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Jan 13

Anxiety

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Anxiety is a normal human emotion and most people will experience it to some degree as a normal response to stress. Anxiety becomes pathological when it repeatedly interferes with daily life, is irrational, excessively prolonged or out of proportion with the cause. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety is the emotion most frequently associated with disorders of the heart and instability of shen. The Shen is easily agitated by heat and easily destabilized if heart or blood are weak.

For obvious reasons, patients with anxiety need to be treated with special care and gentleness. Many will be phobic and may have a major fear of acupuncture, so the technical and communication skills of the therapist are of utmost importance in reassuring the patient and engaging them in a program of treatment. At the same time, many patients will be medicated. Any anxiolytic medication should be withdrawn gradually, while constitutional treatment to support their yin, qu etc proceeds. In our experience, acupuncture is especially good for calming the shen and the repeated application of needles on a weekly or twice-weekly basis ensures the momentum of the treatment. At the same time, herbs are particularly good at replenishing yin and blood and providing the anchor for the shen. Together, acupuncture and herbs are effective at ameliorating the withdrawal effects of conventional medications, and at the same time dealing with the problem that gave rise to the anxiety in the first place.

It is important to remember that other drugs may be responsible for a anxiety, and to elicit a full list of medications and other potential aggravating substances the patent is taking. In addition to the benzodiazepines and recreation drug noted above, other drugs like appetite suppressants and caffeine may be implicated. Excessive use of caffeine (in coffee, chocolate and cola drinks) is a reasonable common cause of anxiety and easy to overlook.

Jan 13

Psorasis

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Presenting Signs and Symptoms
Itchy red areas with increased skin scaling and peeling with bleeding spots after scraping. The lesions were the typical elevated plaques, of different sizes, irregular oval in shape, mostly located on the scalp, ears and forehead, accompanied by generalized itching.

General signs and symptoms include fatigue, low energy, insomnia (disturbed sleep). Pulse deep, slow and choppy. Tongue is deep red body with a yellow and dry coating.

There are three different TCM patterns in Psoriasis, These and their symptoms include;

Wind in the skin with blood heat: Acute or initial stage. Severe itching and scaling, red papules with bleeding spots after scraping. Restlessness, irritability, dry mouth and throat, aversion to heat. Tongue is red with a thin yellow coating. Pulse is rapid.

Blood dryness: Dry lesions, less severe scaling. Tongue is normal, thin and has a dry coating. Pulse is weak and thready.

Blood stagnation: Enduring pigmented or dark red lesions. Thick scales, only mild itching. Tongue is purple or with stasis speckles. Pulse is weak.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment Principles
Blood heat-toxin, blood dryness due to deficiency in the Yin and blood fluids. These all cause the skin to lack nourishment.

The aim is to resolve blood statis, clear heat and relieve toxicity, unblock the channels and moisten the dryness. Treatment will be a combination of acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine blends.

Jan 13

Sinus Issues

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Your sinuses are four connected spaces in your skull, found behind your forehead, eyes, nose, and cheeks. They produce mucus that drains directly into your nose and through it, helping keep bacteria, dirt, and other irritants out.

Generally, your sinuses are empty except for air that moves through the channels linking them. But allergies or a cold can block them up. Certain pollutants, like dust or smoke, and nasal growths called polyps can also cause blockages.

If your sinuses are blocked, you might feel like there’s pressure building up in your face. You might also feel congested and develop a headache. While over-the-counter decongestants can provide some short-term relief, they aren’t great for long-term use.

If you want to try a more natural route or have a recurring sinus issues acupuncture may help.

How does it work?
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), your health depends on the flow of qi (energy) in your body. This energy travels along invisible pathways, known as meridians. These are found throughout your body.

Qi is believed to help keep your body in balance and promote its natural ability to heal itself. A blocked or disrupted flow of qi can negatively impact physical and emotional well-being.

During an acupuncture session, very thin needles are inserted into your skin to stimulate certain points, based on the symptoms you’re addressing. This stimulation, according to TCM, helps to clear blockages along your meridians, restoring the flow of qi through your body.

People use acupuncture to help with a range of sinus issues, including hay fever, headaches, pressure, pain, and nasal congestion.

What causes sinus issues?

Wind Heat (or Wind Cold transforming into heat) is the most common external cause, while Wind Cold (without heat) is a common cause for nasal congestion. Invasion of Wind disrupts the function of the Lung system, in this case obstructing and preventing drainage of normal fluids of the sinuses and nasal passages. If Heat is present, these fluids quickly condense to form the thick, sticky yellow or green mucus present.

Other causes include:

Liver Qi Stagnation with Stagnant Heat
Ongoing stress and repressed emotions disrupt the circulation of Liver qi. Prolonged qi stagnation generates Heat which can rise to the sinuses, drying fluids and causing congestion of the mucous membranes.

Phlegm Heat
This pattern is caused or prolonged by over consumption of Heating and/or Phlegm producing substances, such as rich, greasy foods and alcohol.

Lung and Spleen Qi Deficiency
Overwork, excessive worry or mental activity, irregular eating habits, excessive consumption of cold, raw foods or prolonged illness can weaken the Spleen and lung qi.

Kidney Deficiency
Kidney deficiency is usually a factor in Chronic conditions, ans almost always in older people. It can be acquired from chronic illness, aging or overexertion, or it can be inherited.

Jan 13

The Common Cold

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The term common cold refers to a variety of disorders characterised by symptoms like headache, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, fever, chills and a floating pulse. In some varieties acute nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea occur. In healthy individuals they are generally mild and self limiting, and more people will experience the common cold once or twice a year.

In Chinese medicine, the common cold is due to the invasion of the superficial layers of the body by pathogenic Wind, accompanied by Cold, Heat, Dampness or Dryness. In susceptible individuals the pathogen may penetrate to deeper levels of the body, affecting the internal organs. The potential for penetration of an external pathogen largely depends on the relative strength of the pathogen and strength or weakness of the bodies resistance.

Common colds are generally predictable in their outcome, and resolve quickly with correct treatment. The key to success is timing. The earlier the intervention, the faster the resolution. However, if the incorrect treatment is applied or if the patient is frail or chooses to ignore the body’s signals and ‘soldier on’ through illness, the pathogen may progress further into the body.

A combination of acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can be very effective in treating a common cold and its symptoms.

Jan 13

Muscle Soreness

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Time Frames For Healing Tissue Damage
– General muscle soreness = 24-72 hours
– Grade 1 and 2 lesions, mild contusions = 4-8 weeks
– Server grade 2 and grade 3 lesions, more server contusions = 2-6 months

Muscle Soreness
Sports massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy can be a tremendously effective tool for addressing post exercise discomfort. If you have been involved in any rigorous activity, you know what it feels like to have sore muscles. Muscle soreness is by far the most frequent complaint that athletes bring to a sports massage therapist. There are two kinds of soreness: immediate and delayed.

The first is immediate soreness, which is experienced during or immediately after activity. Usually disappearing as soon as exercise stops and blood flow reruns to normal, immediate muscle soreness is caused by a build up of metabolic wastes and ischemia.

The second kind of muscle soreness, known as delayed soreness, is usually not felt until 24 to 48 hours after activity. The cause of delayed soreness is still debated. Abraham has outlines three well-recognized scientific theories.

1. Damaged Muscle: Abraham explains Hough’s torn muscle tissue hypotheses (1902) stating that an untrained muscle group subjected to a prolonged period of work can be damaged. Microscopic tears in muscle tissue are a source of pain that lead to inflammation and increased discomfort.

2. Pain-Spasm-Pain cycle: Abraham notes De Fries (1966) found that as waste products and ischemia increase with exercise, these changes irritate nerve endings, causing pain, which in turn brings a muscle into spasm. Additional pain and spasm continue to reduce blood flow to the issues, decreasing available oxygen and increasing metabolic by-products. This chain reaction of increased waste, ischemia, pain and spasm becomes a continuous cycle in the body.

3. Connective Tissue Damage: Abraham (1979) established a direct relationship (through urinalysis studies) between delayed soreness (24-72 hours after exercise) and connective tissue damage. It has also been found the eccentric contractions (a muscle lengthens rather than shortens as it contracts) are primarily responsible for connective tissue damage. Eccentric movements are also known as negative work in weight training.

Depending upon the individual circumstances, varying combinations of each of these three physiological explanations can be responsible for delayed soreness.

Jan 13

Oedema (Fluid Retention)

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Oedema is fluid retention and it occurs when there is too much fluid (mainly water) in the body’s tissues, causing swelling to occur in the affected area. The swelling is usually related to the venous (veins) system, or the lymphatic system (tubes that carry lymph, a fluid that  helps fight infection and clear fluid). In Chinese Medicine, oedema is  related to the spleen, kidney and lung. Oedema is caused because the body cannot get rid processes the food and  the blood and transforms  the dampness. The lung can also be responsible if there is a blockage.  If a kidney deficiency is diagnosed it will be treated by warming and  toning to restore the balance.

In Chinese Medicine curing oedema is not a simple case of taking diuretic drugs. They are not the answer as the system becomes dependent upon them, and once you stop taking them, the body fills up with water again. If they are taken long term, they can cause damage. Chinese Medicine treats the cause, not the symptoms.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns:

Spleen yan vacuity: Oedema, mainly on the lower limbs. Fatigue, waxy pale complexion, abdominal distension, borborygmus, poor appetite, tendency to feel cold, cold extremities, scanty urine, sloppy stools. Tongue is pale with tooth marks, white coating. Pulse is vacuous and weak.

Kidney yang vacuity: Generalized oedema. Aversion to cold, cold extremities and lower back, heavy and sore feeling in lower back or lower back pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dull and sallow complexion,  fatigue, abdominal distension, scanty or dripping urination, difficulty urinating. Tongue is pale, swollen, teeth marks, white slippy coating.   Pulse is sunken.

Dampness: Oedema predominantly on abdomen and lower body. Gradual, hard to  notice onset. Fatigue, heaviness of body and head, oppression in the chest, poor appetite, scanty urination. Tongue has a greasy white  coating. Pulse is soft and slippery.

Damp heat: Oedema predominantly on abdomen and lower body, shiny skin, abdominal distension and fullness, oppression in the chest, thirst without desire to drink, restlessness, scanty and dark urine or difficulty urination, may have constipation. Tongue has a yellow greasy coating. Pulse is slippery and rapid.

Damp heat in liver and gallbladder: Oedema predominantly on abdomen and lower body, abdominal and rib-side distension, headaches, irritability, dizziness, blood-shot eyes, dark coloured and turbid urine, difficult and painful urination, swelling and itching in the general area, leukorrhea with bad odour. Tongue is red with yellow coating. Pulse is wiry, rapid and strong.

Externally contracted wind: Oedema of acute onset, characterized by swelling of the face first, aversion to cold, heat effusion, cough, sore throat, abdominal fullness, difficult urination, tongue has a greasy coating. Pulse is slippery.

Externally contracted wind-heat: Oedema of acute onset, heat effusion stronger than aversion to cold, thirst, cough, sore throat. Tongue has a red tip. Pulse is rapid. 

Jan 13

Painful Periods

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The term ‘painful periods’ indicates menstrual pain that occurs before, during or after menstruation. The Liver, Penetrating Vessel and Directing Vessels are responsible for the physiology of menstruation. For normal period to occur, Blood must be abundant and move adequately. Proper movement of Blood relies on the free flow of Liver-Qi and of Qi of the Penetrating Vessel.

Emotional strain is a very important aetiological factor in painful periods. Anger, frustration, resentment, hatred: all may lead to Liver-Qi stagnation. In women, Liver-Qi stagnation causes Blood to stagnate in the Uterus leading to painful periods. In some cases, stagnant Liver-Qi may turn into Liver-Fire and this, in turn, may lead to Blood-Heat. Blood-Heat often combines with Damp-Heat in the Uterus.

Excessive exposure to cold and dampness, especially during the puberty years, may cause Cold to invade the Uterus. Cold contracts and causes stasis of the Blood in the Uterus and therefore painful periods. Women are prone to invasion of Cold in the Uterus during or soon after the period when the Uterus and Blood are in a relatively weakened state. During this time, women should take particular care not to be exposed to cold and dampness.

Physical overwork or a chronic illness leads to the deficiency of Qi and Blood, especially of the stomach and and Spleen. Deficiency of Blood leads to malnourishment of the Penetrating and Directing Vessels so that the Blood has no force to move properly thus causing stagnation and pain.

The central cause of Painful Periods is the disharmony of the Penetrating Vessel and Sea of Blood. Hence the main principle of treatment is to regulate the Qi, Blood of the Penetrating Vessel, soothing of the Liver and nourishment of the Blood. This is achieved by acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Herbs.

Jan 13

Menopause

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Menopause occurs with the permanent cessation of menstrual activity, between the ages of 35 and 58, most occurring between 45-55 (average age 48). The menses may stop abruptly, there may be a decreased flow each month until eventually stopping, or there may be a steadily increased length of time between periods before they cease. The periods may also become irregular.

The various signs and symptoms associated with the decline and eventual cessation of the ovarian function are referred to as the menopausal or perimenopausal syndrome. These include the menstrual changes already mentioned, hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, irritability, dizziness, restlessness, tinnitus, headaches, fatigue, emotional volatility, forgetfulness, lumber pain, fever, chills, numbness, tingling, muscular aches, urinary frequency or fever, chills, numbness, tingling, muscular aches, urinary frequency or incontinence. The syndrome may last from a few months to several years and may vary in severity from being barely noticeable to being severe.

According to TCM, when a woman reaches the age of 49 (seven times seven), the Kidney Jing Essence has declined (lack of oestrogen) to the point where it is no longer able to fill the Chon and Ren channels with Qi and blood. Together with the decreasing ability of the Spleen and Stomach to produce blood, this results in the Uterus being inadequately supplied with Qi and blood and menstruation cease. Thus the main cause of the changes that women undergoes at time is deficiency of the Kidney.

This disease manifests as imbalance of Yin and Yang of the Heart, Liver, and Kidney, especially that of the Kidney. Thus the principle of treatment is to nourish the Kidney primarily, and calm the Heart and Liver secondarily. In cases of Yang deficiency the Yang is tonified, and the Spleen is invigorated as well.

In Chinese Medicine, there are seven patterns in menopause. These include:
1. Kidney-Yin deficiency
2. Kidney-Yang deficiency
3. Kidney- Yin and Kidney-Yang deficiency
4. Kidney and Liver-Yin deficiency with Liver-Yang rising
5. Kidneys and Heart not harmonized
6. Accumulation of Phlegm and stagnation of Qi
7. Stasis of Blood

A Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner can diagnose your condition and recommend a treatment plan specific for you and your Menopausal Syndrome. Treatment plans may include Chinese Herbal Medicine and/or acupuncture.

Jan 13

Lower Back Pain

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The term lower back pain in Chinese medicine encompasses pain, aching, discomfort or weakness in one or both sides of the thoracic, lumber and sacral region, and buttocks. The pain may radiate into the posterior or lateral thighs. Pain originating from the lumber spine or musculature is one of the commonest complaints in the clinic, affecting an estimated 80% of people at some stage of their lives. Diagnosis is almost entirely subjective for non-pathological lower back pain, that is, lower back pain that has little or no evidence of structural defect or abnormality. Even in cases with an identifiable pathology, there is generally a poor correlation between x-ray and CT findings, and symptoms. The exception for pain originating from the spine is true disk herniation and sciatica, where neurological signs correlate with radiological findings. In these cases, a firm diagnosis can be made. This is also the case for viscerogenic lower back pain, this is, pain caused from carcinoma, pelvic inflammation or kidney stones.

Even though a large percentage of patients with lower back pain will remain undiagnosed, the types of conditions that may be responsible include rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, degenerative spinal disorders, facet joint syndrome, soft tissue injury, prolapsed intervertebral discs, kidney diseases like pyelonephritis, kidney stones and poly cystic kidneys, tumors, intestinal and gynecological disease.

The Chinese noticed that disorders affecting the Kidneys often give rise to lower back pain and thus called the lower back pain the ‘palace of the Kidney’. In practice, this means that a large proportion of lower back aches have a component of Kidney deficiency, either as a predisposing factor to back injury or as a result of chronic pathogenic influence. In general, there are two broad types of back pain, excess and deficiency. Excess patterns are due to the presence of a pathogenic influence, commonly Cold, Damp, stagnant qi or stagnant blood. Deficient patterns are associated with weakness of Kidney yin, yang or qi. Frequently, deficient and excess types will co-exist, as weakness of the Kidney enables pathogens to penetrate through the channels of the back.

The external pathogens, Wind, Cold, Dampness and Damp Heat may penetrate the channels traversing the lower back, impending circulation of qi and blood, causing pain. Cold and Dampness are the most common, and these pathogens can invade the body after exposure to environmental cold damp, for example sitting in cold damp ground, wearing damp clothing, exercising vigorously and sweating in cold damp weather and prolonged immersion in cold water.

Other patterns that may cause back pain include
– Damp heat
– Blood stagnation
– Liver qi stagnation
– Spleen deficiency
– Kidney deficiency

The main principal of treatment in acute pain is to invigorate the circulation of qi and blood, remove obstruction, unblock the channels and stop pain. Acupuncture is very effective for lower back pain and is the treatment of choice in acute cases. Point selection depends on the location and radiation of the pain and the channel or channels invaded.

Jan 13

Headaches and Migraines

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If you suffer from headaches and migraines, you can ease your pain without resorting to prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications that often have side effects. Did you know that more people complain about headaches than any other type of ailment? According to IHateHeadaches.org, one is six people suffer from chronic headache and some of your choice in painkiller might actually be triggering more headaches.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a headache has two parts: the root and the branch.  The root is whatever is causing the headache, and the branch is the pain itself.  Chinese medicine works to treat both the root and the branch, so the result is more long-term, instead of just temporarily relieving the pain.

TCM Patterns (different types of migraines and headaches):

– Migraine headache OR blood stagnation: Stabbing pain of fixed location

– Chronic headache

– Headache due to wind: Wind-cold or wind-heat often initiated by changes in weather or temperature

– Headache due to wind damp: Heavy headedness or bag-over-the-head sensation and/or heavy limbs and fatigue which is aggravated by damp, rainy, overcast weather

– Liver fire headache: Headache exacerbated or brought on by anger or stress

– Kidney yin vacuity: Empty hollow pain which might be accompanied with dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue, lower backache, weak knees, tires easy and insomnia

– Qi vacuity: Empty, hollow pain that is exacerbated or brought on by fatigue and overwork

– Blood vacuity: Dull pain which might be accompanied with heart palpitations, dizzy vision, dry eyes, white complexion, dizziness and insomnia

Generally, to be most effective, acupuncture treatments are used in combination with Chinese herbs.

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