(Episode 29) Your Issues are in Your Tissues: How Trauma Can Lead to Chronic Pain with Denise Alberto

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

Our guest today is our dear friend, Denise Alberto—a physical therapist and pelvic pain specialist. Denise is a Bay Area native who earned her B.S. in Psychology from St. Mary’s College and holds a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from University of St. Augustine.

Denise Alberto developed a keen interest in treating the spine, especially the pelvic/SI (sacroiliac) region. With continued education, she has developed a unique approach to treating chronic pain syndrome and pelvic region dysfunction.

Denise Alberto has a distinct passion to help couples with unconsummated marriage and sexual pain issues. In addition, she emphasizes the mind-body connection in her post-traumatic stress recovery and resorts to local practitioners—among them are acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists—to help heal her patients.

Denise Alberto realized her passion for physical therapy early on, as she began working for a physical therapist after graduating from college. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Physical Therapy and started a thriving but demanding practice. It was during her early years of practice as a physical therapist that Denise Alberto realized her own health needed attention.

Denise’s personal journey to address her health led her to a very resourceful course on pelvic health that encouraged her to further pursue the specialty, eventually becoming a pelvic physical therapist. 

Denise emphasizes that in addition to using physical touch during treatments, she encourages patients to face the emotional entanglements of their trauma. It is only through facing these entanglements that we begin to experience emotional and physiological healing.

Denise elaborates that as a therapist she holds room or space for strength so patients are able to process and release wounds that are causing their trauma, especially since patients may feel at their most vulnerable during these moments. 

Chronic pain patterns are often accompanied by uncomfortable feelings or past experiences and Denise believes that additional support is often needed to tackle these feelings as she works with healing the physical body.

In these instances, she turns to other healers like acupuncturists, massage therapists and often refers her patients to psychologists. This holistic approach that aims to empower patients almost always results in healing. 

Practices to help support your body

Diaphragmatic breath: helps relax and support lung function (oxygen exchange).

Pelvic diaphragm breathing: can help move your viscera and ease tension in your organs. 

Psoas stretching: can help improve and strengthen tight or tense psoas muscles.

Yin Yoga: the following Yin Yoga practices can be helpful in improving your flexibility and introducing you to deep breathing:

Breathe Deeply: Yoga for the Lung & Liver Meridians

Yin Yoga Integration to Release Your Arms, Shoulders & Neck

Yin Yoga Integration for Flexibility 

References:

Denise Alberto’s website: https://www.denisealberto.com/

An article by Dr. Mirkin (coined the RICE method) on Why Ice Delays Recovery

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

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(Episode 26) How to Support Transformation in Your Health and Life

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below — what insight from this episode inspired (or triggered) you most?

This year we’ve seen especially warm record temperatures in California and in the Pacific Northwest. In this episode we explore the phenomenom of Fire as the element of transformation and how this impacts the body and overall health.

Accordin to Chinese Medicine, anything in its extremes can turn into its opposite.

During extreme heat, people often reach for cold foods and drinks. However, when these Cold factors are taken internally, they can damage the Spleen which is responsible for producing energy or Qi — and this can lead to more lethargy and cold. 

As the Spleen weakens, the Kidneys’ core energy also starts to become depleted as it works to to support the Spleen’s digestive power. This can result in conditions such as fatigue and cold feet. Even in the Summer months it’s common to see cold feet and hands, which can reflect weakness or deficiency in the Kidneys and Spleen respectively. 

The Spleen and the Stomach are the primary organs of digestion in Chinese Medicine. When the Spleen is weak, it’s inhibited from extracting Gu Qi from food that’s necessary to produce Wei Qi, which comprises your immune system.

Since about 70% of immunity is produced in the gut, compromised digestion essentially leads to a compromised immune system. 

If you’re experiencing symptoms of Cold — including lethargy, weak digestion, soft stools, low metabolism, low motivation, low thyroid function, etc. — it’s best to focus on increasing your core temperature to support and strengthen your Spleen, instead of eating cold foods and drinks, which further weaken the Spleen. 

This is why it’s common in many ancient cultures to drink tea during warm temperatures. Tea is a great alternative that helps you cool down (especially green tea).

So instead of consuming cold foods and drinks in extreme heat, the emphasis should instead be on cooling down your lifestyle by introducing calming practices like Yoga, Qi Gong and Tai Chi.

This calms your nervous system, whereas consuming cold foods disturbs your internal systems by abruptly bringing cold internally.

We’ve discussed the effects of cold (and tips to overcome cold affiliated conditions) in greater detail in a previous episode.

How you eat is also important to support and improve your digestive health. A small shift like taking the time to chew your food properly and removing distractions while eating helps ease tension in your digestive system. 

Now, we want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below — what insight from this episode inspired (or triggered) you most?

Now is your time — to make the changes in your life and health that’ll support you to live the life of your dreams.

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(Episode 5) Volcanoes & Stone Medicine for Transformation: Insights from the Big Island of Hawaii

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Seeing the glow coming out of the center of the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island was certainly the highlight of our recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii.

As we sat listening to the waves crashing and the birds chirping outside of our condo, we were inspired to share the insights we gained from our time with the volcano and invite you to be a part of our experience.

Evening glow of the Kilauea Volcano just weeks after its December 21, 2020 eruption.

In this episode, we discuss the Fire element of Chinese Medicine as it relates to the Kilauea Volcano and its recent activity as the ultimate expression of Fire in nature.

In Chinese Medicine, Fire as an element has a lot to do with transformation so it's no wonder that this lava forms at the core of the Earth and then comes to the surface to create transformation. It actually is able to create land.

Fire is not only the element that creates transformation, but it’s also the element that relates to unconditional love and to self love. The Heart is related to the Fire element and opening your heart is what allows you to experience these forms of love.

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Thank you!

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The importance of that in terms of healing is that when you're able to experience unconditional love and when you're able to give that love to others, that means that you have you can experience miracles and even spontaneous healing.

In Chinese Medicine, vaporizing phlegm through the opening of your heart is what allows you to have this experience, but of course, that seems like a daunting task and quite challenging.

The Lungs support us to let go, which relates to our judgments — letting go judgments of ourselves, of others, of life circumstances, because otherwise the action of holding in the Lungs can oppress the heart from opening. So we need to let go so we can have a more neutral take on life, to have less attachments (Learn more about letting go and the virtue of the Lungs in this article).

As lava cools, it becomes volcanic glass known as Obsidian as well as Rhyolite which is a lesser known stone. Both of these stones are warming and have an active quality in the body and mind. The challenges of working with these volcanic stones is that they can initiate a healing crisis because they can reach deep into your core and pull out your shadows.

As they move this powerful Yang Qi in our body, they can dredge up the shadow qualities that lie deep within, similar to the way the volcano pulls things to the surface from the core of the earth.

Lava and these stones can pull out of our subconscious or unconscious that we don't want to really look at. And they come to the surface that could be quite disruptive and could initiate a healing crisis emotionally.

Volcanoes are the core of the earth erupting and this core metaphorically can relate to the Kidneys, or essence known as Jing; the life purpose or curriculum you hold within your Jing. Your purpose is expressed through the Fire element. The volcano erupts through Fire, through lava. And it's a really beautiful metaphor for how we are in life as well.

However, the Kidneys also store our fears, especially those that are unconscious. So these volcanic stones can really move a lot of our fears, so we have to take a look at those things that really maybe keep us stuck in life from living out those dreams and our higher purpose.

A lot of us might not even know what our purpose is because there's so much trauma that's stored in that same area in the Kidneys that inhibits us from really knowing what it is that we're meant to do in this lifetime.

Coming to places like this or having experiences with natural elements like volcanoes helps us to process a lot of those fears and traumas.

A lot of what happens in the world can ignite fears in our individual lives. Stone medicine can quell these fears and anxiety so you can be more present.

Obsidian and the volcanic stones can really stir things up, so it would be better to use more cooling stones like Mangano Calcite along with a quartz. You can use Amthethyst which is a quartz so it enhances but it’s also a Lithium stone so it calms the nerves along with Rhodochrosite and Mangano Calcite. Amethyst also helps with sleep.