Recently, I had a client, he is around 20, a student of UT. He had an accident when he played basketball one month ago. The ball hit his front neck,causing the dehiscence of thyroid cartilage. He had symptoms of hoarse voice. sore throat. If we divide the volume of voice 0-10,he was like 1. And you can feel he put so much effort to talk. He himself was studying medicine now. He went to see a specialist. The specialist said there is nothing he can do,only with time going on, maybe it will get slowly better. He waited for one month,there is not too much improvement. It's a suffer,especially for him,he is a part time singer,too.
Tell you the truth,I hadn't have this kind of case before. But it's a trauma, it's just at an unusual place. I used a special acupoint just beside the thyroid cartilage( Be very careful to avoid thyroid gland and carotid artery),and plus moxa. Moxa can help increase local blood circulation,reduce the swollen and calm down the inflammation. When the second time I saw him,His voice volume is 5-6.The third time is 90% improved. Forth time went back to normal. Easy,safe ,fast and no side effect.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Infertility(3)
In Chinese medicine way,we divide into these types:
1.Kidney deficiency:
(1) Kidney Yang deficiency: can have disorder period, easy to feel tired, low energy,sensitive to cold,sore back,cold extremes,frequent urination.
Chinese herbs: Er Xian plus You Gui.
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Kidney meridian plus moxa.
(2) Kidney Yin deficiency: can have disorder period with dizziness,tinnitus,sore back,weakness of legs, hot flush, night sweat and so on.
Chinese herbs: Er Zhi plus Zuo Gui
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Kindey and Liver meridians
2. Qi and Blood deficiency:
can have pale lips and/or face,tiredness,low energy,light period.
Chinese herbs: Qiu Lin Zhu
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Spleen and Stomach meridians.
3. Liver Qi Stagnation:
Can have depress,like to sigh,blockage in the stomach,light period or period disorder,tender breast before or during period.
Chinese herbs: Kai Yu Zhong Zi Tang
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Liver and Spleen meridians.
4. Blood Stagnation:
Can have cramp during period, dark period with blood clots,purple colour in the tongue,
Chinese herbs:Ge Xia Zhuo Yu Tang
Acupuncture: Acupoints like He Gu,Xue Hai,San Yin Jiao.
5. Dampness:
Most people with dampness have big size,heavy body but meantime no energy.
Chinese herbs: Cang Fu Dao Tan Wan
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Spleen meridian.
Actually, in the clinic, a lot people have more complicated symptoms. It's most mixture of a few types. So that's why it's very important to consult a Chinese medicine doctor to have an acute diagnosis. The treatment course is depend on the cause,the condition of disease and individual reaction to the treatment. We do see some people even just have one time treatment,they get pregnant .Some people take one year or more than that. Average is around three period circles.
1.Kidney deficiency:
(1) Kidney Yang deficiency: can have disorder period, easy to feel tired, low energy,sensitive to cold,sore back,cold extremes,frequent urination.
Chinese herbs: Er Xian plus You Gui.
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Kidney meridian plus moxa.
(2) Kidney Yin deficiency: can have disorder period with dizziness,tinnitus,sore back,weakness of legs, hot flush, night sweat and so on.
Chinese herbs: Er Zhi plus Zuo Gui
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Kindey and Liver meridians
2. Qi and Blood deficiency:
can have pale lips and/or face,tiredness,low energy,light period.
Chinese herbs: Qiu Lin Zhu
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Spleen and Stomach meridians.
3. Liver Qi Stagnation:
Can have depress,like to sigh,blockage in the stomach,light period or period disorder,tender breast before or during period.
Chinese herbs: Kai Yu Zhong Zi Tang
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Liver and Spleen meridians.
4. Blood Stagnation:
Can have cramp during period, dark period with blood clots,purple colour in the tongue,
Chinese herbs:Ge Xia Zhuo Yu Tang
Acupuncture: Acupoints like He Gu,Xue Hai,San Yin Jiao.
5. Dampness:
Most people with dampness have big size,heavy body but meantime no energy.
Chinese herbs: Cang Fu Dao Tan Wan
Acupuncture: Acupoints on Spleen meridian.
Actually, in the clinic, a lot people have more complicated symptoms. It's most mixture of a few types. So that's why it's very important to consult a Chinese medicine doctor to have an acute diagnosis. The treatment course is depend on the cause,the condition of disease and individual reaction to the treatment. We do see some people even just have one time treatment,they get pregnant .Some people take one year or more than that. Average is around three period circles.
Infertility(2)
Here are woman's common reasons to cause infertility:
Ovulation Disorders
Absent or infrequent ovulation can be due to hormonal abnormalities,polycystic ovarian or previous cancer treatment.
Test: The doctor takes a history to find out if menstrual patterns have been atypical. Other tests include ultrasound to determine the number of follicles in the ovaries,hormone tests and a physical exam to identify the signs of hormonal disorders,such as weight gain or atypical hair growth.
Treatment: A heavy woman may be advised to lose weight. Other treatments entail oral drugs such as clomiphene ( Clomid) or hormone injections to jump-start ovulation. The next step might be IVF or in vitro maturation.
Bottom Line: Pregnancy rates are as high as 40 to 60% with IVF and 40% with ICSI.
Mechanical Problems
Blockages in the Fallopian tubes can prevent the egg from reaching the uterus for implantation. Sources of obstruction include endometriosis,which can cause blockages around the woman's reproductive organs and in the Fallopian tubes,where fertilization usually occurs and through which the eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus.
Test: In a hysterosalpingogram,dye is injected into the uterus and observed on an X-ray to see if it flows easily through the Fallopian tubes. A similar test can be done with ultrasound .If other tests are not conclusive, the next step might be a laparoscopy, a look inside the pelvis with an imaging device containing a tiny camera.
Treatment: Microsurgery to clear the Fallopian tubes may help improve fertility,but success rates will be higher if IVF is also used.
Bottom Line:Pregnancy rates are high as 40 to 60% with IVF and 40% with ICSI.
Immunological Infertility
Again, a controversial and unproven area, but reseachers have speculated that a woman may develop antibodies to her partner's sperm,thereby immobilizing or killing them.
Test:In the past, women often underwent post-coital analysis, a test in which,several hours after intercourse,sperm removed from the woman's cervix are examined to see how many are alive and mobile. Blood tests might check for anti-sperm antibodies. Nowadays,when standard tests are normal,women are not usually tested for immunological infertility but treated as if they had unexplained fertility.
Treatment: Proceed IVF or ICSI as soon as possible.
Bottom Line:High pregnancy rates with IVF/ICSI/IUI, more than 60% in women under age 35.
Idiopathic(Unexplained) Infertility
There is a lot we still don't know about the complex combination of factors affecting fertility. For instance, women with endometriosis have lower rates of pregnancy even when their tubes are not blocked,and it's not understood why. And in other cases,for some unknown reason,perfectly normal-looking sperm can't penetrate the egg.
Test: The diagnosis is by exclusion. Standard tests come out normal.
Treatment: Any treatment that can help the sperm meet up with the egg: IUI,IVF or ICSI.
Bottom Line:In women younger than 35,the success rate is more than 60% per treatment,even if the couple my never know what caused their inferlity.
Ovulation Disorders
Absent or infrequent ovulation can be due to hormonal abnormalities,polycystic ovarian or previous cancer treatment.
Test: The doctor takes a history to find out if menstrual patterns have been atypical. Other tests include ultrasound to determine the number of follicles in the ovaries,hormone tests and a physical exam to identify the signs of hormonal disorders,such as weight gain or atypical hair growth.
Treatment: A heavy woman may be advised to lose weight. Other treatments entail oral drugs such as clomiphene ( Clomid) or hormone injections to jump-start ovulation. The next step might be IVF or in vitro maturation.
Bottom Line: Pregnancy rates are as high as 40 to 60% with IVF and 40% with ICSI.
Mechanical Problems
Blockages in the Fallopian tubes can prevent the egg from reaching the uterus for implantation. Sources of obstruction include endometriosis,which can cause blockages around the woman's reproductive organs and in the Fallopian tubes,where fertilization usually occurs and through which the eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus.
Test: In a hysterosalpingogram,dye is injected into the uterus and observed on an X-ray to see if it flows easily through the Fallopian tubes. A similar test can be done with ultrasound .If other tests are not conclusive, the next step might be a laparoscopy, a look inside the pelvis with an imaging device containing a tiny camera.
Treatment: Microsurgery to clear the Fallopian tubes may help improve fertility,but success rates will be higher if IVF is also used.
Bottom Line:Pregnancy rates are high as 40 to 60% with IVF and 40% with ICSI.
Immunological Infertility
Again, a controversial and unproven area, but reseachers have speculated that a woman may develop antibodies to her partner's sperm,thereby immobilizing or killing them.
Test:In the past, women often underwent post-coital analysis, a test in which,several hours after intercourse,sperm removed from the woman's cervix are examined to see how many are alive and mobile. Blood tests might check for anti-sperm antibodies. Nowadays,when standard tests are normal,women are not usually tested for immunological infertility but treated as if they had unexplained fertility.
Treatment: Proceed IVF or ICSI as soon as possible.
Bottom Line:High pregnancy rates with IVF/ICSI/IUI, more than 60% in women under age 35.
Idiopathic(Unexplained) Infertility
There is a lot we still don't know about the complex combination of factors affecting fertility. For instance, women with endometriosis have lower rates of pregnancy even when their tubes are not blocked,and it's not understood why. And in other cases,for some unknown reason,perfectly normal-looking sperm can't penetrate the egg.
Test: The diagnosis is by exclusion. Standard tests come out normal.
Treatment: Any treatment that can help the sperm meet up with the egg: IUI,IVF or ICSI.
Bottom Line:In women younger than 35,the success rate is more than 60% per treatment,even if the couple my never know what caused their inferlity.
Infertility(1)
These days,more and more infertility couple are
looking for alternative treatment to help. There are many reasons to cause infertility. Around 20% of the underlying causes can be identified with the man. Around 30% with the woman. And about 30% with both partners.
In the rest 20% or so,is unexplained and has no identifiable root cause.
Men's part:
Poor Sperm Quality
The sperm are simply not up to the job- either from some known but non-correctable cause or for an unknown reason.
Test : A semen analysis measures the count,quality and motility of the sperm.
Treatment: Various assisted-reproduction technologies can help a man with poor sperm increase his chances that one of his sperm cells will fertilize an egg. These include IVF(in vitro fertilization),sperm washing and IUI (intrauterine insemination).The newest technique is ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection),which all you need is one viable sperm for success.
Bottom Line: Depending on the woman's age,Canadian fertility clinics claim a 40-60% pregnancy rate for IVF and a 40% success rate for ICSI.
Varicocele
A clump of enlarged and dilated veins inside the scrotum,a varicocele is the most common surgically correctable cause of infertility in men. Think of it as a varicose vein in a very sensitive area. There are several theories as to why a varicocele can put a damper on fertility,but it's generally thought to act like a miniature radiator to increase the temperature in the testicle. The excess heat decreases sperm production and motility.
Test: Most of the time, a varicocele can be felt during a physical exam. If the exam is inconclusive, an ultrasound of the scrotum may be required.
Treatment: Varicoceles can be corrected with surgery to tie them off and divert blood to normal vessels or with embolization,in which tiny coils are injecte through a catheter to block blood flow to the dilated veins.
Bottom Line: Varicoceles can be fixed,but that doesn't always translate into a pregnancy. The conception rate after treatment is 30 to 50%.
Obstruction
Congenital defects or obstructions that develop later---such as scarring from sexually transmitted infections,biopsies or hernia repairs---can block the sperms' passage anywhere along their journey through the male reproductive system.
Test: A semen analysis may show a very low sperm count and a low volume of seminal fluid. A physical examination or a transrectal ultrasound can also locate an obstruction.
Treatment: Often the blockage can be bypassed with microsurgery, allowing the sperm to flow freely again.
Bottom Line: Success depends on where the obstruction is. The closer the blockage is the testicle,the more complex the fix and the lower the success rate. Pregnancy rates range from 40-60%.
Hormonal Imbalances
Caused by glandular disorders,these imbalances impair sperm production and quality and can reduce a man's sexual desire. They include high levels of prolactin, a hormone that is elevated in nursing moms and suppresses male hormones.
Test: Semen and blood tests.
Treatment: Sperm production is sometimes restored with hormone therapy or drugs that stimulate production of the brain chemical dopamine,which blocks prolactin.
Bottom Line: Sperm can be restored in about 60% of men, and the pregnacy rate is about 40%.
Immunological Infertility
Although this is a controversial area,it is thought that some men produce autoantibodies to their own sperm,because of prior infections in,or blows to,the testicles. These may cause sperm to stick together and reduce their ability to reach and penetrate the egg.
Test:Semen and blood tests.
Treatment: Sperm can be washed in the lab to remove the interfering antibodies,then injected into the woman's uterus.
Bottom Line: The pregnancy rate falls in the 15 to 20% range.
looking for alternative treatment to help. There are many reasons to cause infertility. Around 20% of the underlying causes can be identified with the man. Around 30% with the woman. And about 30% with both partners.
In the rest 20% or so,is unexplained and has no identifiable root cause.
Men's part:
Poor Sperm Quality
The sperm are simply not up to the job- either from some known but non-correctable cause or for an unknown reason.
Test : A semen analysis measures the count,quality and motility of the sperm.
Treatment: Various assisted-reproduction technologies can help a man with poor sperm increase his chances that one of his sperm cells will fertilize an egg. These include IVF(in vitro fertilization),sperm washing and IUI (intrauterine insemination).The newest technique is ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection),which all you need is one viable sperm for success.
Bottom Line: Depending on the woman's age,Canadian fertility clinics claim a 40-60% pregnancy rate for IVF and a 40% success rate for ICSI.
Varicocele
A clump of enlarged and dilated veins inside the scrotum,a varicocele is the most common surgically correctable cause of infertility in men. Think of it as a varicose vein in a very sensitive area. There are several theories as to why a varicocele can put a damper on fertility,but it's generally thought to act like a miniature radiator to increase the temperature in the testicle. The excess heat decreases sperm production and motility.
Test: Most of the time, a varicocele can be felt during a physical exam. If the exam is inconclusive, an ultrasound of the scrotum may be required.
Treatment: Varicoceles can be corrected with surgery to tie them off and divert blood to normal vessels or with embolization,in which tiny coils are injecte through a catheter to block blood flow to the dilated veins.
Bottom Line: Varicoceles can be fixed,but that doesn't always translate into a pregnancy. The conception rate after treatment is 30 to 50%.
Obstruction
Congenital defects or obstructions that develop later---such as scarring from sexually transmitted infections,biopsies or hernia repairs---can block the sperms' passage anywhere along their journey through the male reproductive system.
Test: A semen analysis may show a very low sperm count and a low volume of seminal fluid. A physical examination or a transrectal ultrasound can also locate an obstruction.
Treatment: Often the blockage can be bypassed with microsurgery, allowing the sperm to flow freely again.
Bottom Line: Success depends on where the obstruction is. The closer the blockage is the testicle,the more complex the fix and the lower the success rate. Pregnancy rates range from 40-60%.
Hormonal Imbalances
Caused by glandular disorders,these imbalances impair sperm production and quality and can reduce a man's sexual desire. They include high levels of prolactin, a hormone that is elevated in nursing moms and suppresses male hormones.
Test: Semen and blood tests.
Treatment: Sperm production is sometimes restored with hormone therapy or drugs that stimulate production of the brain chemical dopamine,which blocks prolactin.
Bottom Line: Sperm can be restored in about 60% of men, and the pregnacy rate is about 40%.
Immunological Infertility
Although this is a controversial area,it is thought that some men produce autoantibodies to their own sperm,because of prior infections in,or blows to,the testicles. These may cause sperm to stick together and reduce their ability to reach and penetrate the egg.
Test:Semen and blood tests.
Treatment: Sperm can be washed in the lab to remove the interfering antibodies,then injected into the woman's uterus.
Bottom Line: The pregnancy rate falls in the 15 to 20% range.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Insomnia
One day, a client walked in and asked if I can help for his insomnia. When he was talking,you can feel the tension. He was taking some medicine for his mental problem for more than twenty years. Then since 2004,he had trouble with sleep. Every night, he went to bed around 10 pm, then woke up around 1-2am, and couldn't fall asleep anymore. Since then ,he started to take sleeping pill,till now,he was taking five kinds of sleeping pills, still no change. He asked me if I can help him. Be honestly, I'm not sure. I said you can try ten times of acupuncture to see if it works for you.
I did a check up for him. He has a thick and yellow tongue coat. His pulse on both hand ,you can feel the tension and slippery. So his tongue and his pulse indicated he had heat and dampness as a toxic in his body. And according to his sleep pattern,which wakes up around 1-2am, meant the toxic stayed at his liver and gall bladder meridians. And he had this problem for more than six years, we said chronic problems can cause the deficiency. specially the heat can definitely effect on liver Ying. So I used acupuncture points on these two meridians. After the first time treatment,when I went home, I thought about this case again,(usually for some interesting cases,I'd like to go through again to see if anything I can do to improve the result ),then I decided to give him some Chinese herbal tablets .Even it costed a little more,(this client was quite concerned about the financial,I tried to use least money to help) ,but I thought it should help. The good news was,when the second time,he came, he felt a little improvement. Even that,I still convinced him to take the herbal medicine. Since the third time,he saw more improvement. Even he still woke up,but he can fall asleep in half hour. Four or five times later on,even he can go through the whole night. And his tongue coat is disappeared. His pulse was more even then before. And he started to joke with me. I'm so happy for him. This is the best gift for me.
I did a check up for him. He has a thick and yellow tongue coat. His pulse on both hand ,you can feel the tension and slippery. So his tongue and his pulse indicated he had heat and dampness as a toxic in his body. And according to his sleep pattern,which wakes up around 1-2am, meant the toxic stayed at his liver and gall bladder meridians. And he had this problem for more than six years, we said chronic problems can cause the deficiency. specially the heat can definitely effect on liver Ying. So I used acupuncture points on these two meridians. After the first time treatment,when I went home, I thought about this case again,(usually for some interesting cases,I'd like to go through again to see if anything I can do to improve the result ),then I decided to give him some Chinese herbal tablets .Even it costed a little more,(this client was quite concerned about the financial,I tried to use least money to help) ,but I thought it should help. The good news was,when the second time,he came, he felt a little improvement. Even that,I still convinced him to take the herbal medicine. Since the third time,he saw more improvement. Even he still woke up,but he can fall asleep in half hour. Four or five times later on,even he can go through the whole night. And his tongue coat is disappeared. His pulse was more even then before. And he started to joke with me. I'm so happy for him. This is the best gift for me.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Hypertension
I have a client. I saw her since 2002. She is around late 40s. When she has problem with shoulder or arms,she comes to visit me. Maybe a few times per year. Recently I saw her because of her allergy. During the treatment, she told me that she doesn't like to go to see a doctor. the latest one is because she cut her finger,then she went to an emergency. The doctor on duty took her blood pressure as a routine. He took her blood pressure for several times,then said he couldn't write down the numbers. Otherwise she would be in trouble. So I asked her about the number,she said maybe around 220/120 mmhg. The doctor thought maybe because she was in pain,so she had a high blood pressure. Then I thought even she was in such a pain,usually shouldn't have such a high blood pressure. So after acupuncture, I took her blood pressure. It was high.220/130! She has nothing to complaint except allergy symptoms. And she is not sure about her family history. So I asked her to come next day,and meantime I asked her to take her blood pressure by herself to excluding “ white cloth high blood pressure”( when people see a doctor,their blood pressure go up). She did that,and also the second time I took her blood pressure was high,too. I kept pushing her to see her family doctor. When she told her doctor about the number of blood pressure,her doctor got an appointment for her right away. Fortunately after all the examinations, except that she had several very mild heart attack( even she didn't have any symptoms), her liver,kidney function are still normal. Her family doctor gave her high dosage of blood pressure pills to control her blood pressure. A few weeks later,her blood pressure was going down ,but still abnormal. I suggest her to combine with herbs. Her diastolic pressure is very high,which means her vessels are narrowed and fragile. Drugs are only help to control the blood pressure, but it couldn't to help softening the vessels. Combining with herbs,we try to treat hypertension from the root. Definitely , this treatment would take a long way to go.
Her family doctor said thanks to me. I thanks to her because of her care about the patient. I should find her hypertension much more earlier. I'm back afraid that if that day I'm not chatting with her,if she doesn't mention what happened in the emergency,maybe I'll never find she has hypertension. That's why we said when you are a doctor for a long time,you'll be more careful. Anything can happen if you skip a clue.
Her family doctor said thanks to me. I thanks to her because of her care about the patient. I should find her hypertension much more earlier. I'm back afraid that if that day I'm not chatting with her,if she doesn't mention what happened in the emergency,maybe I'll never find she has hypertension. That's why we said when you are a doctor for a long time,you'll be more careful. Anything can happen if you skip a clue.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Follow-up in China
The day after my husband’s arrival in China, he went to a hospital to have an x-ray taken. The results showed pneumonia and the doctor suggested that he have a CT scan done. (Remember, I'm still in Canada.) The CT scan was taken right away and cost about CDN$200 which is a lot money in China. The CT scan results came out clear. The doctor then asked him to stay in hospital even though he didn’t have any symptoms. Fortunately, this time, he firmly declined. The doctor ended up prescribing at least four kinds antibiotics, including two kinds for IV for another week. I couldn’t believe it! To be honest, I think antibiotics are overused. I worked in China as a doctor for many years, so I know exactly what is going on. I would not have let this happen, but because my husband was located in a different city from where I used work, the situation was out of my hands. They definitely abuse antibiotic use nowadays. Some doctors think only about the money and don't even care about what happens with their patients. First of all, my husband didn’t need an immediate CT scan. After another two to four weeks he could have had another x-ray as a comparison. Secondly, only oral antibiotic should be taken at that stage( which is the recovery stage). The best thing to do is to just stop the antibiotics and take some herbs to nourish the body; use the body's own power to completely heal. I wish my husband would listen to me, but because we’re so far away, there’s not much I can do.
The body's healing powers are like soldiers. If the soldiers never fight, they lose their abilities.
The body's healing powers are like soldiers. If the soldiers never fight, they lose their abilities.
Fever
I have two recent and interesting cases I'd like to share.
The first case involves a 54-year-old female client of mine who had symptoms of a bloated stomach. Two days later she experienced chills, but no sweat, headache, no appetite, low energy and constipation. This lasted for about a week. When she finally came to see me, I checked her tongue, pulse and body temperature which was 39.2 Celsius. My assessment was that she had a cold blocked Tai Yang Meridian with interior heat. The Tai Yang Meridian acts like a gate and when it’s blocked with a cold (caused by pathologic factors such as viruses, bacteria, etc.) the internal heat has nowhere to escape resulting in a high fever.
Treatment was to clear the cold in the Tai Yang Meridian and accumulated internal heat. After acupuncture and cupping, my client felt immediate relief. After giving her herbs, she sweated and had a bowel movement. On the second day, her body temperature dropped to 38.3 Celsius. On the third day of treatment, her temperature was 37.0 Celsius, her headache less severe and appetite increased. On the fourth day, she was back to normal, so I gave herbs to help nourish her body. In a week, without any drugs, my client had fully recovered.
The second case involves my husband. He is 36 and has been a cigarette smoker for more than 15 years. I’ve tried to get him to quit smoking, but, unfortunately, he doesn’t listen. Two weeks ago he started having fits of coughing at night. He took some cough syrup and it got better. He then developed a slight fever which I didn't really pay much attention to because I wanted to take this opportunity to scare him into possibly quitting smoking. I wasn’t really thinking about what herbs I should be giving him and ended up giving him whatever was on hand and easy to take. Then his situation took a turn for the worse and he developed a high fever pattern. The pattern was a normal temperature reading in the morning and as the day progressed it would get higher and peak between 3pm and 5pm at 38.8 Celsius. He began taking antibiotics (he doesn't believe in herbs), but this didn’t help him get better.
From my experience, and from a Western medicine perspective, this meant 3 possible diagnoses: infection, tuberculosis or cancer. According to my husband’s research on the internet, his pattern was most reflective of cancer. Needless to say, he cut back drastically on his cigarette smoking.
There wasn’t any time to see our family doctor because it would take too long before we could get an appointment and he had a flight booked for China. I finally forced him to come to my clinic and, ignoring his bargaining (he is chicken with needles), I did acupuncture and cupping. According to his fever pattern, the heat was already deep inside in the Yang Ming Meridian (pathologic factors from surface to interior goes like this: Tai Yang - Shao Yang - Yang Ming; the deeper the problem is, the harder it is to cure) so I used strong herbs for him. They were quite bitter, but they worked; his temperature finally started to lower. With his body temperature getting better, I knew there was a lesser chance of him having tuberculosis and cancer. I advised that he have an x-ray taken just to exclude the possibility of other diseases.
Within three days, his body temperature dropped down to 37.3 C. For his flight to China, I gave him some herbal pills instead of the herbal tea treatment. During his flight I was worried because I knew it was going to be a long ride and I was afraid that without enough rest his fever might return. We spoke when he arrived in Shang Hai and he let me know that he had no fever. Thank God. Now it's my turn to have a rest.
The first case involves a 54-year-old female client of mine who had symptoms of a bloated stomach. Two days later she experienced chills, but no sweat, headache, no appetite, low energy and constipation. This lasted for about a week. When she finally came to see me, I checked her tongue, pulse and body temperature which was 39.2 Celsius. My assessment was that she had a cold blocked Tai Yang Meridian with interior heat. The Tai Yang Meridian acts like a gate and when it’s blocked with a cold (caused by pathologic factors such as viruses, bacteria, etc.) the internal heat has nowhere to escape resulting in a high fever.
Treatment was to clear the cold in the Tai Yang Meridian and accumulated internal heat. After acupuncture and cupping, my client felt immediate relief. After giving her herbs, she sweated and had a bowel movement. On the second day, her body temperature dropped to 38.3 Celsius. On the third day of treatment, her temperature was 37.0 Celsius, her headache less severe and appetite increased. On the fourth day, she was back to normal, so I gave herbs to help nourish her body. In a week, without any drugs, my client had fully recovered.
The second case involves my husband. He is 36 and has been a cigarette smoker for more than 15 years. I’ve tried to get him to quit smoking, but, unfortunately, he doesn’t listen. Two weeks ago he started having fits of coughing at night. He took some cough syrup and it got better. He then developed a slight fever which I didn't really pay much attention to because I wanted to take this opportunity to scare him into possibly quitting smoking. I wasn’t really thinking about what herbs I should be giving him and ended up giving him whatever was on hand and easy to take. Then his situation took a turn for the worse and he developed a high fever pattern. The pattern was a normal temperature reading in the morning and as the day progressed it would get higher and peak between 3pm and 5pm at 38.8 Celsius. He began taking antibiotics (he doesn't believe in herbs), but this didn’t help him get better.
From my experience, and from a Western medicine perspective, this meant 3 possible diagnoses: infection, tuberculosis or cancer. According to my husband’s research on the internet, his pattern was most reflective of cancer. Needless to say, he cut back drastically on his cigarette smoking.
There wasn’t any time to see our family doctor because it would take too long before we could get an appointment and he had a flight booked for China. I finally forced him to come to my clinic and, ignoring his bargaining (he is chicken with needles), I did acupuncture and cupping. According to his fever pattern, the heat was already deep inside in the Yang Ming Meridian (pathologic factors from surface to interior goes like this: Tai Yang - Shao Yang - Yang Ming; the deeper the problem is, the harder it is to cure) so I used strong herbs for him. They were quite bitter, but they worked; his temperature finally started to lower. With his body temperature getting better, I knew there was a lesser chance of him having tuberculosis and cancer. I advised that he have an x-ray taken just to exclude the possibility of other diseases.
Within three days, his body temperature dropped down to 37.3 C. For his flight to China, I gave him some herbal pills instead of the herbal tea treatment. During his flight I was worried because I knew it was going to be a long ride and I was afraid that without enough rest his fever might return. We spoke when he arrived in Shang Hai and he let me know that he had no fever. Thank God. Now it's my turn to have a rest.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Infant Massage
Infant massage is widely practiced not only in North America, but also in China. Babies are just too young to administer medicine to. The use of massage is a perfectly acceptable remedy; it’s safe and effective.
Common infant ailments that massage can relieve are: cold, fever, cough, asthma, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, malnutrition, night cry, enuresis, infant muscular wryneck, just to name a few. It can also be used to promote general health and well being.
The method in which infants are diagnosed is different from adults. With adults, we look at the tongue and feel the pulse. For infants, we look at the colour of their forefinger print to find out the body’s condition; if it's hot, cold, sufficient or deficient. Then, according to the diagnosis, we use acupoints and different massage techniques to alleviate the problem. Again, acupoints used on infants are different than those used on adults.
Infant massage is considered to be a “green" friendly treatment and an excellent way for parents to bond with their children.
Common infant ailments that massage can relieve are: cold, fever, cough, asthma, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, malnutrition, night cry, enuresis, infant muscular wryneck, just to name a few. It can also be used to promote general health and well being.
The method in which infants are diagnosed is different from adults. With adults, we look at the tongue and feel the pulse. For infants, we look at the colour of their forefinger print to find out the body’s condition; if it's hot, cold, sufficient or deficient. Then, according to the diagnosis, we use acupoints and different massage techniques to alleviate the problem. Again, acupoints used on infants are different than those used on adults.
Infant massage is considered to be a “green" friendly treatment and an excellent way for parents to bond with their children.
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