Chinese Medicine Blog

Qi and Reproduction

Posted on January 9th, 2007 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: General.

In assessing the health of the reproductive system, a practitioner of
Chinese Medicine will begin by looking at the health of the Qi
(pronounced “Chee”). Qi  is the energetic component of the human body
that is responsible for all our metabolic and physiological events.
Just as the energy within a germinated seed that propells the seed to
grow up  into a plant is invisible, so is the Qi within the human body
unseen directly.   We can only see the results of the Qi’s actions
through the functions it performs.

In particular Qi has five basic functions:
       1) Warming: Keeps the body at its regular temperature and initiates
the spike during ovulation.
       2) Transforming:  Turns ingested food into either nourishment or
waste.  We can see how strong this function is by looking at the
strength and structure of the physique.
       3) Propelling: Initiates all life’s growth and development and as well
the functional aspects of individual organs.  ie. events like
maturation of the external sex organs, menarche, and the fact that the
heart beats regularly.
       4) Defending: Protects the bodies exterior from invasion of external
pathogenic factors.  Recurring colds and flu’s are a sign that this
function is weak.
       5) Securing and Containing: Keeps everything within the body where it
should be. This includes keeping the blood within the blood vessels,
the foetus within the uterus, and preventing organs like the uterus or
stomach from prolapsing.

By asessing these functional aspects of the Qi the Chinese Medical
Practitioner will have a better idea of how to guide the body back its
natural state of balance and harmony.  Thus increasing the chances for
a natural pregnancy.

Trevor Erikson

228 comments.

TCM’s Legitimacy Challenged from Within

Posted on November 15th, 2006 by Ryan Mader.
Categories: General.

An article written by Geoffrey York, and published by The Globe and Mail on November 11, 2006 titled The Imperilled Acupuncture Skeptic, reports on a Chinese medical historian, Zhang Gongyao, who has publicly criticized traditional Chinese medicine. Mr. Zhang has launched an online petition for the removal of TCM from the constitution and the official medical system. The article by Mr. Zhang states, “from the viewpoint of science, Chinese traditional medicine has neither an empirical nor a rational foundation.  It is a threat to biodiversity. And it often uses poisons and waste as remedies. So we have enough reasons to bid farewell to it.”  Geoffrey goes on to write,
 

In fact, there is strong evidence to support his concerns. British health officials recently warned that Chinese herbal remedies can contain poisonous plant extracts and toxic ingredients such as arsenic, mercury and asbestos. One herbal remedy has an ingredient that is reportedly linked to bladder cancer and kidney damage. And another Chinese herb, ephedra, was banned by Health Canada after it was suspected of links to heart attacks and strokes.
 

Comments anyone?
 

The full article can be accessed at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061111.MEDICINE11/TPStory/TPInternational/Asia/

414 comments.

This is why I love my life…

Posted on November 6th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, General.

A client just sent me this today…

When I first went to Acubalance I generally did not feel well, physically or emotionally. Everything from headaches, migraines, back pain, eczema, digestion issues, irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriages, stress, anxiety and more was weighing me down. I was extremely overwhelmed and frustrated by my inability to feel well. Right from the start, I found it comforting that everyone at Acubalance, receptionists and practitioners alike, were welcoming, considerate and friendly.

K

2745 comments.

TCM Cancer Pathology

Posted on October 11th, 2006 by Ryan Mader.
Categories: General.

TCM has unique theories that explain the origin and development of disease. When diagnosing complex conditions, TCM often distinguishes between the root and branch of a disorder. The root refers to the underlying cause. The branch develops from the root, and is commonly the most obvious manifestation of the disorder. For example, according to TCM, a root cause of cancer is long standing qi deficiency or yang deficiency. In other words, the body lacks enough energy to sufficiently carry out its functions.

After prolonged qi or yang deficiency, excess syndromes may develop. In this situation, there is insufficient energy to permit the free flow of blood, bodyfluids, and energy itself. As a result, these substances tend to build up, forming a local mass or excess in a particular organ or structure. In TCM, this excess is regarded as the branch. However, both benign and malignant tumors follow this pattern.

Malignant tumors are further complicated by the development of what is referred to as toxic heat. Toxic heat can be thought of as a severe inflammation, a raging fire that consumes the body’s vital resources. When blood and bodyfluids stagnate into a mass, energy builds up much like a traffic jam. Eventually the energy build up transforms into fire.

According to TCM, the foremost challenge of treating cancer is that treatments addressing the branch often aggravate the root. Conversely, treatments directed at the root will aggravate the branch. Therefore, a skilled practitioner, knowledgeable in diagnosis and treatment using herbal formulas is essential to address both the root and the branch of a disorder in appropriate sequences.

969 comments.

Chinese medicine pattern discrimination

Posted on September 29th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: General.

Making an accurate disease diagnosis and pattern discrimination is the process of determining the patho-physiology of a patient so that one may come up with the most effective treatment. 
This is a problem solving methodology.  First, you need to have sufficient knowledge of the medicine, enough to make a well informed decision.  Next, you must acquire relevant information through the four examinations.  Finally, with knowledge and relevant information, you make probabilistic working hypotheses.  Then with each successive visit, through delicate refinement, you should become closer and closer to the most accurate pattern discrimination possible.
There are three basic methodologies involved in the process of disease diagnosis and pattern discrimination;
1. Algorithmic reasoning, A flow chart of reasoning that says A can equal B or C.
2. Pattern recognition.  Signs and symptoms that display particular patterns.
3. Hypothetical deduction.  With knowledge and information, what could possibly be happening.
*Be cautious not to make the mistake of collecting ALL the information you can possibly dig up about your patient and their situation, this is not the most effective means of being accurate, and often leads to confusion.
It is recommended to hypothetically figure out what is happening, then through the treatment process deduct what is actually happening.  Most importantly, develop what you feel comfortable with and develop your skill. 
Acquire the facts about the patient via the 4 examinations.
Evaluate those facts, which are most/least important then clarify those facts (i.e. is their stool always loose, or does it alternate from loose to dry and difficult).
Then, what are the potential patterns that typically display with the diseases presenting. 
Finally, determine which are the actual patterns that are being displayed (i.e. HA can be caused by so and so patterns, then, by looking at the facts that have been gathered, which is the actual pattern manifesting).
Etiology.  What are the possible causes of the particular diseases and patterns (lifestyle, diet, over-working, toxins, emotions, wrong treatment, etc.).  Your hypotheses and direction of examination are dependant upon the situation of that particular patient.  Different patients get asked about different things depending on their particular circumstance.  You must sift through uniquely to direct you examination and confirm your hypotheses.
Clear logical thinking is paramount to TCM disease diagnosis and pattern discrimination. Like a flow chart, intuition should play only a small role.  You should be able to explain in a very logical way what you have seen and what conclusions you are coming to.  If properly practiced, this is the dao of modern standardized traditional Chinese medicine. 
TCM disease should not be confused with modern western scientific diseases.  Remember, in TCM, cough is a disease, as is headache and heavy menses.  Although it is also important to understand the basic mechanisms of the modern western scientific disease diagnosis that their western medical doctor has given them, and record it properly in their file..
Most importantly, pattern discrimination is the nucleus of TCM diagnosis, not disease recognition.
Patterns are made up of generalized signs and symptoms, tongue, and pulse.  Same disease can manifest different patterns, and different diseases may display the same patterns.  This is a famous foundational theory of TCM.  Key; you HAVE a disease,…but you DISPLAY a pattern.  There is no asymptomatic patterns.  The patient must display the signs and symptoms necessary to come to a  particular pattern discrimination.  Only vary rarely can one come to a  pattern discrimination with the presence of only one sign or symptom.
 

As a physician, superior diagnostic skills should always be sought after.  Quite simply, without this fundamental skill set, inferior treatment will most certainly be the outcome.

4852 comments.

How to book clients/patients?

Posted on September 28th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: Acupuncture, General.

How many clients/patients do you see in a day?  How many is too many,…as a practitioner of Chinese medicine & or Acupuncture.  Obviously, an initial appointment should be longer, anywhere between half and hour to 1.5 hours.  This time is quite dependant on whether or not it is a complicated internal medicine issue, or just simply elbow pain.  Then, put a value on this time,…$1 per minute is a good place to start. 

Follow up appointments.  These are appointments that are after a solid diagnosis and treatment poan have been made.  It seems to me that it is unnecessary to go into deep communications every week with your client/patient, although some need this and this should be somewhat accomodated for.  Therefore, follow ups should be able to be done within half an hour.  This would include acupuncture, pulse and tongue, answering of general questions/concerns, and a quick check in on the 6 essentials (sleep, energy, emotions, bowels, urine, digestion), and a refill of herbal formula to get them either to their next appointment, or through the next couple weeks to a maximum of one month.

Re-evaluation appointments.  These should happen approximately once per month.  This is where you sit down again and go through all of the disease categories they originally presented with, and if necessary, a full head to toe re-evaluation.  This would also obviously include an acupuncture treatment and a refill of herbs.

Thoughts?

1127 comments.

Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan

Posted on September 26th, 2006 by Ryan Mader.
Categories: General.

Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (JGSQW) is the quintesential Yang tonic. The fact that this formula is based largely on the quintesential Yin formula Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (LWDHW) came as quite a conundrum to me during my studies. The explaination that the inter-transformation of Yin into Yang is entirely and profoundly correct, but at the same time is a little wanting for specific details. Bensky & Barolet included a prelude to their chapter on JGSQW(1). It states:

In chapter 5 of Basic Questions it is noted that “the lesser [Kidney] fire generates qi.” This formula combines herbs that nourish the yin with those that tonify the yang, not so much to tonify the Kidney fire itself, but as a means of generating Kidney qi. It is therefore named the ‘Kidney Qi Pill’ rather than ‘Kidney Warming Pill.’

I believed herbal formulas to be frightfully delicate for a fundamental Yin tonic to be transformed into the poo-bah of Yang tonics by the meager addition of a pinch of fu zi and a dash of gui zhi. Though I have yet to come across another classic herbal fromula, which obeys this same transitory property. 

I offer another explaination for your critique. Consider the campfire analogy of the Minister Fire; Kidney Yin (wood) is consumed to produce Kidney Yang (fire). When Kidney Yang is vacuous there is a relative abundance of Yin. Yin repletion manifests in signs and symptoms of dampness: swollen tongue with a moist coating, edema, excessive urination, etc. At this point, the imbalanced Yin becomes saturated with dampness; much the same as campfire wood burns dimly when it is wet. Furthermore the wood typically burns dirty, emitting alot more smoke than dry wood. This smoke is also analygous to an accumulation of turbid Yin.

To remedy the problem of a wet campfire, consider adding dry wood and a dash of gasoline. The gasoline burns aggressively lighting the dry wood, which eventually burns off the dampness in the wet wood to produce a steady fire. In the case of JGSQW, the LWDHW is akin to the dry wood, while fu zi and gui zhi are likened to gasoline.

(1) Bensky & Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Formulas & Strategies, Eastland Press, 1990, pp. 275.

3015 comments.

Men are more sensitive to Acupuncture

Posted on September 14th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: Acupuncture, Other..., General.

My practice is approx. 50/50 men to women.  I can fully conclude, without a doubt, that men are more sensitive to the needles than women.  Restated, men are, on the whole, much bigger babies than their female counterparts!  Yes Yes I understand that as a rule men only go to see their doctor when something is either falling off or they are too embarassed to walk out their door because of some disfiguration, and when they finally do go it is like pulling teeth to get personal information out of them.  Why are women so willing to let others help them (collective) and men are stubborn as bulls (competition)?

In the luteal phase of a womens menstrual cycle (from ovulation to menses, day 14-28) when estrogen levels are quite high women too can be quite skin sensitive to the needle poke.  Is there a correlation here?  Does mens estrogen levels rise when they actually let down their guard enough to allow someone to help them?  I think this may be a question for Huang Di and Bob Flaws to figure out !

The long and the short of this ramble is that I really feel that it is important to address the need to figure out how men need to be treated differently.  Women like the spa-like TCM clinics that are poping up in the western world, but for the most part, I don’t think that men do.  This issue must be addressed.  I think we exist in medical systems that were built largely by men to take care of/get to know their women (the protector role men carry with such pride).  So, different ideas need to come out from the woodwork from the few practitioners that have actually dedicated some focus to male patients/clients on how, and possibly where to treat the fellas. 

971 comments.

Acupuncture sensations…

Posted on September 13th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: Acupuncture, General.

It is strange…I have not been a licenced acupuncturist for many years, but one thing I must express that I have noticed (and I have confirmed this with other practitioners) is that more often than not patients have one side of their body that is more sensitive to the needles than the other !  To my knowledge there is little to no information in Chinese medicine literature that speaks of this.  Seems strange to me.  I have heard many peoples theories on why this may be happening; left is Yin right is Yang energies, right is future issues and left is past issues, does being left handed or right handed make a difference?

This post is meant to start dialogue about acupuncture sensations; Stronger on one side? Why?

1035 comments.

Traditional Chinese medical departments receive nearly 300 million annual visits

Posted on September 10th, 2006 by Spence Pentland.
Categories: General.

Traditional Chinese medical departments in China receive nearly 300 million annual visits, sources with the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) said on Saturday.

“About 234 million visits have been made to hospitals of traditional Chinese medicine, another 58.51 million to Chinese medicine sections of comprehensive hospitals,” the sources said.

According to the SATCM, the traditional Chinese medical industry, with a total production value of nearly 81.026 billion yuan (about 10.125 billion U.S. dollars), makes up more than a fourth of China’s overall medical industry, with an export value of 820 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

Statistics show that China has 3,009 traditional Chinese hospitals, with more than 310,000 beds, some combining Chinese and Western medicine or Chinese and ethnic minority medicine.

“About 70 percent of all township hospitals, 89 percent of urban community medical services and 40 percent of village clinics have traditional Chinese medical departments,” the sources said, adding that traditional Chinese medicine plays a key role in health care in areas poor in medical resources.

Nationwide, 448 standard herbal medicine planting bases have been built, which have helped nearly a million farmers out of poverty by growing and selling herbal medicines.

2185 comments.

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