There are 4 main sets of depression symptoms:

• Very emotional, negative, thoughtful, sighing often, tight chest, abdominal bloating, little appetite, tired easily;
• Emotion is very low, attempted suicide, irritated, slow thinking, slow movement, dull complexion, tight chest area. If it is women, poor period, irregular, or amenorrhea;
• Bad memory, sleep problem, scared easily, palpitations, crying easily, pale or yellow complexion, little appetite and loose stools;
• Saggy, flagging, emotional low, sleep a lot, unwilling to move, irritated, fearful, palpitation, insomnia, pale complexion, impotent, spermatorrhea, women’s discharge is watery.

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that depression, stress, anxiety, etc are related to our body internal organs’ functioning situation. From the symptoms, and other indicators such as pulse, tongue etc analysis, an acupuncturist can make an accurate diagnosis then give a therapy plan. Implementing this plan will improve the symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, unstable emotion etc caused by depression, stress, anxiety.

Although depression symptoms, stress symptoms, anxiety symptoms are various in reality and the causes of depression, stress, anxiety can differ widely, we just described above the 4 main characteristic sets of depression symptoms so people can see or mirror themselves to get a clearer idea before going for acupuncture. Note – as with for any suspected health concern, you should in the first instance always consult your local GP or health professional.

Chisense Clinic is at the edge of the City, London, E1. The nearest tube is Aldgate East, Aldgate, Liverpool Street. Please look at our Contact Page to see clear directions.

Bell’s Palsy or Facial Palsy symptoms:

• Face: facial muscle paralysis, facial expression is out of control, forehead wrinkles disappear.
• Eye: eyelid sagging, difficult to close eye, watery eye, dry eye, eyelid twitching trembling, hard to frown.
• Nose:  trembling in nose and cheek.
• Mouth: the corner of mouth drops, twitching, and saliva dribble out of mouth.
  Ear:  pain underneath the ear.
• Recovery: Most people start to recover within a couple of weeks and have completely recovered within three months. Some people who develop Bell’s palsy require a longer recovery period or retain some permanent symptoms of the condition.

TCM diagnosis:

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the name Facial Palsy for Bell’s Palsy, and believes that Facial Palsy is caused by external factors as well as internal organ weakness. There are three main causes of Facial Palsy or Bell’s Palsy: Wind attacks the internal organs, Dampness and phlegm silts up meridians and Chi(Qi) and blood deficiency.

We give acupuncture therapy according to the patient’s symptoms and observation-based diagnosis. Most of the time, some other Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies such as Fire Cupping therapy, Guasha therapy, Moxibustion, Acupressure massage, can combine together with acupuncture to attain a more effective result.

Acupuncture or Fire Cupping therapy, Guasha, Moxibustion, Acupressure Massage, all aim to ease toxin away from internal organs and increase blood and Chi (Qi) flowing energy, and nourish the body meridians too.

From working with various Bell’s Palsy clients, I have observed some trends. For example, the number of male patients is higher than female patients. Clients generally have symptoms more or less as follows:  fatigue, tired, anxiety, nervous, depression, emotional, cold etc. Alcohol can also be one of the trigger factors for Facial nerve palsy.

Note – as with all health concerns you should consult your GP or local health professional in the first  instance.

Home care advice:

No cold raw meals, no oily spicy foods, no smoking, no alcohol, no hard-to-digest foods;
Eat fresh food, more vegetables, grain and beans;
Get enough sleep! Reduce TV watching, computer use etc;
Do facial exercises.
Keep away from, or keep wrapped up from, wind and rain.

Types of Pain in the head

Headache pain generally indicates a blockage of energy flowing. The type of this pain illustrates what causes the Chi (qi) blockage.

• A full and throbbing headache pain indicates that an excess of energy is flowing to the head.
• A dull pain or constant ache indicates that there is an energy deficiency in the head.

Then acupuncture therapy would manipulate the Chi(qi) to respectively either ease the excess energy in the meridian lines or to increase the energy chi flowing through the acupuncture channels relating to the head.

When working on a headache with acupuncture, the individual diagnosis based on TCM principles is vital.

Headaches, Chi blockage in the channels

There are four main common headaches which are related to the body organs:

• Headaches from the bladder channel or meridian line
• Headaches from the stomach channel or meridian line
• Headaches from the gall bladder channel or meridian line
• Headaches from the liver channel or meridian line

The location of a headache indicates the unbalanced channel too as a TCM diagnosis:

• Pain in forehead: In Chinese Medicine, headaches in the forehead indicate a disorder in the energy flow of the Stomach channel. This type of headache may be related to a digestive disorder, or to overeating or food insufficiency.
• Pain behind the Eyes: Pain behind the eyes is often related to migraine. This type of headache indicates a disorder in the Liver meridian line.
• Pain in side(s) of Head: Headache on the temples means a disharmony in the Gall Bladder channel. This type of headache can occur on both sides of the head, or on one side only. It is believed that a headache on the left side is more likely from a lack of energy in the channel, and one on the right side from an excess of energy.
• Pain at the back of the Head: An acute headache at the back of the head, around the occipital bone is more likely an early stage of the common cold. Chronic headache in this area signifies a lack of energy flow in the Kidney and/or Bladder channels.

Patterns of Headaches

Acupuncture is used for headache sufferers based on each individual case. Headaches occur with patterns, although they are in different locations and at different times, triggered by a variety of underlying causes. Here we summarised a list of the most commonly-encountered headache patterns.

• Wind Cold Pattern headaches
• Wind Heat Pattern headaches
• Wind Dampness Pattern headaches
• Liver Yang Pattern headaches
• Kidney Deficiency Pattern headaches
• Blood Deficiency Pattern headaches
• Blood Stagnation Pattern headaches
• Phlegm Retention Pattern headaches

Like western porridge, Chinese congee has its function as an everyday meal. Besides, congee is considered as food therapy for the unwell, including babies, ladies after giving birth, older people and people with digestive problems.
Chinese congee recipes are as varied as the many Chinese regions.  Its basic ingredients are liquid (water) and different types of rice. The simple plain Chinese congee recipe can be made very easily:

Chinese Congee simple Ingredients:

1/2 cup Chinese rice
8 cups water
Put rice and water together into a large pot and boil. Once boiled, turn heat down to medium low. Leave the pot lid semi-covered as it allows steam and air out. Stir a few times during the simmering, until the rice has a sticky, creamy texture. Well done.
When you eat congee, Chinese people usually eat it with some souse vegetables/sea food, salted duck/chicken/pigeon eggs, smoked meat or sausages, even some stir fried food as desired.
In fact, congee ingredients are various. People add eggs, sausages, herbs, vegetables, meat, red beans and mung beans into it. The rice can vary: sticky rice, brown rice, black rice etc. Congee can also be made from other grains, like cornmeal, millet, barley, and sorghum. Multigrain congee mixes are popularly cooked with sweet potato, red date and goqi berries.
Water is normally used as congee cooking liquid, but people like to pour some chicken, or pork stock into congee.
In China, congee is also used to feed young infants. The cooking time is much longer than normal. This congee is not seasoned or at most seasoned with a little vegetable juice, or mixed with pre-steamed and de-boned fish.
Ingredients can also be determined by their supposed therapeutic value as well as flavour.
Here are some sample recipes for various purposes:
Chinese congee recipes for the post-natal care:
1.Sweet potato, diced, cleaned chicken – boil together with ginger in the water for 2 hours. Separating the chicken and the juice, keep the chicken stock in the fridge when it has cooled down, and use it as cooking stock or for boiling vegetables or in rice soup. Eat sweet potato mash while hot – chicken can be served with a dip or sauce (while it is still warm).
2. Soak sticky rice in water for 3 hours and boil to soften, add dark brown sugar and eat as it while still hot. No more than two bowls a day.
3. Pour maize or millet into boiling water until boiled again then simmer it until it softens, break an egg into boiled millet soup, stirring it up, then add dark brown sugar to serve.

In the last couple of years, threading has become very popular as a hair removal technique, especially for those people who have very sensitive skin: for example, eyebrow shaping by threading not waxing.
Eyebrow threading, upper lip threading, chin threading, cheek threading, facial threading etc. are now the most highly demanded treatments for hair removal.

Threading, which is now making a comeback, was vital in ancient societies

Threading is an ancient hair removal method. Threading was a traditional Chinese beauty technique named “Jiao Mian”,”Kai lian”, “Kai Mian”, even though many people believe that is from southern Asian and the Middle East, named “khite” in Arabic and “fatlah” in Egypt.

In China, a long time ago, threading was a vital adulthood rite for a bride before her wedding ceremony. This rite came along with a meal consisting of dumplings. Although most women received the threading rite from a senior family member only once in their life, now there are so many women who do threading before their make up so that the foundation or facial powder can be applied perfectly.

As threading removes facial lanugos (fine downy hair) without heating the skin up (unlike waxing), it results in a clean, tidy, brighter (whiter), smooth non-irritated skin. After hair removal by thread, the skin looks flush? and glamorous.

There is an ancient legend about threading: in the Sui dynasty, one girl’s family wanted their daughter to escape from being sent to the palace, so they threaded her face, then put lots of make up on her. No one could recognise her, then she was taken to her fiancé‘s home and became a beautiful bride. Since then people have copied the threading and make up idea.

What is threading?

Threading is using twisted cotton thread to twist away unwanted fine hairs. The threading practitioner holds one end of a cotton thread in her/his teeth and the other end in her/his left hand. The middle part of the thread is looped through two fingers (index and thumb or middle finger) of the right hand, and the loop used to trap unwanted hair so that it can be easily twisted or plucked from the skin. It is quick and powerful enough to remove hair from the root even for short hairs. Threading ensures that the hair removed grows back slower and thinner.

Eyebrow threading, upper lip threading, facial threading etc. are all natural hair removal method and chemical free.
Threading eyebrows is becoming a better alternative to traditional hair removal – waxing – especially to those with sensitive skin. In recent years, many western people have come to realise that this facial hair removal method is a top choice when compared to other options. One reason for its continued popularity is that it is so much healthier for the skin and doesn’t result in ingrown hair.

The threading method of hair removal is used mostly in the facial area; however, it also works on any body parts with fine hair such as the belly button and the toes.

Advantages and disadvantages of threading

There are some advantages of threading over other methods – firstly it is fast and far less painful than some other options.
One of the best features of threading is that it is suitable even for skin which is too sensitive for laser hair removal or waxing.
No chemicals are involved so there is no risk of a reaction setting in.
There are some disadvantages of threading.  Threading can only work on firm flat surfaces. The client is asked to stretch their skin of threaded area, which can be uncomfortable. Threading is difficult to perform on body areas that are not flat, such as the skin with acne as it can cause acne rupture.
However, it takes a while for a threaded hair to grow back, so if some hairs have been threaded accidentally, this can be a problem. So it is vital to go to an experienced and skilled practitioner.
Eyebrow Threading is one of the Chisense health & beauty clinic’s specialist treatments. There are many happy regular clients who visit London’s Chisense for threading treatments.

1. Breaking down the fatty tissue and improving metabolic processing;
2. Balancing gastro-acid productive levels so that appetite is under control;
3. Regulating the endocrine system so that hormone secretion levels are in good order;
4. Enhancing the body qi flow and improving blood circulation so that the body becomes more energetic.

Understandably, many people who are overweight would like to know the reason for their putting on so much weight, so that they can change their lifestyle such that they can reduce weight.
Here are some factors it might be worth checking:

• Lack of physical exercise and sedentary lifestyle
• Overeating
• Poor nutrition
• Genetic predisposition
• Hormonal imbalances (e.g. hypothyroidism)
• Metabolic disorders, which could be caused or exacerbated by repeated attempts to lose weight
• Eating disorders (such as binge eating)
• Alcoholism
• Stress
• Insufficient or poor-quality sleep
• Psychotropic medication (e.g. olanzapine)
• Smoking cessation and other stimulant withdrawal
• In a cruel twist, insulin dependent diabetes can cause weight gain in some suffers, as opposed to type II diabetes, which mostly comes on as a result of being overweight.

Conditions that may accompany obesity include:

• High cholesterol (including high triglyceride levels)
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea (episodes when a person stops breathing while asleep)
• Osteoarthritis
• Gallstones

Key points of overweight that acupuncture can work on
As excessive fat accumulates in the body, people who are suffering from overweight (or pre-obesity) and obesity, usually experience symptoms of dizziness, tiredness, lack of strength, laziness during speaking, reduced movement and shortage of breath upon making rapid movements. Some obesity also has a tendency to induce water retention, joint pain, or overeating behaviour because of the disturbance of hormones and the overloading of lower limbs, and this can also lead to increased nervousness. All those symptoms can be explained in traditional Chinese medicine, along with their acupuncture solution.

1. Kidney essential vacuity
The significance of Kidney in terms of Chinese medicine is more complex than simply the kidney organs only. It refers to the reproductive system, adrenal cortex, and bone marrow, which produces red and white blood cells, and which are responsible for antibody production – therefore the immune system must be considered as part of the TCM concept of Kidney.
2. Stomach and spleen imbalance
If we say kidney qi (or chi, life’s energy force) is the natural essence, the stomach and spleen qi will be the postnatal sources of our body energy, blood and body fluid. If the spleen and stomach qi has a deficiency, then our internal body organs and viscera as well as our skin can’t get enough moisture and nutrition and this inexorably leads to an ageing result.
3. Heart Chi (Qi) deficiency
There are 12 meridians which are related to our different body organs. The heart is the dominant organ for blood and vessels and facial complexion. As blood vessels deliver loaded supply to the facial area, the colour and lustre of the complexion usually reflects the sufficiency or insufficiency of the blood supply and heart qi.
4. Lung Chi (Qi) obstruction
Lungs are in charge of qi, breathing, connecting externally with skin and hair. The lung is related to defensive qi, and its function is to distribute the essential nutrients to the skin and hair.
If lung qi is weak and deficient, defensive qi is not dispersed and essential nutrients are not distributed. This causes hypo-activity of the defensive qi as well as rough skin and dry hair.
5. Emotional imbalance
Emotions are mental stimuli that, in extremes, can disturb the mind and spirit and alter the balance of the internal organs and the harmony of qi and blood. These extremes can be caused by a stressful lifestyle. The lack of bodily harmony created can also serve to prolong physical and mental symptoms.
Balancing the interconnected systems of the human body to maintain healthy function is one of the main philosophical concepts that TCM is based on.

Facial acupuncture
Facial acupuncture is not only concerned with treating the face but also treating the whole body. Acupuncture helps to reduce stress, strengthen the stomach and spleen qi and immune system, energising the Kidney qi and harmony Lung qi, soothing Liver qi, and increasing circulation of the blood and lymph and to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone.
Facial acupuncture can also stimulate the body’s natural processes of cell reproduction and growth. Needling facial skin brings about an active production of collagen and the structural protein which holds the skin together and helps keep it tight. Although needling the skin causes short-term injury, this heals readily and is in fact a wakeup call to collagen production.

Using acupuncture to help with chronic back pain is more effective than standard treatments alone, a leading scientific study has found.

Trials involving 638 back pain sufferers have suggested that acupuncture is successful in relieving discomfort, although how it works remains unclear. A “fake” version also produced results, indicating that belief in the therapy may have played a key role in its success in this case.

In the project, known as Spine (stimulating points to investigate needling efficacy), patients were divided into groups to receive standard care alone, with one of two variants of genuine acupuncture or with a placebo.

The simulated acupuncture involved mimicking needle pricks using tooth picks hidden inside guide tubes that did not penetrate the skin. Patients were treated twice a week for three weeks and then weekly for a month. At intervals of eights weeks, six months and a year, the researchers measured back pain symptoms and their impact on quality of life.

Both types of genuine acupuncture — either individually tailored or a standardised treatment — produced a substantial improvement in symptoms and the ability of patients to cope with their condition at eight weeks. By contrast, patients on standard care were only slightly better. The beneficial effects lasted for a year, although they waned over time. However, the placebo “toothpick” treatment turned out to be just as good at combating back pain as real acupuncture.

The findings were published yesterday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Daniel Cherkin, the trial leader from the Group Health Centre for Health Studies, in Seattle, said: “We found that simulated acupuncture produced as much benefit as needle acupuncture. That raises questions about how acupuncture works.”

Dr Cherkin said the results had important implications for patients who found conventional treatments ineffective. “The reduction in long-term exposure to the potential adverse effects of medications is also an important benefit that may enhance the safety of conventional medical care,” he said.

Karen Sherman, also a member of the research team, said that, historically, some types of acupuncture have used non-penetrating needles, possibly explaining the success of the placebo treatment.

“We don’t know why people got back pain relief from the simulated acupuncture,” Dr Sherman said. “Maybe the context in which people get treatment has effects that are more important than the mechanical effects.”

At the eight-week stage, 60 per cent of patients receiving any type of acupuncture had a clinically meaningful improvement in their level of functioning, compared with 39 per cent of those receiving regular care.

At the one-year point, 59 to 65 per cent of those in the acupuncture groups experienced an improvement, compared with 50 per cent of the standard care group.

Back pain is the largest single cause of work-related absence in Britain. Lower back pain, also known as lumbago, affects seven out of ten people at some time in their lives.

Josephine Briggs, director of the US National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which funded the Spine trial, said: “The findings add to the growing body of evidence that something meaningful is taking place during acupuncture treatments. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses.”

Alternative therapies

— Willow bark, which contains a chemical similar to aspirin, is a significant help to sufferers of chronic lower back pain, a study published in the American Journal of Medicine found

— Researchers at the University of Sydney found that neither diclofenac, a powerful painkiller, nor spinal manipulative therapy gave any clinically useful effects compared with mild painkillers such as paracetamol

— Cleveland Clinic, an American research hospital, found that patients who listened to music for an hour a day experienced a 20 per cent reduction in back pain

— A folk remedy for back pain suggests finding a dirty rock, spitting on its underside and putting it back where it was found

The cause of acne:

• Lung Heat: Symptoms include acne with a predominance of lesions on the forehead and near the nose. There may be slight itching as well. In cases with a rapid onset of new lesions, the patient may complain of chills or sensitivity to Wind. The patient may have an aversion to heat and feel thirsty. The tongue is generally red with a thin yellow coat, and the pulse may be rapid and floating.
• Stomach Heat: Symptoms include acne with a predominance of lesions around the mouth and on the chest, shoulders, and back. The patient may have an aversion to heat; have a large appetite and thirst; and prefer greasy, spicy foods. There may be a tendency to pass dry stools as well. The tongue is usually red with a thick yellow coating, and the pulse is rapid and forceful.
• Toxic Heat: Symptoms include severe acne, strongly inflamed with pus-filled nodules and much reddening of the skin around the lesions. The patient may have an aversion to heat as well and may complain of malaise. The tongue is generally red with a dry yellow coating, and the pulse is rapid.
• Damp Heat: Symptoms include acne composed of deep, pus-filled, inflamed nodules. The skin usually is oily, and the patient may have an aversion to heat. He or she may be thirsty but have no desire to take fluids. The tongue generally is red or crimson, with a greasy or sticky coating. The pulse is rapid and may have slippery or wiry qualities as well.
• Blood Heat: Symptoms include acne that is accompanied by a flushed face and strong aversion to heat. The patient may complain of thirst, dark urine, and dry stools. The tongue usually is red (with a redder tip) and has a yellow coating, or may be crimson in colour. The pulse usually is rapid and thin.

Acne Therapy at Chisense

In Chisense, we combine Deep Cleansing Facial with Acupuncture to work on acne, along with advice on lifestyle and diet. The therapy takes approximately 2 hours.

• Red acne spots indicate heat; the redder the colour, the more heat.
• Bright or dark red acne pimple tell replete heat, pale red pimple means vacuity heat.
• Purple acne rosacea indicates stasis. Purplish red acne rosacea means stasis heat. Nodulations under the skin are a sign of phlegm nodulation.
• The cystic acne, white matter extruded from comedones is phlegm, dampness and turbidity.
• Actual pus of acne tells of damp heat toxins.
• Oily, greasy skin indicates dampness and damp heat.
• Large lesions, big acne spot, tell of repletion.
• Multiple small, widely diffuse lesion acne spots indicate vacuity.