Science and Biomedicine are COOL! 02/26/2010
My goodness, biomedicine and science are cool! I just finished reading this article about a woman who had an ovarian transplant and successfully had two children as a result. I know this brings up ethical questions, but in her case, it does not, for me. She was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 27 and underwent chemotherapy which almost always forces women into menopause. This was the case with her, and at such a young age! Her doctors had the foresight to harvest one of her ovaries prior to treatment and freeze it. She got through her cancer treatment, is cancer-free and because of biomedicine and science was able to have biological children, even though cancer tried to rob her of that ability. I know that this has nothing to do with natural medicine, but I just wanted to share with you all this story of one of the many strengths of biomedicine. Healthcare is not a one-method-fits-all sort of thing! Add Comment Integrative Medicine 02/23/2010
 A growing field of medicine in which the patient and providers work together to develop a diagnostic and therapeutic program that draws on a variety of traditions, expertise and modalities to address an individual’s specific needs. Protocols developed in this framework, may include one or more modalities of treatment, diagnostic testing, natural and pharmaceutical therapies, as well as, referrals to other practitioners.For writing this article, I decided to search for a definition of Integrative Medicine that hit home with me. Here are a couple that I found:
I'll use the example of arthritis here to get my point across - I often have patients come in to see me because their medications aren't strong enough to take away their pain anymore. They've seen their doctor who is suggesting a stronger medication with some pretty scary side effects, or even surgery. They don't want to do either of these, so they're coming to their local acupuncturist to see if there's anything to be done. So we work together using acupuncture and Chinese herbs and, more often than not, they're completely pain-free and no longer need even their over-the-counter pain medications. Now, I'm not saying that strong medications and surgeries aren't ever needed. On the contrary, they can be very helpful in reversing severe disease. But why would you jump straight to those therapies when other, less-invasive ones could be tried first? Or perhaps Chinese medicine doesn't completely resolve the pain, but makes it manageable with OTC medications, rather than prescription ones. Someday, surgery may be necessary to control their pain, but I always feel that it's best to use the least amount of intervention to get the greatest healing result at that moment. So back to why I don't like the terms "complimentary medicine" and "alternative medicine." Let's start with alternative medicine. This label has been affixed to natural healing modalities and is often associated with the idea that "natural is better, and it's the only way to go." While natural medicine can do a lot to improve your health, it most certainly is not the only way to go, and isn't always the best. Emergency situations are a good example of when natural medicine isn't the best route. While there are emergency techniques in all natural healing modalities, they were developed before there were more effective life saving technologies available. If someone is having a heart attack in my office, I'm not going to rely on acupuncture and herbs to save them (though there are strategies for this in Chinese medicine!), I'm going to call 911, because biomedicine has a much better track record for saving them! I don't like the term "complimentary medicine" either, because, while it acknowledges that natural healing modalities exist, it doesn't give them the proper amount of recognition as the health-changing therapies that they are. I like to think of it like a menu at a restaurant. Biomedicine is the majority of the menu, with the "complimentary medicines" being that little section where you can order extra side dishes. Those extra sides are always ungodly expensive, and not necessary, since most meals come with them in the first place. "Complimentary medicine" gets marginalized as something that isn't necessary, it's an extra that only the rich can afford. I like the term "Integrative medicine" because it promotes a partnership between the patient and all of their healing practitioners, with everyone working together to do what works best for the individual patient. All of the healing practices are given their own, EQUAL seat at the table, and the patient is able to pick and choose what works best, with the least amount of intervention, for their body, their lifestyle and their principles. Manx Disorder: A Case Study 02/18/2010
 Note: This is not a picture of 'Sugar' As they come along, I'd like to give you some examples of the exciting health changes that can occur because of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. "Sugar" came into my office quite constipated. She was having maybe one bowel movement a week, and it was very dry, very hard and very painful to pass. Her owner had taken her to her vet who had done multiple enemas and prescribed laxatives in order to get the fecal matter to pass, and while this brought temporary relief, it didn't seem to last. This is something that "Sugar" experienced as a kitten and periodically throughout her life, but it was always previously relieved by the medications and enemas - this episode was much more extreme. "Sugar" is a manx - a breed of cat born without a tail. The tailless condition is considered a deformation of the spine and in these cats, you will often find more abnormalities in the rest of the spine. These abnormalities are often accompanied by congenital nerve dysfunction, and often what you see in manx cats is something called "Manx Disorder." Symptoms associated with "Manx Disorder" include bowel or urinary incontinence and weakness or even paralysis of the hind limbs. "Sugar's" vet felt that, while she didn't have your typical "Manx Disorder," she certainly seemed to have a mild case of it. I diagnosed "Sugar" as being Qi and Blood deficient which lead to her Qi and Blood not moving properly (causing her bowels to "get stuck"). I performed electro-acupuncture on "Sugar's" low back and hips to bring Qi to the area. Essentially, trying to remind her body and her nerves how to send the proper electrical signals to her bowels so that her stools could pass through easily. To deal with the underlying cause of her bowel paralysis, I prescribed an herbal formula typically used for stroke victims with the idea that promoting proper nerve conduction (in Chinese medicine, Qi and Blood flow) is the same, whether you're treating a head or a tail. Within one week, "Sugar's" bowel movements were much more frequent and much softer and within 3 weeks, "Sugar" was having completely normal bowel movements again! I treated her monthly for the next couple of months, at which time she graduated from needing treatments for her constipation. Every once in a while I run into "Sugar's Mom" and get an update - she's still doing well, with no recurrences, almost 3 years later! Wood 02/12/2010
 Wood is our fifth and final element to discuss, so here we go! Wood is the element that controls our abilities to make decisions, make goals and achieve them. When Wood is out of balance, we have trouble making decisions. We are unable to make goals, let alone complete them. Wood is associated with the organs Liver and Gall Bladder. The Liver helps our emotions to flow smoothly, so if Wood is imbalanced, we may have trouble expressing emotions. Or we may get easily frustrated and irritated. In extremes, Wood that is way off track may lead to controlling, abusive behaviors, anger or addictive personalities with possible substance abuse. Some physical signs that your wood is out of balance may be:
Try some of these to keep your wood element in balance: Go hiking through the woods. Trees are pure wood energy, and they'll help you balance out your wood element. Make simple plans and follow through with them. Wear the color green! I really like jade for this purpose. Alternately, you could wear something made from wood. I hope you've had a lot of fun talking about the 5 elements and have learned a lot about yourself and your environment! Water 02/11/2010
 We're nearly through our 5 element discussion! The next element is the element of Water. Water is the source of fearlessness, determination and sense of will-power. When our water element is weak, we may be anxious, withdrawn or fearful. Aging, as well as the organs Kidney and Bladder are related to the water element, so physical complaints that one may experience are:
The color associated with Water is black. This didn't make sense to me when I was first studying Chinese medicine until someone explained that Water was also related to the season of Winter and the time between death and birth. Think of being in the womb - there is no light. Think of Winter when the sun might not make much of an appearance (especially here in Portland!) for days, weeks or months. So, how do we strengthen our Water element? Go swimming. What better way to honor the water within us than to immerse ourselves in it? Like all of the other elements, surround yourself with items that are black. Some sources also link dark dark blue with Water. Hibernate. Okay, not really. But get a lot of rest, and go easier on yourself, especially in the Winter. Winter is the time of Water and of preparing yourself for Spring when life will begin anew. Tomorrow is the last stop on our Element discussion. We'll be talking about Wood - one of my favorites! Metal 02/10/2010
 Woo! We're half way through our discussion of the five elements, are you enjoying yourself? I am! Today we're going to talk about Metal. The metal element controls our sense of organization, self-control and conscience. Also our boundaries and sense of right and wrong. When we are balanced, the above qualities are exhibited. When our metal element is out of balance, we may become unorganized, socially inept (think self-control), we may become inflexible in our lives and unable to let things go - both physically (think hoarders) and emotionally (think grudges). The organs associated with metal are the Lung and Large Intestine. People with metal imbalances may notice some of the following physical symptoms:
Go through your closet and get rid of clothes that no longer fit or no longer like. Someone else would probably love these items, and it's a great way to practice letting things go. Organize your kitchen junk drawer (yeah, we all have them!). Putting things in their place will make your metal element feel much calmer! If you find yourself dwelling on a situation from the past where you were wronged, take a moment to quiet yourself and focus on letting go of the grudge/anger/sadness. How do you do this? Forgiveness might be the right word for you and your situation. You might find that what works for you is to see some good that came from the situation. Yeah, your boyfriend may have cheated on you, but look at the wonderful person who came into your life because he was no longer occupying that space. Finding the positive can help you let go of the bad! Tomorrow we'll discuss the element of water. I bet you can't wait! (I know I can't!) Earth 02/09/2010
 The next element in our discussion is the element of Earth. Earth is the element of being grounded, nurturing and compassionate. When our earth is strong, each of these traits are exhibited. When we're out of balance, we may worry about things, or over-think them until we're blue in the face. You know that test you took last week? If you're still thinking about the answer to number 27, then you need to strengthen your earth element. Weak earth may also exhibit as being meddlesome (it's not exactly compassionate or nurturing to get in on other peoples' business, is it?). Unlike the fire element, which we discussed yesterday, the earth element doesn't appear in excess, only in deficiency. Some physical symptoms of weak earth may be:
Since the earth element has to do with nourishment and digestion, consider eating easily digestible foods (fully cooked, not raw) and those coming from the ground that have earthy colors. My favorites are carrots and sweet potatoes. Squashes are also great earth-building foods! My favorite way of building my earth is to go camping. Being away from the city with all of its straight lines and hard surfaces and really enjoying the dirt under your fingernails is a great way to connect with your earth element! What's your favorite way of grounding yourself and connecting with your earth? Fire 02/08/2010
 The first element we're going to talk about in this five-part series is Fire. Fire is the element that relates to drive, passion, desire and enthusiasm. When our fire element is strong, we are able to experience all of these without trouble. When the fire element is out of balance, one may experience a feeling of being "burned out" (literally!) or being anxious. Symptoms that you may feel if your fire energy is too low are:
So how do we keep our fire element strong? You could wear more red items, since red is the color associated with fire. Consider a necklace that has red in it. Or a new red shirt! Meditate on the color red. Eat red bell peppers! Remember that fire has to do with enthusiasm, and try to foster that in your day to day life. Find something small to be excited about. It could be that you're going to try making a new dinner tonight (or an old favorite!). Get excited about it! So, tell me, what are some of your ideas for keeping your fire element strong? The Elements 02/04/2010
 Over the next five posts, I'm going to talk about each of the Chinese elements. In Chinese medicine, the elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood affect every aspect of our environment, our health and our lives. We'll investigate their associations with color, certain bodily organs and functions, emotions and much more! I hope you're as excited as I am to dig into each element in turn and see how they intertwine and affect our lives and our health! | ArchivesJanuary 2012 CategoriesAll |
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