herbals come in.  You must treat the root of the problem -- kidney energy, essence and function -- in order to feel noticeably better. And treat any other issues that often hamper restoring kidney function, such as deep sleep and nutrient absorption. Most important, you need to neutralize the stress response that has become patterned in the body. In other words, people need to manage stress differently to end the chronic stress cycle.
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Kidney energy is derived in two ways. First, we derive kidney energy congenitally, called constitutional or prenatal qi, which is often reflective of the mother’s energy during pregnancy. It’s finite and naturally wanes with age. Secondly, we derive kidney energy through food (primarily) and also lifestyle (i.e. exercise, yoga, tai chi, etc.). This is called postnatal qi. If we are not absorbing energy from food because of digestive issues or poor diet, we cannot supplement our use of day-to-day kidney energy and then start to go into the constitutional energy reserves.  Once in a while, this is not a problem. But everyday dependency on reserves depletes constitutional energy can’t be replenished.  Same is true for sleep.  If sleep is poor, the body is not able to consolidate and revitalize kidney energy or repair and generate cells and tissues. We wake up unrestored and rely on constitutional energy to keep going. If we don’t exercise to generate and move energy, we don’t recharge our kidney battery and again have to rely on constitutional energy.  Eventually we burn out our adrenals.
Acupuncture and herbs treat all aspects of adrenal fatigue to RESTORE the body’s natural adrenal function. And in doing so, all related symptoms (digestion, sleep, stress-response) are remedied so you not only feel better, but your body is working as it should. Most important, acupuncture neutralizes the stress response by altering brain chemistry and helping people manage stress better and reduces the amount of cortisol in the body. ​