PMS can be relieved with acupuncture and Chinese medicine

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the term used to describe a range of physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle.  Symptoms of PMS tend to occur 5-11 days before menstruation and usually abate once menstruation begins, or shortly thereafter.  These symptoms are the result of hormone levels shifting after ovulation.  Some 80% of women in their childbearing years report that PMS has affected their well being.  Chinese medicine and acupuncture can help tremendously!

How can Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture help PMS?
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer a holistic approach to PMS.  A November 2002 study in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics showed that the success rate of acupuncture in treating PMS symptoms was 77.8% compared to 5.9% in the placebo control group.  Studies show promising data that acupuncture has a neuroendocrine effect on the body.  This means that different combinations of acupuncture points play a role in the release of hormones responsible for regulating the cycle.  By establishing a regular cycle and balancing the many hormones involved, symptoms decline.  Chinese medicine offers herbal remedies as well.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a safe, cost effective option for treating PMS.  You can also empower yourself with small changes in diet and exercise.  Smart, healthy changes can make a world of difference in hormone balance.  Soy products, alcohol, and sugar can exacerbate PMS dramatically; avoid those.  Exercise activates the production of endorphins, a natural feel-good chemical in our bodies.  In Chinese medicine, exercise is said to keep the qi moving. When our energy, or qi, is stuck we will feel tired and irritable and especially vulnerable to pain, depression and PMS.

acupuncture effective for backache

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that acupuncture relieves back pain better than conventional treatments.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, divided 638 participants with back pain into four groups.  Two groups received acupuncture, one group received a placebo version of acupuncture (in which the skin was stimulated but not pierced), while the participants of the final group received no acupuncture, but continued whatever  conventional treatment program they were on, be it pharmaceutical or physical therapy.

After seven weeks, all three groups who received acupuncture (or something like it) experienced greater and more meaningful improvement in their back pain than the usual-care group.  Even placebo acupuncture techniques yielded positive results.

The placebo acupuncture being as good as needle acupuncture raised questions about how acupuncture works, and what it is about the technique that causes a therapeutic result.  “What we can say is, it is not essential to achieve a benefit to insert the needle through the skin,” says Dan Cherkin PhD, key researcher.  “One possibility is there is a physiological chain of events that occurs when you insert a needle or just stimulate the skin superficially. They may or may not be the same.”  Another possibility: “believing you are getting a treatment that will help your back pain” actually does help it.

“Overall, 60% of the acupuncture-treated patients, but just 39% of the usual-care group patients had meaningful improvements in dysfunction,” a WebMD article states.  Meaningful improvements refers to relief which allows patients to return to activities of daily living previously hindered by back pain.

Cherkin also remarks that Americans spend some $37 billion a year for medical care for back pain, and that acupuncture is a cost-effective option for those seeking treatment for the condition.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are increasingly recognized by the Western medical community as safe and effective pain management solutions.  Many MDs recommend acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as an adjunct therapy to patients suffering from back pain.

acne can be helped with Chinese herbs

Acne is one of the most common conditions seen in dermatology. Typical onset is at puberty, but for some, acne persists for decades.  Acne affects areas rich in sebaceous glands: face, chest, back, upper arms and occasionally the abdomen. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine offer effective strategies for healing this vexing condition.

Practitioners of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine see acne as a condition of trapped heat. The heat may be due to rapid growth and hormonal fluctuations at puberty, emotional factors, stress, genetic constitution, menstruation or nutritional imbalances.  Correctly identifying where the heat resides in the body is imperative.  Skin with an oily sheen and more pronounced pustules indicates dampness as a contributing factor.

One of the strongest diagnostic criteria in treating acne with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is careful observation of the lesion.  Location, severity and color of the predominant lesions as well as rate of pustule formation/resolution are key in diagnosis and treatment.

Along with acupuncture, herbal medicine is the best tool within the Traditional Chinese Medicine paradigm for dermatological issues. Both internal and topical herbal preparations can bring substantial relief to people suffering from acne.

traditional Chinese medicine for cold and flu

Cold and Flu is a hot topic in the acupuncture office this time of year.  Western medicine attributes cold and flu symptoms to viral infection, while practitioners of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine take a holistic view.   Instead of blaming cold and flu symptoms solely on rhinovirus and influenza, Traditional Chinese Medicine considers unfriendly environmental influences the first in a series of factors responsible for the dreaded aches, sniffles, coughs and sneezes characteristic of cold and flu.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine helps prevent cold and flu by balancing the body, resulting in a stronger immune system or wei qi.  Wei qi can be thought of as our protective outer wrapper; when we are robust and healthy, it is consolidated, flexible and able to keep external pathogens from penetrating our system.  Various seasonal stressors can stretch wei qi inappropriately thin, allowing pathogens entry into the body.

In addition to professional acupuncture treatment, there are many herbal allies in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Materia Medica that have strong but safe action against cold and flu.   Easy early-onset preventative:  cook one ounce of fresh sliced ginger and two or three scallion bulbs in water for 5 minutes – drink the liquid until you feel a slight sweat at the nape of the neck.  About 2 cups total should be sufficient.  If the onset is very recent, often this will coax the illness out.

Beyond recovery, regular visits to your practitioner of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine will help prevent new infection.  Both acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine will strengthen the immune system and wei qi so that subsequent seasons should be less eventful.

holidays, stress and anxiety

While the holidays are depicted in movies as a time of idyllic serenity and joy, we have all felt the realities of holiday stress.  Financial concerns, gift giving, busy schedules, family obligations, weight gain and lack of exercise all play into the “holiday cheer”.  These pressures can affect us physically, emotionally and spiritually often leading to anxiety and depression.   Acupuncture and Chinese medicine provide a unique perspective and intervention for these common seasonal difficulties.

Anxiety comes in a wide range of manifestations, from mild worrying to more physical responses such as nausea, insomnia, shortness of breath and panic attacks.  Some anxiety is a healthy response to the stress of daily life and new situations; however, anxiety that occurs randomly or excessively is a sign to take notice.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help balance both the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety and help to create harmony and spaciousness.

From an acupuncture and Chinese medicine perspective, many manifestations of anxiety can be traced back to the energetic concert between the heart and kidneys.  The temperament of the heart is fiery, expansive and upward.  From a Chinese medicine standpoint, it exhibits yang characteristics.  The dynamic terrain of the kidneys are on the other end of the Chinese medicine continuum.  The kidneys’ energetic character is fluid, inward and contemplative, exhibiting a yin nature.  If there is too much fire, we may experience symptoms of anxiety and agitation of the mind.

It is estimated that 20% of the population is depressed at some point in life.  Common symptoms of depression during holiday time include a sense of apathy, cynicism or anger toward the holiday season, isolation from festivities and holiday traditions, crying spells and over-consumption of food and/or alcohol.  Depression may be compounded in some people by SAD, seasonal affective disorder  – a type of depression associated with the low light conditions experienced during the winter months.

In acupuncture and Chinese medicine, the liver’s job is to negotiate the free flow of energy in the body.  Impaired liver function can lead to inappropriate jams, limited availability of resources and sluggishness.  In acupuncture and Chinese medicine this condition is often referred to as liver depression and qi stagnation.  The “depression” is the body’s reduced ability to move its resources.  Stagnation occurs when the lack of energy to circulate needed supplies becomes obstructed.  This can cause sleep and digestive complaints, musculoskeletal pain and emotional instability.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer effective strategies to remedy the depressed energy and to move the resulting stagnation, leading to better health and outlook.

While modern life has helped make so many aspects of daily living easier, many people still suffer from emotional distress especially around the Holiday season.  Subsequently, anxiety, increased stress and depression are some of the most common conditions affecting individuals during this eventful season.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are effective and safe tools to help smooth and balance what can be a challenging time of the year even under the best circumstances.

bamboo used in Chinese medicine

Bamboo has been making a lot of news lately as a green building resource.  It is a highly renewable source of flooring material and is used as a basic component in the construction prefab homes.  However, bamboo has been a very important ingredient in acupuncture and Chinese Herbal prescriptions for thousands of years.  In Chinese, Bamboo is called Zhu.  Different parts of the plant including the shoots, resin and leaves are used for different therapeutic actions.  As discussed in previous posts, there are thermal and taste properties to foods we eat.  Herbs are categorized in a similar fashion.

Zhu ru are the shavings of young bamboo shoots.  It is considered slightly cold and has a sweet taste. Therapeutically, Zhu ru is used to treat acute fevers and to resolve phlegm disorders caused by heat, eg. deep cough and yellow phlegm, convulsions and vomiting.

Zhu li is bamboo sap.  Zhu li also exhibits a very cold nature and a sweet taste.  The Chinese medicinal applications of zhu li include acute fever, cough with profuse expectoration of phlegm and sputum, heat in the lungs, and loss of consciousness.

Dan zhu ye are the leaves of the bamboo plant.  Bamboo leaves are also considered cold and have a sweet taste.  They are used therapeutically to treat fever, clear heat and also function as a diuretic to clear heat and blood in the urine.

For more in-depth information on bamboo in Chinese herbal medicine, see Subhuti Dharmananda’s article

magnolia herbal use for digestion in Chinese medicine

In the Chinese Medicine Materia Medica, the bark of the Magnolia tree is called Hou Pu.  Hou Pu is the highly aromatic bark stripped from the stems, branches and roots of the magnolia tree.  The first mention of magnolia bark as a Traditional Chinese medicinal substance was recorded around 100 C.E.  It is used frequently by acupuncturists and practitioners of Oriental medicine in Chinese herbal formulas.  These herbal remedies include formulas to resolve complaints such as abdominal distension and pain, vomiting and diarrhea.  Magnolia bark‘s therapeutic actions include the promotion of qi in the gastrointestinal region.  For the acupuncture patient, this translates to relief of stomach fullness, bloating and discomfort.

These properties are illustrated in the Chinese herbal formula Hou po wen zhong tang also known as Magnolia bark decoction for warming the middle. This medicinal formula features magnolia bark in addition to six other ingredients.  The prescription remedies the diagnosis of damp-cold injuring the spleen and stomach.  This clinical picture can arise most commonly from the overindulgence of foods and drink that are uncooked and cold, especially during colder months of the year.  The nature of cold is to congeal, and when this condition strikes, the qi of the digestion becomes obstructed.  Symptomatically, the patient may experience fullness, loss of appetite, fatigue in the extremities and diarrhea.  The herbs in this formula work synergistically to move the obstruction, warm the digestion and dry the inappropriate stagnation of fluids in the gastrointestinal tract.

Magnolia bark is an invaluable asset in the Chinese herbal arsenal to restore poor digestion due to lack of movement from cold stagnation.  A licensed and experienced Oriental medicine provider brings a lot to the table in the relief of digestive complaints.  Acupuncture, Chinese herbs and dietetic recommendations can be a powerful combination to combat the symptoms and to rectify the underlying issues surrounding digestive discomfort.

Oriental medicine uses food as therapy for better health

In Oriental Medicine, a well balanced diet is comprised of roughly 20% of each of the following five tastes (or flavors):  sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. The typical American diet tends to be improperly weighted with too many salty and sweet tastes. You might ask: why does this matter? Oriental medicine is a health system based on achieving balance, moderation and harmony in all aspects of a person’s well-being. Culturally, we tend to underestimate and de-emphasize our food choices as a vital component in preservation of health. Oriental medicine wholeheartedly integrates food and dietary principles to restore and maintain health.

Oriental Medicine categorizes both herbs and foods based on their inherent characteristics. Two of the most common criteria in selecting an herb or food to remedy a particular condition are its thermal and sensory properties. The Oriental medicine classification of foods by temperature is evaluated in both the thermal nature of the food itself and the way it is prepared.  This measure – expressed as hot, warm, neutral, cool and cold – is an energetic temperature that indicates the effect a particular food has on the body when ingested. This translates into how we use foods as a thermal vehicle either to warm or cool various parts of the body, as needed, to aid in the reversal of a condition.

The Five Tastes is another level of food categorization in Oriental Medicine.  Similar to food temperatures, the five tastes refer to the quality of energy a food or herb emits in the action of ingestion and in process of digestion.  In Oriental medicine, each flavor has an affinity and energetic correspondence mapped to specific internal organs. This creates another layer of precision and personalization in the selection of foods and herbs to treat an individual with specific complaints.

A practitioner of Oriental Medicine will assess your health, symptoms and dietary habits in order to form a complete diagnosis. Often, dietary recommendations are made to supplement and support your treatment plan.

acupuncture therapy for lung cancer chemotherapy side effects

In September of 2007, the American College of Chest Physicians published a list of well-researched guidelines recommending acupuncture as an effective treatment for symptoms that plague lung cancer patients, including pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and neuropathy resulting from chemotherapy.

The groundbreaking recommendation is the first official nod to acupuncture as a viable complimentary strategy in the treatment of lung cancer — the deadliest form of cancer in the United States.  The guidelines are endorsed by a varied and widely respected assemblage of medical professionals and organizations, including the World Association of Bronchology, the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, and the Oncology Nurses Society.

osteoarthritis and painful knee joint

Knee pain due to osteoarthritis affects approximately 1 in 10 adults over the age of 55.  A recent study suggests that acupuncture in addition to drug treatment for knee pain from osteoarthritis is more effective than drug treatment alone.

Fifty-five patients seeking pain relief were divided into three groups:  one group received acupuncture twice a week, while the second group received a placebo acupuncture technique. Both groups underwent standard pharmaceutical therapy for osteoarthritis pain relief in addition to acupuncture.  The third group received only standard drug treatment for knee pain.

Results were measured at 8 weeks (conclusion of study) and 12 weeks (one month after final treatment).  The patients who received acupuncture — either placebo or actual — experienced greater knee pain relief after 8 and 12 weeks compared with the group who underwent conventional drug therapy alone. Patients in the acupuncture groups reported an increased sense of well being and satisfaction in addition to knee pain relief.

Acupuncture continues to shine as an effective adjunct therapy in cases of chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis and other conditions.  More and more Western practitioners are advocating acupuncture and Oriental medicine as part of a viable strategy for pain relief and management in cases of osteoarthritis.