Chinese Herbology for pulmonary fibrosis 
Acupuncture on the Big ScreenBy Sara Calabro, LAc
9000 Needles is bringing acupuncture to the masses. The documentary follows Devin Dearth, a 40-year-old former bodybuilder, to China, where he is treated with acupuncture after suffering a massive stroke.
The film made a splash at several of last year's film festivals, including the Gotham Independent Film Awards, where it was a finalist. It was directed by Devin's brother, Doug Dearth, whose frustrations with the U.S. health insurance industry during his brother's recovery inspired him to research international options. He spent three-and-a-half months filming in Tianjian, China, where Devin participated in an affordable, comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program that included frequent acupuncture treatments.9000 Needles tells a unifying story of how Devin's family and local community put aside preconceived notions about medicine to embrace the solution that offered their loved one the most benefit.Doug Dearth recently spoke with me about filming his brother's journey and how he hopes it will improve perceptions and accessibility of acupuncture in the U.S.
I always assumed that the doctors there would speak very metaphysically or philosophically, like there was something mysterious behind acupuncture. But talking with them was the same as talking to any neurologist here in the U.S. They were very medically sound in their opinions. All of their explanations of how the medicine works were based in science and medicine.
One of your initial drivers in making this film was highlighting the shortcomings of the U.S. insurance system. What is your mission for the film going forward?
It's two-fold: to gain awareness for acupuncture and then to allow that to improve accessibility. Better accessibility means that insurance companies support patients who choose this kind of care, and also that the mainstream medical community really accepts this as a viable treatment that should be integrated into our medical system. It makes nothing but sense for a stroke program to integrate acupuncture. There are no side effects; it can only help.
http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32343
Read the whole article at Acupuncture Today
Image by NYCTCM via Flickr
Back pain is one of the most prevalent reasons people seek health care. Millions of working days and countless hours of activity and fun are lost each year due to back pain.
Common Causes of Back Pain Treated with Acupuncture
One of the top causes of back pain are sprains (overstretching one or more of the ligaments in the back) and strains (a rip or tear in the muscle caused by sudden force). This can happen from an injury, poor posture, or improper lifting.
Another source of back pain comes from a herniated disc which is a disc that bulges out from its place between two vertebrae.
Sciatica is another common form of back pain. Sciatica is a term used to describe pain that extends down into the buttocks and leg which comes from an irritation of a larger nerve in the lumbar spine called the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can accompany sprains, strains, herniated discs as well as back pain emanating from other sources.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns of Back Pain
Traditional Chinese Medicine's (TCM) vocabulary is very different from Western medicine. TCM differentiates patterns of back pain.
Common TCM patterns include:
Pain that results from deficiency is usually dull, chronic, and improves with rest. It is more common in middle aged and elderly people.
Pain from stagnation is more severe and stabbing in nature. There is stiffness and tightness in the muscles and it worsens with rest. Often this type is seen in occurrences of acute sprains and strains. It can reoccur chronically, thereby indicating an underlying deficiency.
Pain from cold damp obstruction is worse in the morning, exacerbated by cold and damp weather. It improves with heat and may be accompanied by numbness, swelling and a sense of heaviness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine as Treatment for Back Pain
TCM works to restore harmony and energetic balance to the body which stimulates natural healing and promotes health. Acupuncture is one of the primary modalities used and treatment is individual to each patient.
When your practitioner treats your back pain with acupuncture, both local (at the site of pain) and distal (away from the area of pain) needles can be used to help resolve the problem. Distal points are very important, especially in acute pain. Often, needles can be placed in areas other than the back and you can get excellent and quick relief. There are many local points on the back and often a practitioner will palpate your body to find the most sensitive spots and needle those. Other adjuncts to treatment might include: electric stimulation of points, and cupping. Generally, it is advisable to have frequent treatment initially and taper off as the pain diminishes. Herbs can also be helpful in moving blood and reducing inflammation as well as strengthening a deficient condition.
In a Swedish hospital study with patients who experienced chronic low back pain, doctors concluded that acupuncture provided long term pain relief. They also observed improvement in activity levels, better sleep, and consumption of significantly fewer analgesics for the acupuncture group as compared with the group receiving a placebo treatment.
Acupuncture continues to gain popularity in this country because it is an effective treatment of acute and chronic backache. Acute pain can often be cleared up in a few sessions. More treatments may be needed if there is an underlying deficiency, or reoccurring problem, or sciatica.
http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Acupuncture+and+Back+Pain
Pear for Dryness Recipe - Ingredients
The Emperor - 1 Pear
The Messengers - 1/4 cup rice wine
The Harmonizers - 1/8 cup honey
The Left Ministers - 1/8 tsp. powdered ginger or 2 ginger slices (optional)
The Right Ministers - 6 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 orange peel
Foods for medicinal therapy should be cooked in smaller portions and are cooked in a covered porcelain pot, or sand pot in a Dahn Jung method, which simply means a double boiler, with the inner vessel for the steaming.
The pear and honey and wine are
extremely good in a dry lung conditions as Autumn and winter take hold. The
goals with occasional therapeutic use in this season are to prevent the lungs
from being overly dry and mucus forming while strengthen the lung Qi.
The
Minister ingredient actions:
The ginger and cloves are great
digestive aids and antiseptic.
The cinnamon and orange builds Qi
and moves stagnate conditions, but not good for the extremely dry condition.
You have to place the lid on it in
this method or the clay pot will travel in the water, making a ton of noise.
Leftovers placed in the
refrigerator will turn brown rapidly.
By Ran Lei, Author of Cooking with the Five Elements
www.5ElementCooking.com
Image via Wikipedia
"These days many people complain about sleep deprivation or insomnia. It means our life patterns change and affect our biological clock. If our biological clock is off, it disturbs sleep before the other body systems. Sleep is not simply a state of relaxation- it is very important to our body and it can greatly affect our life.
One research study from the University of Chicago showed they when they deprived a mouse of sleep, it was only able to live 17 days be fore dying. It means sleep is really connected to life.
According to Chinese Medicine, when you sleep, the blood is governed and restored by the Liver. This pertains to seeing, listening, speaking, and general activity in our life. If you have less blood in your body, you have rough skin, blurry vision, ringing in the ears, and loss of hair. It also greatly affects woman's health, such as irregular periods, painful menstruation, infertility and obesity. It is best to get at least 6 hours a day. However, more important than counting sleep hours is how deeply you sleep and wake refreshed in the morning. If you are prone to insomnia, avoid coffee, soda or consuming any other caffeinated product at night.
I would like to introduce herbal tea for insomnia: Scallion, Su Ye (aka Zi Su Ye, Perillae Folium), Squash, Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen) and Walnuts.
Boiled scallion has a bitter flavor, which is associated with the heart: used in cases of both chest and heart pain. It also has antifungal and antimicrobial effects, but to a lesser degree. Also it soothes the nerves and help to sleep.
Su Ye is good for chest oppression from pent up anger or insomnia, because it has kind of "stress relief "herb. Boil 20g of Su Ye together with 20g of Chen Pi (Citri Pericarpium). Chen Pi regulates qi and transforms damp.
Boiled squash is good for insomnia: as squash is warming in thermal nature and improves qi energy circulation. It helps to fall asleep easily and awake refreshed. If you do not like boiled squash, you can mix with honey to make honey squash. Squash has sweet flavor so it influences the spleen-pancreas and stomach and reduces inflammation. When you boil 300g of squash, put together with 150g of roasted Suan Zao Ren (Ziziphi Spinosae Sm). After you cook it, making mash them together and take 1 cup three or four times a day. Suan Zao Ren nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit, so it helps to quiet the nerves; you roast and brew of Suan Zao Ren to drink a tea.
I also recommend the walnut for insomnia. It has a sweet flavor; it nourishes the kidneys, adrenals, and brain, and enriches the sperm. But avoid taking walnuts in cases of loose stools and heat signs. An easy way to eat walnuts is to put roasted walnut powder in your tea and drink after each meal.
If your insomnia is chronic, try to cook rice porridge of walnut. I will give receipt of this rice porridge of walnut. Heat water in a large saucepan on medium. As the water begins to bubble, add Da Zao (Jujubae Fr) and rice. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add cooked walnut powder, stir into soup, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. However you take too much, it may cause diarrhea.
Sleep is important to our life, so try to get plenty of sleep and live enjoy a regular biological clock."
Thank you to Julie Lee, the founder of Unique Acupuncture, an Oriental Medicine clinic in Beaverton, Oregon, for this article.
Julie Lee is a licensed as an acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist in the state of Oregon. She is nationally certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
Julie has a strong interest in the management of women's health, including pregnancy-related issues, painful menstruation, and irregular menstruation and menopause symptoms. She also treats digestive problems, anxiety and sleep disorders.
Julie was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Her family has a long history of professions in Oriental Medicine, and her father is a famous MD, PhD, and professor of Oriental Medicine at Kyung hee University of Oriental Medicine in South Korea.
By: Billy
©2010
Herbal medicine is another pillar of East Asian medicine along with acupuncture, physical manipulation (tui na), and energetic breathing techniques (qi gong). It is used as a stand-alone form of treatment and sometimes it is used together as an addendum to one's acupuncture treatment to expedite the healing process and strengthen the body. Like most countries,
Today, herbal medicine is used in treating a wide range of ailments just like in times of antiquity in
Herbs are often administered as a formula; a group of herbal ingredients to help treat disease as opposed to just using one ingredient. Each ingredient in an herbal formula comes in four groups:
Chinese herbal medicine is given in two different forms. The first type is internal formulas and the second type is external formulas.
Internal formulas come in different forms for ingestion:
· Raw herbs
· Powdered formulas/ granule extracts
· Pills and tablets
· Tinctures
External formulas come in different forms as well:
Most herbal formulas are not certified by the FDA but are in compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). They have no heavy metals, toxins, preservatives, or fillers that can cause harm to the body.
In my clinic I often use herbal formulas in powdered form. The powdered herbal formulas are ingested by adding to hot water and drinking it as a tea. Another form I use for my patients are pills and tablets. The formulas that are ingested are usually for patients with problems not necessarily related to pain, but useful for treating systemic conditions such as high blood pressure. For my patients with aches and pains due to trauma, I give liniments and ointments such as Die Da Jiu ("Hit Fall Wine"). The reason I often use powdered formulas, tablets, and pills is because they are much more convenient for patients to consume because of increased compliance. The second reason is that it is a lot less time consuming than cooking raw herbal formulas. The time frame for raw herbal formulas usually takes thirty minutes to forty-five minutes to prepare. Whereas with powdered formulas, based on my experience, take no more than five minutes to prepare. Lastly, the use of pills and tablets has been instrumental in that patients can take them anywhere on the run; for example, if they are on vacation and their powdered formulas are rather cumbersome to carry around. That is one usage of how herbal medicine can be used in pill form. Also, herbs in pill and tablet form are usually given at the end of patient's treatment once they have made suitable progress with other formulas whether they are powdered form or raw form.
Next time, I'll address the issue regarding dosage, frequency, and other medications that are also being used.
To be continued...
Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM. He is currently practicing in Westbury
Image via Wikipedia
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By: Billy
©2009
It is a disease that is defined as a metabolic disorder that is characterized by either abnormally low or high blood sugar levels that lead to a variety of metabolic derangements. It is commonly characterized by fatigue, excessive urination, excessive thirst, and excessive hunger. In this country, it is the biggest cause of death or disability. In developed countries, the incidence of diabetes has doubled in the last 15 years and its going to double in the next 15 years. The worst part of this situation is that one out of three people do not know they have diabetes. For those that are diagnosed have had it for much longer amount of time and wind up with complications such as neuropathies. According to Clinton J. Choate's article "Diabetes Mellitus (Part One)", it is estimated that 60% to 70% of diabetics have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage.
The symptoms range from:
In allopathic medicine, the treatment for diabetic neuropathies involve physical therapy, medications and in severe circumstances, surgical intervention. The some of the medications used to treat paraesthetic pain and other neuropathies are tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Even though these specific medications are used in the treatment of depression, they are also used in treating peripheral neuropathies. However the side-effects are numerous and seem counterintuitive when one looks at them. For example, the antidepressant Imiprine (Tofronil) treats peripheral neuropathies by releasing norepinephrine in the central pain modulating pathways located in the brainstem and spinal cord. However a side-effect of Imiprine is impairment of mental or physical abilities and cardiovascular disease. When you look at those side-effects and compare them to the risk that diabetics have with cardiovascular disease, it seems rather counterproductive.
According to Subhuti Dharmanada, "Acupuncture therapy is a common approach to treating diabetes in
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By: Billy Shonez Singh, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)
www.zenohs.com ©2010
A 69 year old woman came into my office in October 2009. Her main complaint for the past eight years has been multiple joint pains in her body due to Rheumatoid Arthritis. Since her diagnosis, she was placed on thirteen different medications. Four of them were for treating joint and muscle pain associated with her main complaint. The other four of the medications were used in lowering her cholesterol and her blood pressure. The side-effects of the medications were headache, bone pain, jaw pain, muscle weakness, swelling of the ankles and feet, and joint pain- among other things. The last five of her medications were unrelated to her main complaint but were used in treating the side-effects. She described her joint pain as severely sharp and stabbing variety located in her neck, lower back, knees, feet, shoulders, wrists, and fingers. The pain would get exacerbated by damp, cold, and rainy environments as well as walking up a flight of stairs. In addition to this, I noticed that she had swelling along the fingers and toes. The swelling was due to the inflammation in the joints and had fluid build-up (edema) in both her ankles. In her previous history she mentioned that she was a pack-a-day smoker but quit smoking fifteen years ago. Lastly, she consumed two to three cups of coffee a day. After treating her with acupuncture for seven months at once a week intervals, we both noticed dramatic improvements in the signs and symptoms. The swelling in her fingers and toes had decreased. Her ability to walk with more fluidity and speed was noted as well without any stiffness and debility in her knees and ankles. It was also indicated that her handwriting appeared less rugged and more fluid after the swelling was alleviated in her fingers and hands. In any case she now visits me every other week for maintenance-style treatments. After all the progress we had witnessed together, here is what she had to say:
"I have been suffering with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis for about eight years. After researching alternative methods of pain management I came across Billy Singh's web site and was impressed by his credentials. I have been seeing him for acupuncture treatments for several months with excellent results. The treatments have given me great relief from the inflammation in my knees, feet, and shoulders.
I am thrilled with the results I am getting from the treatments and would highly recommend them as a compliment to conventional medicine."
- Janet M.
In my humble opinion, after getting a testimonial like this, all I can say is that I am sorry but decrease in severity of signs and symptoms of a disease is one of side-effects of East Asian Medicine.
Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM. He is currently practicing in Westbury
