Conditions, Treatments and Cases

Asthma

Description: Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) that causes swelling and narrowing (constriction) of the airways. The result is difficulty breathing. The bronchial narrowing is usually either totally or at least partially reversible with treatments. Asthma affects 15 million people in the US. A third of those are children. In Traditional Chinese Medicine Asthma is related to disorders of the lung, spleen, liver and kidney. The major site of treatment is the lung.

In Chinese Medicine: The traditional acupuncturist treats the whole person rather than a disease and therefore attempts to get to the root cause of the problem and identify the pattern.

Case: An 11 month old boy first visited me in March 2005. For most of the year he had nasal congestion, cough with phlegm and wheezing. I listened to his lungs asked his mother some questions about his symptoms then looked at his tongue (it was purplish and greasy) and measured his pulse. I derived the diagnosis and treated his Chinese pattern with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. His mother managed to add the herbs to his bottle, by mixing in a lot of mangos. Within one week his nose was clear, it took two weeks to clear his lungs. I then treated the lungs and the defensive qi, to strengthen his immune system. The boy does not need any steroids.

Cough

Description: Coughing is one of the most common reasons for visits to health care providers. Normal coughing is important to keep the throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean there is an underlying disease or disorder.

In Chinese Medicine: In Chinese medicine, cough can be external (mostly acute cough) or internal (chronic). The location of the disorder is mainly the lungs. The secondary organs that are involved are: Spleen (creation of phlegm), Liver (attacks the lungs) and kidney (failing to grasp the qi).

Case: A 40 year old woman came to my office in April 2004. Her main complaint was sinus conjestion, post nasal drip, with coughing and conjestion in the chest that lasted 6 months. Her tongue was pink purple and swallen with a greasy coating, Her pulse was deep and slippery I treated her with acupuncture and herbs. After 2 weeks of herbs the cough and conjestion were reduced by 90%.

Lower Back Pain

Description: 80% of the world population will suffer from back pain during their life time. Low back pain accounts for millions of hours lost from work and millions of dollars spent on pain killers.

In Chinese Medicine: According to Chinese medicine, low back pain can be caused by traumatic injury, living in a damp enviroment or overwork. In most cases there is a blockage of qi and blood that causes the pain. The location of the disorder are the channels of the back (Bladder channel), and Kidney (for long term case).

Case: 40 year old man "pulled his lower back" while running with his motor bike up a hill and planning to start the motor going down hill. He came to my office in April 2004, I treated him with acupuncture. He felt stiffness on the way out. The next morning his pain was 80% better. I treated him 4 more times and his pain was gone.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Description: The urinary tract is the body's filtering system for removal of liquid wastes. Women are especially susceptible to bacteria from the bowel that lives on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Approximately fifty percent of all women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime with many women having several infections throughout their lifetime.

In Chinese Medicine: In Chinese medicine it is mostly caused by damp heat in the bladder, it is triggered or aggravated by emotional stress, low immune system, lack of sleep, tight underwear and incorrect wiping after bowel movements (one should wipe only from front to back).

Case: 30 year old woman came to my office in February 2004, for painful dark urination that lasted over two weeks. She suffered from frequent UTIs since she was 10 years old. She had a lot of stress at that time, because she was in the midst of breaking up with her boyfriend. I treated her with acupuncture, and tailored an herbal formula for her for 1 week. Her symptoms disappeared completely. The next time she wanted a formula was a year later.

Insomnia

Description: Insomnia is a sleep disorder. It affects 40% of women and 30% of men. People with insomnia have one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep; waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.

In Chinese Medicine: Traditional Chinese medicine treats the underlying cause, and balances yin and yang in the body. The site of the disorder : Heart with Liver (blood and qi deficiency, or qi stagnation), Spleen (qi deficiency), Stomach (fullness from food stagnation), Kidney (yin deficiency-menopausal women).

Obesity

Description: Obesity is a disorder in which the body weight is more than 20% the maximum desirable weight. It is estimated that one in every 5 men and almost one in every 3 women in the US is obese.

In Chinese Medicine: Obesity is associated with increases in illness and death from Diabetes, Hypertension, Stroke, Coronary Artery disease and Kidney and Gallbladder disorders. This disorder involves mainly the spleen (dygestive function) and kidney (the root of the spleen qi). It also involves the liver (emotional strain). The treatment includes acupuncture and Chinese herbs, combined with changes in eating habits and exercise.

Depression

Description: 16% of all Americans will have it during their lifetime. Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men.

In Chinese Medicine: Depression primarily involves the Liver (Liver qi stagnation), but often also the Spleen, Kidney and Heart. The treatment involves soothing the Liver as a primary objective.

Edema

Description: Retention of fluids in the eyelids, face, extremities, or the whole body.

In Chinese Medicine:There are 2 kinds of edema according to Chinese medicine: 1. yang edema which has a rapid onset, begins in the eyelids and face, no pitting when pressed, lasts a short time. 2. yin edema which has a slow onset, begins in the feet and legs, pitting when pressed, skin is slow to bounce back. Yang edema involves the Lung and the protective qi. Yin edema is mainly due to Spleen and Kidney deficiency. Spleen and Kidney too weak to properly transform fluids.

Headache

Description: A very common condition, there are 3 types of headache: 1. tension headache: tightness, pressure around the head like a tight band. 2. cluster headache: intense pain, burning, penetrating sensation behind the eye, sometimes affecting cheeks or ears. 3. migraine: throbbing pain, usually starts on one side, may spread. Is related to many causes (emotions, stress, menstural cycle).

In Chinese Medicine: The organs involved: Liver, Spleen and Kidney. There is stagnation of qi and blood in the channels of the head.

Case: A 30 years old woman came to my office July 2004 with a migraine headache. She had it for 6 months. It was worse before the period. I treated her with acupuncture 6 times and the pain didn't come back.

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