In the past two months, the unrelenting Arizona summer sun has beat me into submission. There have been only three days under one hundred degrees in the past two months. There is no shade, no way to escape the sun other than to hide inside. There is also no break from this intense heat in the foreseeable future.

As someone living with multiple sclerosis, this heat and sun exposure has been making my symptoms flare up. There are no visible signs, but those close to me notice my struggle. Fatigue is winning the battle and zapping my motivation. If I don’t get to something early in the morning, I will not get to it all. My word recollection is so off that my wife needs a translator. I’m always messing up common things like asking if she got my laundry out of the fridge. My feet and lower extremities are experiencing constant numbness and tingling. Every day is a fight to move an inch.

Last summer, I got a cooling vest and it has been a life saver. When I wear it, it cools me to my core and I feel instantly more vibrant. However, a cooling vest isn’t ideal for every situation. For my birthday, Luanne DiBernardo of Coolture, sent me a Cooling Headband.

At first, I was skeptical. How could one little headband provide me any relief? The results, however, were shocking. I first tried it at the gym before I knew the science behind it. I was absolutely amazed at how crisp and sharp I felt before, during and after my workout. I was curious about the science and how this little headband made such a big difference. So I reached out to Luanne and she told me about Feng Fu.

Feng Fu

Feng Fu (translation Wind Mansion) is an acupuncture point where the base of the skullcap meets the top of the neck.

A do-it-yourself, home acupressure remedy is to lay flat on your stomach and place a piece of ice on the Feng Fu spot. With the ice on your neck, lay for twenty minutes letting the ice melt and sooth. Do this once in the morning and once in the evening, every two to three days. It is also recommended that you try this with an empty stomach with the warning that you will feel light headed and euphoric when you are finished.

According to Steven Aitchison, BaBa Health and Beautiful Mind benefits of using the Feng Fu technique may help alleviate the following health issues:

• Improve your sleep;
• Improve the digestive system;
• Eliminate frequent colds;
• Decrease headache, toothache and joint pain;
• Improve your breathing, cardiovascular system;
• Manage neurological disorders, degenerative changes in the spine;
• Cure gastrointestinal and sexually transmitted infections;
• Manage disorders of the thyroid gland;
• Help with arthritis, hypertension and hypotension;
• Help with asthma;
• Manage disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, obesity and malnutrition;
• Reduces Cellulitis;
• Manage menstrual disorders, impotence, frigidity, endocrine, infertility;
• Manage psycho-emotional disorders, stress, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia;

*Disclaimer – I am not a doctor and cannot vouch for the accuracy of claims made by other sites. It is interesting that each site researched shared a similar list, so I shared the most complete list I found. Please consult your acupuncturist to learn more about the health benefits of Feng Fu*

Feng Fu and Coolture Cooling Headbands

One of the challenges with placing ice on your neck and laying flat on your stomach is that the ice can move.  The Coolture Cooling Headbands solve this problem and allow you to get the benefit of Feng Fu while going about your daily activities. Because of the Acupressure benefits, the Cooling Headbands can be used throughout the year, not just in the summer. They also a great value costing under twenty bucks and come in a bunch of cool colors:

If you have never heard of Coolture, check out Van DiBernardo’s story. Van was a designer for DKNY when he was diagnosed with MS. Today, Van designs cooling products for people living with multiple sclerosis at the company he helped found, Coolture.

I wanted to thank Van and Luanne for the difference they make for those of us living with MS. I especially wanted to thank Luanne for my birthday present. I love my Coolture Cooling Headband! It has really has helped manage my MS symptoms and brave the Arizona heat. Thank you!

Resources

• http://www.coolture.net/
• http://www.coolture.net/cooling-headbands/
• http://www.coolture.net/the-coolture-story/
• http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/feng-fu-point/
• http://www.ba-bamail.com/content_15573/An_ice_cube_in_the_right_place_can_do_wonders.aspx
• http://www.beautifullmind.com/ice-cube-healing-method/