Stuck Food Part 1: Poking and Pricking Your Finger for Indigestion, Headaches, Dizziness, Nausea, St
Ever since I was young, my mom had a remedy that would help with headaches and a myriad of other accompanying symptoms. It is a traditional Korean folk remedy which has been passed down from generation to generation, and is based on the same principles as acupuncture. It involves taking a needle and pricking your finger, and letting a small amount of blood out. Doing so is supposed to allow proper circulation to take place again, easing and in many cases, relieving symptoms. It’s a difficult topic to explain given its unique nature, so I will do my best to explain it in a way that is easy to understand in this post. I will post instructions on how to poke yourself in a separate post.
The Premise
The remedy is based on the simple premise that blood (and energy) is naturally supposed to circulate through your body freely and unimpeded. Any disruption in the proper flow of blood causes blockages, which can lead to symptoms arising.
One of the ways that a disruption can occur is when there is a digestive disruption which usually occurs as a result of eating too quickly, eating slouched over, eating under extreme stress, or when angry. Eating under any of these conditions can cause the food to go down improperly, causing it to be “stuck” in your stomach. The food obviously isn’t literally stuck, but can feel that way. Having the food “stuck” in your stomach causes your stomach’s ability to digest to come to a grinding halt, which in turn disrupts the free flowing state of blood and energy through your body. As a result, it can lead to many symptoms in addition to just issues with digestion.
This phenomenon is called Che in Korean, but given that there is no literal English translation, my mom always referred to it as Stuck Food. Stuck Food is actually a very common thing in Korea, with the vast majority of people knowing about it. While there is no scientific evidence to validate any of the claims, it is something that has been part of Traditional Korean Medicine for generations.
The Symptoms
Since stuck food is the result of a digestion issue, digestive symptoms are usually prevalent, although it is frequently accompanied by other symptoms. In fact, many people (myself included) will notice the other symptoms more as they are usually more pronounced. Since stuck food results in poor blood flow, it can manifest symptoms in areas other than digestion.
The number one indicator of Stuck Food is the inability to burp or pass gas, which can be a very tricky thing to identify since most of us don’t keep track of how often we do either.
If you are burping, the burping often times will feel very superficial, or as if it is coming from a different part of your stomach.
The burps will feel more like burps that come out from the throat when you burp on purpose, rather than the burps that emanate from deep in your belly.
Cold hands and feet which is believed to be a result of poor circulation
FREQUENT yawning which is believed to be poor a result of poor circulation to the head
Other digestion issues often include a lack of appetite, nausea, extreme stomach discomfort and bloating, and feeling like there is a rock in your stomach, like there is literally something stuck there.
Headaches- Headaches are a common symptom and can include tension headaches, head pressure, and in severe cases, even cause migraines.
Dizziness- Unsteadiness, spinning, and disorientation
Inability to focus or concentrate, feeling spaces out, feeling out of it
Unable to focus visually or visual disturbances
Feeling very uncomfortable or anxious
If any of the symptoms are bothering you a lot, it is important to seek medical attention. Through personal experience however, this usually ends up being an act in futility and I usually end up feeling better after poking myself. Stuck Food is unique in the sense that the symptoms present themselves differently every time. You might experience only headaches one time, while experiencing dizziness and nausea along with the headaches another time. As a rule of thumb, if I am feeling sick or under the weather without any identifiable cause (such as a cold or allergies), I automatically assume I have Stuck Food and poke myself.
Preventing Stuck Food and Other Things You Can Do To Feel Better
The best way to combat stuck food is to obviously prevent it from happening in the first place. It is key to make sure not to eat when stressed, in a rush, or angry, as all of these things puts your body in a heightened state which is not conducive to eating and digestion.
In addition, eating with proper posture is paramount to preventing Stuck Food. Eating with a slouched posture puts undue pressure on the stomach, making it difficult for food to be digested optimally. Good posture is important in any case, but even more so to those prone to getting Stuck Food.
In the event that you do get Stuck Food, drinking something carbonated can help a lot when used in conjunction with poking your finger, or if you are in a place where that wouldn’t be practical. I’ve found that room temperature Ginger Ale works the best, although anything carbonated (including a cold beer) can help. Simply chug at least half a can nonstop, and you should notice shortly after that you will be able to burp from deeper in your stomach than you were previously able to. The goal is to get the burping and gas passing started again. Nonetheless, poking your finger is still the most effective way of relieving Stuck Food.
Does It Really Work?
So… that’s the million dollar question, and the answer is simply to try it and see for yourself. There are no studies or scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of it, but from personal and anecdotal experience, it works. I can’t tell you the countless times that I’ve felt really unwell and tried other things thinking I was sick, only to poke myself and feel better. Watching my mom and others go through the same just reaffirms this for me. Just keep in mind that Stuck Food doesn’t affect everyone however, with some people being prone to it and others never experiencing it.
Sure, some might say it’s a placebo effect, but the fact that I start burping and passing gas within 30 minutes of poking myself tells me there has to be something more to it. I don’t think my mind is powerful enough to do that. Nonetheless, even if it is just a placebo, that’s fine by me as long as it works and I feel better. It’s free and you aren’t ingesting anything synthetic your body has to process.
So the next time you are feeling discomfort, headaches, dizziness, and a host of other symptoms, try poking your finger before grabbing the meds and see if it helps! I will post the instructions in my next post so keep an eye out!
