Jet Lag

Still recovering from my latest trip but happy to be back at home base and feeling blessed to have this primer on acupuncture | acupressure from my TCM-yogi friend Dr. Melissa Carr.

Intercontinental flights are known to cause a phenomenon known as "jet lag." Travelers and airline crews have complained of extreme fatigue, nausea, headaches, memory problems, attention lapses, clouded thinking, sleep and appetite disturbance, increased susceptibility to infections, depression, anxiety, and other problems.

Chinese medical philosophy talks about a Horary Cycle. It is thought that energy circulates through the main acupuncture meridians or energy pathways in a very specific order.
Recently, an informal study was conducted by a group of acupuncturists that were traveling from the United States to China. They divided into two groups. One group acted as a control and went about their normal business. The other group used acupressure treatments on their Horary Points while traveling.

The control group experienced jet lag symptoms lasting from 3 days to 2 weeks. The group that treated themselves with acupressure experienced no jet lag symptoms at all; in fact, they could perform at normal levels immediately. On the return trip, the groups switched and the results were similar.

No one is exactly sure why jet lag occurs. Perhaps it is a phenomenon that confuses your pituitary gland (the master endocrine gland) and the pineal gland by abnormal changes in exposure to daylight. In any event, acupressure does seem to be able to control jet lag symptoms.

Horary Points For Meridians
The most active point on a meridian during its Horary Time is called the Horary Point. The chart will present the time/organ associations. The following location descriptions will help you identify and find the proper points.

NOTE: Most of the points are at areas where there is a slight (or obvious) depression in the surface of your body. The correct points are also more tender to pressure than the surrounding areas.

Lung 8 is one thumb breadth directly above the transverse crease of the wrist at the medial margin of the radius. Place your thumb on your wrist where you would feel for a pulse. Place one side of your thumb so that it lines up with crease where your wrist bends. The point is on the other side of where the edge of your thumb is, just beside the bone. (see “A”)

Large Intestine 1 is on the radial (i.e. closer to the thumb side) side of the index finger at the corner of the nail. (see “B”)

Stomach 36 is one palm's breadth below the knee and one finger breadth lateral to the shin bone (tibia). Place your hand face down on your lower leg so that the index finger edge lines up with the slight divot formed on the outer side of your knee area when your knee is bent at 90 degrees. The point is one finger-width out from the shin bone and just below where the edge of the little finger is. (see “C”)

Spleen 3 is at the posterior inferior margin of the first metatarsal. Feel along your foot from the side of the base of the big toe towards your body. About 2/3rds of the way to your heel you will find a bony protuberance. The point is just below and slightly closer to your body to this bump. (see “D”)

Heart 8 on the palm just proximal to the metacarpo-phalangeal joint of the little finger, where the bent finger tip touches the palm. Make a loose fist. The point is where the tip of your little finger touches your palm. (see “E”)

Small Intestine 5 is in a depression at the ulnar end of the transverse crease on the dorsum of the wrist between the styloid and triangular bones. Look at the bony protuberance on your wrist (side of the little finger). The point is between that bump and your hand. (see “F”)
Bladder 66 in the depression anterior and lateral to the 5th metatarsal-phalangeal joint. The point is at the base of the side of the little toe. (see “G”)

Kidney 10 is on the medial aspect of the back of the knee between the semi-tendinosus and semimembranosus muscles. The point is between the tendons at the knee crease on the side of the back of your knee that is closest to the midline of your body. (see “H”)
Pericardium 8 with fingers bent; this point is where the tip of the middle finger touches the palm between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpals. If you know how Spiderman places his hand to shoot webs, then you can easily find this point as it would be where your middle finger touches the palm. Otherwise make a loose fist and again the point is where your middle finger touches the palm. (see “I”)

Triple Heater 6 is one palm's width above the transverse crease on the dorsum of the wrist, midway between the radius and ulna. Place your hand on the back of your forearm so that your little finger lines up with the place where your wrist bends backward. The point is between the bones on your forearm, just to the side of where the index finger of the opposite hand finishes. (see “J”)

Gall Bladder 41 is in the hollow just in front of the union of the 4th and 5th metatarsals on the dorsum of the foot. Feel for the point just distal to where the bones that attach to your 4th and little toes meet. (see “K”)

Liver 1 is on the lateral (i.e. closer to the 2nd toe) aspect of the big toe at the corner of the nail. (see “L”) 

-- Dr. Melissa Carr's blog