http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/37166304#37166304

To do that, let’s look at how your body works from a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view:

The body is a furnace

In the early Han dynasty, physicians of the time made notes regarding what the symptoms, theory and mechanisms of obesity.  They knew even at that time what the risk factors were.

If obesity occurs in the nobleman and rich people, they must be over consuming heavy and greasy foods.”  - The Suwen (The Book of Plain Questions, Chapter 28)

Even then, the Chinese understood that obesity and excess weight was caused by over-consumption and undesirable eating habits. Now, as TCM Practitioners, when approaching patients with excess weight, we look at the underlying body condition and constitution as well as the mental state that may have led to the imbalance and excess weight in the first place.  These issues will then be addressed.  Once we can restore the body’s balance, the metabolism will begin to process the food properly and if the patient is eating the correct foods and moving regularly, the issue will be resolved.

Theory

Chinese Medicine views fat or adipose tissue as dampness having invaded the body, and the spleen is to be the organ to care for dampness and phlegm.  The spleen handles all of the transportation and transformation of body fluids and food in the body, and if damaged, it will fail in this.  Damaging to the spleen are things such as sweet foods and not enough exercise.  The fluids then become in excess, which congeal into phlegm which becomes fatty tissues.

Nutritional Support

This mechanism makes it clear why it is important for the patient to eat foods that support the spleen’s transportation and transformation functions.  Chinese nutritional advice can also help, with the practitioner suggesting foods that can bolster the spleen’s ability to do this work. Many people simply think that eating less and or/just eating vegetables and a raw food diet is the answer.  From a TCM perspective, the spleen and digestive system is more like a wood burning furnace and placing cold, wet materials into it, simply will put it out, causing more dampness.  If you have poor digestion, raw food can be damaging to your metabolism and your digestion.  It causes your furnace to work harder and harder, never able to really process the food properly.  Simply warming foods up, lightly steaming or eating them with warmer herbs such as pepper and ginger can help the body handle cold foods properly.

Of course, people of a hotter constitution WILL benefit from a raw food diet.  If your digestive system is very strong and you are warm and have a lot of energy, raw food may be the way to go because your body is able to handle the cold and damp.

Body Image

However,  a word about body image.  Our society today has so many ways of defining what proper weight and size are.  We’ve gone from seeing rail thin, bony and improperly nourished as the ideal, to even seeing unhealthy and obese as OK and acceptable. Few people these days are able to see themselves for what they really are, and if they can, they are unlikely to be able to be OK with that even if it IS healthy.  A healthy body should be able to jump, run, climb, swivel, laugh, wrestle and be active through a full day without being exhausted, tired or wiped out.  A healthy body should be able to function and move within its environment easily and with finesse.   If you are too thin to have any energy, or too large to tie your shoes, its time to look at your digestion and see if you can’t help your spleen function properly and get your body into a state of health.

As you can see, the issues facing obesity from a Chinese Medical perspective can be complicated, but TCM can help!  Regular acupuncture, nutritional counseling,  assessing and treating the base constitution of the individual can all help to get your body into the ideal state it should be in to lose the extra weight.

Research and Articles:

• Obesity Research: Acupuncture for weight loss – The Journal of Chinese Medicine
• Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diabetes has Scientific Backing
• Articles from AAAOM on Obesity

Make an appointment today to talk to your practitioner about your weight and how you can bring it into a healthy balance.

Photo by justthismoment on flickr.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day (AOM) is observed each year by acupuncturists around the world. On this day we are rallying to help spread the word about how amazing acupuncture really is, how it can help resolve long term pain and short term illness.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health estimates that 36% of all U.S. adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine or CAM.  Among these common therapies used are Acupuncture, Acupressure, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Tuina massage, Cupping, Guasha, Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

Celebrate Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day

Nearly one in ten adults have received acupuncture at least one time and over 60% said that they would readily consider acupuncture as a treatment option for their illnesses.  Nearly half of these individuals who had received acupuncture were extremely satisfied with their treatments and felt they had gotten significantly better.  One in five of the survey respondents reported that they had utilized some other form of Oriental medicine as well.  (NCCAOM)

In addition, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is affordable health care for many without insurance, providing them with health care they would not otherwise have. Insurance companies are falling into line quickly, accepting acupuncture as an approved benefit as well.

It is clear that acupuncture is on the rise as a safe, effective treatment for many health care concerns.  Support your acupuncturist today by scheduling an appointment and spreading the word!  Share Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with someone today and do your part in our health care crisis.

Share in the comments what you are doing to share Acupuncture with the world!

Portland Acupuncture Blog

Amy’s been working on this blog since before she graduated from OCOM, and I’ve been following her the entire time.  Her posts are great for both acupuncturists and patients alike.  A great resource for acupuncture news, women’s health and all things acupuncture!

Chinese Medicine Notes

This blog is a great resource for book reviews and other tidbits of Chinese Medicine.  The site is laid out with tabs for practitioners, students, Book reviews and a tab on notes from Heiner Freuhauf.  A great resource.

Deepest Health

Eric Grey does a great job on this blog of explaining how our health and bodies relate to nature from the Chinese Medical and Daoist point of view.  This blog is a great place for practitioners and for patients who want a deeper understanding of how this amazing medicine is working on them.

Chinese Herb Blog

What it says, great, helpful information on various herbs and how they can be of help with various problems.

Chinese Medicine Times

New, research, forums… all about Chinese Medicine!

Leave a comment if you know of a great blog about Chinese Medicine that I should add to the list.

• Auricular Acupuncture helps with smoking cessetation.
• Acupuncture is a great alternative treatment for low back pain
• Acupuncture Treatment May Limit Dose of Anti-Depressant Needed

Have you used acupuncture to treat smoking addiction or for your low back pain?  Does acupuncture help you with seasonal affective disorder or depression?  Tell let us know in the comments!

Migraines and headaches are debilitating to nearly 28 million people in the United States aged 12 and older - nearly 13 percent of the population.  (National Headache Foundation)  Those who suffer will generally try just about anything they can to relieve the pain. Very few of the Western methods work for any length of time and being a person who suffers from Headaches, it can be very frustrating.

Alternative treatment for Headaches Photo by Paul J Everett

Pain relief of headaches, using Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can come in many forms depending on the Chinese Medical diagnosis of the headaches.  Chinese Medicine diagnoses in a much different way than Western Medicine, and therefore is more equipped to find the root of the pain rather than simply attempt to alleviate the pain.  This is a more healthy way of addressing the problem because it gets patients off of drugs and pain relievers and able to live a healthy lifestyle without the added burden these drugs can put on the liver and kidneys which can lead to further health concerns.

Common Medical Treatments for Headaches:

• Pain relievers
• Suggestion of stress reduction
• Occasionally doctors will suggest dietary changes
• Anti-Depressants for migraines
• Occipital Nerve Stimulation

Diagnosis and Treatment with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture:

Traditional Chinese Medicine does not recognize migraines and recurring headaches as one particular syndrome.  Each individual is looked at in terms of their constitution, diet, exercise levels and other lifestyle choices.  TCM works to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using techniques determined to help that individual, such as acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, tui na massage and nutrition.  The way that you are diagnosed will depend on many variables and your acupuncturist will ask you questions such as: Is the headache behind your eyes and temples, or is it located more on the top of your head? When do your headaches occur (i.e. night, morning, after eating)? Do you find that a cold compress or a dark room can alleviate some of the pain? Do you describe the pain as dull and throbbing, or sharp and piercing?

The answer to these questions can help your acupuncturist to determine the best course of treatment for you. You will likely receive acupuncture treatment at various points in the body corresponding to the actions and locations of your headaches and many patients report having immediate relief of the pain!

Acupuncture is highly effective for migraine headaches, but also works to alleviate tension headaches, cluster headaches, headaches caused by trauma and headaches that are related to disease such as sinus problems, high blood pressure and sleeping disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine can bring relief without the side effects of other methods, is effective and without side effects.

Research and Articles:

• Acupuncture may help tension headaches
• Study: Acupuncture for tension type headache
• Study: Treatment of Migraine by Acupuncture
• Acupuncture for recurrent headaches: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
• Effect of acupuncture on headache measured by reduction in number of attacks and use of drugs

Make an appointment today and get the relief you need.  Don’t suffer anymore.

Bo He, one of the friendliest herbs in the Materia Medica.  One always imagines curling up with a nice hot cup of mint tea and reading a book.  We’ve always known it has some healing properties, but many people don’t realize just how useful it can be.

 

Bo He - Mint for common cold, sore throat and red eyes

Bo he is an herb that is pungent, aromatic and cooling, in Chinese Medicine Herbal Theory, it enters the Lung and Liver channels to treat conditions therein.

Uses:

• Bo He relieves the head, eyes and throat for cough, headache, red eyes and sore throat.
• In the early stages of rashes such as measles, Bo He assists in bringing them to the surface and speeding recovery.
• Assists to relieve pressure in the chest caused by stress, over work and anxiety.
• Is an assistant to other herbs that can help with stomach pains caused by too much hot, spicy, greasy foods which can bring about stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea.

History:

The classical text Transforming the Significance of Medicinal Substances, written in 1644 AD during the Ming dynasty by Jia Jiu Ru / Jia Suo Xue (贾久茹/贾莎学) states:

The flavor of Bo He is acrid, thus it disperses, cool in nature, thus it clears heat, unblocks, and facilitates the meting places of the six yang channels on the head.  It expels pathogenic wind in all fevers.  With its penetrating nature and light cooling, it excels at moving over the face and head: it treats loss of voice, mouth and teeth problems, and cools the throat.  With its aroma to facilitate the [opening of the] orifices, it excels at moving through the muscle layer of the exterior: it reduces fluid retention and disperses heat in the muscles.

Research:

• Chinese Medicine and the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis
• The Rediscovery of Ancient Chinese Formulas
• The Use of Herbal Formulas on Acute Respiratory Syndrome Epidemic

All of us who have had children know the fear of the threat of being induced into labor.  When labor induction happens, it usually starts out as having your water break too early, there are no signs of labor and the pressure from family, friends and the medical team begins to rise almost immediately.  In the past a mother was given only about 24 hours to start labor before the hospital began talking about having a cesarean section, these days with IV antibiotics and close monitoring, some hospitals are allowing more time.

What’s the problem?

The reason that everyone gets worried when the water breaks is because the amniotic sack that hold the baby is also its protection from the outside world.  The second that barrier breaks, the baby is vulnerable to infections.  Having the mother stay hydrated and active can help keep the amniotic fluid washing over the baby, but the real answer is to simply get things moving and have the young one out and nursing and grasping life with both hands!

Pregnancy and Labor (Photo by Mujitra)

A nervous couple can get many suggestions from all over, castor oil, enemas, stair walking and the like are all indicated to start labor.  Sometimes these work, and sometimes they do not. Acupuncture has shown to be effective to soften the body and get things ready for labor to begin.  During a treatment, the mother will feel more contractions, an active baby and begin to feel her cervix dilate.

Common Medical Treatments:

Common ways for the hospital and medical team to address this problem might be:

• IV fluids to keep mom hydrated.
• Antibiotic IV to make sure infections do not set in.
• Pitocin, a drug to incude contractions.
• Prostaglandin gels to dilate the cervix.

These treatments can interfere with what is usually a very healthy process, and having labor induced with pitocin by most accounts is much more painful, resulting in the far too usual cascade of:

Pitocin –> Pain medications —> C-Section

Diagnosis and Treatment with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture:

Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture can help couples get labor moving along through the use of herbs and acupuncture.  Herbal formulas can help the body get the cascade of hormones going and bring on regular contractions and dilation.  Acupuncture can help the body get regular contractions coming on.

Common points used:

These points will respond best with acupuncture, but can be done with rubbing / acupressure.

Large Intestine 4 - This point can be found on the top of your hand in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Press on an angle underneath the bone that connects with the index finger. To stimulate contractions, rub the point. This point can be used for  pain relief with steady pressure during contractions.

Spleen 6 – On the inside of the ankle, trace up four of mother’s finger widths above the ankle bone. Rub for about 1 minute. This point can help to bring contractions, assist in pain relif and help to dilate the cervix.

Bladder 32 – This point is halfway between the dimple in the buttocks and the spine. You can find it by tracing up one of the mother’s finger width’s above the top of the buttocks crease. You should feel a small depression where the point lies.  This point is good for bringing on contractions as well as helping with pain relief.

Duyin – On the plantar side of the 2nd toe, at the midpoint of the stria of distal toe knuckle. This point can help with difficult labor.

Research – Articles – More information:

• Easing Labor with Acupuncture and Herbs
  • Linda Knittel. Alternative and Complementary Therapies. April 2000, 6(2): 77-81. doi:10.1089/act.2000.6.77.
• Methods for cervical ripening and induction of Labor
  • JOSIE L. TENORE, M.D., S.M., Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
• Labor Induction at Childbirth.org
• Labor Induction at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Natural Ways to Induce Labor

This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness and any methods described should be used under the care of a licensed practitioner.

“The study showed that acupuncture increases the binding availability of mu-opioid receptors in regions of the brain that process and weaken pain signals — specifically the cingulate, insula, caudate, thalamus and amygdala. By directly stimulating these chemicals, acupuncture can affect the brain’s long-term ability to regulate pain, the study found.” - US News and World Report

Alternative approach to Headache pain. Photo from Flickr by Sarah G

From the Los Angeles Times:

High-tech images of the brains of chronic pain sufferers have found that the ancient practice of acupuncture fights pain by making key brain cells more sensitive to the pain-dampening effects of opioid chemicals. The study, published online in the August issue of the journal NeuroImage, comes less than a year after the publication of a controversial study that concluded acupuncture was no more effective than sham treatment at reducing pain.

More on how the brain works with acupuncture to relieve pain.