Nov 14

Healthy hair means a healthy you

Food, Health and fitness, Men's health, Women's Health No Comments »

Susan Yen L.Ac

Now days, thinning or receding hairline is not a privilege reserved only for the middle-aged or retirees. Many young women limit their food intake to attain a pencil-like stature, whereas young men pile on the protein drinks and meat to beef up their muscle mass. This type of one-sided dietary habit is often a main culprit towards thinning hair and poor skin growth.

When caloric intake is very limited for periods of time, our body would ensure the limited fuel goes to our vital organs first and aesthetics of beautiful skin and hair would be of the least concern, since it is not vital for survival. In addition to eating balanced meals, taking blood and yin restoring herbs such as Dong Gui, He Shou Wu and black sesame would help to invigorate skin and hair producing cells.

For those carnivores that do not eat vegetables or fruits are doing themselves disservice because the fibers make sure the digestive tracks are swept clean and the arteries are free from clogging up. Without this cleaning action, the gunk inside will manifest itself onto the outside with such irritants as acne, oily skin and easy to fall out hair.

Oct 25

Traditional Chinese medicine for infertility

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's Health No Comments »

A portrait of British doctor Xiao-Ping Zhai, who has has great success treating women for infertility using tradition Chinese medicine:

Watching a Zhai consultation is bizarre. She will check the tongue, the pulse, sleep patterns, whether a patient is thirsty, peeing a lot and their bowel movements. Often changes are made to the diet – no sugar, coffee, alcohol, dairy, wheat, spicy foods – and every month a woman is asked to keep a temperature chart.

Slowly, through the use of herbs and acupuncture, Zhai begins to regulate the vital energy, or Qi, that flows through the body. According to this ancient practice, good health and metabolism depend on Qi. As it flows, it provides warmth and distributes body fluids.

Each organ has its own pattern of Qi and each organ is represented on the tongue, which presents Zhai with a kind of map of the body’s health. If one organ is not functioning properly, it affects the rest of the body: “It only takes one thing to be wrong to throw the whole system out,” she explains.

Common diagnoses seem to be too much liver heat and blood stagnation, damp-heat obstruction in the abdomen, slow blood circulation to the ovaries – you get the picture.

Zhai says she can start seeing changes within three months but will not put a time frame on treatment: “Every woman is different.”

The herbs she uses are mostly shipped in from China and made up to her prescriptions, although she is currently looking at manufacturing them in the UK. They include carthamus flower (huang hua) for regulating the flow of Qi to alleviate pain, glossy privet fruit (nu zhen zi) for nourishing the kidney and liver, as well as peach kernel, angelica root and codonopsis root.

It is easy to see why many western clinicians distrust TCM. To them it seems so random, so weird, although acupuncture is slowly gaining more credibility for fertility. (Last year a Dutch and US research project published in the British Medical Journal revealed that for every 10 cycles of IVF with acupuncture there would be one extra pregnancy compared with cycles performed without acupuncture.)

Zhai is aware of the scepticism: “I wish TCM could be regulated,” she says, “I really do.”

Oct 21

Treating infertility with alternative medicine

Acupuncture, Alternative therapies, Women's Health No Comments »

Alternative medicine, including acupuncture, can boost the success of fertility treatments:

New research suggests that mind-body treatment can boost the odds that infertile women will become pregnant by in vitro fertilization — at least after more than one cycle.
Click here to find out more!

Dr. Alice Domar, who specializes in mind-body therapy in Boston, assigned one group of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to take part in 10 sessions of a mind-body program; another group undergoing IVF did not take part. There was no difference in pregnancy rates between the two groups.

But things changed during the next cycle of IVF treatments. Then, 52 percent of the women who took part in the mind-body program became pregnant, compared with 20 percent of those in the other group.

Mind-body sessions appeared to be especially helpful for women who were more depressed, judging from test scores, the study found.

“It’s clear, based on this carefully designed study, that a holistic approach to infertility care leads to better outcomes for patients,” Dr. R. Dale McClure, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said in a news release from the organization.

In a related study, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 431 infertile couples undergoing treatment and found that 28 percent had tried complementary and alternative medical therapy. Acupuncture was the most common approach (22 percent had tried it), followed by herbal therapies (17 percent) and body work (5 percent).

Oct 17

Treating infertility with acupuncture

Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's Health No Comments »

Many women are turning to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine to treat infertility:

Felicia Selmensberger had no clue what was in store when she made her first appointment with an acupuncturist in Snyder. All she knew was that she wanted to get pregnant and carry her baby to term. After three miscarriages and a string of fertility doctors in Buffalo and Rochester, the 35-year-old was willing to give ancient Chinese medicine a try.

She is not alone. As a form of complementary or alternative health care, acupuncture –the traditional Chinese medicine that involves the insertion of fine needles at key points into the body – is making inroads on the regional health scene, with more than 25 facilities offering acupuncture services.

In September, Ongiara College in Fort Erie, Ont., welcomed its first class of acupuncture students. At Daemen College, students are offered a specialization in complementary and alternative health care, including a class in acupressure.

“My problem is not conceiving, but holding a pregnancy,” explained Selmensberger, of Lancaster. “I’m willing to do anything it takes. If this is natural and healthy for your body, maybe I need to switch to that gear.”

Acupuncture can balance body energy, body chemicals and hormones, stated Aihan Kuhn in her book “Simple Chinese Medicine.” No drugs are prescribed. The needles are not medicinally coated.

“I strongly believe there are pathways in the body that are different from what medical doctors dissect in the anatomy lab,” said Dr. David Kurss, an obstetrician/gynecologist and director of Women’s Wellness Center of Western New York. “These are called energy pathways or meridians, and they affect vitality of the entire body. Not infrequently, when doctors can’t determine the cause of a particular ailment, an acupuncturist, by opening up blockages, can initiate steps to resolving the problem.”

Acupuncture has been used in this country to help manage pain, stress, migraine headaches and infertility – but in other countries, specifically in England, acupuncture has been integrated with Western medicine as well as other forms of complementary therapy.

In 2006, an estimated 3.1 million U. S. adults and 150,000 children used acupuncture, according to the 2007 National Health Interview, the latest statistics available. The report included a comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine use by Americans. But acupuncture can be difficult for the average patient to comprehend.

“The acupuncturist feels for energy,” said Justine Tutuska, director of health care studies at Daemen. “They’ll look at the tongue, palpate the stomach feeling for heat or cold. They’re looking to create balance. That’s why it is so strange for people. We are used to being told or labeled with a certain disease, and then given a medication to counter it.

“Chinese medicine is not good or bad,” Tutuska noted. “It’s just a different diagnosis.

Oct 17

Acupuncture to relieve back pain in pregnant women

Acupuncture, Women's Health No Comments »

Acupuncture can relieve back pain in pregnant women safely and effectively:

A special acupuncture technique can help ease lower back and pelvic pain in pregnant women, new research shows.

In a study, women who had pressure needles held in place with tape at three acupuncture points in their ears for one week, were more likely to experience significant reductions in lower back and pelvic pain than those who had the needles placed at three “sham” points or women in a control group who didn’t get real or fake acupuncture.

Pregnant women often suffer from pain in the lower back and pelvis — and this can set the stage for chronic pain later on, Dr. Shu-Ming Wang of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues note in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Ear acupuncture might offer a drug-free way to help ease pain in these women, Wang and colleagues say.

They randomly assigned 159 women in the 25th to 38th week of pregnancy to receive real acupuncture, acupuncture delivered to points that would theoretically not affect pain in the pelvic or lower back area, and a control group.

Every woman was also instructed to use self-care as needed, including resting, taking acetaminophen, and applying warm and cold compresses.

All of the 152 women who completed the two-week study reported some degree of pain reduction and improvement in their ability to function.

A 30 percent or greater reduction in pain was reported by 81 percent of women in the acupuncture group, 59 percent of women in the sham acupuncture group and 47 percent of women in the control group. The difference between the sham and control groups wasn’t statistically significant.

Thirty-seven percent of women in the acupuncture group were pain-free after a week of acupuncture, compared to 22 percent in the sham group and 9 percent of the control group. Improvements in function were significantly greater among women who had real acupuncture compared to those who got the fake version or received no treatment.

If you are in the San Francisco bay area, contact DAAN to schedule an acupuncture treatment.

Oct 14

The “Lady Drink” for PMS

Food, Herbs, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's Health No Comments »

Dr. Chao Herbal Lady Drink, a new drink that includes the Chinese herb Herba leonuri, is targeted toward women and is designed to help alleviate PMS:

Dr. Chao Herbal Lady Drink, introduced in September at Whole Foods Market and other stores, professes to reduce symptoms of PMS, alleviate acne, promote ovarian health, excrete toxic substances and have anti-aging benefits, all with no sugar, calories, artificial sweeteners or preservatives, glutens and caffeine. But there are some who call for skepticism.

“It not only quenches thirst, but is also naturally beneficial to the body,” said Ted Chao, president of U.S. People’s Food and Beverages Co. of Claremont, California, manufacturer of Lady Drink and other herbal drinks.

The main ingredient in Lady Drink is Herba leonuri, better known as the motherwort herb. Although the herb has not been clinically tested in the West, it is a traditional Chinese medicine, used to promote blood circulation and calm the nervous system. The plant is originally from Central Asia.

“The motherwort herb is commonly used and is good for women’s health,” said Robert Streisfeld, naturopathic physician and founder of Personal Health Design Inc. in Chicago.

Oct 07

Acupressure for nausea during pregnancy

Alternative therapies, Health and fitness, Women's Health No Comments »

A simple and effective technique for easing a variety of aches and ailments, acupressure can help with nausea associated with pregnancy:

eople use acupressure to treat many conditions. Acupressure is based on the belief that an invisible life energy called qi (sounds like ‘chee’) travels around the body along special pathways. Some people believe that, when this energy flow gets blocked, people have health problems. This is the same idea behind acupuncture. But unlike acupuncture, acupressure does not use needles. You can do acupressure yourself.

Acupressure involves putting pressure on certain points on the body in the belief that this will free the energy flow. You can use your thumbs, fingertips, or a band to apply this pressure. Acupressure to treat nausea and vomiting is usually on the P6 point. The P6 point is on your forearm, about the width of three fingers up from the crease of your wrist. By placing your fingers over your P6 point and applying pressure, you might prevent nausea.

You can buy a wristband that has a plastic disc that fits over the P6 point. This gives continuous acupressure while you’re wearing the band. These wristbands, such as Sea-Band, are usually used to prevent travel sickness.
How can it help?

In one study of women admitted to hospital with severe nausea and vomiting, women felt less sick and vomited less if they’d had acupressure at the P6 point, compared with women who’d had ’sham’ acupressure at another point on their wrist. [1]

The women in the study did acupressure by pressing with their thumbs on the P6 point three times a day for 10 minutes.

Sep 29

Chinese treatments for women’s libido

Alternative therapies, Women's Health No Comments »

Some women who suffer from diminished sexual libido may find some help in Chinese medicine treatments:

To get some answers I spoke with Judy Mazurin, Chinese Doctor, to weigh in on alternative methods. She sites two Chinese herbs specific for improving libido: damiana for women and horny goat weed (yes, you read that right) for men.

Do these or any other herbal treatments work? Mazurin cautions, “Herbs can have an effect, but it’s not the same for everyone.”

As for alternative treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic or massage, you won’t find a sex cure-all either. Mazurin points out that it never hurts to take care of your body and recommends that a woman tests a few different methods to find the one that works best for her.

Then again, where many women feel it is their libido that is suffering—and in some cases, like if she is on certain medications, she may be justified—it’s probably something else about her body or circumstance that is zapping her sexual desire.

Mazurin says it’s common for a patient to come in asking for a boost in libido when there’s something else about her body that is out of whack, like high blood pressure. She explains, “I need to treat the other ailments before I can work on libido.”

And that, in my opinion, is the allusive “X” factor on why there will never be a magic sex pill for women. A woman’s drive to have sex is complex. People are focused on their genitals, when instead they should be focused on their all-encompassing mind, body and life circumstance.

Sep 24

Julie Chen using Chinese herbs to recover from childbirth

Herbs, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's Health No Comments »

Julie Chen, the CBS anchor, has just had a baby boy. And her mother will be helping her recover from childbirth through a traditional regimen of Chinese herbs:

The new mom added that her mother ha given her advice on how to get back into shape after having the baby.

“My mom has that all planned out for me. [She’s recommending] these Chinese herbs that, according to my sister, who has two boys, it’s the most nasty thing you’re ever going to drink and my mother is going to insist upon it,” Julie told OK! “I don’t know if it’s a daily thing but it looks like she went into the woods and got sticks and leaves and boiled them into this tea. It smells nasty. It’s usually very bitter tasting. It’s supposed to get your body back into top shape. It’s supposed to heal your body quickly after going through labor.”

The Big Brother hostess laughed to OK!, “I have all these weird rules my mother was going to impose on me — like you can’t leave your house for a month” after giving birth.”

We hope she’s not stuck inside with those strange herbs for too long!

Sep 20

Acupuncture for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Women's Health No Comments »

There’s some evidence that acupuncture can help with hormone imbalances in women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:

Acupuncture and exercise may help women better handle the symptoms and risks that come with hormone imbalances caused by certain ovarian cysts, Swedish researchers report.

About one in 10 women of reproductive age have polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition that can start in the teen years and cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. Small immature cysts on the ovaries disrupt hormone production, causing excessive secretion of testosterone, the male sex hormone. In addition to infertility, it can increase a woman’s odds of becoming obese and developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the study authors explained.

…

“Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation, since elevated testosterone levels are closely connected with the increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system of women,” study author Elisabet Stener-Victorin, an associate professor who has led the research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said in a news release issued by the institution.

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