Uptown Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest continuous systems of medicine in history, with recorded instances dating as far back as two thousand years before the birth of Christ. This is in sharp contrast to the American or Western forms of health care, which have been in existence for some 150 years.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a major healthcare system for over one quarter of the world’s population, and is the fastest growing medical profession in the United States. Chinese medicine is a major health-care method in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Its apparent success there has led to its adoption in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel.

Chinese herbal medicine is today practiced in some of the most advanced hospitals around the world. Right now, acupuncturists are working side by side with medical doctors, and herbal solutions are administered via IV drips. Common, chronic diseases and non-emergency medical needs are being managed with natural medicines, food, and lifestyle modifications.

In recent years, the healing properties of natural herbs have received wide public attention and medical validation in the West. With a growing recognition in the West of the medicinal values of Chinese herbs, there is a greatly increased demand for trained herbal physicians with advanced understanding of biochemistry and drug-herb interactions. However, many American patients and physicians remain unaware of when it is appropriate to seek a TCM practitioner, or what Chinese medicine effectively treats.

To the casual observer, an herbalist skilled in the methods of clinical Chinese herbology appears to operate as any other herbalist around the world. However, if we look more closely at the routine of a skilled herbalist, we will observe several curious techniques that are considered essential by all properly trained Chinese herbalists.

While taking an individual’s pulse the herbalist seems to take an inordinate amount of time; palpation of the radial pulse is performed not just at one position, but at several positions and depths at both wrists. The Chinese herbalist also carefully inspects the tongue, noting the color, thickness and distribution of tongue coating, and color and texture of tongue body. She will ask about the individual’s complaints and symptoms, especially those which reveal the individual’s metabolic and neuro-endocrine characteristics, such as thirst, appetite, perception of body heat or coolness, general energy level, urination and bowels, moods and mental states. After pondering and evaluating all of this information, she will develop an herbal formula that is tailored to her patient’s constitution, as well as the chief complaint and primary symptoms.

This is the specialty of the skilled Chinese herbalist—the art of herbal compounding. In laymen’s terms, that’s the ability to blend herbs together in a way that increases its effectiveness and decreases the likelihood of adverse effect. This is in contrast to Western herbalism, which primarily uses single herbs to treat the same symptom or disease found in all patients, regardless of the individual constitution that underlies their illness. This is why you hear one person say they tried an “herb” at the health food store because their friend received results and they had no results at all.

Chinese herbal formulas may include as many as 15 different herbs that are crafted carefully to work synergistically,  including herbs that treat a patient’s main symptoms as well as the their entire constitutional presentation. This prescription-writing method allows the practitioner maximum flexibility in writing an individualized and easily-modifiable prescription. So when the patient complains of the flu, they receive herbs that are known virus-killers as well as herbs that treat how the flu is presenting, at that moment, in the patient. That is the beauty, and strength, of Chinese herbal medicine.

Winter and Fall allergies can cause a great deal of discomfort in many people, young or old.

Symptoms include sneezing, congestion, runny nose and red, itchy eyes. Western medicine typically prescribes antihistamines, decongestants, or drugs that act on the nervous system. Dovetailing these efforts are steps to avoid the allergens altogether. While these may be effective in treating the allergic response, they often have undesirable side effects, such as drowsiness, immune system suppression or over-reliance on medications.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer an alternative to these Western approaches, treating the whole person and recognizing that people with chronic allergies often show signs of spleen or kidney deficiency,(low battery power is a good analogy) even lung problems. TCM considers allergies or hay fever as a manifestation of Wind invading the upper body. This occurs because one’s Wei (or protective Qi) or the “Force Field” as Kirk calls it, has been weakened, which explains why a Chinese herbalist may address these allergies by building up the body’s defensive Qi.

The goal is not only to treat one’s acute symptoms and provide immediate relief, but to treat any underlying immune system imbalances, which may be the real cause of one’s allergy problems.

Such treatments may take the form of acupuncture and revising one’s diet, including the addition of specific herbal formulas.

There are many holistic Chinese herbal formulas that TCM practitioners use to treat allergies.

Xiao Qing Long Wan or Minor Blue Dragon is one often-prescribed formula. It is usually taken when one suffers from a sensitivity to cold, or to treat chills, fever (without sweating), body aches, wheezing, a cough that produces clear to white mucus, congestion in the chest, and a thick white coating on the tongue. The pills should be taken with plenty of water and for short duration only.

Astra 8, another herbal formula, combines the advantages of an immune system enhancer with an energy tonic. It contains astragalus (huang qi), a herb that some believe can enhance the body’s immune system and offers some antiviral properties. What’s more, the herbs in Astra 8 are Qi tonics that support astragalus to boost the immune and energy systems. Other formulations include Pei Min Kan Wan, which can relieve the discomfort of fall allergies, and Fang Feng Xin Yi Wan, which may help those suffering from hay fever.

Besides these formulas, TCM further advocates replacing coffee with catechin-rich green tea, which provides anti-allergy actions. Even Chrysanthemum tea-made from dried flowers-can also help reduce allergy symptoms. Some TCM herbalists may recommend quercetin, a bioflavonoid, which has been shown to stabilize mast cells (this slows down the body’s release of histamine and other chemicals related to allergic symptoms). This is something that is in Aller-Essentials by Pure Encapsulation, available at Uptown Acupuncture San Diego. Lest we not forget radishes; they cool and moisten, which makes them ideal for treating dry, itchy allergy eyes. They can also help clear the sinuses, drain mucous and ease sore throats.

Those sensitive to ragweed and similar fall blooms, should boost their immune system before the fall allergy season arrives. That means seeing one’s TCM practitioner about acupuncture now, for it can take awhile for these procedures to help with allergic symptoms. People who wait until they start sneezing or suffer from a sinus headache, will find they’ve acted too late. Building immunity to fall allergies is best done weekly for four to six weeks. Those who suffer from ragweed allergies should begin treatment immediately. Individuals who can’t tolerate cedar should start treatment no later than October 1.

Washing the sinus cavities with a Netti pot and a saline solution or Simply Saline spray can wash the reactive allergens out.

When you are exposed to grasses or pollens or anything outside, it sticks in the wet nasal mucosa and will begin to irritate, causing a histamine reaction. By irrigating the sinus, you remove the reactive agent and can drastically reduce symptoms naturally.

We recommend in all cases that you consult with a trusted health care professionals like Justin and Kirk at Uptown Acupuncture San Diego before taking any nutritional supplements or discontinuing any medication.

By Alex A. Kecskes, additions by Kirk Pfeiffer M.S. L.Ac.

On pages 101–102 of issue 12, 2009, of Xin Zhong Yi (New Chinese Medicine), Zhou Yi-chen and Wang Bi published an article titled “Treating Fibromyalgia Syndrome Via the Liver.” A summary of this article is presented below.

Introduction

The main symptom of fibromyalgia syndrome is generalized body pain.

Most sufferers of FMS are female. In addition to specific sites of pressure pain, other accompanying symptoms include insomnia, vexation and agitation, fatigue, lassitude of the spirit, low-grade fever, and menstrual irregularities. Based on the experience of the Chinese authors of this article, they believe that this condition should mainly be treated via the liver. This is also my own clinical experience. I have never been able to substantiate the presence of externally contracted evils in the case of FMS.

Disease Causes and Mechanisms
According to some Chinese doctors, this condition is due to external contraction of wind, cold, dampness, and/or heat evils which lodge in the body. These evils block and obstruct the channels and network vessels. Hence the flow of the qi and blood is not smooth. According to this point of view, it is mainly this that leads to soreness and pain in the muscles and flesh, sinews and bones, and joints as well as heaviness, numbness, inability to flex and extend, and, if severe, joint swelling and burning heat. Such doctors categorize this condition as the sinew impediment subtype of impediment condition. However, the authors’ experience is that treatment for FMS based on impediment condition either gets no or only slight effect. In fact, after finely searching, they have not found evidence of the lodging of external evils in the body. Instead, most patients with this condition also present with frustration, chest oppression, and depression. Even during its initial stage, they commonly see rib-side discomfort, vexation and agitation, insomnia, and bodily fatigue. Only gradually later does generalized muscle pain develop and get worse. Further, due to the enduring nature of this suffering and failure to heal, the psyche becomes tense and the disease condition gets worse. Therefore, Drs. Zhou and Wang believe that FMS should be categorized as depression condition in Chinese medicine, not impediment condition.

If depression and anger are left unsoothed, the liver loses its spreading and extending and the qi loses its coursing and discharge.

Thus the liver becomes depressed and the qi becomes bound. The qi is the commander of the blood. If there is qi stagnation, this leads to blood stasis not moving, and blood stasis leads to lack of free flow, lack of construction, and ultimately to pain. If qi depression transforms fire, fire;s nature is to flame upward. This then can give rise to vexation and agitation and easy anger. If anxiety and depression are not resolved, heart yin may be consumed and damaged. In that case, heart yin is unable to provide supplies for and nourish the heart spirit. The heart spirit loses its calm and there is insomnia. If liver yin becomes insufficient, yin vacuity may engender heat. If vacuity heat harasses the spirit, then there may be heart palpitations and dizziness. Further, because “the liver is the root of resistance to fatigue,” enduring depression damaging the liver can also give rise to fatigue and lack of strength. If depression damages the heart spirit and the constructive and blood are exhausted and consumed, visceral yin becomes insufficient and vacuity yang may ascend. This may give rise to afternoon low-grade fever. If the liver and kidneys lose their nourishment, the chong and ren become dysregulated, and this may give rise to menstrual irregularity.

Treatment Based on Pattern Discrimination
Based on the foregoing, Drs. Zhou and Wang believe that FMS should be treated by coursing the liver and resolving depression, moving the qi and quickening the blood, freeing the flow of the network vessels and stabilizing pain. For this, they use Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Course the Liver Powder) plus Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Blood Mansion Dispel Stasis Decoction) with additions and subtractions:

Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis)
Sheng Di Huang (uncooked Radix Rehmanniae)
Tao Ren (Semen Persicae)
Hong Hua (Flos Carthami)
Mu Dan Pi (Cortex Moutan)
Chuan Xiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong)
Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)
Xiang Fu (Rhizoma Cyperi)
Bai Shao (Radix Alba Paeoniae)
Zhi Qiao (Fructus Aurantii)
Yan Hu Suo (Rhizoma Corydalis)
Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae)
Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae)
Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae)

Within this formula, Dang Gui, Dan Shen, and Sheng Di Huang nourish the blood and emolliate the liver. Tao Ren, Hong Hua, Chuan Xiong, Yan Hu Suo, and Mu Dan Pi quicken and harmonize the blood. Xiang Fu, Chai Hu, and Zhi Qiao course the liver and rectify the qi. Ge Gen, Bai Shao, and Gan Cao relax cramping and stop pain. Using the combination of Chai Hu and Bai Shao, one medicinal scatters while the other restrains. Hence one is able to course the liver and resolve depression at the same time as harmonizing the constructive and restraining or constraining yin. The combination of Bai Shao and Gan Cao makes up the famous formula Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang (Peony and Licorice Decoction), which relaxes cramping and stops pain. When Xiang Fu and Chuan Xiong are used together, they are capable of pushing the depressed qi of the liver-gallbladder, which then obtain stirring (or movement).

If fatigue is severe, they add Huang Qi (Radix Astragali).

If there is insomnia and vexation and agitation, they add Suan Zao Ren (Semen Zizyphi Spinosae), Lian Zi Xin (Plumula Nelumbinis), and Shi Chang Pu (Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii).

If there is chest oppression, they add Gua Lou (Fructus Trichosanthis) and Yu Jin (Tuber Curcumae).

If pain in the four limbs is severe, they add Jiang Huang (Rhizoma Curcumae Longae), Niu Xi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae), and Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori).

If appetite is poor, they add scorched Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), Fu Ling (Poria), and scorched Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi).

If dampness is severe with thick, slimy tongue fur, they add Yi Yi Ren (Semen Coicis), Hou Po (Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis), Bai Bian Dou (Semen Dolichoris), and Can Sha (Excrementum Bombycis).

If the stools are dry and bound, they add Da Huang (Radix Et Rhizoma Rhei).

Also, depending on the symptoms, they may add Qin Jiao (Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae), Qiang Huo (Radix Et Rhizoma Notopterygii), Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis), Ren Dong Teng (Caulis Lonicerae), Luo Shi Teng (Caulis Trachelospermi), and/or Shen Jin Cao (Herba Lycopodii) to soothe the sinews and free the flow of the network vessels. (Note: although Qiang Huo and Du Huo are wind-treating medicinals, Drs. Zhou and Wang use them in FMS based on the principles of soothing the sinews and freeing the flow of the network vessels, not resolving the exterior and coursing wind.)

In a representative case history, Drs. Zhou and Wang report that the patient was cured in three months of treatment with variations of the above protocol using one packet of medicinals per day.

Copyright © Blue Poppy Press, 2009. All rights reserved.

Uptown Acupuncture San Diego can make this formula for you, modify it to your personal presentations and provide acupucture to enhance it’s effects.

July 24, 2009 00:07 AM

Chinese Herbs Prove Effective In The Cure Of Influenza A (H1N1)