As a Complementary medicine of convention medicine, Traditional
Chinese Medicine can do lots for helping
improve our health. For
more detail about each disease, click on the name (listed alphabet) or scroll
down the window to find it. Not all diseases can be listed here, this
doesn't mean these kinds of diseases can not be treated by acupuncture or herb,
please come to consult our TCM doctors/practitioner. Not all patterns can
be listed here either, pre-judging which pattern you fall into is on your own
risk.
You might doubt why TCM can heal so many diseases. Not like other therapy (like Allopathic medicine) which believe any disease should be found a cause on virus / batteries or chemical level and should be healed by a cure, TCM analyze the human body in a system level, problem (disease) of a system level should be treated not only in micro level, but also be treated in macro level. If you have hard time to convince your family doctor about your sickness, if you feel your body wrong, but your lab.test result doesn't show anything, you can try TCM. Because Some time we can not find a cause for a disease in the micro level. If you are interested in how TCM analyze the human body in a system level and what different between traditional TCM and anatomy TCM, an article <<System Concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine--A View of Macro>> will address this issue. For detail of this article, please click here. It is encoded, your computer need to set to allowed notepad accessed.
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Amenorrhea, arthritis, Asthma, Anti-Aging,Acid reflux,Cold and Flu, Carpal tunnel, Chronic Pelvic Pain Constipation,Erectile dysfunction Dysmenorrhea, Diarrhea, Depression, Diabetes, Edema, Endometriosis-related Infertility, Endometriosis, Facial Paralysis, Gastro-Intestinal Disorders, Herpes Zoster, Hemorrhoids, Headaches, Hypochondria Pain,Irregular Periods, Impotence , Infertility, insomnia, Jaundice, longevity tune-up, Low Back Pain(Lumbago), Menopausal Syndrome, Male Energy Regeneration, Nausea (Vomiting), Premenstrual Syndrome, Palpitation, Retention of Urine, Stroke , Sub health, Sore Throat, Sciatica, Sinus Infection,Tinnitus, Toothache, Vertigo |
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
This is
pure health treatment, it is non-erotic service. Treatment result won't
show on the treatment table, the improvement will show in following days after
treatments. Treatment and diagnose area are not touching patient's private area.
If you look for something more than that, you find the wrong place. In that
case, Do not call us!
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis. There are various underlying causes, such as diabetes, hypertensions, depression, many of which are medically reversible.
The causes of erectile dysfunction may be physiological or psychological. Psychological impotence can often be helped by almost anything that the patient believes in; there is a very strong placebo effect.
Due to its embarrassing nature and the shame felt by sufferers, the subject was taboo for a long time, and is the subject of many urban legends. Folk remedies have long been advocated, with some being advertised widely since the 1930s. The introduction of perhaps the first pharmacologically effective remedy for impotence, sildenafil (trade name Viagra), in the 1990s caused a wave of public attention, propelled in part by the newsworthiness of stories about it and heavy advertising.
Medical symptoms
Erectile dysfunction is characterized by the inability to maintain an erection. Normal erections during sleep and in the early morning suggest a psychogenic cause, while loss of these erections may signify underlying disease, often cardiovascular in origin. Other factors leading to erectile dysfunction are diabetes mellitus (causing neuropathy) or hypogonadism (decreased testosterone levels due to disease affecting the testicles or the pituitary gland).
Treatment:
Our clinic has a special herbal medicine and acupuncture skill to heal this kind of disorder. For more detail about that, please read
<<Royal secrete prescription cure male erectile
dysfunction
>>
[Article Abstract]
Objective: To observe clinical efficacy of erectile dysfunction by using Royal
secrete prescription. Methods: Treatment of 30 cases of
Royal secrete prescription，
treatment of 60 cases of pure Chinese medicine，
efficacy of the statistics were compared between two groups.
Results: Comparing with the other group, the differences of Royal secrete prescription treatment of erectile dysfunction : 93.33% of the total effective rate, clinical markedly effective rate was 90%, was significant. Conclusion: It indicate that Royal secrete prescription treatment has promoted significantly role of correction of male infertility,
Key words: Traditional Chinese Medicine / infertility / impotence/erectile dysfunction
1.3 billion population in China, 1/5 of population all over the world, What make this nation populating so much population? The government has big headache to cut down the birth rate. One reason why Chinese and Asian have very strong fertility ability, it thanks for their TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine) skill and knowledge. The way they heal impotence are much different from convention medicine, they are very good at heal non-structure reason lead to male dysfunction.
Normally TCM doctor use acupuncture, herb, herbal wine, Moxa to simulate meridian and acupoints.
This article report about our treatment:
TOP Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Infertility is a big problem for many couples these days – up to 15% of North North Americans couples are considered to be infertile. Once a couple decides to embark on fertility therapy with conventional Western medicine, they often face years of expensive, time-consuming and frustrating treatments. The introduction and popularization of traditional Chinese medicine in this country, however, provides new options for infertile couples. Chinese medicine has a long tradition of treating infertility in both men and women, and anecdotal success stories are a significant part of Chinese gynecology/obstetrics textbooks. Recent success stories in the North Americans include celebrity Vanna White, who happily attributed her healthy baby to acupuncture treatments; and actress Annie Potts, who had a nightmare 15-year ordeal with conventional medicine until she discovered acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Tai Chi, and safely delivered a 9-pound baby.
A standard definition of infertility is: "failure to achieve conception after a year or more of regular sexual activity with no contraceptive use." Infertility is also the inability to carry a pregnancy to full term. As stated above, up to fifteen percent of North Americans couples have fertility problems, and twenty percent of married American women seek medical help for infertility in their childbearing years.
In Chinese medical theory, the Kidney is the internal organ which is responsible for reproduction, growth, and aging. When Kidney energy is insufficient to support normal growth and development, or becomes depleted by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, overwork, or excessive sexual activity, many health problems can result, including infertility. Kidney Deficiency is the most common cause of infertility. Other patterns that can result in infertility are Liver Qi Stagnation, Blood Stasis or Deficiency, and Dampness with Phlegm or Heat. In Western terms, Chinese medicine has a high success rate with functional infertility, which results from factors such as hormone imbalances, endocrine gland disorders, and emotional problems. Chinese medicine can also significantly improve some structural infertility problems, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, vaginitis, ovary dysfunction, and immune-system-related infertility.
<<Royal secrete prescription treatment of
infertility clinical experience >>
Author is member of THE
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF CHINESE MEDICINE AND ACUPUNCTURE), member of Association Des
Natruothérapeutes Du Québec.
(Tutor: Zhang Xiaoping professor)
[Article Abstract] Objective: To observe clinical efficacy of infertility by
using Royal secrete prescription. Methods: Treatment of 30 cases of Royal
secrete prescription，
treatment of 30 cases of pure Chinese medicine，efficacy
of the statistics were compared between two groups.
Results: Comparing with the other 2 groups, the differences of Royal secrete prescription treatment of infertility : 76.67% of the total effective rate, clinical markedly effective rate was 63.330%, was significant. Conclusion: It indicate that Royal secrete prescription treatment has promoted significantly role of correction of male infertility,
Key words: Traditional Chinese Medicine / infertility / impotence/acupuncture
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Reinforce Yin / Yang and calm the liver accordingly are the keys to improve hypertension syndromes.
<<System Concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine--A View of Macro>> describes blood circle system like a sponge network, this network is all over our body. when this net work is tight, it is one reason to cause hypertension. Author Li offer some treatments for this pattern of hypertension. (For detail of this article, please click here. It is encoded, your computer need to set to allowed notepad accessed.)
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Hemorrhoids Symptoms
Bleeding or bright red blood on stools, in the toilet bowl or on toilet paper are usually a good indicator of hemorrhoids as are the inflamed veins around the anus, itching, burning, pain and hard lumps. Hard painful lumps around the anus are a good indication of blood clot formation, this is called thrombosed Hemorrhoids.
These symptoms along with the actual hemorrhoids should go away within a few days but if they do not seek medical advice because they could be an indicator of a more serious problem.
Hemorrhoids Treatment
Hemorrhoids, particularly those that don’t cause discomfort will often go away by themselves. One should wash the anal area gently with warm water ensuring it is thoroughly but gently cleansed. After washing, the area should also be gently dried.
If hemorrhoids are not serious, relief with hemorrhoid cream or other suppository of some sort will suffice, gently treating the hemorrhoids or at least easing the uncomfortable symptoms.
More extreme measures of treatment depending on the types of hemorrhoids include
 | Hemorrhoids surgery, where the hemorrhoid is removed through a procedure called hemorrhoidectomy. |
| Infrared coagulation to burn the hemorrhoids away |
| Placement of a rubber band around the hemorrhoid to cut of circulation to the hemorrhoid and thus eliminating it (Rubber band ligation). |
Natural Hemorrhoids treatment: Acupuncture and herbs solution:
Hemorrhoids most of the time are caused by damp heat accumulated in large intestine meridian or organ, or cause by Yin or Qi indifference.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Lumbago
is one of the common symptoms that often break out with lumbar muscle strain,
rheumatism or spinal disease. This part will discuss lumbago caused by
cold-dampness, muscle strain and kidney-deficiency. As for lumbago caused by
other factors, please refer to other relevant parts.
1. Etiology and pathogenesis
1.1. Lumbago due to cold-dampness: Prolonged exposure to dampness,
rain, draughts and wind after sweating may give rise to the retention of
cold-dampness in the meridians and the stagnation of qi and blood.
1.2. Lumbago due to muscle strain: Inappropriate movement,
prolonged fatigue, sprain or contusion may damage the tendons and bones and
cause the stagnation of qi and blood.
1.3. Lumbago due to kidney-deficiency: Kidney-deficiency
because of old-age, prolonged illness or too much sexual activity may give rise
to insufficiency of essence and blood and malnutrition of the tendons and bones
and then to pain.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Irregular menstruation indicates a problem with the menstrual cycle, and the quality and quantity of menses. Cycle problem: Advanced menstrual period, Delayed menstrual period, Irregular menstrual period. Quality problem: too much or just a little bit; Color black, or too thin. Most of time there are blockage in Ren /Chong/kidney Meridians, or Qi /blood problem.
Restoring the Flow -- TCM and Amenorrhea
If you have missed three periods in a row and
you are not pregnant or menopausal, this is a matter of serious concern. You
should be especially concerned if you are dealing with infertility issues, or
are at risk for osteoporosis. Under these circumstances, it would be wise to
visit a doctor or consult a women’s health specialist. The absence of
menstruation in pre-menopausal women is called amenorrhea. If menstruation has
not begun by the age 16, it is called "primary amenorrhea." If previously normal
menstruation for more than three months in a woman who is not pregnant or
breast feeding and is not nearing menopause, it is called "secondary
amenorrhea."
Amenorrhea in Conventional
Medicine
From the viewpoint of conventional Western medicine, normal menstrual
cycles are based on a complex feedback system between the hypothalmus, the
pituitary gland, and the ovaries, as well as the cyclical reaction of the lining
of the uterus (the endometrium) to sex hormones. Primary amenorrhea is
considered to be caused by one of the following disorders: hypothalamic
disorder, such as deficiency of thyrotropic, adrenocorticotropic or gonadotropin-releasing
hormones; pituitary insufficiency; or an ovarian disorder, such as a
sex-chromosome problem. Secondary amenorrhea can be caused by any of the
following disorders: pituitary dysfunction; ovarian dysfunction; adrenal gland
dysfunction; thyroid dysfunction, etc. Quite a few hormones are involved in the
absence of menstruation, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, estrogen, progesterone, androgen, and
gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
Amenorrhea in Chinese Medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, the most important organs that
regulate Blood and menstruation are the Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys; and the key
Fundamental Substances are Chi and Blood. The Liver "stores the Blood," and is
responsible for maintaining a smooth and even flow of Blood, Chi, and emotions
through the body. Emotions such as anger, irritation, resentment, and anxiety
can lead to stagnation of Liver Chi, which in turn can lead to Blood Stasis
(especially in the lower body). A main function of the Spleen is to produce Chi
and Blood. If the Spleen is weak, there will eventually be a deficiency of Chi
and/or Blood, so there will not be enough blood for normal menstruation, or
enough Chi to regulate normal cycles. Also, if the Spleen is too weak, it can
lead to a condition of Dampness in the body, and Phlegm-Damp can obstruct the
uterus. The Kidneys are the organ responsible for conception, reproduction, and
aging over time. Kidney-essence is the ultimate origin of menstrual blood.
Amenorrhea can be differentiated into Deficiency patterns or Excess patterns. With Deficiency patterns, the Blood is exhausted or deficient. With Excess patterns, Chi or Blood may be stagnant, retention of Phlegm-Dampness can lead to obstruction of menses, or there is Blood Stasis.
Besides the mechanisms discussed above, some lifestyle factors can cause amenorrhea. Long-term use of contraceptive pills can bring about Blood Deficiency or Kidney Chi Deficiency. Excessive physical exercise or participation in sports, with over-use of the muscles and sinews, can lead to a deficiency condition of the Spleen and Liver. The Spleen fails to produce adequate amounts of Blood, and the Liver fails to store Blood properly, which leads to amenorrhea.
Many studies in China reveal that acupuncture, moxibustion, and Chinese herbal medicine are superior to conventional medicine in the treatment of menstrual disorders, including amenorrhea.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Sub-Health：
Tradition
Chinese Medicine and acupuncture are very effective to heal sub-health
(International chronic fatigue syndrome)
International chronic fatigue syndrome diagnostic criteria:
1. Overloading caused by physical or psychological fatigue is not easy to get
rid of.
2. No clear cause of muscle weakness.
3. Insomnia and more dreams, or drowsiness, or wake up early.
4. Dizziness, tinnitus or headache.
5. Lack of concentration, Memory and concentration.
6. Hair loss
7. Loss of appetite.
8. Shoulder discomfort, tight chest, or a sense of low back pain, muscle pain,or
joint pain, without a clear history of rheumatic or traumatic.
9. Feelings of depression, anxiety or fear of tension. Decline or loss of
interest.
10. Sexual dysfunction.
11. Low fever.
12. Throat or mouth have a sense of austerity.
Not all patterns can be
listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Pain in hypochondria (distention)
Dull pain or numbness always stay under chest or around stomach. Ultrasound, blood test and Gastroscopy can not find the reason.
According to TCM, this is caused by liver Qi depress. This is common seen in middle ago person, especially women.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Research
shows that
electro-acupuncture is very
effective to cure this disease.
Each year millions of North Americans workers are sidelined by joint pain. If the pain is mild, many just "tough it out," but find that the problem gets worse year by year. Severe joint pain can incapacitate people, making it impossible for them to exercise or live the life they want to live. Most people with joint pain are diagnosed with arthritis, which is a general term for a number of different conditions that involve swollen, painful, and/or stiff joints. The two most common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, which affects more than 6.5 million people in the North Americans alone; and osteoarthritis, which is an age-related degeneration of joints. One in seven North Americans is afflicted with osteoarthritis, and some are virtually housebound by joint pain.
Arthritis in Conventional Medicine
Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis,
chemically-induced arthritis, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout are all types of arthritis
that are differentiated in conventional Western medicine. The most commonly seen
forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis. The joint pain of osteoarthritis is primarily due to the gradual loss of protective cartilage. Physical injury, mechanical stress or metabolic abnormality can break down the cartilage which cushions the ends of the bones from rubbing against each other. As a result, bones begin to grate against each other, producing pain and further degeneration.
Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most severe type of inflammatory joint disease. It is an auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, damaging joints and the surrounding soft tissue. Painful, stiff and deformed joints of the hands, arms, feet and legs are commonly seen.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are the main weapon that conventional medical doctors prescribe for chronic inflammatory arthritis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibupofen, and gold compounds; and steroid-based drugs such as corticosteroids and immuno-suppressive drugs are widely used for arthritis. Long-term use of these medications can produce side effects such as stomach irritation, gastritis and ulcers. An exercise program and physical therapy are helpful for osteoarthritis patients to maintain a satisfactory level of activity. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids are provided for short-term relief.
Wind Pattern. Exposure to wind, especially when one is unprotected and exposed to the wind for a long time, is an important cause of the Wind pattern of arthritis. Any Wind pattern is characterized by movement of symptoms from place to place. In the case of Wind Bi, there is joint soreness and pain which moves from joint to joint. Movement of joints is limited, and there is often fever, as well as an aversion to wind, or windy weather. A thin white tongue coating and a floating pulse are signs that help Chinese medicine practitioners diagnose Wind Bi. Leading herbs for this pattern include ledebouriella (Fang Feng), and ephedra (Ma Huang).
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Asthma is an immune-system-related respiratory disorder in which the breathing passages become narrow or blocked, and are typically inflamed. Asthma can be "extrinsic" or "intrinsic." Extrinsic asthma is caused by an allergic reaction to a foreign substance (called an allergen) such as pollen, animal dander, animal fur, dust, mold, food additives, or feather pillows, and it is strongly seasonal. Intrinsic asthma is a non-seasonal, non-allergic type of asthma. Trigger factors for intrinsic asthma attacks include air pollutants, tobacco smoke, strong odors, cold weather, physical exertion, emotional stress, or temperature or humidity changes. Often, an episode of intrinsic asthma will follow a severe respiratory infection.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Defeating Cold and Flu with Chinese Medicine
We
are most vulnerable to colds and influenza during the long winter, Many people
suffer not only from the respiratory symptoms of cold and flu, but can also fall
victim to various complications of these diseases, some of which can be serious.
Children, the elderly, and people with chronic illness or compromised immune
systems are especially prone to complications. Parents worry about their
children bringing home infections from school. Right now, the best way Western
medicine has of dealing with these diseases is the widespread use of flu shots,
which encourage the immune system to "gear up" for the most prevalent type of
flu. However, while flu shots can avert the most serious consequences of
infection, they cannot prevent or cure the common cold.
The common cold is an acute viral infection that generally causes inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. It is the most common infectious disease in humans, and accounts for more time lost from work or school than any other disease. Flu is an acute and contagious infection of the respiratory tract. Its symptoms include running nose, cough, chills, headache, fever, and severe aching in the muscles and joints. Although flu affects all age groups, schoolchildren have the highest incidence. Although colds and flu are generally of brief duration, they can lead to complications in the very young, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases or compromised immune systems.
Because both cold and flu are viral infections, conventional medicine has no cure for them. Bed rest and increased fluid intake are generally suggested to make the patient more comfortable. Aspirin, nasal decongestants, and other medications such as steam inhalation, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, amantadline, or rimantadine are prescribed.
A friend of mine traveled to China last winter. She told me that when she visited a college there, she saw every student in the cafeteria drinking a kind of herbal tea for the prevention of cold and flu before their lunch. She thought that was very interesting and asked me what they were drinking. We told her that every school in China, from grade school through college, offers herbs to the students during the flu season to prevent cold and flu. There are quite a few teas and herbal formulas available for prevention purposes.
In China, these anti-cold and flu formulas will be found in every family’s medicine cabinet. It would be almost impossible to find a person in China who has never taken one. Most of these effective and time-tested herbal formulas come from two important schools in traditional Chinese medicine: the school of cold-induced febrile diseases, represented by Zhang Zhongjing (150-219 AD), and the school of seasonal febrile diseases, represented by Wu Jutong (1758-1836).
Using herbal formulas to prevent and treat colds and flu is one of the best-developed and most successful aspects of traditional Chinese medicine. Specific treatment practices and formulas have been handed down unbroken from the earliest schools to the modern universities of China. In this country, more and more people are becoming aware of the existence and efficacy of the ancient cold and flu formulas. At our clinic, TCM Health Center, we see increased demand for this type of treatment, especially among school teachers, who are constantly being exposed to colds. Our clients say that their doctors have been surprised by the effectiveness of Cold & Flu Formula , which is a common and popular formula in China.
Effective Herbal Formulas in Chinese Medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, patterns are differentiated according to the imbalances of the body and the causes and stages of the disease. Herbal formulas (combinations of herbs) are always recommended by practitioners because they are stronger and more effective than single herbs. We will discuss three patterns of cold and flu symptoms, and the appropriate formulas for each type.
Wind-Heat Pattern: Symptoms of the Wind-Heat pattern include: fever; headache; sweating; a running nose with yellowish-colored mucus; dry mouth; thirst; sore throat; productive coughing with thick yellowish phlegm; a thin, yellow tongue coating; and a floating and rapid pulse. Cold and Flu Formula is the most popular herbal formula to treat the Wind-Heat pattern. Wind-Heat Clearing .
Wind-Cold Pattern: Symptoms of Wind-Cold pattern include: aversion to cold; mild fever; absence of sweat; chest congestion; sneezing; running nose with clear mucus; itching throat, or a cough with clear mucus; a thin, white tongue coating; and a tight pulse. Wind-Cold Formula and FANG are commonly used for cold and flu of the Wind-Cold type, Minor Blue Dragon Decoction , and Cnidium and Tea Formula are also widely used.
Deficiency Pattern: Most people with chronic illness fall into the Deficiency category. They are the targets of cold and flu during every seasonal change and in every flu season. Their energy is low, their immune systems are weak, and they have trouble recovering from prolonged illness. Women with a Deficiency condition often catch a cold before every menstrual cycle. When Deficiency-pattern people are hit by cold or flu, they should use either Cold & Flu Formula or Wind-Cold Formula, depending upon whether their illness falls into the Wind-Heat type or the Wind-Cold type. Once cold or flu symptoms are gone, other formulas can be taken to strengthen the immune system and prevent recurrence of disease. Immunenergy is a well-known tonic for the immune system. Chi Spleen Tonic , Spleen Heart Tonic, Kidney Yin Tonic and Kidney Yang Tonic are also popular formulas which tonify the immune system. Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner to determine the best formula for you.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Today,
it is estimated that five million North Americans are taking Prozac.
Unfortunately, over the last seven years there have been 31,000 reports of
adverse reactions to this powerful drug. More and more people struggling with
depression are beginning to ask, "Is there any safe, effective treatment that We
can use regularly without worrying about side effects? What is the natural way
to deal with depression?"
In our clinic, TCM Health Center, we are often asked the same question by patients, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other health professionals: "How do Chinese, Japanese, and other people from Asia deal with depression?" Prozac is not familiar to most Chinese, not even the health professionals in China. Many popular anti-depression drugs are not available in hospitals in China. It is not that the Chinese experience less stress than North Americans do: it is very hard to avoid stress in today’s world, no matter where we live. But people in China deal with stress and emotional problems differently: they get acupuncture treatments and take herbal formulas instead of looking to drugs.
Chinese medicine incorporates centuries of experience in dealing with depression. The first medical book, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, which was written 2300 years ago, contained theories on the origins of depression. In Chinese medicine, mental or emotional problems such as depression are attributed to an imbalance or blockage in one or more of the internal organs (Zang/Fu) and the energy pathways (meridians) that pertain to them. Some common patterns that can manifest as depression are Liver Chi Stagnation, Spleen Chi Deficiency, Kidney Essence Deficiency, or Lung and Heart meridian disorder. Generally, people begin by experiencing an imbalance in one organ or meridian. Untreated, or improperly treated, the disorder will spread, involving other organs and meridians. Chinese medical doctors emphasize early diagnosis and early preventive treatment of imbalances.
Traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, is a safe and effective way to deal with depression. acupuncture, herbal formulas, and other Chinese medical modalities have been used in China for over 5000 years, but have only recently become mainstream in the North Americans in the last twenty-five years. The people who come to our clinic looking for help with their depression, are typically those who have already tried everything else. Often they have tried seven or eight different anti-depressant prescriptions, with disappointing results. Either the drugs didn’t work, or the side effects were too unpleasant, or they didn’t want to take anti-depression drugs for the rest of their lives. Almost every one of our patients feels that acupuncture has definitely improved their quality of life. A number of scientific studies also supply a great deal of evidence on how and why acupuncture can help depression. A clinical study has shown that patients who received acupuncture treatments experienced significant reduction in depression symptoms. After treatment, more than half no longer met the criteria for clinical depression. Statistically, that makes acupuncture just as effective as antidepressants. Studies also show that acupuncture can change the levels of many neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, that profoundly affect mental states.
Chinese herbal therapy: The Chinese herbal formula Mood Smooth () has been in use for six hundred years in China to deal with depression. The Chinese call this old remedy "the happy pill" because of its well-known anti-depressant effect. We call it "China’s natural Prozac." It has been used by millions of people over the centuries, and jis especially popular with women. Other common remedies for depression include Spleen tonic herbal formula Chi Spleen Tonic , Kidney nourishing herbal formula Kidney Yang Tonic , and many other remedies that are widely used with different patterns of depression. When you come to a Chinese medicine clinic, the practitioner will evaluate you first, and tell you what kind of imbalance and/or deficiency you have from the Chinese medicine point of view. Then he or she will decide what is the best herbal remedy for your depression.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Dysmenorrhea
refers to cyclical abdominal pain which is experienced during or before
menstruation. It occurs most typically in young women two to three years after
the onset of menstruation. Menstrual pain will take the form of cramping, lower
abdominal pain, lower back pain or a pulling sensation in the inner thighs. Pain
is often accompanied by headaches, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea or
constipation. This is a common health problem for women all over the world.
Lisa is a nurse who works for Allina in a conventional medicine clinic. She has been affected by menstrual pain most of her adult life, and has had to skip three days of work every month for the last fifteen years. Over the years she has tried all kinds of prescription pain killers and over-the counter pain relievers. Finally, a doctor recommended that she see an acupuncturist. She was skeptical at the beginning, but she came to see me on one of her "miserable" days, and experienced relief from the very first acupuncture treatment. We recommended that she have two treatments every month before her menstruation. Three month’s acupuncture treatments and an herbal formula, StagnationEASE , turned her from a skeptic to a firm believer.
Conventional medicine uses the term "primary dysmenorrhea" for pelvic pain that is the normal result of having a period, and the term "secondary dysmenorrhea" for pain during menstruation which is caused by an abnormal condition such as endometriosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease. Ibuprofen or Naproxen are two of the over-the-counter pain relievers for menstrual pain which are commonly recommended by doctors. Birth-control pills and some stronger prescription medications also reduce menstrual pain, but with these there can be unwanted side effects. The way conventional medicine manages menstrual pain is to block the formation of prostaglandins, a substance that is produced abundantly by the body during menstruation.
In Chinese medicine, menstrual pain, like other forms of pain, is caused by one or more of the following diagnostic patterns: blockage of Qi and Blood; deficiency of Qi and Blood; retention of Heat, Dampness or Wind; or imbalance of Kidney and Liver. The goal of treatment (both herbal and acupuncture) is to tonify the deficiencies, open the blockage, remove the excesses and regulate the internal organs.
Differentiating the patterns of menstrual pain depends on analyzing the timing, nature, location, intensity, color, volume and quality of the menstrual cycle and discharge, and "reading" the tongue, pulse, and associated symptoms. Generally speaking, menstrual pain before the period indicates an Excess pattern, whereas menstrual pain after the period indicates a Deficiency pattern. Aversion to pressure on the abdomen indicates an Excess pattern, and feeling relief when pressure is applied to the abdomen indicates a Deficiency pattern. Sticky menses with dark-red color indicates an Excess pattern. Feeling relief after passing menstrual blood clots indicates a Blood Stasis pattern. Abdominal pain with hypochondriac distention indicates a Qi Stagnation pattern. Thin menses of a pale-red color, and experiencing pain after the period indicates a Qi and Blood Deficiency pattern. Experiencing "cold" abdominal pain, and passing small, dark blood clots indicates a Cold pattern. Thin menses of a pale-red color, and experiencing back soreness indicates a Kidney-Liver Deficiency pattern.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Endometriosis-Related Infertility
There
can be a number of causes for infertility, but endometriosis is the most common
cause in the U.S. and China.
In Chinese medicine, diseases and imbalances are diagnosed as patterns. A pattern is defined by the signs and symptoms that a person exhibits, and patients will often present more than one pattern. In the case We discussed last month, the woman had a combined pattern of Congealed Blood (also called Blood Stasis) and Phlegm Accumulation, with the Phlegm Accumulation being the predominant issue. Her Western-medicine diagnosis was endometriosis. This month, We will talk about Jean. Jean also has a Western-medicine diagnosis of endometriosis, but her predominant Chinese medicine pattern is Blood Stasis.
Chinese medicine believes that Blood travels both in the blood vessels and also in the energy meridians of the body. It sounds strange to say that blood can circulate in an energy meridian, but Blood has several aspects in Chinese medicine. There is the physical aspect of blood – the blood that you see when you cut yourself – and this physical aspect only circulates in the blood vessels. There is also the energetic, or functional aspect of blood, which can travel in both blood and energy vessels. The functional aspect of Blood is as a primary Yin substance in the body. Blood is called the “mother of Chi” because it moistens and nourishes every cell. It also nourishes the feminine principle that exists in every human being. Ideally, Blood circulates freely through the vessels and meridians, but sometimes it becomes stuck in the meridians of in the tissues, and this is called Congealed Blood or Blood Stasis. A bruise is a superficial type of Blood Stasis involving the physical aspect of blood. When Blood is stuck in the meridians, the main symptom people notice is pain, which is usually described as constant, fixed, stabbing pain. When Blood is stuck in tissues, it often produces lumps, tumors, or masses, which can also be painful. Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts are all examples of Blood Stasis in women.
Jean is a thirty-five year old patient who originally came to see me for problems related to a car accident. These injuries cleared up well with acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatment, and Jean began to talk about her infertility issues. She has a successful career and has been happily married for nine years, but she and her husband are both eager to have children, and they have not been able to. Jean felt enough pressure about this situation to visit a fertility clinic. After some diagnostic tests, they told her that she had endometriosis, and that was probably the reason she had not been able to conceive. The doctor at the clinic decided to try fertility drugs with Jean. He believed that the endometriosis was a relatively mild condition, and that fertility drugs could override the endometriosis problem. Unfortunately, the drugs did not work, and at this point, Jean was very hesitant to try this method of fertility treatment again. She didn’t like the side effects from the drugs, and it is an expensive treatment with no guarantee of results.
After We began to treat Jean’s Blood Stasis issue with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, her symptoms improved relatively fast. The patient that We discussed last month, Tanya, had endometriosis based in a pattern of Phlegm Accumulation, and it took quite a while to resolve because it was a severe case. But Jean’s Blood Stasis pattern was not as serious or as deep-seated. Even though both of these cases are called endometriosis in Western medicine, they are seen as two different patterns in Chinese medicine, so the acupuncture points that We used and the herbal formulas that the two women took were quite different. Jean’s response to treatment was wonderful – her pelvic discomfort lessened, and she became pregnant. In a few months she will be a first-time mother.
In China, where both Western-style and traditional Chinese medicine are practiced, gynecologists always recommend their infertility patients to try traditional Chinese medicine first. It is far less invasive, and there is much less risk from herbal formulas than from potent drugs.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Traditional
Chinese medicine employs several healing techniques to treat patients, including
acupuncture, herbal formulas, and moxibustion. acupuncture and herbs
are familiar to most people in this country, but moxibustion is less well known.
Moxibustion is a therapeutic technique of applying an ignited cone or stick of
mugwort or other medicinal herbs over the affected part of the body or on the
acupuncture points. Moxibustion is often used to warm up cold conditions, or
to tonify deficient conditions, but it is also an effective agent against
certain types of inflammation, and can be used to treat most gastro-intestinal
conditions. Conditions which respond well to moxibustion include
gastrointestinal infections such as virus infections from rotavirus; bacterial
infections from
salmonella, shigella or escherichia coli; inflammatory diseases such
as chronic gastritis, atrophic gastritis, chronic enteritis, and
gastroenteritis; peptic ulcers such as duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer;
circulation problems in the gastrointestinal system such as gastrointestinal
tract bleeding and intestinal cramps; gastrointestinal tumors such as stomach
cancer, tumors of the small intestine, acid reflux, or colon cancer;
inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; and
other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and short bowel syndrome.
In traditional Chinese medical theory, the Spleen is the key organ involved in gastro-intestinal disorders. The Spleen has primary responsibility for "transforming" and "transporting" food essence in the body, including the excretion of waste material. The Spleen and Stomach are Yin/Yang partners, and each one can develop characteristic problems. The Spleen needs to be somewhat moist in order to function well, but if it becomes deficient in Chi, it will become overwhelmed by moisture, and a pathological condition of Dampness (or Damp Heat) can settle into the body. The Stomach, on the other hand, needs to be on the dry side to function well, and when its balance is upset, it can easily overheat, and a painful condition of Stomach Fire can develop. Other organs, especially the Liver, can also contribute to gastro-intestinal distress. The four most common patterns seen when gastro-intestinal problems are differentiated are as follows: Spleen Chi Deficiency, which is caused by chronic fatigue or chronic illness; Damp Heat Retention, which is caused by improper diet, environmental factors, or infections; Disharmony of Liver and Spleen, which is caused by emotional disturbance; and Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency, which is caused by chronic illness or aging. To treat these imbalances, Chinese medicine commonly uses acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion. When applied properly, these modalities balance Yin and Yang, harmonize Chi and Blood, nourish the organs, and eliminate Damp Heat.
How do we explain these beneficial effects of Chinese medicine
modalities in a modern clinical sense? How does it work from the viewpoint of
biomedicine? Numerous modern studies, most of them conducted at China’s leading
research and teaching institutes and in hospital settings, show that
acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine can bring about bio-chemical
changes. The following are a few examples:
Excretory Rate of D-Xylose. The excretory rate of D-Xylose is an index of the absorption function of the intestines. Patients with chronic gastritis, chronic enteritis, or peptic ulcer tend to have a lower excretory rate of D-Xylose. A number of clinical studies in China show that acupuncture and moxibustion can increase the D-Xylose excretory rate significantly.
Serum Gastrin. Gastrin is a hormone in the digestive tract, secreted mainly by cells in the stomach in response to eating food. Gastrin causes the stomach to produce more acid and also stimulates contraction of muscles in the wall of the stomach, ileum, and colon. This contraction propels food through the digestive tract. A very recent study at the Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine found that moxibustion (moxa made with astraglus, codonopsis, etc.) at acupuncture points St 36, Ren 4, and Ren 12 can raise the serum gastrin level.
T-lymphocytes and their Subgroups. T-lymphocytes and their subgroups reflect the status of cells’ immune functions. Substantial evidence shows that Spleen Deficient patients have a lower immune function at the cellular level. Clinical studies in China show that acupuncture and moxibustion can increase T-lymphocytes and their subgroups in the blood.
Immnuglobulins. Many patients with gastro-intestinal disorders seem to have a lower-than-normal immune response. Immnuglobulins are proteins in the blood serum and tissue fluids that are produced by cells of the immune system. They help to destroy antigen-bearing microorganisms in the bloodstream and tissues. Extensive research shows that moxibustion at acupuncture points St 36, Ren 12, and Ren 8 can increase the levels of Immnuglobulins Ig A, Ig G, Ig M, and thereby benefit a variety of health conditions such as chronic gastritis, antral gastritis, gastric ulcer, atrophic gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer, and gastroptosis (stomach has "dropped" from normal position).
Histological Changes: A clinical histological study done at Shanghai acupuncture and Meridian Institute, in which tissue samples of colon mucus were stained with HE staining, HID-AB and AB-PAS mucin staining and observed under a microscope, showed that moxibustion at acupuncture points St 36, Ren 12, and Ren 6 could effectively treat chronic ulcerative colitis. The results showed that chronic mucositis (inflammation of the mucous layer of the intestinal wall) was decreased, neutrophil infiltration in epithelial cells disappeared, and crypt abscess and/or mucous ulceration were eliminated.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Is
acupuncture an effective treatment for migraines and other types of
headache? "Yes, indeed," is the confident answer of acupuncture
practitioners around the world. Every day, headache sufferers come to
acupuncture clinics in the North Americans and China and find relief for
their symptoms. For people who have been plagued by headaches for years, this
relief comes as a gift from one of the most ancient healing traditions in the
world. Chinese herbal medicine is another valid modality for treating and
averting headaches. The use of traditional Chinese herbs to treat headaches if
just beginning to be appreciated by North Americans patients.
Roger G. is a 37 year-old gentleman who came to our clinic a year ago for severe migraine headaches. He had suffered from migraines since he was thirteen, and for the last seven years his headaches had been a daily occurrence, leaving him in constant pain and destroying any chance of leading a normal life. His wife came with him that first day, and said to me, "You have to help him – our whole family has been affected by Roger’s headaches." Roger gave me a list of all the medications he had ever taken: various prophylactic agents including beta-blockers, tricyclic agents, and muscle relaxants. In the past few years, he had been using more and more analgesic medication to allow him to function well enough to hold down a job. He was taking Excedrin, aspirin, and generic Sudafed three times every day. When he had especially severe headaches, he received Wigraine and Imitrex injections every week.
We started acupuncture treatments on Roger three times per week. After a little more than two weeks, his headaches were significantly reduced. Instead of experiencing daily headaches, he was headache-free three to four days a week. We reduced the treatment to twice per week, then once per week. After three months, Roger was totally headache free. Now We see him about once a month for a "tune-up," and he remains free of pain.
Every year about seventy million North Americans suffer from recurring headaches. Twenty- six million of them are identified as migraine sufferers. The goal of both conventional Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine in the case of headaches is to relieve pain and enable people to function well in their lives. But while the ultimate goal is the same, the diagnostic paradigm and treatment modalities of these two types of medicine are fundamentally different. In the remainder of this article, we contrast the Western approach to headaches with the Chinese medicine approach, and also list some Chinese herbal remedies for specific headache patterns.
Modern scientific research has established the following mechanisms
for headaches. Headache pain begins with the trigeminal nerve, which is located
in the brain stem and carries sensory impulses to and from the face. When the
trigeminal nerve is stimulated by a headache trigger such as anxiety, glare,
noise, anger, improper diet, medications, or hormones, a burst of
neurotransmitters is released. One of these neurotransmitters, serotonin, has
the function of screening out "unimportant" signals to the brain, and admitting
signals that demand attention. Serotonin fluctuation is the biochemical and
neurological foundation of understanding headaches. Low serotonin levels make
people more vulnerable to headaches.
The International Headache Society differentiates the following types of headaches based on the number of attacks per month, length of time per attack, characteristics of the pain, and other accompanying symptoms.
Migraine Headache. Unilateral quality is the characteristic that distinguishes migraine from other types of headache. Typical symptoms of migraines include: intense head pain; nausea or vomiting; seeing an aura (halo of light) around objects; sparkling, rainbow-like colors and black spots in field of vision; extreme sensitivity to light; fever; chills; aching; and sweating. Each migraine attack could last for several days.
Tension Headache. A typical attack is characterized by a mild to moderate squeezing or pressing pain which is steady and non-throbbing on both sides of the head, back of the neck, and the facial area. It can last from an hour to several hours. It may occur one or more times in a week.
Cluster Headache. This headache is excruciatingly painful. The penetrating and non-throbbing pain is felt behind the eyes or in the temples. The incidence of cluster headaches continues for two to three months at a time. Each attack can last from 45 minutes to two hours. Attacks tend to occur at night, especially in the spring or autumn season.
Post-Traumatic Headache. This results from head or neck injury. The pain can be experienced as dull, aching, stabbing, sharp, or excruciating at the site of the injury. Each attack can last from twenty minutes to all day. Attacks occur in clusters or can be continuous. Sometimes the headache strikes within 24 to 48 hours of the initial trauma, while in other cases it takes months, or even years, for it to appear.
Disease-Related Headache. Many disease conditions produce headaches as part of their pathology. These include: brain tumor; allergies; temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ); nerve pain; disorders of the head, neck, ear, nose, throat and mouth; stroke; high blood pressure; constipation; and sleeping disorders.
North Americans consume 80 billion tablets of aspirin a year, and headaches are cited as the number-one reason for aspirin use. In addition to the over-the-counter drugs that are readily available to the public, physicians prescribe a variety of drugs to keep the "pain messengers" from reporting to the brain, or to abort an attack in progress, or to prevent an attack from occurring. Available pain killers range from analgesics, narcotics, antidepressants, ergotamine derivatives, and anti-migraine drugs to beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Unfortunately, many of these drugs have unwanted side effects. What people really want is relief from their headache pain, without harmful side effects.
It is not possible, in an article of this length, to explain the theory of traditional Chinese medicine in detail. The key concepts of Yin and Yang, and vital energy (Chi) are important, as well as an understanding of the meridian system. Yang energy tends to go upwards and outwards. All the body’s Yang meridians meet in the head, and they facilitate the flow of Blood and Chi into the head. A clear mind and pain-free head depend on having a sufficiency of Chi and Blood flow, well-functioning internal organs, and a correct rising and falling of Yin and Yang energy. There are a number of conditions, patterns, or dysfunctions that can cause headaches. The most common are: a deficiency of Chi, which prevents Chi and Yang from circulating properly; a deficiency of Blood, so that the meridians aren’t properly nourished, and insufficient Blood is circulating to the head; a blockage of the meridians by external pathogenic factors. acupuncture treatment can harmonize the organs, balance Yin and Yang, tonify Chi and Blood, and clear blocked meridians.
Now that acupuncture has come into wider use in the North Americans, both patients and professionals are asking questions about how acupuncture works in a modern, scientific sense. What are the mechanisms? Is there any scientific evidence that supports the effectiveness of acupuncture? There have been a number of scientific studies and clinical trials since the 1970s, and these have tended to substantiate the ancient theories of traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers and scientists now believe that acupuncture can bring about many biochemical changes in the body:
Serotonin Changes: acupuncture treatments affect several of the body’s neurotransmitters, bringing about changes in the blood serum levels of these neurotransmitters. Scientists have found that low serotonin levels make people more vulnerable to headaches. The ability of acupuncture to regulate serotonin levels was extensively studied by experts in China, Japan, and Canada. Changes in serotonin levels in both the brain and the spinal cord can be achieved with acupuncture.
Endorphin Changes: Dr. Jisheng Han, a world-renowned professor in acupuncture research, discovered endorphin-type neuropeptides in the 1970s, when China launched the acupuncture research program for acupuncture-induced Analgesia (AA). He showed that electrical stimulation of acupuncture needles released different levels of endorphin compounds in the central nervous system. Endorphins are natural pain killers in the body. It is this mechanism that is most widely cited to explain the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments in relieving pain, including headache pain.
Acetylcholinesterase Changes: A study showed that acupuncture can reduce pain by regulating blood acetylcholinesterase (Ach) activity, which indicates that pain relief from acupuncture treatments is related to peripheral cholinergic neurotransmitters.
Serum Magnesium Changes: acupuncture treatments affect the levels of trace elements in blood serum. Scientists found that a low level of magnesium in serum is correlated to migraines. A very recent clinical study conducted in the Department of acupuncture and Orthopedics at Hubei Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine indicates that acupuncture treatments can increase the blood magnesium level.
Endogenous Opioid System: Morphine and morphine-like substances (opioids) have been used for the relief of pain since antiquity. It was found recently that cells in certain regions of the brain bind opiates stereospecifically, and that the analgesic potency (pain-relieving capacity) of a drug correlated directly to its binding affinity for these receptors. This led to a search for naturally-occurring endogenous opioid peptides (pain-killing substances that the body naturally produces). Eukephalines, B-endorphin, dynorphin, orphanin FQ, and endomorphin were discovered between 1975 and 1997. Electroacupuncture, using different frequencies, can accelerate the release of endogenous opioids in the central nervous system.
In addition to the scientific biochemical studies cited above, several clinical trials of acupuncture therapy support the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments in the relief of migraine headaches. A randomized clinical study with thirty participants was conducted in the Department of Neurology, University College Hospital, London, England. The study results showed that there was a significant reduction in pain intensity and medication intake for patients who received acupuncture treatments. In another study investigating the long-term outcome of using acupuncture to treat migraine, led by Dr. Baischer of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Vienna, the results showed that the improvements which are achieved with acupuncture therapy are stable over a long period of time. The frequency of migraine attacks was significantly reduced during a five-week observation period immediately after treatment, and also during a three-year follow-up period.
When physicians in this country refer their patients to an acupuncturist, the most common reason is for headache treatment. Headache is also included in the list of forty-three conditions recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for which acupuncture is effective. Safe and effective treatment of pain was the most important evidence that persuaded the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to upgrade acupuncture needles from "experimental use only" to "approved for use by professionals." The National Institutes of Health (NIH) endorses acupuncture treatments for headaches.
When a headache sufferer considers the treatment options available, he or she should remember that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine provide a safe, drug-free treatment that is stable over time and has no adverse side effects.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Insomnia (
Sleep Disturbances)
Low back pain is probably the commonest health problem in the North Americans,
and it is also one of the most common reasons for a medical doctor to refer a
patient to an acupuncture clinic. Because acupuncture is relatively
new in this country, there have not been many scientific studies done here on
the general effectiveness of acupuncture. Studies sponsored by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been done in the areas of pain control,
drug detoxification, and nausea reduction, and have shown
acupuncture to be a safe and effective treatment modality for those
problems. There are many more studies from Asia and Europe that support
the use of acupuncture and Chinese medicine for a variety of health
conditions. The reason American doctors are more and more willing to refer
their patients to acupuncturists for pain-related and neurological problems is
because of the NIH studies, and because their patients report that
acupuncture has a high success rate.
In our experience, acupuncture not only reduces
pain, it also promotes the healing process by bringing a stronger flow of blood
and energy (Chi) to the affected area. Because acupuncture can
affect the release of endorphins in the brain, people often find that
acupuncture treatments reduce stress and produce a feeling of well-being, in
addition to controlling their pain.
Most people probably think that back pain is back pain,
but it is important to distinguish between acute low back pain and chronic low
back pain. Type of treatment, length of treatment, and treatment outcomes
will vary, depending on which kind of back pain you have.
Acute low back pain: If you have just injured
yourself, and come in to have an acupuncture treatment right away, you
will usually see immediate results. Recently We saw a young man who had
injured himself two days before when he tried to lift a heavy couch. He
had never experienced back trouble previously. His pain was so bad that he could
hardly get out of bed, or even go to the bathroom. He needed assistance to
get up on the treatment table and to take his shoes off. After the
acupuncture treatment he immediately felt much better, got off the treatment
table by himself, and could bend over to put his shoes back on. Within the
week he had two more treatments, and totally recovered. Patients are quite
often amazed at how quickly they improve with treatment, and tell me, “It’s like
a miracle.” The good news about acute low back pain is that you really do
not need many treatments in order to have a satisfactory result. The bad
news is that we hardly ever see acute cases. Generally, by the time people
decide to try acupuncture they have already tried everything else they
could think of, and acupuncture is the last resort.
Chronic low back pain is a different story because it
takes more time and more intensive treatment to alleviate pain and promote
healing. Last week We saw a gentleman who was very optimistic when he came
in. He had been referred to the clinic by a friend who had totally
recovered from acute back pain after only one acupuncture treatment, and
he was expecting the same kind of results. When We asked him how long he
had been having back trouble, he told me fifteen years. We was sorry to
have to tell him that he was not going to have the same miracle cure as his
friend. When a health problem has become entrenched over time, it takes
more time to bring it under control. Generally, the longer you have had
something, or the more serious it is, the longer it will take to fix it.
With chronic conditions, acupuncture treatments have a cumulative effect,
building on each other over time. The good part is that you can usually
see positive change after several weeks of treatment. We'd not saying that
the condition is cured in a few weeks, but you can tell that you are responding
to treatment, and that your symptoms are improving. Some people feel
better after 4-5 acupuncture treatments, and some of them need 7-8
treatments before they feel better.
Let’s say that you have severe back pain. Your
doctor says you have at least two herniated discs, and you are scheduled for
surgery in a month. At this stage, is there any point in trying
acupuncture? We had a case several months ago that shows how helpful
acupuncture can be. A woman was referred to our clinic by her doctor
for pain control while she was waiting for surgery, which was scheduled in
twenty days. Her husband brought her in, because she was in too much pain
to drive. After having about eight
acupuncture treatments, she returned to her doctor for a pre-operative
check-up. Her pain had been reduced considerably, and her mobility and
range of motion were much improved. The doctor was surprised to see how
much better she was. After a thorough examination, he decided to cancel
the surgery and let her continue with acupuncture treatments for another
month. She continued to improve, even flying to England to deliver a
lecture. We am not saying that
acupuncture is a substitute for surgery. Some people will need to have
an operation to relieve severe back conditions. But most people who try
acupuncture will experience improvement in pain levels and mobility, and
some of them may be able to avoid surgery.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has several
effective modalities for treating low back pain. The most common modality
is acupuncture, which is highly effective for both acute and chronic low
back pain. acupuncture is often combined with electro-stimulation,
where a machine that produces a mild electric current is attached to the
acupuncture needles with clips. The frequency and intensity of the
electric current depend on the condition of the patient. Moxibustion is a
TCM practice that goes back hundreds of years. A particular plant of the
artemesia family is processed into a concentrated form, and then it is burned,
something like a stick of incense. It can be applied to the handle of an
acupuncture needle, or just held above the surface of the skin, and it has a
deeply warming effect.
Chinese herbs and herbal formulas are also a very
important TCM modality. In China, all of the chronic low back patients are
treated with herbal formulas and acupuncture, and even the acute low back
patients will often get an herbal prescription. Herbs are important
because they have a very strong effect to correct internal imbalances. The
reason herbs are given to chronic low back pain patients is because this kind of
pain is seen as a symptom of a deeper internal imbalance. A number of TCM
patterns such as Kidney deficiency, Chi or Yang deficiency, Cold Accumulation,
meridian obstruction, and others will have chronic low back pain as a symptom.
Ideally, acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion, and dietary modifications would be
used in combination, as needed, to open blocked meridians, promote the flow of
Chi and blood, and tonify the deficiencies and degeneration that can come with
age and stress.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
It
is a daily occurrence in our clinic for women to ask me about menopause-related
health issues. They wonder whether they should take hormone replacement therapy,
and what the long-term effects might be. They ask how women in Asian countries
deal with menopause, and if there are natural, safe alternatives to artificial
hormone replacement.
For Chinese women, hot flashes and night sweats are uncommon experiences, and very few of them are ever put on hormone replacement therapy by their doctors. It is an interesting fact that only 10% of Asian women experience noticeable menopausal symptoms, compared with 75% of the women in the North Americans. Why has this natural transitional period in a woman’s life become a dreaded event for American women? What explains the difference between the typical Chinese woman’s experience of menopause and the typical North Americans woman’s experience? These are important questions for women to ask, and for health care professionals to answer.
Based on our study and observations, We would say that it is a combination of diet, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine that is the determining factor in maintaining the health of Asian women through menopause.
Dietary Therapy. The use of food as medicine is a basic idea in Chinese culture, and a fundamental principle in traditional Chinese medicine. Most people who have seriously studied the effect of diet on health are prepared to say that more than 75% of health problems are related to diet. Just consider that the three leading causes of death in this country -- heart attack, cancer, and stroke -- are all closely correlated with poor diet. For a Chinese medicine practitioner, evaluating the patient’s diet is a fundamental part of the diagnostic and treatment process. The deficiencies and imbalances that a patient has are taken into account, and recommendations are made regarding what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
At
some point in life, everyone experiences pain: headache, joint pain, low back
pain, neck pain, TMJ, etc. Pain is the most common complaint physicians see in
their practices. Besides experiencing pain, most of us have also taken a wide
range of pain medications, from over-the-counter medicine like aspirin to
stronger prescription drugs; and we are aware (as our doctors are) that these
medications can have unpleasant and unwanted side effects. Would so many of us
continue to take these synthetic Western drugs if we knew about other options
that are time-tested, safe, natural and effective?
When We practiced medicine in China, we did not use many modern synthetic pain pills. Very rarely did We prescribe such pain medications for our patients. Whether a Chinese doctor has trained primarily in Western or Eastern medicine, acupuncture and patent herbal medicine are seen as the first treatment option for pain. Traditional Chinese medicine is a safe, effective and natural healing modality that has been used by a quarter of the world’s population continuously for four thousand years to deal with a variety of pain issues.
Although Chinese medicine had long been available in Asian-American communities, broader awareness of acupuncture came to the North Americans in 1972, when New York Times journalist James Reston went on a ground-breaking trip to China with the Nixon entourage. Once there, he suffered a severe appendicitis attack and underwent emergency surgery. During his post-operative recovery, Chinese medical doctors offered acupuncture to relieve his pain and promote healing. Mr. Reston had wonderful results and was so impressed by this ancient healing technique that he came back and wrote a front- page article for the New York Times entitled, "We saw the past, and it works." Since then, acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the North Americans, especially for pain-related problems. Before we talk about acupuncture treatment for pain, let us look at how Chinese medicine explains pain.
Because Chi and meridians are not observable by current scientific methods, researchers in China and the West have conducted numerous studies which document the effects of acupuncture on the endocrine and nervous systems. Research shows that acupuncture stimulates the production of endorphins, which are our natural pain killers. Another proven mechanism is the dramatic increase of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) with acupuncture treatment. Besides endorphins, additional neurotransmitters have been found in the natural substances whose release is stimulated by acupuncture therapy, such as serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and many others. Some studies indicate that transmission of pain signals through the central nervous system may be blocked by acupuncture. Many very well-designed clinical studies on migraine headache, low back pain, arthritis, sports injury, TMJ, and dysmenorrhea have shown significant differences between groups treated with acupuncture and the control groups not given such treatments.
acupuncture has become a real alternative for the treatment of pain. It is widely accepted by more and more people for pain reduction. Both ancient wisdom and modern scientific research reveal that acupuncture really works -- it is not just a matter of belief. Many people become convinced of this when they see their cats or dogs get better after having acupuncture treatments.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
With
the coming of winter, many people look forward to skiing and other winter
sports, but for those millions of people with chronic or acute sinus problems,
winter can be a dreaded event. Sinus problems affect at least 30 million North
Americans, and are one of the most common complaints of patients seeking medical
attention. Usually, sinus infections start with a cold due to factors such as
weather changes; or an allergy episode that causes swelling of the mucous
membranes and increased production of watery mucus. When the mucus changes from
clear to a yellow or green color, it means a bacterial infection. The mucus
builds up and the nasal passages become blocked because the sinus tissues are
swollen. One consequence is the pressure and pain of sinus headaches. Other
symptoms of sinusitis include: stuffy nose; sticky-yellow or purulent nasal
discharge; nasal congestion; nosebleed; diminished sense of smell; headache; a
feeling of heaviness in the head; fever; sore throat; and facial pressure around
the cheeks, eyes, and forehead.
In China, people use Chinese herbs and acupuncture for their chronic recurrent sinus infections. Many doctors offer herbs and acupuncture even for acute and severe cases. This use of acupuncture and herbs dramatically decreases the use of antibiotics, thus avoiding the abuse and side effects of antibiotics. It is very valuable for our society to have different options besides antibiotics, especially for the chronic and recurrent infections which conventional Western medicine has failed to cure.
A fifty-one year old lady came to our clinic last November. Every year she suffered from repeated sinus infections, for which she used Bactrim and Amoxil, as well as some decongestants. Steam inhalation helped her a little bit. Her doctor tried his best to mask the signs and symptoms, but when November rolled around, she began her "miserable season" once again. It was a this point that she came to our clinic. Besides some of the typical signs and symptoms, her tongue showed a yellowish coating, and her pulse was rapid. In traditional Chinese medicine, this indicates a Wind-Heat type of sinusitis. Six acupuncture treatments, with a few more follow-ups and an herbal patent medicine, helped her to have her best winter in six years. In addition to the Wind-Heat type of sinusitis, there are four other patterns of sinusitis in traditional Chinese medicine (see the box below for patterns of sinusitis). These five patterns have different causative factors, and treatment is based on the origin of the pattern.
For sinus problems, the color of the nasal discharge and the color of the tongue are very important indications for making the correct diagnosis. One type of pattern with white, clear nasal discharge and a white tongue coating is totally different from another pattern with yellow nasal discharge and a yellow tongue coating. Different herbal medicines and acupuncture treatment strategies are used for the acute stage of sinus infection, for chronic sinus infections, and for the prevention of further infections. Incorrect diagnosis, incorrect acupuncture treatment, or incorrect herbal medicine might make things worse, even when using traditional Chinese medicine.
acupuncture is another important way to deal with sinus problems. Many people cannot breathe properly through their noses. After having needles inserted at certain points, they will open up and feel immediate relief. We have a male patient who came to the clinic one day for his chronic sinus problems. For twenty-five years, he could not smell or breathe through his nose. When he went home after the first treatment, his wife was cooking, and he told her it smelled good. Both of them were surprised that he could smell again, and also that he could breathe well through his nose.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Every
day, 1200 North Americans suffer a stroke, and four hundred of them become
permanently disabled. Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third
leading cause of death in the North Americans. It is no wonder that being
disabled by a stroke is the chief fear of so many elderly North Americans.
According to a report from the National Institutes of Health in 1992, more than
two million North Americans suffer long-term disabilities from stroke, at a cost
to our society of $25 billion each year.
In China, there is less incidence of stroke than in Western countries, and greater recovery of function after a stroke. This is not because Chinese people are physically different from North Americans, but because of differences in diet, lifestyle, and post-stroke treatment.
Chinese medicine theory recognizes four main pathological factors (agents) of stroke: Wind, Fire, Phlegm, and Stasis. There are also considered to be four leading contributing factors to stroke, related to lifestyle: emotional stress, overwork, poor diet, and excessive sexual activity.
Because there are a number of contributing factors to stroke, because these contributing factors tend to play out over a long period of time, and because the stroke itself can manifest in a number of ways, it can be difficult to assess the exact cause of a stroke. But remember that strokes don’t "just happen" for "no reason." Any of the following lifestyle factors, experienced over a period of years, could eventually result in a stroke: working long hours under stressful conditions without adequate rest; physical overwork, including excessive, strenuous sports activities; emotional strain; irregular eating habits; excessive consumption of fats, dairy products, greasy or fried foods, sugar, or alcohol; excessive sexual activity (what constitutes "excessive" sexual activity depends on the age and general physical condition of the individual).
The internal organs most likely to be weakened by these factors are the Kidney and the Spleen, causing deficiencies of Chi, Blood, and Yin. Deficiencies of Chi, Blood, or Yin permit the body to be overwhelmed by the pathological factors of Wind, Phlegm, Fire, and Stasis, resulting in such stroke-related patterns as Liver Yang Rising, Stasis of Chi or Blood, Phlegm combining with Fire, Liver Wind, or Wind in the Meridians.
Preventing Strokes
A useful Chinese herb that can help to prevent stroke is ginkgo biloba (bai guo ye). This herb has become phenomenally popular in Europe, with twenty million people taking it regularly. Harvard University’s Dr. Elias Corey published his research on ginkgo in 1988 which shows that ginkgo stimulates cerebral circulation (blood flow in the brain). This can not only improve mental functioning, but can prevent blood cells from forming blood clots in the brain. Research indicates that ginkgo improves blood circulation, strengthens mental capacity, lowers plasma cholesterol concentrations, benefits Alzheimer’s patients, and can prevent stroke and heart attack. In order to achieve maximum effect, ginkgo should be taken in a therapeutic dose. Because there are no universal pharmacological standards applied to herbal preparations, concentrations of ginkgo may vary from company to company, so it is hard to say what a therapeutic dose is, but 1500 mgm a day would be reasonable for most individuals.
Treating Strokes
acupuncture is the most popular treatment modality for stroke patients in China, used effectively on 85% of the stroke patients there. When Margaret Naeser, a neurology professor at Boston University School of Medicine, went to China in the 1980s, she was surprised to see that acupuncture treatments were considered to be the most important part of stroke rehabilitation at Chinese hospitals. She was even more impressed when she saw how effective such treatment was, and began to study acupuncture scientifically when she returned home. Since then, scientific evidence has been accumulating in the West. A controlled study conducted at the Lund University Hospital in Sweden provided several interesting findings. It found that a group of 38 patients who received acupuncture treatments twice a week for ten weeks reported significant improvements in the areas of walking, balance, emotions, quality of life, ease of daily activity, and mobility in comparison with a control group of 40 patients who did not receive acupuncture treatments. The acupuncture Group spent fewer days in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities than the Non-acupuncture Group, with an average savings of $26,000 per patient. In the follow-up period, it was found that one year after suffering their stroke and receiving treatment, 89% of the patients in the acupuncture Group were living at home vs. 66% of the patients in the Non-acupuncture Group.
Scientific studies indicate that acupuncture can: facilitate nerve regeneration; decrease blood viscosity; prevent the aggregation of blood cells, dilate blood vessels by triggering the release of hormones; and help surviving nerve cells find new pathways, effectively by-passing damaged parts of the brain. acupuncture has also been found to be helpful in the treatment of headache, dizziness and hypertension in stroke patients.
Treating stroke patients with acupuncture is one of our specialties. We have treated many stroke patients in both China and the North Americans, and they typically improve not only in their mobility and strength, but also in their emotional response. As they notice the improvement in their condition, they feel less depressed and are motivated to do their exercises. We can’t express how wonderful it is to see people improve and feel hopeful again.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Obesity (Weight lost)
Literally, obesity means a condition characterized by excessive body fat. The
body cannot store protein or carbohydrates , so the excess is converted to fat
and stored. One pound of fat represents about 3,500 excess Calories.
About 25% of the word population is overweight. But being obese is different from being overweight. An individual is considered obese when weight is 20% (25% in women) or more over the maximum desirable for their height. When the excess weight begins to interfere with vital functions such as breathing, it is considered morbid obesity .
About 5 to 10% of children are obese. Between 13 and 23% of all adolescents are obese; 80% of obese teenagers are likely to grow into obese adults.
Obesity will increase the risk of illness and death due to diabetes , stroke , coronary artery disease , and kidney and gallbladder disorders. The more overweight, the higher the risk becomes. Obesity has been implicated in increased incidence of some types of cancer .
People make use of various means to loss superfluous fat, such as reduction diet and exercise program. Effective methods are continue to be taped by both modern science and Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers. There are a few pattern with obesity:
1.We found a lot of cases of obesity, the reason is a lot of harmful water, or mucus stay inside the body, these harmful water or mucus is classified as "Phlegm" or "dampness". That is why some people complain, having eaten too much, just drinking water can make them put on weight.
2. some case with the reason eating too much. That is because there is fire in Stomach.
3. Some other case with the reason of lack of physical activity, especially patient with depression.
The key to address the right reason and treat the root.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Diabetes
mellitus is a common metabolic endocrinopathy resulting from absolute or
relative deficiency of insulin that leads to the metabolic disturbance of
carbohydrate, fat and protein.
The typical case of diabetes mellitus is usually featured by polyphagia , polydipsia, polyuria, and decrease of body weight. Early or asymptomatic patients have only the manifestations caused by abnormal release of cortical hormone and insulin in the body i.e. the elevated level of fasting blood sugar and the abnormal glucose tolerance test. The symptomatic patients are usually complicated with other symptoms of dermal, neural and endocrinic disorders in addition to the polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and decrease of body weight above mentioned.
The main complications and concomitant diseases of diabetes mellitus are diabetic ketoacidosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetic renopathy and peripheral neuropathy. Cardiovascualr complications are considered as one of the chief causes of death.
Diabetes mellitus is classified into juvenile and adult types according to the clinical features. The former is characterized by young age of onset and a tendency to inheritance. The blood sugar fluctuates widely and is quite sensitive to insulin. It is difficult to be treated and is easily complicated by ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia, so is often named as insulin-dependent diabetes or unstable diabetes. The adult type is characterized by real adult age and could be controlled by dietary restriction or oral anti-diabetics, thus is also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes or stable diabetes.
There are a few patterns often seen in patients:
1. Yin deficiency; preclinical stage.
2. Yin deficiency produces internal heat; early clinical manifestation
3. Impairment of both qi and yin; early stage of complications
4. Impairment of qi, yin, and yang; stage of intermediate complications
5. Failure of qi, yin, and yang; stage of advanced complications
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Tune-Up ( Anti-Aging Treatment)
Anti-Aging
dates back to ancient times. As early as 2000 years ago, the medical Bible book
"Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" has detail documented about anti-theory and
clinical treatment of the acupuncture and herbology.
Anti-aging principles:
1.Prevent disease before its develop, prevent your body aging
before it start.
After 40s, human body start to aging day by day. The earlier that you start
take some action, the longer you can live. Before these medical machine or
number can convince your family doctor or yourself, your body already feel
something wrong, sometimes, you have better to listen to your body.
2.Early diagnosis, early treatment
The human body aging doesn't happen with 1 day. Many factors have a long
time to interfere with the body, lead to result of organs, tissues and organs
gradually dysfunctional, then people feel the aging. Among them, the disease is
still the most important factor. Therefore early diagnosis, early treatment is
important for the prevent aging.
3.Focus on roots of pre-heaven and post-Heaven, nourishing spleen and kidney
The kidney if the foundation of all Yin and Yang of all other organ, it
store essence and control the develop of body. Aging normally start from this
organ. Spleen and stomach are the root of after birth, they supply all the
energy to the whole body. If this 2 organ are sick or dysfunction, the whole
body will suffer. So, making sure kidney and spleen working properly is a primer
job to prevent aging.
4.Adjust the yin and yang
Aging show it syndromes as the yin and yang imbalance, or yang
deficiency, or deficiency. When Yang deficiency, Yin excess, diseases with yin
character active; When Yin deficiency, Yang excess, diseases with yang character
are active. So balance of yin and yang by acupuncture or herb to restore
physiological state, can delay aging.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Edema
is very often seen in elder person or person have long sickness leading to a
very weak health condition. There are a few patterns can be found:
1. Kidney Yang deficiency: Edema often found in the leg, foot.
2. Spleen Yan deficiency: Edema often found in the middle part of body, like stomach, back and hand, shoulder, arm.
3. Lung deficiency: Edema often found in the upper part of body, like neck, face.
Not all patterns can be listed here, please contact (416)876-2380 for a TCM diagnose.
Acid Reflux (GERD)
--------DISCLAIM---------
Not all patterns can be listed here, pre-judging which pattern you fall into is on your own risk.