Our Blog Site Has Moved

Dear All,

Our blogs have moved to our own website: www.mn-acu.com. From now on, all new blogs will be published in my website. I"ll try to publish a new blog every two weeks.

Thanks for reading and hope you all enjoy good health. Don't forget to do the exercises according to my videos.

Trisha Han, M.S., L. Acu
Mother Nature's Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs

Case Study - 2 - miscarriage

 Femal. 28, married for 4 years, on birth control for 4years. Off birth control for 11 months.

Chief Complaints: 

Trying to get pregnant 2 months off birth control, got pregnant right away, but miscarriage in just 2 weeks.

Diagnosis & Differentiation: 

Cycle for period is 30-32 days. Last 3-5 days with only one day heavy. First 1-2 days a lot of cramps on abdomen and lower back to 70%. Blood is dark with small clots.

Swollen tongue with not much coating. Pulse is weak on both side.  She looks thin and pale to me.  Her energy is good .  She easily feel cold especially with hand and feet.  Differentiation for her is blood deficiency and blood stagnation with some qi stagnation. 

Treatments: 

She had the first session right before ovulation.  The points used to course liver qi and invigrite blood and harmonize chong and Ren.The points used LV3, LI4, GB34, SP6, REN12, REN4, REN3, P3. Used moxa on SP4 and Ren12.  Formula used are Tao Hong Si Wu Tang and Gui Pi Tang.  She ovulated right after the first session .  She came back for follow up on day 21. The same points used and moxa on Sp4 and Ren4.  The third session she came back on day 29 with  positive pregnancy test.  Several more sessions to prevent miscarriage and to relieve morning sickness.  

Suggested life style change, go to bed early to reserve liver yin and blood and drink warm liquid instead of cold icy  to warm up uterus.

Results: 

Her pregnancy was good and the baby was born healthy.

Case Study - 1 - Infertility

Female , 29 , mother of 15-month baby.  

Chief Complaints: trying to get pregnant for several months and unsuccessful.  

Other complaints: Feeling stressed and easily agitated; Low energy around ovulation and menstruation; Severe PMS symptoms; Severe cramps  with small clots, moody , anger,  fatigue  before and during menstruation; Digestion problems, hard to digest oily food , irritable bowel syndrome with abdominal pain, gastritis pain.  

Diagnosis & Differentiation: 

Pulse is weak on both side. Thin and wiry at liver area. Tongue is red with lack of coating.

Liver qi stagnation with liver yin and blood deficiency and spleen qi deficiency with deficiency cold .  

Treatment:

The first session is on day 5 right after period.  The acupuncture points used to course liver qi, tonify spleen qi and liver blood(P6, sp4, st36,ren12, sp15, ren3, lv3, sp6, K8).  Moxa on ren12 and sp4.

The second session and third is on day 10 and day16. The fourth session is on day 24^th. Points are modified by adding local points st21, back points and back points BL18, Bl20, BL23.

Herb formula used: Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan; Xiao Jian Zhong Tang.

Suggested life syle change: go to bed early to reserve liver yin and blood and drink warm liquid instead of cold icy  to warm up uterus.  

Results: Pregnant after four sessions.

Note: This is a rare case of quick result for infertility. Most of our infertility cases took 3 months or more.

Bring the Dead back to Life - A True Story of a Great Doctor

Bian-Que (500 B.C.) is one of the most famous doctors in China’s history. He cured many illnesses that others regarded incurable. One of the most well-known stories was about how Bian-Que succeeded in curing the crown prince of the Kingdom of Guo of his fatal illness. According to the record, the prince of Gua was very ill and as he lay dying, the court physician could do nothing to help. Bian-Que was summoned to treat the prince. However, when he arrived at the palace he found the crown prince being prepared for the funeral.

Bian-Que went to the gate of the palace and asked an officer who had medical knowledge, “What kind of illness did your prince suffer from?” The officer answered, “The illness of our prince was that his Qi and Blood were against the seasons, confused and clogged. His vigor and spirit could not stop Evil Qi and Evil Qi accumulated and could not be expelled. That was when his pulses were Slow Yang and Rapid Yin.  This was the reason why suddenly his Qi flowed backward and he died.”

Bian-Que asked, “When did he die?”

He answered, “This dawn.”

Bian-Que asked, “Did they put him in a coffin?”

He answered, “Not yet. It hasn’t been more than a half day yet since he died.”

Bian-Que told him, “I am Bian-Que. Let me see if I can revive him.”

The officer first had suspicion about Bian-Que’s ability, and then let him in reluctantly after realizing there is no other choice to save the prince anyway.

After a short pulse examination, he knew that the prince had actually gone into a deep coma. He gave the prince acupuncture treatment to retrieve him and then applied compresses soaked in a decoction of herbs. One of the points he did acupuncture on is Bai Hui which sits on the crown of the head.

Within hours of Bian-Que's arrival, the prince was able to get his feet. The prince was then prescribed herbal tea formula to be taken for twenty days, which helped him to fully recover.

Soon the rumors spread that Bian Que was a miracle doctor who could bring the dead back to life. Bian-Que said "No, I can't bring the dead back to life, the prince wasn't dead. I only woke up a person who still had the ability to survive"

A Longevity Herb - Morinda Root

In Chinese History, most Chinese Emperors have a relatively short life. From Chinese medicine point of view, their short lives were results of their involvement in hectic politics and their excessive indulgence in sex. (As you may know, ancient Chinese emperors are entitled to have dozens of wives). Both took their toll - physically and emotionally.

However, during the Manchu Dynasty (1644-1911), an emperor named Qian Long (1711 - 1799) lived till the age of 89. He had lived the longest life of all the Chinese emperors prior to his time. 89 may not appear to be long life by today's standard. But keep in mind that the average life span of the Chinese people during that time is less than 40.

Emperor Qian Long was very proud of his longevity secret methods and he even called himself the "long-life emperor." That Qian Long had managed to stay youthful and had lived a long life is a historical fact. The British ambassador to China at that time was said to have written something like this in his diary, "When I met Emperor Qian Long, he was already at the age of 83, but he looked as if he was only 60 years old. He was in perfect good health and surpassed young men in energy and spirits."

Many Chinese physicians have attributed Qian Long's longevity to his regular consumption of many herbs, but most notably, medicinal cornel fruit and morinda root. The fruit of medicinal cornel looks like a date, tastes sour and is found mostly in the mountains, which is why the Chinese call it "sour mountain date."

But what makes this sour mountain date capable of promoting longevity? The story behind this is that the flowers of this plant appear as early as May, but its fruit do not become ripe until November, which means that it takes a longer period of time than other plants to bear fruit.

Moreover, in November when most other plants have died, the sour mountain date has not only survived, but its fruit are hanging from it elegantly. The fact that it takes a long time for the sour mountain date to bear fruit signifies that the fruit must have a certain element oflong life in them and the fact that this plant can resist the assault of severe winter cold means that there must be a quality of toughness in it.

The fruit of medicinal cornel was used as the "king ingredient" in a celebrated Chinese herbal formula, called "the eight-flavoured tablets," during the third century A.D. This formula was used to treat many serious disorders, including diabetes, chronic nephritis and sexual weaknesses.

A "king ingredient" means that the ingredient plays a very important role in the formula. A report prepared by the National Peking Research Institute indicates that the fruit of medicinal cornel can promote urination and lower blood pressure for many hours.

What follows are standard, modern descriptions of this herb.

Morinda root is called "never-withering-and-falling" in Chinese because it is a creeping vine that hangs on persistently and "never withering and falling" means longevity in Chinese. The root of this plant, which is used for medicinal purposes, contains vitamin C and carbohydrates.

Simple Breathing Exercises That Will Cleanse Your Organs

Breathing is such a natural, involuntary act that often we disregard it as something insignificant to our health.  However, being closely aware of how our body respires is crucial to our physical and mental well-being.  For example, it is commonly acknowledged that during meditation, one must regulate breathing to achieve the state of calm desired.  The "om" syllable is used to create the environment necessary for the body to achieve peace.  Similarly, the different ways a person exhales is directly correlated with the functioning of various organs of the body.  This breathing method was introduced to China over 2000 years ago from India, and has the ability to cleanse the organs of disease. 

See linked video below:

http://youtu.be/XM0OVCtwSc0

"Ho"-->the heart

"Hoo"-->the stomach

"Hwee"-->the liver

"Chway"-->the kidneys

"Hee"-->the Triple Burner (the endocrine system, esp. the thyroid, thymus and adrenal glands)

"Si (as in riCE)-->the lungs

The syllables themselves are meaningless; the key is in the aperture that the mouth forms when pronouncing these syllables.  Don't read the syllable out loud--rather, whisper it and allow the air to flow through the aperture of the mouth formed by the syllable.

Many people believe that controlling the way one inhales is the key to the body's well-being.  Actually, it is just the opposite--the key is in the exhaling.  The way one releases air from the body is closely associated with a calm, healthy state of the body and mind.  People who practice yoga and meditation often will know that this is true. 

The breathing exercise should still feel like a natural process.  Simply inhale a specific amount of air, and then breathe out using the syllable formation until there is no more air left and you feel yourself involuntarily inhaling again. The air should flow naturally back to fill the lungs.  This process can be repeated many times.  Over time, this will not only help you feel calm and relaxed in daily life, but also will cleanse your organs and make your body feel more refreshed overall. 

How to Treat Rhinitis Naturally & Effectively

Rhinitis is one of the most common chronic conditions of today; although it only brings small discomforts, the illness itself is hard to eliminate entirely.  Especially with allergy-induced rhinitis, one must completely change the nature of one’s body, in order to have some hope of treating the illness. 

It’s important to know that rhinitis isn’t only a problem with the nose itself, so focusing treatment on the nose and sinuses isn’t going to be effective in the long term.  In the case of rhinitis, the nose is nothing but a scapegoat; the real problem lies within certain organs of the body, which are not working properly. 

To put it simply, rhinitis can be categorized into two types: one type is accompanied by symptoms such as clear nasal mucus, sneezing, and a stuffy nose.  The other type is accompanied by thicker, yellow nasal mucus and a duller or absent sense of smell.  The former is a condition related to an obstructed Pang Guang meridian and Kidney meridian—it must be treated through dispelling cold from the body’s interior, ridding the spleen of excess dampness, and replenishing the lungs and kidneys.  The latter condition is caused by an obstructed Stomach meridian and Gallbladder meridian, and must be treated by clearing excess heat/inflammation in the liver, dissolving phlegm buildup in the respiratory system, and clearing the pathway of the digestive system.  Now the question is, how must we go about accomplishing this?

Those with the first type of rhinitis—clear mucus and a stuffy nose—can use the Gwa Sha method  on the back, from Du Mai along the Pang Guang Meridian, applying until the skin becomes hot.  If you easily get coughs during the fall and winter, especially if there’s wind, use moxa on the Bei Yu, Yan Feng Men, Fei Yu, Pi Yu, Shen Yu points (see accompanying diagram).  Apply moxa over these areas until the heated skin feels itchy or hurts.  For people who easily get cold or have allergies, it is effective to use the “Make Yourself Sneeze Method” (introduced in an earlier blog post).  Or, you can boil ginger and jujubes (Chinese dates) in hot water and drink the soup. 

People who have clear nasal mucus tend to have what Chinese medicine refers to as “Cold Dampness” in their bodies; if your stomach feels cold often, you should take Fu Zi Li Zhong teapills to bring warmth to it.  If you have a lot of phlegm in your throat, and seldom feel thirsty, it is good to take Shen Ling Bai Shu teapills to dispel the dampness, while drinking little water.  For those of you who often feel the urge to sneeze, but the sneeze never comes out, take Bu Zhong Yi Qi teapills to strengthen the heart and lungs.  If you have dry skin and can’t sneeze, drink Ren Shen Sheng Mai, as this will strengthen your heart and nourish the skin. 

The nose and lungs have an unmistakable relationship.  It is also said that that the lungs are responsible for the skin and pores.  The skin is the body’s first line of defense against exterior harms.  Sweating easily or being afraid of cold drafts are signs that the pores are open when they shouldn’t be, letting the cold air into the body.  Taking Yu Bi Feng San granules will help increase energy in the spleen and lungs, while also preventing cold and wind from entering the body.

However, there are not a great variety of medicines to cure every single illness that exists, and on top of that, everyone’s condition is a little bit different.  Some people also might not find it convenient to go out to an herbal medicine store to buy the medicine.  The best solution is to drink a porridge made of Gorgon fruit, Chinese yam and Job’s tears.  Although this is not as instantly effective as taking herbs, as long as you persist to drink it every day, results will definitely come. 

Another solution is to massage the Wei Zhong point, located at the back of the knee, which will open up the nasal passages temporarily. Stimulating the Pang Guang Yu point will also have the same, but more long term, effect.

If, after using the “Making Yourself Sneeze” method, you feel that your nose is even more clogged than before, you may use some nasal spray to relieve this temporary side effect. 

Having weak kidneys is the root cause of allergy-induced rhinitis; to eradicate all traces of the illness, one must make the kidneys stronger by using moxa over the Guan Yuan point above the belly button, the Shen Yu point on the back (you can use cupping here too), and the Tai Xi point on the Kidney meridian. 

Now let’s talk about the second type of rhinitis.  Remember, this is the type accompanied by a loss in the sense of smell and thick, yellow mucus, and sometimes headache in the front area.  Compared to the first type of rhinitis, the second type is much easier to treat—one of the reasons is that there are more herbal medicines intended to treat this type of rhinitis. This kind of rhinitis is caused by a weak digestive system, so one of the ways to treat it is to apply the “Rub Your Stomach” method, and applying pressure to the stomach meridian often, especially to the Feng Long point. 

Some people don’t really like the idea of taking medicine, so I will introduce another method to you.  It is effective in treating both types of rhinitis. 

Lie facing upwards on the bed so that your legs are lying flat against the wall and your body is forming a 90 degree angle.  Flex both feet so that the soles are parallel to your chest—this is the starting position.  Then, reach both feet at the same time so that they are flat on the wall, with the soles of your feet touching the wall—at this point, your lower back will naturally lift up and your knees will bend.  Do this every day for at least 5 minutes, and symptoms of rhinitis will start to go away.  The reason this method works is that it exercises the Pang Guang meridian and Stomach meridian.  Maybe you can try to invent your own methods, too!  

Why Asian Dandelion is called "Fishman's Herb" in Chinese?

The 16-year-old daughter of a government official in ancient China was suffering from mastitis, with a triangular lump underneath her left breast. She was in pain and very worried, but she dared not tell anyone about it, because deep down inside she felt ashamed. But her maid eventually noticed her illness and disclosed it to her father, pleading with him to hire a doctor.
  
Inquiring into his daughter's condition the official became angry as he suspected that his daughter must have done something immoral to have caused this. He rushed to his daughter's room and slapped her in the face. "How could you do such a shameful thing? You are a disgrace to your family," shouted the father. The maid insisted that his daughter had never gone out alone and could not have possibly done anything immoral. The father wouldn't listen. The daughter ran away from home that night out of shame and desperation.
   
She went to the river bank and thinking that no one would be around at that hour to see her, quickly jumped into the river in an attempt to commit suicide. A fisherman was fishing from a rowboat nearby with his 16-year-old daughter. When they heard that splash, the fisherman's daughter instantly jumped into the river to save her. Once they were both on board the fisherman was surprised to see that the girl was just about the same age as his daughter.

The fisherman's daughter changed the girl's clothes and in the process discovered the swelling in the young lady's left breast. She immediately understood the reason for her attempted suicide. Telling her father about it the fisherman replied, "We will go dig some [healing] plants for her breast first thing in the morning."
 
The plant was a perennial herb, with white milky juice in it, yellowish flowers and straight but fleshy stem and thick roots. They found the plants along the roadside not far from the river. They dug out a few plants that weighed about 100g, washed them clean and boiled them in water. Then they told the girl to drink the liquid. In the meantime they crushed some of the plants and applied them to her breast.

Hearing of her whereabouts and their daughter's attempted suicide the official and his wife, greatly worried and deeply regretful, rushed to see the fisherman and to take their daughter home.

Their daughter, grateful and in tears, said good-bye to the fisherman and his daughter and went home with her parents, bringing a bunch of the plants with her. Before she left, the fisherman kept reminding her to continue using and applying the herb for her illness.
 
After she had recovered she told her maid to plant the herb in their garden. So that she would always remember the fisherman, she named the plant after him; not knowing his name she called it "Fisherman's Herb."
 
The Chinese use Asian dandelion to treat such symptoms by decocting 50g dandelion in two glasses of water ( medium size glass) until the water is reduced by half, then they strain and drink the liquid once daily.

In the treatment of eye disorders, take a cotton ball soaked in the fluid and gently press it on the closed eyelid for about half an hour daily. Unlike most Chinese herbs, when Asian dandelion is used to treat inflammatory diseases, both internal and external methods should be applied - whether in treating mastitis, tonsillitis, or mumps.

More information, Asian dandelion is effective to treat

1. indigestion and chronic constipation
2.mastitis prior to becoming infected, by both ingestion and external applications simultaneously,
3.early stages of snake and insect bites prior to infection, and
4. promoting urination in treating acute urination disturbances, by a decoction of as much as 35-70g of fresh dandelion; smaller quantities produce little or no effect.

Action:  to clear up heat, counteract toxic effects, disperse swelling and heal carbuncles.

Winter Health Tips & Allergy Prevention

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant, if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Acupuncture Media Works (2012)

Winter is a time for the yin phase.  This season is for resting, relaxing, and nurturing our bodies.  The yin phase indicates going inward, night time, rest, and nourishment.  During this phase of the year, it is important to listen to your body.  When you are feeling run down from the stress of work and life, you may need that extra hour of sleep.  Going to bed earlier and waking up later is part of this phase.  It’s similar to a bear hibernating in the winter.  We should conserve our energies and not have too many “yang” activities, like excessive work or exercise.  If we care for our bodies well in the wintertime, the spring season will be much healthier. 

Here are some winter health tips that may help you in your resolutions to better care for yourself.  In order to eat right for the season, you can cook with “warming foods.”  The weather is colder and your body needs warm foods to function properly.  For breakfast, you can make oatmeal or rice porridge with cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins or diced apple.  A boiled egg is a great compliment to this healthy breakfast, which will provide some good protein.  Green tea with some honey will round out this breakfast to boost your energy but not make you jittery.  Other items to add to a healthy winter diet are whole grains, brown rice, squash, and root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, onions, and garlic.  For a simple dinner soup, you can chop up some sweet potato, carrot, onion, and squash and boil for 30-45 minutes.  Add your favorite bean or legume for protein.  Add a bit of olive oil and salt to taste.  This will keep you warm and provide plenty of nutrition to build immunity.

Another winter health tip is to dress warmly.  This seems like an easy one, but is easily overlooked.  We may forget to check the weather and leave the house without our warm jacket.  Making sure that we dress warmly will protect our organs and prevent the cold from entering our body.  This can inevitably prevent disorders like arthritis, hip, back, and joint pain.  Covering our tummies in the winter can also help with women who have menstrual pain of the cold type.  If heating pads help your cramps, keeping your mid section properly covered can prevent the onset of menstrual cramping during winter.  Also, making sure you keep your neck covered while exercising and sweating can help prevent wind and cold from invading the body causing common cold.  It is very important to keep the back of the neck properly covered to prevent colds and stiff neck.  Scarves are great for this!  Dressing warmly during the winter can protect the body from cold, exhaustion and prevent illness.

During the wintertime, it’s important to support the kidney organ.  The vital energy and essence of the body derives from the kidneys.  If they are weakened during the wintertime, it can affect your energy level.  This is the time to support the adrenals and kidney organs.  How can we do this?  Other than getting plenty of sleep and eating healthfully, we can massage our acupuncture points.  This is called acupressure.  Gentle massage or rubbing of these points can aid the body in supporting health.  A good acupressure point to massage is Kidney 3.  This is located in the depression between the inner ankle and the Achilles tendon.  It is level with the ankle bone.  This point is used to treat various symptoms such as low back pain, tinnitus, headache, dizziness, wheezing, cough, poor memory, and impotence. 

If we can make small, simple adjustments in our daily life, we can support a healthier lifestyle and better immunity.  By resting well, eating warming foods, dressing appropriately, and using acupressure, we can build a stronger ability to fight off infections. 

Allergies

Winter is the time for allergies in Austin.  Our good old friend Cedar (Juniper) pollen is released into the air after the weather becomes cooler.  This can cause various symptoms for those who suffer from the allergic reaction.  These symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, headache, cough, excess nasal mucus, and fatigue.  Those who have excess nasal drainage can be at higher risk for cough and bronchitis if the fluid drains into the lungs while sleeping.  Preventing the onset of these symptoms can protect from more serious conditions such as long term cough, chest congestions, and bronchial infections. 

So what can we do to prevent these allergic reactions?  One easy tip is to protect the immunity by getting plenty of rest and eating a nutritious diet.  Limiting intake of dairy and wheat can be helpful for some who suffer from allergies.  Foods that can be avoided during an allergic reaction are milk, cheese, yogurt, fried foods, breads, sweets, and sugary drinks.  These foods can cause excess mucosal production which can exaccerbate a stuffy nose or cough.  Excessive sugar intake can delay healing time. 

One easy recipe for fighting off allergies and boosting immunity is lemon honey tea.  Our grandmothers knew it best.  Combine one quarter organic lemon, local honey, and boiled water to prevent getting sick after an allergy attack. The lemon is high in vitamin C, which is helpful in boosting immunity.  The local honey contains pollen from flora in the surrounding area of Austin, which can introduce small amounts of the pollen to the body.  This concept is similar to the idea of a vaccine.  You introduce trace amounts of the pathogen into the body, thereby creating immunity to the pollen. Stocking these ingredients and making this tea can help keep your immune system healthy during the winter season. 

Also, breathing techniques combined with certain sounds can help to boost the immune system during the winter time.  The sound for lung is “ssss” or “thhhh”.  To try this technique, you exhale through the mouth and inhale through the nose.  Put your tongue in between your teeth and make the ‘ssss’ sound.  Your tongue should be just slightly sticking out of your mouth.  Repeat this technique approximately 30 times.  This technique strengthens the lung energy.  By using this combination of breathing and sound therapy, you can expel pathogens from the lung.  It’s also very relaxing.  

There are also Chinese herbs that can be helpful in preventing allergy attacks.  This formula is called “Jade Screen” or Yu Ping Feng San.  This formula is named “Jade Screen” because the prescription preventatively boosts the immune system, thereby creating a ‘screen’ to protect against an allergic attack.  Taking this formula several months before the allergy season can work wonders for those who have allergies.  I’m a living example of this!  I’ve taken Jade Screen and it helps my allergies, as well as preventing chronic bronchial infections during the winter season.  How it works is to strengthen the digestion and immune system to create a stronger immunity when the pollen season arrives.  It also helps to strengthen the lung organ to support good lung health.  Getting regular acupuncture treatments and taking “Jade Screen” are the best things I’ve done to help my allergies!

By taking care of yourself during the winter season, you can prevent an allergic reaction.  With nutritional therapy, resting well, breathing techniques, acupuncture, and taking herbal formulas, we can boost our immunity and stave off infection.  These are healthy, mild treatments that help to maintain longevity and promote well being!!

Written by: Kendall Ash McAnally

An Exercise that helps you Achieve Longevity

The kidneys, in addition to their normal blood purification functions, store the vital energy (essence) for the body. Vital energy is essential to life itself. To the degree that vital energy leaves the body, the body slowly dies. To the degree that vital energy increases in the body, the body thrives. Kidneys are vital to every other organ system. If the kidneys are damaged, it’s like the foundation of a house is being weakened.  

You may have kidney deficiencies if you have some of the following symptoms: ear ringing; deafness; foot or knee ache; lower back pain; night sweating; dizziness; loose teeth; hair loss; frequent urinating (especially at night); swollen eye lids (after you get up in the morning); dark circles around eyes; weakness in the legs. Mentally if you have more fear than before. For example, you were not afraid of driving when you were younger. Now you always fear other cars will hit you when you’re driving. This is an indication that your kidneys may be weaker than before.

Today let me introduce a simple exercise to help you strengthen your kidneys and accumulate more vital energies in the kidneys. See the linked video below:

http://youtu.be/BpikR_Hngq4

Do the exercise persistently and gradually you’ll see the results! You will!