Chinese Medicine for Urinary Bladder health

Urinary Tract Infections, or, UTI's, are diagnosed according to Chinese Medicine as "damp heat."   Symptoms often include frequent, burning, or painful urination, or the sensation of a bladder retaining urine even after urination.  Urine may be cloudy, and in some cases there is fever due to the excess heat and inflammation from the infection.  UTI's more commonly affect women because of shorter, more easily infected urinary ducts.  This type of infection can be extremely uncomfortable, yet many people don't realize that Acupuncture can help.

Many people have heard recommendations such as cranberry juice for urinary bladder health.  What other foods and herbs are beneficial?    Well, since an infection of this nature is "damp heat", you want to consume foods that are cooling, and foods that aren't acid forming (this contributes to "dampness.")  Acid forming foods are refined sugar and other sweeteners, greasy, oily foods, and too much starch.  Overeating can also contribute to dampness, so try to eat lightly, with broths and herbal teas.   Coffee and alcohol are too warming and can aggravate heat. 

Here are some cooling and alkalizing recommendations to help your body clear the infection: (you could even make a broth from these ingredients):  celery, carrots, asparagus, aduki beans, lima beans, mushrooms.

Fruits are cooling, but also have sugar, so some good options are: watermelon, lemon (diluted juice), cranberry (unsweetened juice), and huckleberries. 

Here are some beneficial herbal teas: uva ursi, dandelion leaf, plantain leaf.

Acupuncture is a great way to support bladder and kidney health, and help your body clear the infection even quicker.  We also have some great Chinese Herbal formulas that you can take on a daily basis between treatments.  Don't suffer, come on in and get some relief.