My eyes go right to the feet when patients walk into the clinic wearing sandals on a brisk morning. I joke that it’s the grandma in me, but when I see cold feet I need to warm them up (like my Nanny did). Once they’re on the table, I’ll warm their feet in my hands and under a heat lamp. And you know what? Everyone says, “That feels so good.” It’s immediately calming, and the body responds well to the warmth and feeling of being taken care of.
This is especially important for my women’s health patients.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory sees a connection between warm feet and a warm uterus. TCM believes it is important to have a warm uterus when trying to conceive. Warmth increases blood flow which improves circulation to our ovaries and supports implantation. Cold is constricting and can create an inhospitable environment. It can also increase menstrual cramps because blood can conceal and the flow isn’t smooth.
The reason for this connection is that there are three important acupuncture meridians that start in the feet and travel into the uterus. I use these channels daily when working with my women’s health and fertility patients. I’m always checking to see the temperature of my patient’s feet, and frequently they are cold. This is a sign of poor circulation. We need the feet to be warm so the body isn’t using resources to heat them up, and so cold doesn’t travel into the uterus.
So please, as the weather continues to turn, embrace socks and keep the sandals for inside use. Your toes (and uterus) will thank you.
