Blog
The Common Cold and Traditional Chinese Medicine
It is common knowledge that you should bundle up in wintertime and keep your skin and head covered, or else you might “catch cold.”
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the common cold is considered to be the result of an invasion of pathogens in combination with a weak immune system. A
person is especially susceptible when the weather changes and the elements are harsh. Wind, for instance, can penetrate the body through the mouth, nose, skin
or possibly even the hair and it can transform into a respiratory infection or influenza. When a person’s defenses are down and their qi or vital energy is
weak, they cannot battle these pathogens and they will succumb to a cold or worse. (more…)
Grief and Acupuncture
Most people don’t think of acupuncture when they’re suffering a loss or going through a difficult time in their lives. It can, however,
be immensely helpful through the grieving process. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), strong emotions can directly affect the organs, qi (energy) and
blood. They may also aggravate existing diseases. Prolonged periods of sadness or grief can ultimately consume qi, compromise the lung energy and consequently
weaken the immune system. The lungs are particularly vulnerable during the fall when the air is very dry. Severe emotional states like grief may also injure
the heart’s qi, which in turn can disrupt the health and harmony of other vital organs. (more…)
TCM Perspective on Diet and Health & Recommendations
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), diet is considered a source of qi, or vital energy. Since health is based on maintaining the balance of qi, good eating habits are essential. In a sense, food is a sort of medicine. Different foods have properties that can directly impact the body’s state of balance (e.g., warm versus cool, yin versus yang properties, and so on). A person’s diagnosis or energetic imbalance should be considered when choosing a meal and how it is prepared. For example, if a person suffers from an excess of cold, raw fruits and vegetables, which have cold properties, should be avoided, as these would aggravate the condition. However, a person with yin deficiency, or a tendency towards heat might benefit from these types of cooling foods. (Generally speaking, since summer is so hot, it’s a good time to consume raw fruits and vegetables, as opposed to winter, when cooked root vegetables may be more appropriate. The foods that are in season are a good indication of proper choices.) (more…)
Basic Concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine: the Meridian Theory
The meridians are channels through which energy, or qi (pronounced “Chee”) and blood flow. They run very deeply through the body and reach the internal organs, bones, muscles, tissues, and skin. Generally, most meridians run longitudinally through the body, while their branches, called collaterals, run superficially and transversely. The whole system is a complex network that provides nourishment to every part of the body. (more…)
Spring Allergies
What Is an Allergy?
An allergy is an over-reaction of the immune system to a substance that isn’t normally harmful (an allergen). It can result from food, pollen, medication, insect bites and other environmental factors like mold, animal dander and dust mites. Typically, spring allergy symptoms result from an increase in the pollen in the air from trees and grasses, and may result in: sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, asthma, itchy or irritated eyes, itchy or red skin/rash, and possibly throat irritation and sinus headaches. Allergy symptoms are usually worse on windy days when the wind spreads the pollen through the air, and improve on rainy days when the rain washes away the pollen. (more…)
Acupuncture and Detoxification
Detoxification- What Is It?
Detoxification is the process by which harmful substances are eliminated from a person’s body. The term “detox” used to be associated with recovery from drug and alcohol addictions. Lately, detoxing or “cleansing” has become a popular way of systematically and intensively purifying the body of harmful chemicals that have accumulated there (usually from ingesting them or from environmental exposure). The said cleansing is done through various means: fasts, herbs and supplements, radical dieting, and other processes. This concept is somewhat controversial because there has not been a lot of research on the products and programs whose claims range from weight loss to energy gain to enhancing the immune system and the whole body’s performance. I believe that some of these approaches may be helpful and may in fact be what they claim, but it is difficult to discern which products on the market are truly useful in achieving these alleged amazing effects. (more…)
Recent Research on Acupuncture
In the United States, every medical procedure must be proven effective through clinical trials in order to be considered acceptable and legitimate. Despite the numerous studies conducted in Asia, as well as the time-honored results and history of success of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), America still needs its own proof. But studying acupuncture in clinical trials is not simple and the study designs raise questions: how can an acupuncture trial contain a double-blind paradigm (the gold standard for drug studies), in which both the practitioner and the patient do not know whether the treatment is a placebo or not? If the study utilizes a sham acupuncture method, in which sites that are NOT real acupoints are needled, there may still be a therapeutic effect- in an area of pain, for instance. This would affect the conclusions of the study. Should the same practitioner be used throughout a given study to control for consistent needling techniques? The list of issues goes on… (more…)
Acupuncture and Dental, TMJ Pain
Most people don’t think of acupuncture for relief when they have dental or jaw pain. But it’s actually remarkably effective for both of these conditions. In fact, some health insurance policies make an exception for dental pain as a covered diagnosis, since research has shown that acupuncture can effectively treat it. (more…)
Irritible Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
What is IBS? IBS is a digestive disorder that occurs in 1 in 5 people, and most of these are women, according to the NIH*. The main symptoms of IBS are gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain. Often times, IBS patients have a sluggish gastrointestinal tract, or low motility. This means that the peristaltic movements that pass the waste along the intestines are stalling. Sometimes, painful spasms occur (hence the term “spastic colon”). The degree of these symptoms may vary: for some people, it’s simply a nuisance, while for others it can be debilitating and may force them to be near a bathroom at all times. (more…)
