Nail diagnosis has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for several years. Vertical ridges in fingernails according to Chinese medicine is considered an external reflection of an internal condition. Vertical nail ridges, which are fairly common, extend from the cuticle to the tip of your nail. While vertical nail ridges may sometimes reveal a nutrient deficiency, they commonly occur as a normal sign of aging.
Taoism is the foundation of Chinese medicine and Chinese philosophy, and it has been around for at least five thousand years. Taoism has been described as “natural law” or “natural order,” and it asserts that balance and harmony are essential to health and wellness. Chinese medicine takes these laws and patterns and applies them to the human body. The body is viewed as a whole, where both internal and external stress and trauma inflicted on one part will affect the body in its entirety.
Chinese medicine believes that nails have a connection with different internal organs and channels. If specific internal organs are imbalanced, they will affect the health of certain nails. Vertical ridges in fingernails in Chinese medicine are linked to different conditions. Whatever condition exists at the visible level of the body means something deeper is happening within. Strong, pinkish, smooth nails with a white crescent at the base is generally a sign of good health.
According to Chinese medicine, each finger links to a different area of the body:
- Thumb: lung and large intestine organs
- Index finger: large intestine channel and organ
- Middle finger: circulation in the major blood vessels
- Ring finger: metabolism, digestion, and circulation
- Little finger: heart and circulatory system
Chinese medicine recognizes there is a close relationship between the kidneys, bones, and nails. Verticle ridges in fingernails common for many individuals and may indicate malabsorption of nutrients in the body. While it is seen as a common symptom of aging verticle ridges in fingernails in Chinese medicine could be linked to poor blood circulation. The efficiency of blood circulation decreases with age this causes less nutrition to reach your nails causing vertical ridges to appear.
When you have poor circulation, that means your blood isn’t flowing through your system as efficiently, and you can end up suffering from a variety of issues, including numbness (your hands and feet falling asleep). , If your circulation is regularly poor, you could face more serious issues including verticle ridges in nails. bloating, zapped energy, and fluid retention.
Since sufficiency of blood and energy circulation are necessary for good health, the condition of nails, to some extent, reflects general health. To treat vertical ridges in fingernails, Chinese medicine suggests improving blood circulation. By boosting your circulation your nails can receive ample nutrition and improve in appearance. We have a few tips to improve your nails.
Vertical Ridges in Fingernails – Chinese Medicine
1. Exercise
Getting up and getting active is one proven way to increase blood circulation. You don’t have to spend hours on the treadmill to see results. Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can jump-start your blood flow. Any exercise that gets your blood pumping will be beneficial, particularly walking. Cardio exercise is one of the most recommended ways to improve treatment for poor circulation in hands and improve the appearance of verticle ridges in nails.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
In traditional Chinese medicine excessive weight gain is mostly due to the accumulation of “dampness.” Dampness in Chinese medicine occurs when the process of food intake, digestion, absorption, and transportation is not balanced.(3) If a person is overweight, it may negatively affect their circulation. Research has found that healthy young people who put on as little as nine pounds of fat, specifically in the abdomen can suffer from poor circulation.(3) The more belly fat you lose, the better your arteries are able to expand when needed, allowing more blood to flow more freely, the researchers report.
3. Eat Proper Foods
Some foods are known to promote circulation. There are minerals in certain foods that improve circulation and they are very important – potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
Potassium – helps to relax the walls of blood vessels so blood can circulate more easily through your body. Fruits and vegetables that contain potassium include potatoes, Swiss chard, and apricots.
Magnesium – helps the endothelial cells work as they should. These cells play a big role in helping the walls of your arteries dilate and improve circulation. Several vegetables are high in magnesium. These include asparagus, broccoli, beans, cabbage, and cucumbers. Pumpkin seeds also have a lot of magnesium.
Calcium – while calcium delivers benefits such as helping build strong bones, but it can also help improve circulation. Dairy products are good sources of calcium. Almonds and sardines also contain a good amount of calcium.
If you’re a fan of spicy foods, you are in good luck. Capsaicin is the compound found in cayenne pepper responsible for its spicy taste. It is also responsible for encouraging vasodilatation – the relaxation of blood vessels, which then increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure (6).
4. Drink More Water
We can’t stress the importance of drinking water enough. Especially when dealing with vertical ridges in fingernails. Water helps to keep things flowing throughout your body, including the flush of toxins.
5. Hydrotherapy
Cold water causes superficial blood vessels to constrict, moving blood flow away from the surface of the body to organs. Hot water causes superficial blood vessels to dilate, activating sweat glands, and removing waste from body tissues. Alternating hot and cold water is thought to decrease inflammation and stimulate circulation and lymphatic drainage.
In the shower, alternate between hot and cold water 5 or 6 times. Be careful – You don’t need to be too extreme with the temperatures to get blood moving and feel an energy boost.
6. Massage
Not only is a massage a great way to relax but the pushing, kneading, and pulling all help increase circulation. Massage improves blood circulation because the pressure created by the massage technique actually moves blood through the congested areas. In Chinese medicine, there are several pressure points on the hands that can improve blood circulation. Your middle finger is responsible for circulation, to boost circulation using this technique:
Lightly massage the whole hand, followed by direct pressure of the point on your middle finger just below and on the side of your nail on the side closest toward the index finger.
7. Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be used to improve verticle ridges in fingernails. It has been used for thousands of years to promote blood flow and reduce inflammation. Acupuncture can raise levels of nitric oxide around the needles, so increasing local blood circulation.
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There are many other activities that can boost your circulation to improve vertical ridges in fingernails according to Chinese medicine. Dry brushing, rebounding, at-home cardio, and herbal teas are all easy ways to get the blood flowing and improve your nail health.