Articles
The health indexes in Chinese medicine system
Diabetes is treatable! Chinese medicine has already provided a solution dated back 2000 years ago!
Treating colds and the flu with Classical Chinese Medicine
Treating breast disorder using Chinese medicine
The health indexes in Chinese medicine system
Chinese medicine sees our body as a reflection of this universe and sees the material world as consisting of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. In our human body, each organ is attributed to one of the five elements. Each of the five elements has a supporting and controlling relationship with each other. Chinese medicine also treats our human body as a network system. This network system is constructed of 12 major meridians or channels that connect directly to 365 major acupuncture points. Everything in our body is connected with those meridian channels including the organs such as liver, heart, spleen, lung, kidney, gall bladder, intestines, etc. Different types of energy such as Qi, blood, essence(Jin) and body fluids flow through our meridian channel and nourish the whole body system including all our organs. If the flowing of each meridian channel is vibrated at its optimal frequency without any disturbance and blockage, every organ has a harmonious supporting and controlling relationship with each other, and there is no deficient or excess energy within our body, we are supposed to be healthy.
Because Chinese medicine physiology is based on a type of theory that is totally different from Western medicine, it stands to reason that the health indexes based on Chinese medicine are also totally difference from western medicine.
I will give you an example. If a person is always feeling the chills with cold hands and feet all the time, the diagnosis from Chinese medicine would be heart yang deficiency. Heart has the fire attribute in the five elements system. It is like sunshine in our human body to warm our body. Yang energy represents functional energy. Without enough functional Yang energy, the heart can not carry its normal function to pump out blood with enough pressure, speed and temperature. The result of this is poor circulation in our body. The body extremities would be cold because the heart is lacking of functional energy and it can't do the job that it is supposed to do. It is easier for the body to accumulate garbage and become susceptible to tumor growths for people with this type of physical constitution.
If this person go to see a western doctor due to chronic fatigue syndrome and frequent urination, with all perfect figures from the lab test and examination from the doctor, the doctor would tell that person that "your physical health is fine. However if this person go to see an authentic Chinese medicine physician, he or she would definitely know what is going on with this person's health and can even foresee what physical conditions may be manifested in the future. The healer will then tune up this person with acupuncture, herbal medicine or some other healing modalities. This will prevent these physical symptoms from manifesting into a disease. There is one old saying in Chinese medicine that the top physicians will treat some things and symptoms which have not manifested into a disease yet.
There are examinations used by Chinese medical healer to check if a person is healthy. These examinations include visual inspection of tongue, eyes and other part of the body, smelling, questioning and pulse taking. Traditional Chinese medicine healers do not rely on a disease name and laboratory test to tell you if you are healthy or not. If you would like to know if you are healthy or not check out the following indexes. If you meet these criteria without any uncomfortable symptoms in your body then you are physically healthy from the view of the Chinese medicine system. If not, you should see a traditional Chinese medicine healer to get an examination and to tune up your body, so your body will be back to the balance and meet these criteria of these health indexes according to Chinese medicine physiology. Any unhealthy symptoms won't be manifested into diseases in the future.
Health indexes in Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system
1. Normal appetite. Food tastes good. You get normal hungry feeling. Do not overeat.
2. Have a bowl movement everyday at the same time
3. Urinate 5-7 times during a day , 0-1 time during the night without pain or difficulty
4. Have no problem to falling asleep and can sleep all night through
5. Do not have any abnormal sweat or abnormal thirsty during the day or night. Can sweat during exercise
6. Wake up with penile erection with the male and with sensitive breast nipple with the female
7. Pain free
8. Have warm hands and feet and cool face
9. Have the energy level you desire.
10. Woman has 28 days of menstrual cycle without uncomfortable feeling and cramping
Let me give your some examples about why meeting those criteria are important about your health
Example 1:
A person who is always feeling hunger and craving food. This is an indication that there is too much heat in the digestion system, so the digestion system is working too fast. This heat will impact any nearby organ such as pancreases, once the pancreases are not functioning normally it is possible that diabetes may be manifested in the future.
Example 2:
A person always wakes up during 1-3 o'clock in the morning. There is an indication here that tells us that there is an unbalance in the liver channel. This unbalance could be something excessive growing in the liver or an energy deficiency or a blockage in the liver channel. If you go to see a western doctor to tell you why you are waking up during this time, they may not be able to tell you there is anything wrong if the examination and the lab testing are fine. If this kind of symptom is lasting for over 2 years and you back to see western doctor again, you might be surprised to find out that the lab testing could tell you something is wrong with the liver, which could be something like growing tumors. If you go to see a well-trained Traditional Chinese medicine healer in the beginning of this situation, they would definitely know what the diagnosis is. They will then tune up the body to get back to balance, so this unbalance won't be manifested into a serious health issue in the future.
All questions asked from a Traditional Chinese medicine healer are the starting point for doing a good diagnosis. All symptoms showing in your body are signs to tell the healer what is going on with your body. So be sure to tell your Chinese medicine physician all symptoms you are having no matter how strange it might sound.
Wise people know the prevention is the best medicine for their over all health. The Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system is the most complete medical system since the ancient times. It is the only system that also includes prevention as part of overall treatment.
Written by Sophia Tang
Diabetes is treatable! Chinese medicine has already provided a solution dated back 2000 years ago!
Do you suspect that you could have diabetes? If you are having the following symptoms you may already have diabetes.
Some diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability, and so on...
Western medical professionals do not know the real cause of diabetes. The solution for people with high blood glucose is providing them with medication for lowering the blood glucose levels. Doctors are directing their treatment towards the symptoms of diabetes instead of the source of those symptoms. Since the treatment is not addressing the root of the problem you would need a greater dosage later on when the current one can no longer keep the blood glucose at a normal state. Once the medication is unable to control the rising of blood glucose an insulin injection would then be required. The side effects of those medications will be extremely toxic for your body, especially your liver and kidneys. If kidney failure develops you will then be required to go on dialysis treatment 2-3 times a week. The toxins in the liver will eventually cause blindness. Your whole quality of life would dramatically drop once the complication of the diabetes has developed into this advanced stage.
Chinese medicine has already had the solution for diabetes dated back 2000 years ago!
In one classical Chinese medical text, compiled around 100 B.C. by Huandi Neijing, it mentions the condition know as Xiaoke, which is referring to diabetes as Wasting-Thirst syndrome. According to this ancient text the symptoms of Xiaoke or diabetes arise from consuming too much fatty, sweet, or rich food. Improper diet and sleeping after finishing a late dinner are the main contributors for the development of diabetes.
In another classical Chinese medical text written around 220 A.D. by Jingui Yaoluem it has a detailed description of symptoms and characteristics of uncontrolled diabetes. There are also two formulas given in this book for diabetes treatment.
What can the Chinese herbal treatments do for diabetes?
When we can get a deep understanding of diabetes and the symptoms it causes we can then use customized formulas based on the teaching from those ancient Chinese medical texts. These medical practices can also diagnose and get an understanding of people on an individual basis. The formula could be slightly altered to target a person with individual needs. These methods are not practiced by most Chinese medical practitioners nowadays. They have been somewhat lost due to the western medicine influences on Chinese teachings.
What are some of the differences between the traditional Chinese treatments and the western approach?
According to western medicine the high blood glucose will damage the kidneys. From the point of view of Chinese medicine the high blood glucose and the treatment will damage the kidneys. Once your spleen and your pancreas start having problems the next major organ to be targeted is your kidneys. From the perspective of the high blood glucose causing the problem the west and east pretty much have the same point of view but the treatment of the diabetes is where the two systems differ. In Chinese medicine we use herbs to strengthen your kidneys so the high blood glucose won't cause damage to the kidneys. These herbs will also resolve the problem of frequent urination. The main reason someone will experience excessive thirst and hunger with diabetes is the increase in speed of the intestine and stomach squirm. This creates a lot of heat and friction in the digestive tract resulting in a need for food and liquid replenishment sooner than normal. This heat then starts causing problems to the nearby pancreas so it also won't be able to function normally. Herbs have the ability to cool the excessive heat and add nutrients to the digestive system. This will then calm down the intestines and stomach and bring the pancreas back to a normal state resolving the issue of excessive thirst and hunger. Once the disharmony in the organs is taken care of your blood sugar will go back to normal. In cases that the diabetes is in an advanced stage, having tingling and numbness in your hands, legs, and feet, and blurred vision, the herb treatment can help with this as well.
How long does it take for the herbal treatment?
It really depends on the complications of your diabetes. For type II diabetes it generally takes 2-8 weeks for a raw herb treatment. For some people it may take a shorter time, others it may take longer. After the raw herbs we will use herbal powder or tablets for about a month to solidify the treatment. For type I diabetes our treatments may not be able to recover the normal function of the pancreas, but it will help to strenghten your organs to prevent further complications. It will also reduce the blood glucose level so the insulin injection dosage can be reduced to prevent more harm to all of your organs.
Will it come back again?
If you still keep bad diet habits and take too many drugs to damage the spleen and pancreases the disease may come back again later on. We want to point out that the real cause of type II diabetes is the bad diet habit and many harmful drugs introduced to your system. If the cause of the disease can not be avoided chances are the disease will come back later on in your life. In conclusion we are trying to emphasize using the traditional Chinese medicine treatments that have been practiced for over 2000 years is the best and most proven way to combat diabetes.
Written by Sophia Tang
Treating colds and the flu with Classical Chinese Medicine
Is there any cure for colds or the flu, the answer is yes if you are asking this question from an authentic Chinese Medicine practitioner. Thousands of years ago, Chinese medicine already knew how to effectively treat colds and the flu. I would tend to believe that most western medicine doctor would tell you "No" and say there is no cure for colds and the flu. The only thing that you can do is to rest and drink more fluids, enduring all uncomfortable symptoms, which should be getting better when your immune system wins the battle. Some people may take some over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms such as headache, body aching and sore throat. Usually it may take about a week to recover from a cold, and a little longer for the flu if you do not receive any treatment, but with an accurate diagnosis and treatment from a well trained authentic Chinese medicine practitioner, most uncomfortable symptoms including headache, fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, fatigue, etc. , should be already better just with one or two cups of herbal tea , You should be recovered within 1-2 days.
What happens if I do not get treatments for colds and the flu?
Due to uncomfortable symptoms, you may not able to do anything other than getting some rest. Children, the elderly, and people with chronic disease or weak immune systems may quite easily get some other complications such as sinusitis, bronchitis, ear infection, asthma attack or even pneumonia. A residual pathogenic substance such as wind cold energy, viruses, etc, could become the source of any future health problems.
Prevention for colds and the flu with Acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Gui Zhi Tang is the most important formula in the classical medical text "Shang Han Lun" , which translated in English means 'On Cold Damage' or 'Treatise on Cold Injury'. This formula can be taken regularly to harmonize your Yin and Yang, and to strengthen your immune system. During cold and flu season, getting acupuncture once a week to strengthen the body immune system, it is also a very good way to prevent colds and the flu.
How does Chinese medicine treat colds and flu?
If you are just getting a cold with minor symptoms, sometimes with just acupuncture , you can recover very quickly. But if you are getting the flu with severe symptoms, the herbal medicine is needed to help you to relieve all uncomfortable symptoms within 1-2 days.
An authentic Chinese medicine does not prescribe the formulas for colds and the flu according to what kind of viruses you get. The formulas are chosen by what kind of symptoms you have. The treatment principle is to expel pathogens such as viruses or wind cold energy through sweating, urination, and strengthening your immune system.
Here are six most common used classical formulas to treat colds and flu
Gui Zhi Tang
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae)10 g
Shao Yao (Radix Paeoniae)10 g
Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis Recens)2 slices
Da Zao (Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae)10 dates
Zhi Gan Cao (Honey fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)10g
Cook these raw herbs using 6 cups of water over a good sized flame. Cook down to 2 cups of water. An adult drinks one cup of herbal tea every 3 hour with an empty stomach. For kids, just give them a half a cup each time. You will sweat a little bit after taking herbal tea. Eating some hot steamed rice soup will be helpful to increase the effectiveness of this herbal tea.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are sweating, aversion to wind, muscle aches, with a little bit fever and loss of appetite. Usually, after taking the herbal tea, all uncomfortable symptoms should be gone and your appetite will return the following day. This means that you already have recovered from a cold or the flu.
Ma Huang Tang
Ma Huang (Herba Ephedrae) 5g
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae)10g
Xing Ren (Semen Pruni Armeniacae)5g
Zhi Gan Cao (Honey fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)10g
Cook these raw herbs using 3 cups of water under a good sized flame. Cook down to 1 cups of water. Drink this cup of herbal tea with empty stomach. If you have any record of heart disease, you cannot take this formula.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are feeling the chills, fever, muscle and joint aches, without any sweating.
Ge Gen Tang
Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae or Kudzu)15g
Ma Huang (Hb.Ephedrae)5g
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae)10 g
Shao Yao (Radix Paeoniae)10 g
Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis Recens)2 slices
Da Zao (Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae)10 dates
Zhi Gan Cao (Honey fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)10g
Cook these raw herbs using 6 cups of water under a good sized flame. Cook down to 2 cups of water. An adult drinks one cup of herbal tea every 3 hour with an empty stomach. For kids, just give them a half a cup each time. You will sweat a little bit after taking the herbal tea.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are stiff neck and upperback, headache, aversion to wind, muscle aches, sore throat, thirsty, etc. Usually kids can easily get this kind of cold or the flu.
Da Qing Long Tang
Ma Huang (Herba Ephedrae)10g
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae)15g
Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis Recens)2 slices
Shi Gao ( Gypsum) 20g
Xing Ren (Semen Pruni Armeniacae)10g
Zhi Gan Cao (Honey fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)10g
Da Zao (Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae)10 dates
Cook these raw herbs using 6 cups of water with a good sized flame. Cook down to 2 cups of water. An adult drinks one cup of herbal tea every 3 hour with an empty stomach. For kids, just give them a half a cup each time. You will sweat a little bit after taking the herbal tea.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are fever, coughing with thicker yellow phlegm, body aches, thirsty, loss of appetite, no sweating, feeling a chill, but feels very hot inside of body. In ancient time, this formula is the most popular one to treat epidemic diseases
Xiao Qing Long Tang
Ma Huang (Herba Ephedrae)10g
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae)15g
Gan Jiang (dried Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis)5g
Xi Xin (Herba cum Radice Asari)5g
Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis)10g
Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae)10g
Zhi Gan Cao (honey fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)10 g
Cook these raw herbs using 6 cups of water under a good sized flame. Cook down to 2 cups of water. An adult drinks one cup of herbal tea every 3 hour with empty stomach. For kids, just give them a half a cup each time. You will sweat a little bit after taking the herbal tea.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are fever, coughing with watery white phlegm, body aches, itchy throat, no thirsty, no sweating, feeling very chills inside of body.
Xiao Chai Hu Tang
Chai Hu (Radix bupleuri)15g
Huang Qin (Radix scutellariae)15g
Ban Xia (Rhizome pinelliae ternatae)15g
Sheng Jiang (Rhizome zingiberis officinalis recens)2 slices
Dang shen (Radix Codonopsis )15g
Zhi Gan Cao (Honey fried radix glycyrrhizae uralensis)10g
Da Zao (Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae)10 dates
Cook these raw herbs using 6 cups of water under a good sized flame. Cook down to 2 cups of water. An adult drinks one cup of herbal tea before breakfast and dinner with empty stomach. For kids, just give them a half a cup each time.
When to use this formula:
Main symptoms are the alternate attacks of chills and fever, feeling of fullness and discomfort in chest and the upper lateral region of the abdomen, and nausea. Any women who get a cold or the flu during the menstrual cycle, do not use other formulas. This is the only formula to be used to recover the sickness.
Reference: The treatment for colds and flu from Dr. Hai- Sha Ni
Note: This article is for educational purpose. Please get the diagnosis from your Chinese medicine doctor to get the customized formula to treat your cold or the flu.
Written by Sophia Tang
Treating breast disorder using Chinese medicine
When a woman goes to see a Chinese medicine practitioner, a must asked question is about the menstrual situation. The menstrual situation tells Chinese medicine practitioners about the general health and condition of the women. Most Chinese medicine practitioners know the importance of the normal menstrual situation for a woman's health, but not all of them know exactly "why" unless the practitioners have a deep understanding about how body mechanism works from the perspective of Traditional Classical Chinese medicine.
Traditional Classical Chinese medicine believes that the nutrients in the breast milk are the direct source of the "period". This can be proved by two observations. One is that a mother does not have a period when doing baby breastfeeding due to the milk given to the baby. The other is that most women experience the fullness and bloating of their breasts before their periods come. They feel released from the situation after the ending of their periods. From this point of view, the flow of milk nutrients through meridians to the ovary and uterus is crucial to avoid diseases. If the milk nutrients are not totally going down to the ovary and uterus and get deposited in the breast, combining with qi and blood stagnation, the breast lumps or cancer can be developed. If the breast milk reverts, the milk nutrients will be accumulated in other organs. This may cause other health problems or cancers in the future. Some of the cancers include lupus, liver cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and lung cancer.
From the above explanation, you can see why having a normal monthly "period" is important for a woman's health. Through menstruation, the milk nutrients can be eliminated and won't be deposited in the body to cause future health problems. Women who no longer have menstruation need to have good daily bowel movements in order to eliminate milk nutrients from the body.
Regarding to a woman's menstruation, the heart is playing an important role. Good heart yang energy will keep the good circulation in the breast and sending the milk nutrients down to the ovary and uterus. This will prevent breast milk nutrient from depositing, so no lumps or cancers can be formed with excessive milk nutrients.
A lot of women have "internal cold" that remains untreated. This will also lead to a lot of future health problems including breast cancer. Some symptoms of internal cold include having cold hands or feet and always feeling chilled. This internal cold is developed by physical constitution with the weakness of heart yang energy or other factors including never fully recovering from the common cold or flu and the diet with eating too much cold foods and drinking cold beverages. It should be obvious to know why people with "internal cold" are more susceptible to tumor growths. Because of the "internal cold" , there is no good circulation in the body. It is easier for any toxin to stay in our body and for the blood to get clogged. With all uneliminated toxins, excessive nutrients, and blood clots , tumors can be more easily formed.
Besides any physical condition that can lead women to have breast disorder problems, the emotional health will also play an important role about women's breast health. There are a couple of meridians connected to the breast including kidney, stomach, spleen, liver and pericardium channels. According to the five elements theory, Emotions such as joy, anger, anxiety, melancholy, sorrow, fear and fright, are related to different internal organs. Any excessive emotion will have an impact on the proper functions of related organs. In other words, any of those excessive emotions may disturb the harmonious vibration of energy channels. This will lead to energy blockage or even cause the malfunction of organs. Those subtle emotional energies could store in our body, which may not only cause problems in the physical but most of time also in the spiritual level.
Traditional Classical Chinese medicine offer very natural and effective way to deal with breast disorder including breast lumps or cancers. The treatment principles are unlocking the energy blockage with related meridian channels using acupuncture and strengthening the heart, eliminating excessive milk nutrient, attacking and melting out the lumps or cancers with herbal medicines. Besides the treatment for the physical level, people are encouraged to go for anything to bring their emotional and spiritual uplifting to enhance the healing process.
Reference: Classical Chinese medicine treating breast disorder from Dr. Hai Sha Ni
Written By Sophia Tang