Acupuncture and Herbs -1

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The Treatment of Anxiety with Acupuncture

Chief Complaint: spontaneous sweating, nervousness Western Diagnosis: anxiety

Medical History: recent weight loss of 150 lbs, recent dramatic change in lifestyle from unhealthy, greasy, sweet and alcohol diet to a healthy one (hence the weight loss) many traumatic life events; deaths of close loved ones, divorce.

Questioning exam: unstable emotions mental restlessness worse at night low energy

sweating on palms and legs, worse with anxiety lots of dreams

persistent low grade nausea

occasionally morning bowel movement triggers vomiting and abdominal cramps

constant back pain, tightness; better with movement Pulse exam: skin very damp

clear sweat

pulse sunken and weak in especially in the lung area, unsmooth

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OM Diagnosis: lung and stomach qi deficiency, phlegm heat, qi stagnation Treatment Principle: remove obstructions, disperse fluids regulate stomach qi, tonify qi, calm spirit

Point Prescription: 1st treatment: aggressive energy 2nd treatment: internal dragons

3rd treatment: st36, lu7, pc6, kd9, kd26, kd7, li4, ht6 all contralateral except kd26, lu7

Herbal Formula: gan mai da zao tang with wen dan tang Lifestyle Prescription: replacement of coffee with herbal tea

Results: back pain gone for several days after AE, felt a tangible weight lifted off….

2nd treatment not as noticeable effect but felt calmer the whole week 3rd treatment felt very electrical… went home and cried for aver an hour Synopsis: continuation of moving qi, disperse fluids, dissolve phlegm…. tonify lung qi

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Acupuncture Treatment of Acne Rosacea

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Medical History: The patient is a 50 year old female whose Acne Rosacea, localized mainly around her mouth and chin. During her adolescent years she was diagnosis with severe Acne by her physician. In her thirties she was diagnosis with Acne Rosacea by a Dermatologist. For past two years the outbreaks has been moderate to acute. Her lesion is diameter of an eraser on a pencil. They are pustules and painful. When the lesion breaks open, they bleed and is easily irritate. Simply splashing water on her face to wash it or wiping her mouth area with dinner napkin can cause the to lesions to bleed. The patient has consulted a Dermatologist and was prescribed topical metronidizaloe cream, applied twice a day as treatment, which made no difference. Erythromycin was also prescribed and worked to some extent, but only as long as she was taking them.

Questioning exam: Patient likes eating spicy foods; has flush cheeks and chin; hass occasional night sweats (d/t menopause); bowel movements re loose, 2-3xday sometimes more and sometimes they are explosive and urgent; thirst – constantly consume water all day long because she 弤 a History teacher and talks all day.

Other symptoms included mild dizzy spells for the past year, generalized headaches with no specific location a few times a week, stiffness in the trapezius, trouble falling asleep, and general stress. She is slightly irritable, especially before her menses, color red to darker red with some clots lasting for 5 days. The patient runs on the cold side.

Pulse exam: Pulse: wiry, slippery, rapid

Lesions feel hot and tender to the touch. Lesions mainly around mouth and chin. Redness in central areas of the face, forehead and chin.

Tongue exam: Red tip, thin to moderate white coat with yellow line in down the center of the tongue

OM Diagnosis: Diagnosis: 1. Heat toxin (acute)

2. Heat in Lungs and Stomach (chronic)

Overindulgence of alcohol or spicy foods, causing excessive heat in the Stomach and then steams the Lung.

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heat toxin.

Disharmonies of the penetrating and conception channels, causing blood heat stagnation in the skin and tissues of the nose area, giving rise to the lesions. Point Prescription: The patient did not want her face needled.

Ears Points: External Nose, Endocrine, Lungs, Shen Men and Adrenal. Body points: LI 11, SJ 5, ST 44, LI 4 & LR 3, LU 3, ST 36

Needle retention was 15- 20 minutes.

When her diarrhea was severe (explosive), salt moxa on RN-8 Herbal Formula: Patient did not want herbs

Lifestyle Prescription: Decrease /stop consumption of alcohol, spicy foods and fried greasy foods

Results: After the first treatment the lesions dried up significantly, but lesions returned approximately a week later. After approximately 3 months of

treatments twice a week, the lesions cleared up completely and reappeared occasionally. From month 4 to current, she has been receiving weekly or bi-weekly treatments and Acne Rosacea has not flared up.

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Chinese Medicine Treatment of Brain Damage

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Western Diagnosis: Brain Damage caused by Anoxia during surgery Medical History: Patient “D” was twelve-year old boy undergoing hernia surgery. Anesthesiologist forgot to set blood pressure cuff and D had ten minutes when his brain had no oxygen. His muscles seized, could not breathe on his own, was fed through tube, could not walk, speak or toilet himself. D could only “blow raspberries” at his mother to show disapproval but could not blink his eyes voluntarily.

Questioning exam: Because patient could not communicate directly, I am listing signs. Functional symptomatology listed above in relevant medical history. Patient was pale, muscles on arms and legs were contracted and spastic. He had appearance of “puppet” — almost like “wooden” boy. He had been a piano prodigy and a skilled soccer player before the surgery, however when I saw him for the first time (four months after the “accident”, he could not stand, his feet and fingers were contracted. However, when I played Mozart for him during treatments, his eyes lit up and he began vocalizing “ah, ah, ah” during pieces that he had played before the accident — when he still had use of his fine motor muscles. D’s skin and nails were very dry. His eyes were quite dry (however he was unable to close them voluntarily). D did wear

“drypers” and had to be bathed by his nurses and fed liquid meals through his feeding tube. He could not control his urine or bowel evacuation. He was cold all the time and needed to be covered in blankets. He was not growing or developing.

Pulse exam: Pulse was overall very deep and weak. When palpable it disappeared with pressure.

Tongue exam: Tongue was deviated but flabby and pale.

OM Diagnosis: Sudden anoxia caused muscles and whole body not to be nourished. Severe blood deficiency causing wind in the channels. Because of injury to brain, kidney channel damaged — patient showing signs and

symptoms of kidney yang xu — cannot control toileting, experiences cold, not developing.

Treatment Principle: Nourish blood and yin, clear wind. Nourish kidney channel – yin and yang.

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Spleen 10 Spleen 6, LI 4, LI 11, Ear shenmen, Kidney 3, Kidney 7, Kidney 9. Moxa used on St 36, Ren 4, 6, 8 and Kidney points. Patient could not lie on his stomach until several months into treatment, at which point I added UB23, UB17, UB18, UB15 and SI points around the shoulder to relax rhomboids. These points were not all used concurrently, but varied over the course of treatment.

Herbal Formula: Began with raw herb formula-his mother would pour it down feeding tube.

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan Jia Wei (added Gou Qi Zi, Che Qian Zi, Rou Gui, Fu Zi, Dang Gui, Loranthi, Bai Shao, etc.

This formula was augmented as he began to “come back to life”. I teased him and called him “pinocchio”. He was like the wooden boy who softened and whose movements became more fluid. After six weeks of these herbs and two acupuncture treatments per week, his large family had a big party and took him to JC Penny to buy undershorts because he could finally control his urination and bowel movements. Within a few months he could blow kisses at his mother, articulate words, yell at me (liver qi stagnation emerged as he strengthened, but then again he had finally entered puberty and was an adolescent in all ways, including his demeanor.)(D did grow, develop, voice deepened, etc.).

Lifestyle Prescription: D was receiving speech and occupational therapy at the hospital twice weekly. When I learned he loved marine life we searched for dolphin therapy on the internet and found a site in Southern Florida where he ended up going quarterly with his family. His parents felt that he made huge developmental strides from his time in the water with the animals.

Results: As written above, D was helped in a big way by Traditional Chinese Medicine. When he began to feed himself and the feeding tube was removed, his improvement slowed to a “not-so-dramatic” pace — because he fought taking the herbs which had helped him so significantly — and had also become a “moody” teenager.

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we could understand his words). He was attending school for a half day with his nurse as his shadow. He could shower himself, take himself to the

bathroom, spend time laughing with his friends, and was securing a voice-prompt computer system so he could be on email to his friends and family. He could walk by himself and even on stairs — but at the time I saw him last, he was still experiencing spasticity in his forearms and fingers and could not perform fine motor skills. He doctors were mediating this a small amount with quarterly botox injections into the joints, but without significant success. It is so interesting that when D’s brain began to function again, it was as though he were an infant going through early stages of development — his function returned in the same “order” as if he were developing for the first time.

D no longer lives in the same city as I but touched my life significantly. I learned so much in treating and in knowing him. He is very brave young man. Readmore »»

The Acupuncture Treatment of Vascular Headache

Chief Complaint: right temporal pain Western Diagnosis: vascular headache

Medical History: A woman aged 40 complained headache for 20 years. the right temporal pain began 20 yeas age, often preceded by nervous tension or over-fatigue, and aggravated during menses. She experienced boring pain in the right temporal region accompanied by cramping pain of the right eye. the

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bouts usually subsided after 3-5 days, sometimes with slight pain remaining. Questioning exam: right hemicrania precipitated b tension, fatigue and menses; flushed face; restlessness; irritability; poor appetite with bitter feeling in mouth; constipation.

Pulse exam: fine taut pulse, weak at the left cubit. Tongue exam: tongue with thin yellow coating. OM Diagnosis: ShaoYang headache.

in this case, the bouts of hemicrania accompanied by right-eye pain, irritability, and taut pule were caused by endogenous wind from Liver due to exuberance of Yang;restlessness and insomnia were due to disturbance of mental activity of Liver-Yang; and flushed face bitter taste in mouth, constipation and yellow tongue coat were caused by Liver-fire arising from transformation of Yang. Further, inhibition of Spleen by an overactive Liver caused poor appetite.Fine pulse weak at the left cubit indicated deficiency of Kidney-Yin,as this results in failure to nourish Liver-Yin, predisposing to exuberance of yang.

Treatment Principle: Nourish Yin in order to quench fire, subdue hyper-function of Liver and the resulting endogenous wind.

Point Prescription: TaiYang,TouWei, ShuaiGu, FengChi and XiaXi.all this 5 points only select the right site and use reducing manipulation.YangLingQuan, TaiXi, TaiChong select both sites and use nourishing manipulation.retain the needles for 30 minutes each time and once every other day.

Herbal Formula: none.

Lifestyle Prescription: none.

Results: After the first treatment, pat. feels much better. after the third

treatments pat.was headache free.one additional treatment for maintenance. 6 months later pat. reported headache free.

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Chief Complaint: muscle spasms

Medical History: Patient presents as 37 year old female. “Perfect health” until onset of current symptoms 5 months ago. Active lifestyle- feels best after exercise. Well balanced and moderate diet. Non-smoker, occasional wine, coffee daily.

Questioning exam: Onset of Symptoms: 5 months ago (symptoms started appearing shortly after giving birth). First symptom was closing of the eyelids. She was forced to hold her eyelids open with her fingers about 70% of the time. A few weeks later, her vocal cords tightened over the trachea and restricting breath. On her third trip to the ER, she was given a tracheostomy tube which she is still breathing through. Her vocal cords were then injected with botox in attempt to relax them. She then began suffering from dystonias in her neck, causing intense pain, rigidity, and a “bobble-head” appearance. She has seen 5 neurologists, who have prescribed a myriad of drugs from anti-anxiety to muscle relaxants to more botox. The drugs did not help her, but did cause unpleasant side-effects.

The week before she came to me, she had her first period since the delivery. This made her symptoms much worse.

Pulse exam: Pulse was overall thin, weak and slightly rapid. The left side was more superficial and wiry.

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Naganos, LI 4, GB30, GB34, GB41, and LR3.

Tongue exam: Tongue body thin, extremely pale, and had lots of transverse cracks. Body was very quivery and unable to patient unable to stick it out. Not much of a coat and very dry.

Wood body and personality type- thin, sinewy, slight green tint to skin, use to being in control. Patient is very irritated and angry about current condition. OM Diagnosis: Internal Liver wind due to Liver blood and yin xu.

Treatment Principle: Clear wind, smooth Liver, tonify blood and yin. Point Prescription: First treatment was the Agressive Energy Treatment (Worsley). UB 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 23

After that, I alternated tonifying treatments with clearing treatments. Tonifying treatments included:

Opening the Chong (SP4 + P6) or Ren (LU7 + KI 6) UB 15, 17, 18, 20

or

8 needles around naval

Clearing wind included different combinations of the following

Yang Wei Mo (SJ 5 + GB 41), GB 20, Naganos, LI 4, UB 12, GB 31, GB34 Cupping with Po Sum On on back and shoulders

Handwork on shoulders, Naganos, LI 4, and GB channel Tiger thermie on ST 12

Herbal Formula: Women’s Precious as directed from Golden Flower Lifestyle Prescription: Instructed to avoid chicken, caffeine, and alcohol increase cooked leafy greens

Results: Results were great and she was symptom free after 6 treatments in 2 weeks. I then instructed her that I wanted to see her weekly through 3 menstrual cycles. However, she was feeling so good and was busy, so she failed to come in for 3 weeks and stopped taking her herbs. In the third week she had a period. The period was very heavy and painful. All of her symptoms returned, we began again and results are coming slower this time. It has been 2 months since she resumed treatment and was doing well until her last period when her symptoms moved from the back of her neck to the front of

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her neck (from Tai Yang to Yang Ming). Treatment has been modified and we’re continuing to work on it.

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Acupuncture and Herbs for Uterine Fibroids

Chief Complaint: Uterine pain Western Diagnosis: Fibroids

Medical History: Asian female,age 40 presents with uterine fibroids for 14 years. Asthma since age 6, medicated with steroids for many years; during acute attacks her brother (physician) would intravenously inject her with a steroid cocktail; at age 25 she began daily use of ventolin spray; allergies to pollen, cats and coconut; whole family history of skin or lung problems (eczema, vitiligo, lung infections)

Questioning exam: Patient reports her initial symptoms were deep, cramping pains about two weeks prior to menses. Other symptoms include fatigue and lumbar tenderness correlating to uterine pain. She is prone to hayfever, congested sinuses and slight wheexing. Slow digestion with bloating,gas and constipation. She reports blurry vision and floaters, cold extremities and dry,itchy skin. The patient is exhausted by her illness,generally difficult to fall asleep and poor sleep the week before her menses. Her husband does not acknowledge her fibroids.

Pulse exam: Pulse: deep,slippery,slightly thin, also slightly wiry on right side Abdomen: soft,deep palpation reveals small mass on right side, cold to touch

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Tongue exam: Tongue: pale,dusky,swollen,teethmarks, slight yellow coat Dark,puffy circles under eyes

OM Diagnosis: Blood & Phlegm Stagnation in Uterus SP & KID Yang Deficiency

LIV Blood Deficiency

Long term steroid use damages KID-disrupt water-unable to move blood and fluids-creates stagnation in lower jiao

Treatment Principle: Move Blood, Transform Phlegm in Uterus Tonify Kidney and Spleen

Nourish Blood

Point Prescription: GB 41 & SJ 5, KID 3, LIV 3, ST 36 & 37, REN 4, moxa lower abdomen, ST 36, ginger moxa REN 8

Herbal Formula: Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan

Lifestyle Prescription: Continue acupx 2x/wk

Eliminate dairy products for 3 mos-to eliminate phlegm Massage, Tai Qi, Moxa-all to increase energy flow to uterus Rest!!!

Journal-write down everything you would like to create in your life

Results: She has been receiving acupuncture for several years. She believes the TCM is helping shorten the duration and lessen the intensity of her pain Synopsis: Fibroid tumors are #1 reason for hysterectomy in US

according to Caroline Myss, fibroids represent our creativity that was never birthed; including fantasies of ourselves; fibroids can result when we are flowing energy into dead-end jobs and relationships that we have outgrown. Readmore »»

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Chief Complaint: severe lower abdominal pain, uterine hemorrhage Western Diagnosis: uterine fibroids, ovarian cyst

Medical History: 47 y.o. female with a history of heavy menses with clots and cramping and increasing in frequency. Occasional hot flashes but after two 2-year courses of estrogen supplementation didn’t want to continue hormone replacement. Frequent bladder infections following intercourse. History of narcotic and alcohol addiction (past) and high blood pressure triggered by anxiety.

Pulse exam: Liver small and not descending to Kidney.

Pain in lower left quadrant of abdomen, sensitive on palpation. Inguinal lymph swelling. Pale complexion.

Tongue exam: Long center crack, very pale body. Red dots at tip.

OM Diagnosis: Dai Mai blockage preventing liver from descending to kidney. Deficient Liver blood leading to heart fire.

Treatment Principle: Drain Dai Mai. Support Liver Blood. Move Blood in lower burner.

Point Prescription: Worked with Dai Mai and Li/GB divergent meridian both with acupuncture and essential oils. Had Pt. use castor oil packs.

Herbal Formula: Worked with modifications of Gui Zhi Fu Ling San, adding among others Gui Ban to keep hot flashes in check, yin chen hao and/or qing

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hao to help drain latent toxic heat from the dai, and Dan Shen to calm spirit and help move blood. Had patient apply carrot and benzoin EO to Li DM points to consolidate Blood (3 days on 3 days off for several weeks) and mugwort oil to Dai Mai points (with castor oil on abdomen, also 3 days on 3 days off).

Lifestyle Prescription: Recommended yoga stretches for opening psoaz and abdomen, breathing meditation to connect with and move stagnation in uterus and ovaries.

Results: After initial treatment, Pt went in for a scheduled D&C and

laparoscopy previously arrange with OBGyn. During surgery, GYN discovered ‘a large ovarian cyst’ and decided to remove entire ovary (!) All bleeding stopped and Pt was told the operation sent her into menopause. In the 5 months since initial treatment and surgery, the menses has returned and normalized in frequency and duration, now with no pain or clotting. Patient no longer has bladder infections following intercourse and no longer experiences anxiety or the associated HBP; she has stopped taking pharmaceuticals for both.

Synopsis: I thought it was a good case because not a lot of people are

working with EO’s on extraordinary or divergent vessels and I have been very impressed with the results.