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.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Chinese Herbs
A client came in today asking, “Do you offer Chinese herbs? Do you guarantee that there are no side effects?” Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to side effects. Chinese herbs are just a different method of curing an ailment compared to Western medicine. It's like climbing a mountain; there are different ways of getting to the peak. There is a short but risky way and there is a longer but safe way. Drugs are like taking the short way - they are quick and effective, but with more side effects. Chinese herbs are like taking the longer way - it takes some time and is safer, but this doesn’t mean there are no side effects.
There are more than 500 Chinese herbs used which include roots, grass, woods, furs, animals and stones. We classify them into three categories:
· The first category called "superior" includes herbs effective for multiple diseases and are mostly responsible for maintaining and restoring the body’s balance. They have almost no unfavorable side-effects. Examples are black date, Chinese yam, sesame seed, and ginger. Some are consumed the same way regular food is.
· The second category is comprised of tonics, boosters and detoxifiers for which their consumption must not be prolonged.
· The third category are toxic, usually taken in small doses and used only for the treatment of specific ailments.
In China, herbal medicine is considered the primary therapeutic mode of internal medicine. Of the approximately 500 Chinese herbs that are in use today, 250 or so are very commonly used. Rather than being prescribed individually, single herbs are combined into formulas that are designed to adapt to the specific needs of individual patients. A herbal formula can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 herbs. As with diet therapy, each herb has one or more of the five flavors/functions and one of five "temperatures" ("Qi") (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold). After we determine the energetic temperature and functional state of the patient's body, we prescribe a mixture of herbs tailored to balance disharmony. And also because of the combination, each herb can just be used in small doses with less side effects.
There are more than 500 Chinese herbs used which include roots, grass, woods, furs, animals and stones. We classify them into three categories:
· The first category called "superior" includes herbs effective for multiple diseases and are mostly responsible for maintaining and restoring the body’s balance. They have almost no unfavorable side-effects. Examples are black date, Chinese yam, sesame seed, and ginger. Some are consumed the same way regular food is.
· The second category is comprised of tonics, boosters and detoxifiers for which their consumption must not be prolonged.
· The third category are toxic, usually taken in small doses and used only for the treatment of specific ailments.
In China, herbal medicine is considered the primary therapeutic mode of internal medicine. Of the approximately 500 Chinese herbs that are in use today, 250 or so are very commonly used. Rather than being prescribed individually, single herbs are combined into formulas that are designed to adapt to the specific needs of individual patients. A herbal formula can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 herbs. As with diet therapy, each herb has one or more of the five flavors/functions and one of five "temperatures" ("Qi") (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold). After we determine the energetic temperature and functional state of the patient's body, we prescribe a mixture of herbs tailored to balance disharmony. And also because of the combination, each herb can just be used in small doses with less side effects.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Depression
I’ve recently seen a few clients with varying degrees of depression. The first two I’m going to mention are in their 60’s who have been suffering from depression for more than twenty years and have been taking anti-depressants for just as long. Both of them wanted to try some alternative treatments to help them feel better. My purpose was to not only help them feel better, but to also try and wean them off their medication. With TCM, we believe that any medicine is toxic for the body. I knew that this would be a long term treatment and it would take some time before they would feel a difference. I spent quite a bit of time with each of these clients during their first treatment session, explaining how TCM treats the problem, how acupuncture and herbs work for it, what to expect and so on. Unfortunately, both cancelled their appointments before even seeing me for a second treatment. The interesting thing is that they both called me between 10-11pm to cancel. (Keep in mind that these people don’t know each other at all!) I didn't persuade them to continue treatment because I knew that for this kind of problem (these two cases in particular) and because they have already suffered with depression for so long, it would take an extended period of time for them to feel any difference. What they need is family support and belief in TCM. I couldn’t help but think about why they both called so late at night to cancel. My guess is that when night falls and it becomes dark, a feeling of hopelessness starts to set in and so they began to believe that no alternative treatment could help them. So, they decided to give up and cancel.
I had another client in her 30’s who, shortly after giving birth, felt depressed, sad, insomnia and not herself. I treated her with acupuncture and after just one session she felt a difference. This reminds me of another client; same age group and situation, but with a more serious case of depression. She was feeling sad, hopeless and felt as if she had nothing to live for. After less than ten treatments, she was back to her normal self.
All three cases make me wonder why some people can see a difference more quickly than others. Age is definitely one factor. Acupuncture uses the body’s own healing power to help cure the problem. When you are younger, the body's ability to recovery is stronger; thus a quicker recovery rate. In the case of the two young women, they only suffered from depression for one to three months and didn't take any medication. There are also other factors. We know that from Western medicine, depression is caused by low levels of monoamines. Anti-depressants are used to increase monoamines level and relieve the symptoms. However, this medication also suppresses the body to produce monoamines. With my two older clients, after being on anti-depressants for so many years, their bodies were so used to relying on the medication to produce monoamines. It's as if their body’s natural ability to produce monoamines went into hibernation. This is why it would take some time before their bodies would be able to produce monoamines naturally.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of depression, you may want to consider alternative methods of treatment in order to avoid possibly taking anti-depressants on a long term basis. I hope I can help bring the sunshine back into your life.
I had another client in her 30’s who, shortly after giving birth, felt depressed, sad, insomnia and not herself. I treated her with acupuncture and after just one session she felt a difference. This reminds me of another client; same age group and situation, but with a more serious case of depression. She was feeling sad, hopeless and felt as if she had nothing to live for. After less than ten treatments, she was back to her normal self.
All three cases make me wonder why some people can see a difference more quickly than others. Age is definitely one factor. Acupuncture uses the body’s own healing power to help cure the problem. When you are younger, the body's ability to recovery is stronger; thus a quicker recovery rate. In the case of the two young women, they only suffered from depression for one to three months and didn't take any medication. There are also other factors. We know that from Western medicine, depression is caused by low levels of monoamines. Anti-depressants are used to increase monoamines level and relieve the symptoms. However, this medication also suppresses the body to produce monoamines. With my two older clients, after being on anti-depressants for so many years, their bodies were so used to relying on the medication to produce monoamines. It's as if their body’s natural ability to produce monoamines went into hibernation. This is why it would take some time before their bodies would be able to produce monoamines naturally.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of depression, you may want to consider alternative methods of treatment in order to avoid possibly taking anti-depressants on a long term basis. I hope I can help bring the sunshine back into your life.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
H1N1 Flu
With weather changing,flu season is coming,too. Specially this year,except for the regular seasonal flu,we have another type of flu – H1N1 flu.
H1N1 flu is different than the seasonal flu. People have no natural immunity to protect against this virus. It is affecting more young and healthy people than the regular seasonal flu, which normally affects seniors and young children. People with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women may be at a greater risk for severe illness.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu usually have cough and fever,also you can have sore throat,headache,runny nose,muscle aches,decreased appetite,fatigue,nausea,vomit and diarrhea.
Vaccination is suggested for preventing from the flu. We also have some good Chinese medicine formulas for preventing. There is one formula recommended by a famous Chinese medicine doctor:
For adults : Flos Lonicerae ( Jin Yin Hua) 15g
Radix Scrophulariae (Xuan Shen) 10g
Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae( Chen Pi) 6g
Radix Glycyrrhizae ( Gan Cao) 6g
Black Date (Da Zao) 5 pieces
One package per day,3-5days one treatment course
For Children: Flos Lonicerae ( Jin Yin Hua) 3g
Fructus Crataegi (Shan Zha) 10g
Radix Glycyrrhizae( Gan Cao) 3g
Herba Menthae (Bo He) 3g
One package per day,3-5 days one treatment course
For my own opinion, I would add some herbs to these formula,like Radix Astragali (Huang Qi),Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu), Radix Saposhnikoviae(Fang Feng),to boot the immunity system.
Of course,enough rest,healthy diet and free of stress will help.
H1N1 flu is different than the seasonal flu. People have no natural immunity to protect against this virus. It is affecting more young and healthy people than the regular seasonal flu, which normally affects seniors and young children. People with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women may be at a greater risk for severe illness.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu usually have cough and fever,also you can have sore throat,headache,runny nose,muscle aches,decreased appetite,fatigue,nausea,vomit and diarrhea.
Vaccination is suggested for preventing from the flu. We also have some good Chinese medicine formulas for preventing. There is one formula recommended by a famous Chinese medicine doctor:
For adults : Flos Lonicerae ( Jin Yin Hua) 15g
Radix Scrophulariae (Xuan Shen) 10g
Pericarpium Citri Tangerinae( Chen Pi) 6g
Radix Glycyrrhizae ( Gan Cao) 6g
Black Date (Da Zao) 5 pieces
One package per day,3-5days one treatment course
For Children: Flos Lonicerae ( Jin Yin Hua) 3g
Fructus Crataegi (Shan Zha) 10g
Radix Glycyrrhizae( Gan Cao) 3g
Herba Menthae (Bo He) 3g
One package per day,3-5 days one treatment course
For my own opinion, I would add some herbs to these formula,like Radix Astragali (Huang Qi),Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu), Radix Saposhnikoviae(Fang Feng),to boot the immunity system.
Of course,enough rest,healthy diet and free of stress will help.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tongue
At the last step of TCM examination, we always ask you to stick out your tongue. What we are looking for ?
We look at the colour of the tongue and the tongue coat. Normal tongue colour supposes to be light red. And there shouldn't have tongue coat. Some clients told me that they are sorry not to scratch away the tongue coat. Actually it's an evidence of internal sickness.
Pale tongue: means Qi or Qi and Blood deficiency. When Qi is deficient, it couldn't delivery Blood to the upper body,that's why there is lack of colour in the tongue.
Red tongue: most means heat inside the body. If the tongue tip is red,that means heat in Heart. People can have sores in the tongue, feel restless,insomnia. If the tongue sides are red,mostly means there is heat in Liver and Gall Bladder, usually these people have a hot temper,easy to get irritated, headache, dizziness,ear rings,hypertension. If the middle tongue is red, it means heat in Stomach. People can easy feel hungry, burning feeling in the stomach. If the back tongue is red,people more have heat in Kidney, can have frequent urination, burning feel when urinate,little amount of urine.
Dark red tongue: means more heat in the body.
Purple tongue: Usually means poor blood circulation.
Blue tongue: means extreme cold in the body. It's also happen on people who have cardiovascular problem,or drug,food poisoning.
Of course, this need combine with symptoms and pulse checking,we can get acute diagnosis.
We look at the colour of the tongue and the tongue coat. Normal tongue colour supposes to be light red. And there shouldn't have tongue coat. Some clients told me that they are sorry not to scratch away the tongue coat. Actually it's an evidence of internal sickness.
Pale tongue: means Qi or Qi and Blood deficiency. When Qi is deficient, it couldn't delivery Blood to the upper body,that's why there is lack of colour in the tongue.
Red tongue: most means heat inside the body. If the tongue tip is red,that means heat in Heart. People can have sores in the tongue, feel restless,insomnia. If the tongue sides are red,mostly means there is heat in Liver and Gall Bladder, usually these people have a hot temper,easy to get irritated, headache, dizziness,ear rings,hypertension. If the middle tongue is red, it means heat in Stomach. People can easy feel hungry, burning feeling in the stomach. If the back tongue is red,people more have heat in Kidney, can have frequent urination, burning feel when urinate,little amount of urine.
Dark red tongue: means more heat in the body.
Purple tongue: Usually means poor blood circulation.
Blue tongue: means extreme cold in the body. It's also happen on people who have cardiovascular problem,or drug,food poisoning.
Of course, this need combine with symptoms and pulse checking,we can get acute diagnosis.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Keep a even mood
Keeping a even mood maybe the most difficult to reach. Good things,bad things happen,we always have a reaction. We just need to control the reaction in a certain range. Overreaction will cause sickness.
Overhappyness will effect on heart. the symptoms can be losing concentration, distracted,tiredness,palpitation, absent-minded ,even frantic.
Oversaddness will hurt lung, can cause cough, short of breath,heaviness on chest. There is a story. One of my friend,his father died. And he didn't get a chance to go back home to see him for the last visit. He was so sad. Then later on,he developed a chronic cough. A few months later,after he went over the sadness,the cough went away. He is a Chinese medicine doctor,too. This time,he really understood oversaddness can effect on your lung.
Overworry can effect on your spleen,you will have low appetite, stomach blockage, diarrhea, weakness , losing weight and so on.
Overangry can effect on liver, people will have dizziness,headache,red face ,ear ringing, even vomiting blood. passing out.
Overscare can effect on kidney, can cause weakness on legs,losing control on urine and bowel movement,nocturnal emission. We can see on TV and movies,when people were frightened, they lost control on urine and bowel movement.
Our mood shouldn't be effected by outside stuff. Keep peaceful in mind. Good or bad things are just part of life. Nothing will be perfect. Good things follow bad,bad things follow good. So take it easy, try your best to enjoy your life.
Overhappyness will effect on heart. the symptoms can be losing concentration, distracted,tiredness,palpitation, absent-minded ,even frantic.
Oversaddness will hurt lung, can cause cough, short of breath,heaviness on chest. There is a story. One of my friend,his father died. And he didn't get a chance to go back home to see him for the last visit. He was so sad. Then later on,he developed a chronic cough. A few months later,after he went over the sadness,the cough went away. He is a Chinese medicine doctor,too. This time,he really understood oversaddness can effect on your lung.
Overworry can effect on your spleen,you will have low appetite, stomach blockage, diarrhea, weakness , losing weight and so on.
Overangry can effect on liver, people will have dizziness,headache,red face ,ear ringing, even vomiting blood. passing out.
Overscare can effect on kidney, can cause weakness on legs,losing control on urine and bowel movement,nocturnal emission. We can see on TV and movies,when people were frightened, they lost control on urine and bowel movement.
Our mood shouldn't be effected by outside stuff. Keep peaceful in mind. Good or bad things are just part of life. Nothing will be perfect. Good things follow bad,bad things follow good. So take it easy, try your best to enjoy your life.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Good Sleep
We fall asleep fast, get through the whole night,when we wake up in the morning,we feel fresh. That's a good sleep. We all know,for an adult,most of us need 8-9 hours sleep. But when is the best time for sleep?
In TCM,we divide 24 hours into 12 time period:
5am-7am (mou)--Large intestinal : As a doctor,we know this is a dangerous time. According to a study,60% stoke,heart attack, sudden death happens at this time. Because at this time , people's blood pressure,body temperature is at the lowest level,and blood circulation is very slow. Yang is at the lowest level. Ying is at the highest level. Later on,Ying will reduce,Yang will increase. So this time,better to rest. Don't do exercise during this time.
7am-9am(chen)---Stomach: This time,Stomach Meridian has the most Qi and Blood. This is a good time for breakfast.
9am-11am(yi)---Spleen: Spleen help to deliver nutritions to other organs,include brain. So it's a good time for studying and work.
11am-1pm(wu)--Heart: We always say using heart to study. This is still a good time to study and work.
1pm – 3pm(wei)--Small intestinal: Good time for lunch. This time,most Qi and Blood go to small intestinal meridian to help digestive food. The best,we can have a little snap during this time to let small intestinal work better.
3pm-5pm(shen)--Bladder : This time can drink more water to detoxify.
5pm-7pm(you)--Kidney: Usually dinner time. Eat light but good.
7pm-9pm(wu)---Heart Membrane: It's time to calm down.
9pm-11pm(hai)--San Jiao:Hai,in Chinese,means restart. It's time to go to bed. We can drink some milk,soy milk to help falling asleep.
11pm-1am(zi)--Gall bladder: Gall bladder support all the other organs. Very important to have it get enough rest.
1am-3am(chou)--Liver, 3am-5am(ming)--Lung,5am-7am(mou)--Large intestinal. From 11pm to 7am is the best time for sleep. Body use this time to recovery and build up immunity system.
In TCM,we divide 24 hours into 12 time period:
5am-7am (mou)--Large intestinal : As a doctor,we know this is a dangerous time. According to a study,60% stoke,heart attack, sudden death happens at this time. Because at this time , people's blood pressure,body temperature is at the lowest level,and blood circulation is very slow. Yang is at the lowest level. Ying is at the highest level. Later on,Ying will reduce,Yang will increase. So this time,better to rest. Don't do exercise during this time.
7am-9am(chen)---Stomach: This time,Stomach Meridian has the most Qi and Blood. This is a good time for breakfast.
9am-11am(yi)---Spleen: Spleen help to deliver nutritions to other organs,include brain. So it's a good time for studying and work.
11am-1pm(wu)--Heart: We always say using heart to study. This is still a good time to study and work.
1pm – 3pm(wei)--Small intestinal: Good time for lunch. This time,most Qi and Blood go to small intestinal meridian to help digestive food. The best,we can have a little snap during this time to let small intestinal work better.
3pm-5pm(shen)--Bladder : This time can drink more water to detoxify.
5pm-7pm(you)--Kidney: Usually dinner time. Eat light but good.
7pm-9pm(wu)---Heart Membrane: It's time to calm down.
9pm-11pm(hai)--San Jiao:Hai,in Chinese,means restart. It's time to go to bed. We can drink some milk,soy milk to help falling asleep.
11pm-1am(zi)--Gall bladder: Gall bladder support all the other organs. Very important to have it get enough rest.
1am-3am(chou)--Liver, 3am-5am(ming)--Lung,5am-7am(mou)--Large intestinal. From 11pm to 7am is the best time for sleep. Body use this time to recovery and build up immunity system.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Some Thoughts
I’m reading a very good book about Chinese Medicine. When I read it, I’m still amazed by TCM, by how deep and wide it is! After practicing TCM for more than 10 years, I still feel like I’m at the beginning. I will spend my lifetime studying it, trying to understand it fully and using it to help others. I wish my English were much better so that I could translate all this information and let more people know about TCM. Thank God I have so many people helping me, like Alyssa, Monica and especially Madeline who has 2 little ones, a full time job and tons of housework. I truly appreciate everything they’ve done for me so far.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Chronic Urinary Tract Infection
One of my clients, a 65-year old woman, came to me with a chronic urinary tract infection that she had for more than 10 years. Her symptoms would come and go, but when she did have them, she would experience the frequent urge to urinate and with it, a painful burning sensation in the bladder or urethra. The treatment of this would be antibiotics. After so many years of suffering this condition, she decided it was time for an alternative treatment.
According to TCM, the symptoms of a chronic urinary tract infection are caused by heat and dampness in the lower part of the body. To help clear away this heat and dampness, I prescribed some herbs and within 3 days, her symptoms were gone. From this point, the most important part of the treatment was preventing this infection from coming back. So, I checked my client’s tongue and pulse and discovered that she had a Kidney Qi deficiency. Knowing this, I prescribed some herbs to improve her deficiency. After taking these herbs for more than half a year, my client has been doing very well and has been infection free ever since.
This is why I say that Western medicine is more about treating symptoms and Eastern medicine, like TCM, is about treating the root of the problem.
According to TCM, the symptoms of a chronic urinary tract infection are caused by heat and dampness in the lower part of the body. To help clear away this heat and dampness, I prescribed some herbs and within 3 days, her symptoms were gone. From this point, the most important part of the treatment was preventing this infection from coming back. So, I checked my client’s tongue and pulse and discovered that she had a Kidney Qi deficiency. Knowing this, I prescribed some herbs to improve her deficiency. After taking these herbs for more than half a year, my client has been doing very well and has been infection free ever since.
This is why I say that Western medicine is more about treating symptoms and Eastern medicine, like TCM, is about treating the root of the problem.
Eat Healthy
So far, we’ve talked about the importance of prevention against diseases with the 4 main principles being: healthy eating, getting enough sleep, proper exercise and keeping stress to a minimum and we’ve discussed what proper exercising means. Today, let’s talk about eating.
Eat regularly: As in exercise, we need to eat our 3 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner at around the same time each day. There’s a saying that goes: breakfast – eat good, lunch – eat full, dinner – eat less.
I have a client who is nearly 50-years old with diabetes, hypertension, is overweight and has suffered 2 heart attacks. The first time I met with her, even with her insulin treatments her blood sugar levels were around 20 mmol/l, more than double the normal levels. Her main complaint was that even though she’s visited her doctor many times with these symptoms, nothing she has done so far has helped. When I asked her about her lifestyle, she told me that she went to bed every night at about midnight, got up in the morning between 9 am and 10am and always skipped breakfast. This is something no doctor can treat.
What to eat: People are always asking what’s good to eat. Most people should follow these principles: 10% of your meal is meat – this includes red and white meat. 20% of your meal should include rice, noodles and bread. 70% will include vegetable, fruits and nuts. One should eat a variety of foods. Of course, people with certain diseases or conditions need to avoid certain foods. In addition, according to TCM practice, those with cold composition need to avoid too much cold food consumption and those who have heat composition need to avoid hot and spicy foods.
In my personal opinion, I’ve never really agreed with being vegetarian, especially for women. Because of the monthly menstrual cycle, a certain amount of blood is lost. Western medicine would say that that women can easily lack iron because of this. The best source of iron still comes from red meat. Some vegetarians would disagree with me and say that they can remedy this by eating more vegetables with high iron content. But I believe that the iron that comes from vegetables is different than iron from red meat.
As long as you have a good digestive system and you eat well, there shouldn’t be a need to take any additional vitamins or health supplements.
Eat regularly: As in exercise, we need to eat our 3 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner at around the same time each day. There’s a saying that goes: breakfast – eat good, lunch – eat full, dinner – eat less.
I have a client who is nearly 50-years old with diabetes, hypertension, is overweight and has suffered 2 heart attacks. The first time I met with her, even with her insulin treatments her blood sugar levels were around 20 mmol/l, more than double the normal levels. Her main complaint was that even though she’s visited her doctor many times with these symptoms, nothing she has done so far has helped. When I asked her about her lifestyle, she told me that she went to bed every night at about midnight, got up in the morning between 9 am and 10am and always skipped breakfast. This is something no doctor can treat.
What to eat: People are always asking what’s good to eat. Most people should follow these principles: 10% of your meal is meat – this includes red and white meat. 20% of your meal should include rice, noodles and bread. 70% will include vegetable, fruits and nuts. One should eat a variety of foods. Of course, people with certain diseases or conditions need to avoid certain foods. In addition, according to TCM practice, those with cold composition need to avoid too much cold food consumption and those who have heat composition need to avoid hot and spicy foods.
In my personal opinion, I’ve never really agreed with being vegetarian, especially for women. Because of the monthly menstrual cycle, a certain amount of blood is lost. Western medicine would say that that women can easily lack iron because of this. The best source of iron still comes from red meat. Some vegetarians would disagree with me and say that they can remedy this by eating more vegetables with high iron content. But I believe that the iron that comes from vegetables is different than iron from red meat.
As long as you have a good digestive system and you eat well, there shouldn’t be a need to take any additional vitamins or health supplements.
Exercise
The main focus with TCM is on preventing rather than treating diseases. This means starting with a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating healthy, getting enough rest, moderate exercise and keeping stress and anxiety to a minimum. This sounds easy enough, but how many of us, myself included, actually put these into practice?
I recently read an article by a famous sports specialist in China about “Proper Exercise”. So let’s start there. Proper exercise means exercising around the same time, for the same amount and at the same level of strength. By doing this, the body creates a “memory”, which makes exercising more effective.
You need to exercise at least 4 times a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes each time and for a total of about 4 to 6 hours every week. Exercising whenever you feel like it or whenever you can fit it in to your day creates an irregular exercise schedule, which is not as effective as a consistent schedule. According to the study, the best time to exercise is between 3pm to 9pm. If we exercise every day at around the same time, our body remembers the pattern, which improves the results of exercising.
Exercising for the “same amount at the same level of strength” does not mean walking for 20 minutes today and 60 minutes tomorrow. Nor does it mean going 1 km today and 3 km the next day. A correct example of putting proper exercise into practice would be jogging for 1 km in 15 minutes, and doing this every time at the same pace.
A proper exercise plan should be based upon the individual, taking into consideration their health, time and environment. A good plan is simple, practical, effective and easy to follow. Following this will improve strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, sensitivity, etc. For example, ball sports improve sensitivity and coordination. Climbing is good for power and endurance. Yoga and dance are good for flexibility and coordination.
When we say we need to exercise at least 30 minutes everyday, this does not mean exercising for a longer period of time is better. Two to three hours of exercise will overwork the body and could cause injury, not acute or immediate injury, but definitely chronic injury. Over time, this high level of exercise will cause stress on internal organs, consume a surplus of energy and produce a lot of excess waste. It’s not healthy if waste takes more that 1 or 2 days to be eliminated.
The ideal proper exercise regime means exercising everyday for 30 to 90 minutes: spending 30 to 50 minutes cardio exercises (like jogging and swimming) and the remainder of the time focusing on strength and flexibility. Every week, take a day or 2 off to rest or do some mild exercises.
When you decide to start your proper exercise plan, remember to begin slowly and gradually increase in intensity.
I recently read an article by a famous sports specialist in China about “Proper Exercise”. So let’s start there. Proper exercise means exercising around the same time, for the same amount and at the same level of strength. By doing this, the body creates a “memory”, which makes exercising more effective.
You need to exercise at least 4 times a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes each time and for a total of about 4 to 6 hours every week. Exercising whenever you feel like it or whenever you can fit it in to your day creates an irregular exercise schedule, which is not as effective as a consistent schedule. According to the study, the best time to exercise is between 3pm to 9pm. If we exercise every day at around the same time, our body remembers the pattern, which improves the results of exercising.
Exercising for the “same amount at the same level of strength” does not mean walking for 20 minutes today and 60 minutes tomorrow. Nor does it mean going 1 km today and 3 km the next day. A correct example of putting proper exercise into practice would be jogging for 1 km in 15 minutes, and doing this every time at the same pace.
A proper exercise plan should be based upon the individual, taking into consideration their health, time and environment. A good plan is simple, practical, effective and easy to follow. Following this will improve strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, sensitivity, etc. For example, ball sports improve sensitivity and coordination. Climbing is good for power and endurance. Yoga and dance are good for flexibility and coordination.
When we say we need to exercise at least 30 minutes everyday, this does not mean exercising for a longer period of time is better. Two to three hours of exercise will overwork the body and could cause injury, not acute or immediate injury, but definitely chronic injury. Over time, this high level of exercise will cause stress on internal organs, consume a surplus of energy and produce a lot of excess waste. It’s not healthy if waste takes more that 1 or 2 days to be eliminated.
The ideal proper exercise regime means exercising everyday for 30 to 90 minutes: spending 30 to 50 minutes cardio exercises (like jogging and swimming) and the remainder of the time focusing on strength and flexibility. Every week, take a day or 2 off to rest or do some mild exercises.
When you decide to start your proper exercise plan, remember to begin slowly and gradually increase in intensity.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Allergy, Asthma
The weather is finally getting better. While most of us are enjoying this beautiful weather, some are suffering from allergy symptoms, such as runny nose, watery eyes, itchiness, nasal congestion, wheezing in the chest, and difficulty concentrating on everyday tasks. Allergies occur when the immune system becomes unusually sensitive and overreacts to common substances that are normally harmless, such as pollens, molds, dust or food. Genetic tendency plays a role since allergies tend to run in families.
The root of allergy and asthma, according to TCM, is Lung Qi deficiency. When this occurs, we first detoxify in order to relieve symptoms. After that, we focus on improving Lung Qi. According to five elements, Lungs belongs to metal, its mother is earth (Spleen), its son is water (Kidney). So, it makes sense to work on the Spleen and Kidney Qi at the same time. Treatment is usually with acupuncture or/and herbs. But for the little ones, or some adults who are really afraid of needles, an alternative would be cupping and moxibustion.
In addition, there is a special and effective treatment without pain which is called “winter problems treated in summer”. TCM says that the root of allergy and asthma is Lung Qi deficiency. Qi belongs to Yang. For this treatment, using the Chinese calendar, we choose three hottest days in the summer. Then a mixture of herbs are placed on certain points, using outside Yang to improve Yang inside body to heal the problem. It’s just like a sailboat on a river – it takes advantage of wind, making everything easier.
The root of allergy and asthma, according to TCM, is Lung Qi deficiency. When this occurs, we first detoxify in order to relieve symptoms. After that, we focus on improving Lung Qi. According to five elements, Lungs belongs to metal, its mother is earth (Spleen), its son is water (Kidney). So, it makes sense to work on the Spleen and Kidney Qi at the same time. Treatment is usually with acupuncture or/and herbs. But for the little ones, or some adults who are really afraid of needles, an alternative would be cupping and moxibustion.
In addition, there is a special and effective treatment without pain which is called “winter problems treated in summer”. TCM says that the root of allergy and asthma is Lung Qi deficiency. Qi belongs to Yang. For this treatment, using the Chinese calendar, we choose three hottest days in the summer. Then a mixture of herbs are placed on certain points, using outside Yang to improve Yang inside body to heal the problem. It’s just like a sailboat on a river – it takes advantage of wind, making everything easier.
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