05.05.08
Posted in General Health Topics at 6:01 pm by maureen
Depression is a healthy response to traumatic or overwhelming events. After a short period of “feeling down in the dumps” a healthy person can recover and get on with their lives. For some people however, feelings of loneliness, sadness, anxiety, irritability and hopelessness are unrelenting and can greatly impact their quality of life.
Medical breakthroughs resulting in new medications have helped countless people. However, while they can successfully address the neuro-chemical imbalances in the body, they do little to help the underlying causes. The potential side effects of these medications are numerous and can be debilitating. Some of the possible side effects include: insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, rashes and sexual dysfunction.
Not only is depression a psychological issue, for many people it manifests with physical symptoms such as insomnia, muscle pain, fatigue and weight gain as well. Asian medical theory contends emotional stability is dependant on proper organ system functioning. Rather than thoughts and feelings being controlled only by the brain, the Asian medical perspective holds that each organ system governs different mental, emotional and physical processes. Depression can come in many forms and can manifest differently in different people. It can result from an imbalance in any organ system.
The Liver organ system is the seat of our motivation. The liver controls our ability to see. This applies to the health of your eyes, but also to the mental attribute of perspective. When liver function is hampered people can experience a lack of motivation, the inability to set goals or make decisions. This can leave them feeling irritable, anxious, depressed and apathetic.
The emotion associated with the Heart is joy. Simply feeling a lack of inspiration or joy in one’s life can be a manifestation of a heart imbalance. Physically this can manifest as palpitations.
The emotions grief and vulnerability fall into the Lung’s domain. This makes some intuitive sense when we consider that crying is a natural response to sadness. The lungs can suffer physically after a great loss such as the death of a loved one. Asthma, frequent colds and low immunity are lung symptoms that can be tied to grief.
When the Spleen organ system is not in balance people can feel an overwhelming sense of fatigue, apathy and melancholy. Their appetite and digestion may also be affected. Often these people suffer from problems with weight loss or weight gain, as the spleen is a digestive organ in Asian medicine.
Lastly, when a person looses the will to live the Kidney organ system is affected. They represent self knowledge and the will to survive. Thus when depression comes from a lack of kidney energy the situation is very severe. Typically in addition to drug therapy these patients are undergoing intensive counseling. Asthma and low back pain are physical symptoms associated with this form of depression.
The goal of Asian medicine is to restore harmony to each organ system and thus bring a resolution to physical, emotional and spiritual imbalances. This is accomplished through diet and lifestyle modifications, herbal formulas, acupuncture therapy and nutritional supplementation. Some individuals benefit greatly from combining Western drug treatment and/or physiological counseling with Asian medicine. In my practice after I conduct through intake and evaluation, I formulate a customized treatment plan that takes into account each individual’s needs and puts them back on the road to health.
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04.26.08
Posted in Women's Health at 6:20 am by maureen
Whether you’re a woman, or a man who lives with one, chances are you have experienced “that time of the month.” Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is caused by hormonal imbalances. It is very widespread, affecting 1 in 3 menstruating women. The symptoms can be many and varied, and the list is long, from radical mood swings, to acne, fluid retention, weight gain, migraines, breast tenderness and more! Most women experience between four and ten symptoms starting one to two weeks before their periods. Most women menstruate for 35 years. This means that a woman could have PMS symptoms for half of their lives! But wait, don’t panic, there are natural ways to balance hormones and relieve PMS symptoms.
Conventional medicine offers antidepressants, hormone therapy and tranquilizers which are geared towards symptom relief. While these measures may improve the symptoms, unfortunately they do little to address the underlying causes of hormonal imbalances.
Acupuncture and herbal formulas have been used to treat PMS for thousands of years. Research shows acupuncture and herbal therapy is effective in reducing PMS symptoms and regulating hormone levels. Researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center found that several herbs such as black cohosh, vitex and Chinese herbal formulas containing dang quai can offer relief to women who suffer with PMS. One study demonstrated acupuncture’s ability to regulate the pituitary-hypothalamus axis which controls healthy hormone fluctuations. Another study lead scientists to conclude that acupuncture can influence serotonin and natural opioid upload activity and thus reduce many of the emotional and mental PMS symptoms. Both the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize that acupuncture can treat many PMS symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Digestive Issues
- Insomnia
- Depression & Anxiety
- Acne
In addition to acupuncture and herbal treatment, dietary and lifestyle changes may be recommended, as they can have an enormous impact on hormone regulation. PMS symptoms can indicate other hormonal irregularities such as thyroid, adrenal and blood sugar regulation issues. In some cases conventional and non-conventional hormonal tests may be indicated.
Stop spending half of your time dealing with PMS symptoms! Try a safe, natural, holistic approach to your health!
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04.20.08
Posted in Fertility Enhancement, Women's Health at 3:19 am by maureen
I am looking forward to being on the talk radio show The Balancing Point, hosted by my esteemed colleague John Nieters, L.Ac. We will be talking about boosting fertility for both men and women with Chinese medicine, the research I am doing with the Fertility Physicians of Northern California on acupuncture and IVF, liver health, plus anything else YOU want to talk about. Please feel free to call in with your questions! Looking forward to hearing from you.
The Balancing Point
KEST 1450 AM
Thursday 8-9 AM
(415) 543-TALK
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04.11.08
Posted in Liver Health, Integrative Medicine at 11:13 pm by maureen
Hepatitis C (HCV) is an epidemic, both in Santa Cruz County and across the country. Today, HCV is the most common liver disease, even more common than alcoholic hepatitis. While fatigue is the most common symptom, HCV can also induce muscle and joint pain, depression and irritability, digestive difficulties, impaired memory, headaches, and immune system dysfunction. In response to the liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus, the body starts laying down scar tissue. This process is called fibrosis. Some people have many symptoms and very little fibrosis, while others progress to cirrhosis without any symptoms.
At Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic we offer an integrative approach to treating hepatitis C.
William Morris, MD and I treat patients from both a Western and Eastern perspective. Dr. Morris runs the Primary Care Hepatitis C Clinic on Mondays. He provides affordable high quality Western medical evaluation and treatment to those afflicted with the hepatitis C virus. Using Asian medicine principals, I design an individualized treatment plan for those with HCV encompassing: acupuncture treatment, herbal therapy, nutritional supplements, plus diet and lifestyle suggestions. While most HCV patients elect to see me in my private practice, for those with Medi-cal and financial constraints I offer a low cost teaching clinic every Tuesday afternoon at Five Branches University.
Dr. Morris and I have had HCV patients travel from as far away as South Carolina to be seen at Cedar Street Healing Arts Clinic. We are both on the provider committee of the Santa Cruz Hepatitis C Task Force and are advisory board members of the local hepatitis C patient advocate group HELP! (Help & Education for Liver Patients). Dr. Morris and I frequently consult with each other to provide our patients with the best possible integrated medical care.
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04.10.08
Posted in Herbal Medicinals Research, Acupuncture Research, Fertility Enhancement, Women's Health, Integrative Medicine at 10:06 pm by maureen
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately 3 million couples in the United States are unable to conceive after one year of trying. Asian medicine has been used to enhance fertility for over 2,000 years.
I have treated both men and women seeking to improve their fertility. A number of factors that contribute to low fertility can be addressed with acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, and simple lifestyle adjustments. These approaches can be used alone to improve overall health and increase fertility, or to boost the effectiveness of Western reproductive techniques.
Recently, a variety of studies have been published showing acupuncture and herbal therapy’s usefulness in treating infertility. Researchers from the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York evaluated studies on acupuncture and confirmed what I have seen in my private practice, that acupuncture can enhance fertility. Acupuncture can improve uterine blood flow, which increases the chances of an ovum implanting in the uterine wall. Hormones released during stressful situations can interrupt normal reproductive hormonal activity, and markedly decrease fertility. Acupuncture can reduce these hormones. Also, acupuncture can regulate the endocrine systems responsible for ovulation and regular menstrual cycles, even in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
In my practice, I have seen that using herbal formulas to regulate hormone levels increases the chances of conception. In Japan, researchers found that herbal treatment can decrease high levels of the hormone prolactin, which can lead to anovulation in women and low sperm production in men. In the Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Dr. Yu reported that 48.8% of 74 women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome were able to conceive after treatment with Chinese herbs.
The number of couples that come to my practice wanting to combine Eastern and Western approaches to fertility is steadily increasing. Acupuncture and herbal formulas used in conjunction with Western fertility treatments can dramatically raise conception rates. In 2002, a study published in the medical journal Fertility & Sterility, showed that acupuncture, combined with assisted reproductive techniques nearly doubled the rate of pregnancy. In another study, women were given an herbal formula that has been used in fertility treatments for hundreds of years. These women had not been able to ovulate with the drug clomid. When given in conjunction with clomid, the combination dramatically improved ovulation rates.
In the process of helping men and women accentuate their fertility, I have seen Asian medicine’s value in improving overall health, increasing fertility, and boosting the effectiveness of Western reproductive techniques.
Simple techniques for enhancing fertility:
- Reduce exposure to environmental toxins. Couples planning a family should eat organically and drink pure spring water.
- Maintain a normal body weight. Being overweight can interfere with men’s hormonal balance and being underweight can reduce sperm production. In women obesity can impair ovulation, while being underweight can stop the menstrual cycle.
- No alcohol, marijuana, coffee and smoking. Use of these substances can lead to poor sperm motility, malformed sperm and low sperm count. In women smoking can alter both the cervical mucus and fallopian tube function.
- Testicles temperature should not exceed 96 degrees. Avoid tight fitting underwear and hot tubs. Some studies indicate that cold baths may increase fertility.
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