DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Reflexology is good for treating eczema

“Reflexology, the act of applying pressure to the feet and hands with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques, has been around for nearly 3,000 years. Although it is not as common in the West as other forms of alternative medicine, many people have found it to be effective. It is also still frequently used in the East for a variety of ills, including eczema and other skin conditions.

How reflexology works is somewhat in question. Some say that reflexology techniques manipulate specific areas of the hands and feet that correspond to parts of the body and that these techniques, in turn, manipulate ‘qi’ - translated from the Chinese as ‘life force’ or ‘spiritual energy.’ Western medicine doesn’t generally acknowlege the existence of life force or spiritual energy, but it is the essence of medicine in many parts of the East.”

Tags: General, Disease by DAAN
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Chinese herbal medicine is used in treating depression.

“There are different types of depression, ranging from the normal ‘blues’ to mild depression (dysthymia) to major depression. Women have a much higher incidence than man. Normal depressed mood is a healthy reaction to, say a death in the family, changes in life or work, temporary financial problems etc. It often stimulates the person to make changes that will render the situation bearable. Persons with more debilitating depression have feelings of doom and gloom, despair and hopelessness. They will cry for no apparent reason, have loss of appetite, are tired and want to sleep all the time but may also have difficulty doing so. Another usual complaint is loss of interest in activities they previously found pleasurable. For some, thoughts of suicide are prevalent. People with manic depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder, have alternating bouts of depression with episodes of intense excitement and mania.”

Tags: General, East and West, Disease by DAAN
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Good article about depression from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective:

“‘’Depression'’ in Chinese medicine is defined as a disorder caused by emotional constraint with stagnation of Qi (energy), with typical symptoms such as: lowering of the spirits, irritability, inclination to cry, distention and pain in hypochondria area, insomnia and sometimes a feeling of a foreign body in the throat (A plumb stone throat). It is not the exact equivalent of depression in Western medicine, but they share common features. The first medical book, ‘’the yellow emperor’s classic of internal Medicine'’ (I’ve referred to many times in previous articles) already contained theories on the origin of depression. In TCM, mental and/or emotional problems such as depression are attributed to an imbalance or blockage in one or more of the internal organs (Zang-Fu) Some of the more common patterns of disharmony that can manifest as depression are:

· Stagnation of Liver Qi with such symptoms as uneasiness, hypochondriac distention, belching, anorexia etc.
· Accumulation of phlegm with symptoms such as distention and pain in the flanks, depressed mood,
· Heart yin deficiency with symptoms such as Palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia etc..

Usually people begin to experience some signs and symptoms such as the ones mentioned above. left untreated, the disorder will spread and involve other organs. That is why in TCM we recommend early diagnosis and treatment. The longer a person waits to be treated, the more treatments he or she will need. Acupuncture is used as the main modality, but is often supplemented with Chinese herbal formulas. A new pilot study in the university of Arizona confirmed that TCM is a promising treatment for mild to major depression. 70% of participants experienced at least 50% reduction of symptoms, comparable to the success rates of psychotherapy and medication. This was the first (to my knowledge) randomized, controlled double blinded study of Acupuncture’s effectiveness for depression reported in Western scientific literature. ”

Tags: Acupuncture, Disease by DAAN
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One man’s story of how traditional Chinese medicine was able to help cure his intestinal ailments where Wester medicine couldn’t:

“Growing up, Henry Lu was skeptical about the ancient art of Chinese medicine, even though his uncle ran a Chinese herb shop. But then, as an adult, suffering from chronic digestive problems, he experienced a profound awakening to the possibilities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

For years, he followed his own doctor’s advice by taking a daily laxative and trying different diets and exercises — all to no avail. Having seemingly exhausted all of the treatment options available to him through Western medicine, in desperation he travelled to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where he was prescribed an herbal formula and underwent acupuncture treatments. Together, they cured him of his ailments.

This inspired Lu to begin studying TCM. He subsequently left his position as a professor at the University of Alberta to open his own college, the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Vancouver, in 1986.

“I became convinced that drugs used in Western medicine do not outweigh the side effects in many cases,” Dr. Lu says. “Unlike Western medicine, which commonly strives to control symptoms, Chinese medicine focuses on the cause of the illness, and treats the cause.”

For many Westerners, TCM might seem confusing and off-putting, with its exotic terminology, peculiar diagnoses, and unconventional treatments. And yet it’s become increasingly popular, due to its emphasis on preventative health and controlling chronic conditions.

“I strongly believe that if we want to import Chinese medicine to [the West], we have to teach Western people. Chinese medicine shouldn’t just be confined to the Chinese Chinatown,” Dr. Lu says.

TCM was developed more than 3,000 years ago, making it the oldest continually-practiced system of medicine in the world. Since it was developed at a time before the scientific traditions of the West, it developed its own terminology and systems, mainly based on physical observations.

TCM is based on the concept of Qi (pronounced chee) — the “vital energy” that invisibly circulates throughout the body, along specific interconnected channels called meridians. In Chinese medicine, the smooth flow of Qi is responsible for good health, and ain or illness occurs when Qi is blocked. “Disease is thought to be caused by disharmonies within the body, or between the body and the environment,” says Dr. Lu. Chinese medicine seeks to restore a harmonious balance within the body — which is believed to be a reflection of the universe — so it can heal itself. It does this by balancing the passive yin with the dynamic yang, the opposing yet complimentary sides of nature: cold and hot, day and night, dry and wet. “

Tags: East and West, Disease by DAAN
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NBA Star Yao Ming turns to Chinese medicine for his care

“BEIJING — Chinese officials are hoping to speed NBA star Yao Ming’s recovery with a secret remedy — traditional Chinese medicine.

The Houston Rockets center underwent surgery on Monday to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. Doctors in the United States said after the surgery that he was expected to recover in time to play for China at the Beijing Olympics in August.

However, back home they’re taking no chances with Yao’s health.”

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Scientists are studying whether traditional medicines for possible treatments for cancer:

“Curing cancer with natural products — a case for shamans and herbalists? Not at all, for many chemotherapies to fight cancer applied in modern medicine are natural products or were developed on the basis of natural substances. Thus, taxanes used in prostate and breast cancer treatment are made from yew trees. The popular periwinkle plant, which grows along the ground of many front yards, is the source of vinca alkaloids that are effective, for example, against malignant lymphomas. The modern anti-cancer drugs topotecan and irinotecan are derived from a constituent of the Chinese Happy Tree.

Looking for new compounds, doctors and scientists are increasingly focusing on substances from plants used in traditional medicine. About three quarters of the natural pharmaceutical compounds commonly used today are derived from plants of the traditional medicine of the people in various parts of the world. The chances of finding new substances with interesting working profiles in traditional medicinal plants are better than in common-or-garden botany.

Tags: East and West, Disease by DAAN
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Chinese scientists are studying Chinese herbs to map all the compounds used in traditional Chinese medicine:

“The Herbalome Project is the latest–and most ambitious–attempt to modernize t raditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The venerable concoctions–as many as 400,000 preparations using 10,000 herbs and animal tinctures–are the treatment of choice and often the only recourse for many in China. In the 1970s, TCM tipped off researchers to qinghaosu, a compound in sweet wormwood whose derivatives are potent antimalaria drugs. But TCM’s reputation has been blackened by uneven efficacy and harsh side effects, prompting critics to assail it as outmoded folklore. “TCM is not based on science but based on mysticism, magic, and anecdote,” asserts biochemist Fang Shi-min, who as China’s self-appointed science cop goes by the name Fang Zhouzi. He calls the Herbalome Project “a waste of research funds.”

Hoping to rebut TCM critics, Herbalome will use high-throughput screening, toxicity testing, and clinical trials to identify active compounds and toxic contaminants in popular recipes. “We need to ensure that TCM is safe and also show that it is not just qinghaosu,” says Guo De-an, who leads TCM modernization efforts at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and is not involved in Herbalome. Initial targets are cancer, liver and kidney diseases, and illnesses that are difficult for Western medicine to treat, such as diabetes and depression.”

Tags: Herbs, Disease by DAAN
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A dentist in Michigan has developed herbal lollipops that help fight tooth decay:

“Sugar-free lollipops won’t hurt your teeth, but researchers in California and a local couple teamed up to go one better: a lollipop that fights decay-causing bacteria.

Dr. John’s Candies, a Grand Rapids company owned and operated by Dr. John Bruinsma, a dentist, and his wife, hygienist Debra Bruinsma, is marketing “Dr. John’s Herbal Lollipop.”

They created the candy several years ago with C-3 Jian Inc., California a company that develops products targeting harmful bacteria.

Microbiologist Wenyuan Shi, of the University of California-Los Angeles, is the scientific adviser for C-3 Jian.

The company tested 400 herbs against organisms that cause cavities and found Chinese licorice root extract worked the best.

In June 2002, C-3 Jian contacted Dr. John’s Candies. Since 1995, the couple has been manufacturing and selling sugar-free candies. C-3 Jian wanted the Bruinsmas to get their herbal cavity-fighter into sugar-free candy.”

Tags: Disease by DAAN
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Modern science is looking the traditional Chinese medicine for clues to fighting cancer:

“A Houston hospital known for seeking the most advanced cancer therapies that modern science can develop is turning its attention to a centuries-old Chinese treatment: toad venom.

Scientists from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are investigating whether the stuff that some types of toads use to sicken their natural predators can also be a healer, as doctors of traditional Chinese medicine have long believed.

“Without hesitation, toad venom was the No. 1 drug (Chinese) doctors mentioned when we asked them to suggest the best natural cancer medicines to test,” Lorenzo Cohen, director of M.D. Anderson’s integrative medicine program, said from China. “It may sound wild to Americans, but it’s accepted as a standard of care here.”

It also appears to hold promise. In clinical trials Cohen is leading in Shanghai, the venom secreted by the Asiatic toad has shown some benefit and no apparent side effects in patients with advanced liver, pancreatic and lung cancer — which are not easy cancers to fight.”

Tags: East and West, Disease by DAAN
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A skeptic considers whether alternative therapies (including acupuncture) “work:”

“I suggested an article on alternative medicine because academic medical centers all over the country—venerable altars of clinical research and practice like Mayo and Duke, top-ranked cancer centers, and even children’s hospitals—are scrambling to roll out therapies that five or 10 years ago most regarded as dubious at best, crackpot at worst. Acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs, traditional Chinese medicine. It’s a fascinating development. And I vowed to report it with an open mind.

When I began my reporting, one of the first things that struck me was that not a single researcher or clinician bothered arguing that the evidence for any of the alternative therapies they were testing and using on patients was persuasive. To the contrary, all agreed that almost none of the studies that show positive results have been designed or run very well.

If I wanted an evidence base, I was out of luck. But absence of evidence, as the late astronomer Carl Sagan said, is not evidence of absence. And if we lack an understanding of or explanation for how something works (as was the case for decades for how an airplane could stay airborne), that doesn’t give us the ammunition to state that it doesn’t work. In philosophy, that kind of reasoning is called argument by ignorance. Heaven forbid I should be guilty of a sin with “ignorance” in its name.

Some of these therapies, maybe most, do indeed work. The patients I spoke with told me how acupuncture had made their allergies go away, how they were able to avoid painkillers after major surgery because of hypnosis or visualization or other mind-body techniques, how a homeopathic remedy that science would regard simply as water reduced swelling and pain within hours after an injury. I heard many such anecdotes, along with candid appraisals of treatments that seemed to be effective only for a short time or not at all. These people were not all true believers.

It may be that the placebo effect is behind most of the successes claimed for alternative therapies. I suspect it probably is—it can be quite powerful. Suppose we could tap into that power. Maybe we’d need to redefine our thinking about a therapy’s ability to work. What does “work” mean, anyway?

I wrestled with the story for weeks, because those patients made a considerable impact on me. Yes, I’m still an evidence guy. I still want well-done clinical trials to be the foundation for care. I still want researchers to set high standards and to meet them before claiming success. But we’ve been learning some amazing things in recent years about the way the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind, discovering a relationship far more dynamic and interlocked than anyone previously believed. It seems as though many alternative therapies may exploit this relationship. If there’s little risk, why not exploit the therapy?”

Tags: Acupuncture, East and West, Disease by DAAN
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