Is Your Pain Emotional? How Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Help Release What’s Stuck

Do You Ever Feel Like You're Carrying Something You Can’t Name?

Emotions, much like dandelion seeds carried by the wind, shift and evolve with each passing breeze.

I do. Sometimes it shows up as deep irritability typically in my luteal phase —the kind where the smallest thing sets me off especially with those closest to me. Mixed in with that anger is a low, heavy grief that lingers in my chest. I have noticed I have been more prone to upper respiratory infections that linger the past few years. I’ve learned that these aren't just random symptoms. They’re messengers—signs that something emotional is stuck in my body stemming from my childhood and long periods of stress and loss in my adult life.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we understand that emotions live in the body. When we don’t express or move through them, they can get stuck and start to create a chronic pattern lodged deep within. Over time, this stagnation can cause both physical and emotional imbalances. I see this in my own life and in my clinic every day.

The Five Elements and Emotions: Where Your Feelings Live

Each of the Five Elements in Chinese Medicine—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—corresponds to an emotion, an organ system, and a pattern of imbalance. When you know which emotion is stuck, you can begin to move it. That’s where real healing happens.

• Wood (Liver & Gallbladder): Anger, Frustration, IrritabilityWhen Wood is out of balance, you might feel edgy, stuck, or prone to PMS-related mood swings. Moving your body, getting outside, and supporting smooth flow of Liver Qi with acupuncture can be powerful here.

  
  

• Fire (Heart & Small Intestine): Joy (or lack of it), Anxiety, RestlessnessAn imbalanced Fire element might look like racing thoughts, poor sleep, or feeling disconnected from yourself. This past cycle, I felt off—tired, anxious, low in spirit. With support, rest, and the right treatment, I was able to feel more grounded again.

  
  

• Earth (Spleen & Stomach): Worry, Overthinking, RuminationWhen Earth is depleted, digestion often suffers. You might feel heavy, bloated, or anxious after meals. Stabilizing routines, warm foods, and tonifying the Spleen with herbs when appropriate (under guidance) can help tremendously.

  
  

• Metal (Lungs & Large Intestine): Grief, Sadness, Letting GoGrief shows up in sneaky ways—chest tightness, frequent colds, a sense of being stuck in sadness. The Lung is deeply tied to immunity and our ability to release. Acupuncture and breathwork can gently shift this.

  
  

• Water (Kidneys & Bladder): Fear, Insecurity, ExhaustionIf you’re dealing with deep fatigue, feeling ungrounded, or anxious in your bones, you may need support for your Water element. This is where restorative practices, rest, and sometimes herbal tonics come in—but only when matched to your specific pattern.

  
  

Acupuncture: The Bridge Between Emotion and Body

What I love most about acupuncture is how it helps people come back to themselves. It’s not just about symptom relief—it helps you feel. It calms the nervous system, allows Qi to move, and creates space for stuck emotions to release.

Sometimes in treatment, emotions rise to the surface: tears, laughter, a deep exhale. These are signs that something is shifting. It’s powerful, and deeply healing.

Herbs Can Help—But Only When They Match You

Chinese herbal medicine is incredible at supporting emotional balance—but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Two people can have anxiety, for example, and need totally different treatments. That’s why it’s essential to work with a licensed practitioner.

Personally, this past cycle I felt off: low energy, anxiety, my gut was off after a trip to Mexico. I reached for an herbal formula that tonifies and calms based on my pattern (after 14 years in this field, I still check in with myself as if I were a patient and even seek out another set of eyes). It made a noticeable difference—but the key is that it matched what my body needed. That’s the only way herbs really work.

Identifying the Emotion Is Where Healing Begins

If you’re trying everything and nothing is sticking, it may be time to ask: What emotion am I carrying that I haven’t moved through?

Whether it's anger, grief, fear, or even joy that’s been suppressed—identifying it is the first step. Then we can support the body in letting it go, so healing has a chance to land.

Ready to Move What’s Stuck?

If any of this resonates, I invite you to book a session. I’ll help you identify what’s stuck and create a plan that works with your body, not against it.

📍Located in Kearny Mesa, San Diego | 🌿 Acupuncture • Herbs • Emotional Support💻

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