Acupuncture, Acupressure, Chinese herbs
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Acupuncture
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles (about the diameter of a human hair) into the body at specific locations. Stimulation of these points re-activates the natural flow of vital energy in the body and restores health. The location and functions of these points have been meticulously mapped and studied by the Chinese over thousands of years.
"One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions."
-1997 NIH Consensus Development Conference
Is Acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture needles are sterile and disposable. In the hands of a licensed acupuncturist, your safety is assured.
How does Acupuncture work?
Acupuncture works by stimulating the autonomic nervous system, which governs the healing and regeneration of every living cell in the body. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the brain's pain-stopping hormones. Acupuncture can increase blood circulation, relax muscle spasms, reduce pain and stimulate nerve activity. Needles are used to direct the flow of the body's energy ("Qi") so that blockage, excess, or deficiency may be balanced, and health restored.
Acupuncture for Depression
There are millions people that are afflicted with depression. It is the main cause of suicide which claims over 30,000 lives each year in the US. Some estimates state that about 20% of people will suffer a major episode of depression during their life. The western antidepressant drugs such as Effexor, Paxil, Elavil, Zoflot, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Trazodone can be beneficial by focusing on maintaining the serotonin levels in the brain. But, in addition to the side effects, the patients need to take them all the time. Acupuncture, combined with Chinese herbs, can be a very effective alternative to treat depression, anxiety, stress-induced fatigue and emotions swings resulting in long-term benefits.
In 1998, the NIH's Office of Alternative Medicine funded a study at the University of Arizona. Working with acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer, John Allen PhD devised a 16-week trial on 34 seriously depressed women. First the two worked up a standard treatment plan that targeted certain "depression points" on the body. Then they devised a dummy treatment calling for needles in nonspecific places. The acupuncturists administering the treatment had no idea whether they were using the real plan or the dummy plan.
Then the subjects were divided into three groups. The first group received the depression-specific acupuncture, the second group got the dummy treatment, and the third group was put on a wait list before being placed on eight weeks of the real thing.
Following the treatment, the depression-specific groups experienced a 43 percent reduction in their symptoms compared with a 22 percent reduction for the dummy group. More than half no longer met the criteria for clinical depression. Only five people dropped out of the study - two who moved away, one who became pregnant, and two who didn't like the needles. The dropout rate was much lower than for studies using medications.
The difference with acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatment is that these treatments treat the root cause of the disease-the internal imbalance caused by the exposure to external stress. Such stress, if not treated, can cause energy "blockage" or changes of the neurotransmitters such as a decrease of brain concentration of the serotonin levels-resulting in symptoms such as anxiety, poor sleep, fatigue, and eventually, depression.
When the proper diagnosis is made, the result can be astonishing. For example, a lady in her early 30's with severe depression was brought in by her friend who was concerned that her friend had been having thoughts about "jumping off a bridge". She had been having other suicidal thoughts and could not be left alone. She was treated with acupuncture only once. Tears came out of her eyes during the treatment. She has been fine ever since.
Not all patients have such a dramatic experience. Most patients with chronic depression and fatigue may not have suicidal thoughts. Most of them do have anxiety, poor sleep and stress. We have refined a unique selection of acupuncture points and Chinese herbal combinations to treat the root cause of these symptoms. Patients can experience relief in 3 to 6 visits. When patients with depression receive acupuncture, they generally experience improvement in the reduction of anxiety, insomnia, as well as more energy, and over all well-being. Best of all there is no side effect from acupuncture treatments. On top of these benefits, once patients get well, they will remain well even when they stop taking the herbs and acupuncture treatments.
One question patients often ask is that how can acupuncture for depression be effective in the long run when stress is, and always will be, part of our daily life? The answer is the Acupuncture for Depression Protocol, passed down by Dr. Lee's family in the past 2 generations, focuses on treating the root cause of the imbalance so that our body will be able to handle the stress better or maintain the physiological balance better in times of stress. In short, this Acupuncture for Depression Protocol will bring our body above the stress from the state of under the stress.
Arthritis
As the population of America ages, the most common health concern of physically active baby-boomers is the condition of their joints. It is estimated that 70 million Americans have some form of arthritis. Furthermore, countless Americans undergo surgical procedures for joint injuries every year. Besides obvious traumas, common causes of arthritis include heredity, infections, aging and environment. If left untreated, arthritis and joint problems can be crippling and vastly affect one’s quality of life.
Arthritis is one of the most common diseases in the U.K. and is the leading cause of disability. one out of every three people is affected by one of the more than 100 types of arthritis. These include conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, lupus, Lyme disease, ankylosing spondylitis, bursitis, tendonitis and fibromyalgia to name a few.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been found to be clinically effective in reducing arthritic pain and improving mobility and circulation. Often, localized acupuncture therapy directly on the joint or tissue itself, with or without electrical stimulation or moxa (heat therapy with the herb mugwort) can be extremely helpful in managing arthritis. This obviously requires obtaining treatments from a licensed acupuncturist.
Herbal Therapy
Herbal therapy is useful in reducing inflammation, nourishing joints and soft tissues and improving one’s energy. It may also be a useful replacement for anti-inflammatory drugs that some people find upsetting to their stomach. Besides relieving arthritic symptoms, it is as important to nourish and prevent the onset of arthritis. There is good news for arthritis sufferer unable to access acupuncture treatments.
This proprietary formula contains licorice root and peony root, which soothe pain and spasms; notopterygium root and Korean ash bark dispel dampness from the joints and restores flexibility; eucommia bark and mulberry stem nourish the joints; dang gui root, sheng di root and Szechwan lovage root promote proper lubrication of the joints; astraglus root modulates and balances the immune system; Chinese lovage root, peach kernel and safflower support proper circulation; and finally poria root helps proper stomach and digestive function.
Cupping and Massage
Cupping and Massage are treatment modalities designed to vastly increase circulation to affected areas, ridding toxins and waste products that aggravate inflammation and introducing the joints and tissues to fresh nutrients and oxygen. These techniques are effective for reducing swelling, stiffness and pain.There is no reason why you cannot live a full and active life, even if you suffer from arthritis. The therapies listed above, either alone or in combination can vastly improve your quality of life if you practice them diligently.
Cancer
Chinese medicine, a system reaching back more than 2,000 years, is practiced by about one-fifth of the world's population. Many people in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia regard Chinese medicine as their first line of defense in maintaining health and combating disease. Although acupuncture has captured attention in the Western , traditional herbal medicine plays a far greater role in the Chinese health-care system. Backed by centuries of empirical experience, China's huge pharmacopeia contains thousands of substances of plant, animal, or mineral origin, most of them herbs. At least half of Chinese folk remedies have some kind of scientific basis for their reputed claims, according to a National Academy of Sciences study of 796 Chinese herbal remedies. Chinese medicine utilizes a range of therapeutic methods including herbs, diet, massage, osteopathic-type manipulation, breathing, deep relaxation, and therapeutic exercise in a holistic approach to health.
The leading cause of death in China is cancer, followed by stroke. Conventional Western cancer therapies-chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery-have been increasingly used since the 1960s in Chinese hospitals. However, the side effects of these treatments have been, there as here, often highly debilitating. This has led the Chinese government to fund research into the traditional herbal medicines. One result is the routine use of Fu Zhen therapy, an immune-enhancing herbal regimen, as an adjunct to chemotherapy and radiation. Fu Zhen therapy is reported to protect the immune system from damage and to increase survival rates, sometimes dramatically, when used in conjunction with the modern cancer therapies. The principal Fu Zhen herbs (astragalus, ligustrum, ginseng, codonopsis, atractylodes, and ganoderma) strengthen the body's nonspecific immunity and increase the functions of the T-cells.
Herbal antitoxin therapies, also regularly used, contain many herbs that have been found to inhibit tumor growth by a variety of mechanisms. Kelp and pokeroot are among the herbs known to dissolve tumors in Chinese herbal therapy.
In the Western, it is very rare for a person with cancer to be treated solely by Chinese medicine, even though many practitioners say that traditional Chinese medicine can often handle cancer on its own, with success in cases that proved untreatable by Western medicine. For patients who desire the expertise of a conventional oncologist as well as the benefits of more natural methods, Chinese medicine can provide an important collaborative resource to link with conventional cancer treatment. Patients should develop a healing team that could include the oncologist, a practitioner of acupuncture and herbal pharmacology, and perhaps a nutritionist, psychologist and support group of some kind. The result is a more comprehensive and synergistic therapeutic effect. When used in tandem with chemotherapy, Chinese herbal medicine can control and minimize the side effects of chemical drugs and may enhance their therapeutic effects. Herbs also bolster immune-system functions depressed by radiation.
In China, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are considered viable treatments for benign and malignant tumors by physicians who are attempting to integrate Eastern and Western methods. Conventional treatments may be required to deal with a situation within the time available to the patient. Although Chinese energetic therapies such as herbal medicine and acupuncture may be able to eventually dismantle pathologic matter, they may take more time than the patient has. Many practitioners in China say that the best results against cancer are obtained by means of a joint attack combining Oriental and Western medicine, with the patient pursuing a suitable diet, Chinese yoga, and therapeutic exercise.
In classic Chinese medicine, there is no specific concept of cancer, though there is of tumors. Many nutritive tonics and herbal medicines were developed to alleviate pain and prolong survival by strengthening the body's life forces and arresting tumor progression. Chinese doctors believe the causes of cancer are multiple, including toxins and other environmental factors, called "external causes," as well as "internal causes" such as emotional stress, bad eating habits, accumulated wastes from food, and damaged organs. Two main factors are stagnant blood and a blockage or accumulation of chi, or qi (pronounced chee), the vital energy said to circulate along the meridians, or pathways, linking all parts of the body.
Cancer, like all other diseases, is regarded as a manifestation of an underlying imbalance. The tumor is the "uppermost branch," not the "root," of the illness. Each patient may have a different imbalance causing what outwardly looks like the same type of cancer. Each person is unique, so the Oriental doctor attempts to identify the exact individual pattern of excess, deficiency, or blockage that led to the disease. The doctor treats the imbalance rather than a condition known as "stomach cancer," or "breast cancer," or so on. The prescribed treatment will vary from one patient to the next, depending on the specific imbalances.
Once the doctor forms a cohesive picture of the pattern of disharmony, he or she can formulate a treatment plan to restore balance.
Candida
There's a problem with the diagnosis of Candida. This diagnosis doesn't actually exist in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). What we usually treat in the case of Candida infection is what we call "dampness". All of the symptoms are the same, but we treat it as a problem that comes from a deficiency of the digestive system.
In the same way that a car's engine spews out a bunch of smoke when it is not tuned-up, the digestive system in our bodies produce a pathological substance called "dampness" when it isn't working very efficiently.
Dampness can be seen in many of the usual symptoms of what many call "Candida." Candida is a popular diagnosis in the holistic health community and that is kind of dangerous. There are some patients who are taking all kinds
of really intense herbs and/or therapies to treat this problem, even though we see absolutely no evidence of it in either their signs as interpreted by TCM or even their symptoms as reported by the patient.
That aside, let's look at your symptoms, remember that in Chinese medicine, we treat what we see, not the diagnosis that the patient arrives with.
Chest pain, shortness of breath, tiredness and muscle aches sound like a Qi deficiency of the Spleen and Lungs. The Spleen and Lungs are the two organs that contribute the most to the amount of Qi or energy in our bodies. What would likely be the first course of treatment in your case would be to simply strengthen your Spleen (digestion) and Lungs to increase your energy. Once that happens, the production of dampness in your system will automatically dry up. We haven't heard any specific symptoms of dampness in your brief list of symptoms, so for now, We'll assume that the dampness isn't too prevalent in your system.
Symptoms of Spleen Qi deficiency include bloating, gas, loose stools, fatigue, muscle aches. If this is giving rise to dampness in your body, the list of symptoms rises dramatically. If the dampness congeals, we might see clear liquids coming out of the body. This can be anything from a chronic runny nose, to unusual amounts of vaginal discharge. Other symptoms of dampness could be less visual, for instance, foggy thinking, or the inability to concentrate, nausea, sores that weep (like pimples, but not with pus inside, rather they'd just have some clear liquid coming out).
Symptoms of Lung Qi deficiency include the shortness of breath that you mentioned, fatigue, possible chest pain (That's a bit of a wild card in your case. That could be a few different things.), frequent colds and flues, sweating for no reason, etc.
Treatment for you would be a rather simple point prescription to strengthen the so-called "tai yin" channels in your body. These two acupuncture meridians share a certain kind of energy that responds well together. Spleen and Lung are kind of like brothers in the similarities of the kind of Qi that flows through their meridians.
Herbal supplements would also be helpful, though we'd want to know what else you're already taking. we don't like to add herbs to the mix until you're focused on one direction for treatment. we don't like to get in the way of other practitioners' dietary therapies, or visa-versa. If perchance your other therapies seem consistent with the goals to strengthen your Spleen and Lungs, then we'd jump in with the herbs to assist the treatment of your other therapies.
When push comes to shove, we're really only concerned with your response to the Candida, not its existence in your body. That may sound kind of superficial, but its not. Consider how many people are walking around with the Epstein-Barr virus in their blood streams, but with no symptoms of chronic fatigue or mono or anything. We all have immune systems that are designed to prevent any of these pathogens from becoming a health issue. When we strengthen the digestion or whatever else may be weakened, the body's natural defenses against these problems step up to the plate to handle the issue and we can get on with our lives pain free.
Conventional wisdom does suggest all kinds of dietary advice in regards to Candida. In the case of severe dampness in the body, dietary therapy is definitely part of the big picture, but only in an effort to allow the digestive system to get back on its feet so it can work to begin to dry up that internal dampness.
If your acupuncturist is treating Candida as Candida rather than "dampness" then he/she is straddling paradigms. Many of us do this to make it easier for the patient to understand what we're doing.
Sometimes we don't call a problem such as yours "Candida", sometimes I do. That doesn't change how we treat it as we mentioned prior in regards to dampness.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chinese herbal medicines have been in use for 4,000 years, yet their properties are just now being studied on a cellular and molecular level. Some 500 herbs are currently being used by Chinese doctors, which they can combine to make innumerable remedies. One that has been tested relatively extensively is Juzen taiho-to (TJ-48), which is a hand prepared mixture of ten dried and pulverized herbal plants. In Chinese traditional medicine it has been used to treat cases of extreme fatigue, and anemia. However, recent studies have focused on its ability to reduce the toxicity of anti-tumor agents. Researchers also noted that TJ-48 augments antibody production and activates macrophages by oral administration. The exact mechanism of pharmacological action are still unclear.
Other studies by Chinese and Japanese investigators have shown a role between herbal preparations containing zinc and reduced symptoms of fatigue and related conditions. Tests done by Yu-Q, et. al. demonstrate that the amount of available zinc is much higher in an herbal preparation than in an equal molar amount of zinc sulfate, and the clinical effects are noticeably greater. There are also less adverse side effects with the herbal form. This is because zinc derived from plants is bound to an amino acid, or chelated, which makes it easier to be absorbed by the body and carried to where it is needed. Their study suggested that the herbal preparation they were examining could raise the zinc level and cure anemia.
The importance of zinc to overall body health is well documented. It is a co- factor in 70 enzyme systems, and zinc has been shown to increase the number and efficiency of T cells. When B cells make antibodies they use up zinc; consequently, an adequate supply is necessary for proper functioning of the immune system. Moreover, macrophages are more active when zinc is in good supply. Some studies suggest at least 25mg daily is needed to properly restore and maintain the immune system.
The relationship between the immune system, the thymus gland, and serum zinc levels is being studied by Nicola Fabris of Italy, and was recently reported at an international conference. Zinc can help reverse some of our failing immune functions, he states, by restoring our thymus gland, which usually starts to shrink after the age 60 and is followed by declines in the levels of T and B cells. This drastic shrinkage is caused by a gradual decline of zinc in the body, which seems to spontaneously happen as one grows older. This may be because the body becomes less efficient at assimilating the metal or the amount in the diet decreases. Whichever, the proper size and functioning of the thymus can be restored by daily ingestion of small doses (at least 15mg) of chelated zinc. In one mouse study, the thymus was restored to within 80% of its youthful size. Human subjects also showed increased thymus size and elevated levels of T-cells and active hormones similar to those seen in young people.
Since Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been connected to certain dysfunctions of the immune system it would stand to reason that restoring it could lead to a reduction or elimination of some symptoms. It is unclear if debilitating fatigue, the most troubling symptom, would be helped by treating the immune system alone.
TJ-48 has been used to treat fatigue historically, and has been shown to be an immunomodulatory agent recently. Parameters tested by H. Yamada included natural killer (NK) cell activity, blastogenesis by PHA, several T-lymphocyte subsets, and serum triglyceride levels. Over one year, the target group showed a remarkable elevation in NK cell activity, with a corresponding reduction in lipo-protein values. One study using mice given lethal doses of tumor inducing chemicals had the death rate significantly slowed by orally administering TJ-48 afterwards for one week. The researchers noted that atrophy of the thymus was less than in the control group, and this they attribute to TJ-48. Similar studies have proven that it is a promising anti- tumor agent, so its traditional use for treating anemia and chronic fatigue are being ignored.
Another herbal preparation with demonstrated anti-tumor properties is Shi-un- kou. It also has the ability to reduce the activity of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). It was tested as a mixture and broken down into its constituent herbs for individual testing. Two, Angelica acutiloba and Macrotomia euchroma, proved particularly effective. Since these tests were done on mice, injected with the tumor promotor TPA which artificially allows EBV to overwhelm the immune system, its relevance to CFS patients is not known. However, it has been used to treat fatigue in the past so there could be a connection.
Further exploration of traditional Chinese herbal medicine will no doubt uncover other useful therapies for treating CFS. For now, it seems we will have to be content with reading between the lines of related journal articles, where other important diseases are being investigated.
Hay Fever
Every year its the same thing, a lot of people seek help for itchy eyes and runny noses, symptoms varying in degree from sneezing to allergic asthma. Most patients I see with this problem are taking some sort of western medication i.e. antihistamine, nasal decongestant spray or cortisone based inhalers. Although these drugs alleviate their symptoms, they all wish to stop taking them as they feel the drugs do not address the root of the problem and might cause side effects.
So how can Chinese medicine help? Well, We often use a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs to balance, unblock or strengthen the energy, depending on the patient's constitution and pathology and herbs to strengthen the Wei Qi (this is your defensive energy that blocks out pathogens i.e. pollen, bacteria and viruses etc.). This is often enough to see them through the summer. However, some patients seek help late in the season, when their symptoms have progressed from a runny nose to sticky yellow mucus with red, hot itchy and swollen eyes. We say in Chinese medicine that the pathology has gone from Wind-Cold to Wind-Heat and if this is the case I have to add herbs that also clear heat and resolve phlegm/mucus.
Case history 1: Sabine (43), came to see me last May seeking help for her hay fever. She complained about breathing difficulties, especially at night, sore/ itchy eyes and continuous sneezing. Although she had been using antihistamines plus inhaler twice/day for 15 years in the summer season, she still had to refrain from outdoor activities between May and August, as this made her symptoms unbearable. Having two young children and not being able to play with them in the park put an extra strain on her, resulting in further stress aggravating her condition.
We started to treat Sabine's underlying pathology with acupuncture , concentrating in making her Lung Qi descend to stop sneezing and ease breathing, at the same time unblocking Liver Qi stagnation to relieve stress, combining both body and ear acupuncture. We also gave her a herbal formula, beautiful in its simplicity (Yu Ping Feng San), containing only three herbs.
The effect of the treatment was instant and after two weeks Sabine enjoyed a day out on a farm together with her children. I continued to see her every two weeks for acupuncture and the herbal formula was taken throughout the summer. She used her inhaler three times that season.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which the walls of the airways, the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The swelling of the bronchial tubes and/or the excessive mucus secreted from the walls cause the tubes to narrow, which partially blocks the airway. Allergies, chronic bronchiole infection and hyperirritability of the airway tubes are the most common causes of asthma.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been treating asthma for thousands of years. In 1979, the World Health Organization listed forty diseases that can benefit from acupuncture. Respiratory tract diseases, including asthma and bronchitis, were included on that list. There are many studies relating to the success of acupuncture and Chinese herbs for the treatment of asthma in last twenty years. For example, in 1993, the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the University Hospital of Vienna, Austria, reported a study that concluded that after ten weeks of acupuncture treatment, over 70% of long-standing asthma patients achieved significant improvement.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs may help:
- improve and balance the immune system
- reduce allergic reaction
- reduce bronchial inflammation
- adjust the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in order to expand the walls of the airways
- reduce and withdraw mucus and phlegm
- increase the capacity of the lungs
In most of the cases, acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective. After a series of treatments, asthmatic symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath are reduced. The frequency of an asthmatic episode can also be minimized. In fact, many people can usually resume an active lifestyle.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome - (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is the most common digestive condition in the UK. In United States, affecting one in five adults. Twice as many are women than men. The condition occurs when the normal rhythm of your colon becomes irregular, typically leaving you experiencing diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, or nausea. Pockets of trapped intestinal gas can cause pain, especially after eating, and are often temporarily relieved by bowel movements. Victims may dread mealtime due to the anticipated discomfort afterward.
The November 11, 1999, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported Chinese herbal medicine appears to significantly alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Let's talk acupuncture
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can offer a safe, effective, natural and drug-free way to address IBS. This holistic healthcare system looks at the body differently than Western medicine. According to Chinese medicine, the body is like a garden that must be cultivated and maintained in order to grow strong and remain healthy. Good health happens when all of the organs and meridian systems are balanced and working together.
Service Categories
Acupuncture, Chinese Massage, Cupping, Herbalists, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
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