Eczema & How Chinese Medicine Can Help

Signs & Symptoms

People with eczema have patches of skin that become inflamed, red and itchy. These patches can appear anywhere on the body. Eczema most commonly appears on the face, neck and the insides of the elbows, knees and ankles. Symptoms vary depending on the person and type of eczema, but typically include:

·         Dry, reddened skin that itches or burns

·         Blisters and/or oozing lesions

·         Dry and/or scaly, thickened skin

·         Moderate to severe itching

Three main pathogenic factors:

·         Wind: Characterized by sudden onset and development, change from one place to the other, and generalized itching

·         Dampness: Manifests as puffiness of skin, vesicles or papules and oozing of fluid

·         Heat: Tends to manifest as a burning sensation, redness and swelling

Eastern medicine’s approach to eczema is based in its understanding that the body is a holistic system. Everything from the conditions in your gut to the flow of Qi through the body’s main channels/meridians affects the health of the skin. For example, the lungs are primarily in charge of the skin’s health. Excess heat and dampness in the lungs are common causes of eczema. The spleen and stomach play similar roles in managing levels of heat and dampness on the skin. The liver also plays a role in eczema by its detoxification of blood. When blood has high levels of toxins, red itchy patches will become more inflamed. Eczema is a condition that’s triggered by allergens and is often seen in people who also suffer from asthma. Stress is also a major component of eczema, which leads to more flare-ups.

Through acupuncture, the Qi of these organ systems are balanced and allowed to flow freely to achieve optimum skin health. In addition to disruptions in Qi and toxin build-up, unhealthy or inappropriate diet contributes to skin problems. The health of the gut is very strongly correlated to the skin. Many people with eczema have reported that certain foods seem to trigger their condition while others don’t and vice versa. One option for eczema sufferers is eliminate inflammatory foods. When these foods are removed from the diet and inflammation is reduced, one will begin to see improvements in not just the skin, but in overall health and well-being. A healthier diet can make a big improvement in skin and allow you to achieve optimum health.

A great product to help with the red, itchy, dry symptoms of Eczema is Spring Wind Ointment that we carry here at our clinic.

Stayed tuned for more info on Eczema...
-By Alex Flores, EAMP

Summer Soltice: Maximum Yang

As we near the solstice, the yang qi of the environment is rising to its peak. In Seattle, a relatively cool and damp place, this is a great thing, however, depending on your constitution, it can be problematic. In particular, getting to sleep at a reasonable hour can be quite challenging, what with there being light in the sky passed 10pm. Part of the solution is to actually go to bed at your typical bed time even though there's still a significant amount of light: start your pre-sleep ritual at least 20-30 minutes before the time you want to get to sleep. Reading a bit before bed is a great way to stabilize the spirit so that it naturally settles in its abode of the Heart when you're finally ready to shut your eyes.
If you're performing your regular ritual at your usual bed time and still having difficulty sleeping, try a hot foot bath right before bed. The water is yin and the warmth is yang. This is an image of sleep: yang resting within yin; the warmth of the water helps guide the restless and excited yang qi down and into the yin, promoting the energetic qualities of natural sleep. Just remember to dry your feet before getting into bed!

Authored by: David Derdiger

Humanistic Medicine

A patient recently commented on the poster in our lobby and I thought our readers might be interested in seeing it, too*

Working Definition of Humanistic Medicine

The person cannot be seen simply as his disease nor can the health professional limit his expertise to medical technology. The full healing potential of their relationship often depends on their interaction as whole human beings and far exceeds the treatment of disease.
Every person achieves a unique interdependent relationship of body, mind, emotions, and spirit, inseparable from other individuals and society. Illness can best be understood as a disturbance within the dynamic balance of these relationships. Health may be defined as the harmony of the whole and the work of the health professional as aiding in the re-establishment of a more fully conscious equilibrium within the whole.
The person and the health professional are colleagues. Their collaboration activates the latent human and biological resources within the patient for healing. The patient is encouraged to be aware of his choices and become increasingly responsible for his own health, growth, and fulfillment.
Illness may provide an opportunity for personal growth. The experience of disease may be used creatively to re-evaluate life goals and values, provide clarity in setting priorities and mobilize previously untapped strengths. The health professional enables the patient to evolve a positive value from the experience of disease, to maintain identity and reaffirm dignity as a person.
Illness must be seen in the context of the life span of the individual. Indeed, it may have a unique meaning when seen in reference to the total life of the patient. Physical disease and emotional suffering have an individual message for each patient,  yielding information about such personal issues as lifestyle, self-worth, and the value of time. The knowledge gained through the understanding of this individual meaning may enable the patient to enrich the quality of his or her life.



*Of course Julie found it at Goodwill, she's got an amazing eye for bargains!

What to do for soft tissue injuries (Part 2 of 2)

So, if you're not supposed to slap ice on an acute soft tissue injury because it slows the metabolic rate and impedes the turnover of the initial, painful stage of inflammation into the cleanup and rebuilding stages, then what should you do?

In Chinese medicine, when an acute traumatic injury occurs there are four results: heat, blood stasis, fluid accumulation, and qi stagnation. The heat you can obviously feel with your hand and see from the reddened tissue; the blood stasis is evident in the bruising; the fluid accumulation is obviously seen with the swelling; the only thing not obvious to a lay person is qi stagnation, which to a practitioner of Chinese medicine is evidenced in this case by the experience of pain.

In Chinese medicine, lack of movement or impediment to the pathway of movement is the root of pain. In the case of a traumatic injury, the stagnation of qi and blood allows the fluids to accumulate and produces incredible heat, which is not only itself a source of pain, but further damages the blood and increases stasis. To treat this in Chinese medicine, we use herbs that clear heat, cool the blood, move blood stasis, and reduce fluid accumulation. These herbs are prepared in a way so they can be externally applied to the site of the injury, their medicinal properties absorbed through the skin, penetrating directly into the traumatized tissue.

A classical formula for this purpose is called San Huang San (“Three Yellows Powder”), and it primarily clears heat, cools the blood, and reduces fluid accumulation. The formula is often modified to include herbs that more strongly clear heat and invigorate the blood to hasten the process of turning the initial painful stage of an acute injury into healing. Such a modified version of San Huang San, called Ice-No-More is prepared in a natural alternative to petroleum jelly and ready to apply the moment after an injury occurs. Put on a layer 1/8”-1/4” thick, cover with plastic wrap (to prevent the staining of fabric), and leave in place for 24 hours. Look for Ice-No-More on the shelves at The Pin Cushion and keep it at home in your medicine cabinet or first aid kit. Stop putting ice on your injuries, start healing faster, and ensure an overall stronger tissue by using an acute-stage, heat clearing, qi and blood moving soft plaster like Ice-No-More, or any other Chinese medicine trauma liniment designed with the same intention.

Moxa

Has your practitioner given you a moxa stick, but you're not sure what to do? Here are some instructions to get you started on the path to being a moxa pro!


Use a candle or lighter to light one end of the moxa stick. Keep the stick in contact with the heat source until it begins to smolder a bit. (You can test the heat of the stick by placing it a half inch to an inch above the back of your hand. When you feel a pleasant warmth the stick has been heated correctly). You can also gently blow on the stick to help the process. Make sure to scrape the gray ash from the stick on the corner of a bowl or something metal.
The stick can now be held about an inch over any area (or corresponding acupuncture point) in which you feel pain, aches, cramps, or physical discomfort. Hold the stick just above the area to be treated low enough to feel a pleasant warmth, but high enough to prevent burning. Be very careful NOT TO LET THE MOXA STICK MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SKIN.
Make sure to ash stick every 2-3 minutes.
Move the moxa stick slowly over the area you are treating for 5-7 minutes. It should feel soothing and warm, but not too hot.
When you have finished the treatment, extinguish the moxa stick in a dish of salt or rice.
Repeat daily over area.

Eat Congee, Make Your Spleen Happy!!

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is founded on the theory that qi is the vital energetic life force that runs throughout our body. When we are born, we receive a certain amount of qi from our parents; qi can also be cultivated using energetic exercises such as tai chi or qi gong, but the majority of our post-natal qi is derived from the food we eat. Eating nutritious, whole foods is an important step in generating sufficient qi, but only if our bodies have the capability of processing these foods.

You will often hear TCM practitioners talk about your energetic Spleen. The TCM Spleen can be loosely translated to your digestion. Thus, it is an important TCM organ to nourish and replenish your qi. There are numerous ways to boost your Spleen, but one easy step is to feed yourself nutritious and easily-digested food first thing in the morning, while your body is still awakening and not quite functioning at its peak. I like to refer to this as "babying your Spleen" in the morning.

Congee, or "rice water", is a traditional breakfast dish enjoyed throughout China.* It is much more than a delicious way to start your day, it's an excellent meal to "awaken the Spleen," priming the body for a qi-filled day.

There are two different directions one can take when preparing congee depending on your taste preference- savory or sweet. It is important to note that when I use the term "sweet," I do not mean the candy-like sweetness we are used to in western society. By "sweet" I'm referring to a very mild sweet taste.

Preparation of your congee does not need to be exact, and can vary from day to day. You may find you like your congee a bit thicker, or more soupy. You might add carrots and mushrooms one day and kale the next. Below are two base recipes to use as-is or as a foundation for your own unique dish. My only caution would be to keep it relatively simple and use nutritious, whole foods.

Savory Congee:

 -white rice (1 cup)
 -chicken stock or water (5-7 cups)
 - fresh ginger (2-4 coin-sized slices)

 Add-ons: use 1-2 additional ingredients from this list.

 - carrot (~1 small, diced)
 - mushrooms (2-3, diced)
 - cooked squash (~1/2 cup)
 - chicken ( ~1/4 cup cooked)
 - kale or spinach (~1/2 cup chopped) add the last half-hour of cooking
 -(if your spleen is healthy)additional grains such as brown rice, millet, or quinoa.
 These grains can be used with white rice or as the primary grain in the congee

"Sweet" Congee:

 -white rice (1 cup)
 -milk alternative: almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, etc. or water (5-7 cups)
 - fresh ginger (2-4 coin-sized slices)

Add-ons:

 -a pinch of cardamom and/or a pinch of cinnamon
 -berries of all kinds: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. You may want to
add these the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Cooking directions:

Bring the rice, broth, and veggies to a boil and reduce heat to stew ingredients together for 1-4 hours (or longer). The point is to create a soupy consistency where the rice has broken down. You may need to check the pot while cooking and add more stock/broth if the congee appears to be too thick. This is important, too much water/broth is better than too little*. It is also possible to cook your congee in a crock pot on low heat. Long and slow cooking is the best way to prepare this porridge-like dish. Many claim that the longer the congee cooks, the more "powerful" it becomes*. This recipe will make a nice amount of food, you can cook congee 1-2 times a week and store in the refrigerator to reheat for breakfast another day (it will keep 3-5 days).

Enjoy! By eating this easily digested congee in the morning your Spleen be happy and your digestion will be primed to easily assimilate the rest of your food for the day.


Rebecca Babik, EAMP

Sources:

-Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition.
North Atlantic Books, Berkeley CA. 2002.

-Photo credit to iheartguts.com

-me :)

What (not) to do for acute soft tissue injuries (Part 1 of 2)

What (not) to do for acute soft tissue injuries (Part 1 of 2)

You're walking to your front door, up your front walk: you turn towards the peculiar sound of a bird to your right and... CRUNCH!!! You roll your ankle off the side of the walk, cursing profusely. You hobble inside and all you want is to get your shoe off as your ankle begins to swell. The pain and swelling are tremendous; what should you do once that confounding shoe comes off? Pop an Advil? Grab a bag of frozen peas and an ACE bandage, post up on the couch with an ottoman, a stack of pillows, and the first season of your favorite show?

Throughout most of our lives, we were taught that the best thing to do was to stop the inflammation process and reduce the swelling with anti-inflammatory medication, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications, such as ibuprofen, and ice ultimately result in a local decrease of inflammatory biochemicals at the site of injury. (Hertel 1997, Takagi R et. al. 2011). This would be great if decreasing inflammatory biochemicals led to quicker and more robust healing of injuries, but it doesn't, and in fact it may weaken the injured tissue and make it more susceptible to injury in the future (Hertel 1997, Tortland 2007, Reynolds 2009, Jam 2014).

The inrush of pain-producing inflammatory biochemicals to the site of an injury is a necessary process in response to physical trauma that transforms into a healing process roughly 24 hours after the initial injury. If that process is inhibited by anti-inflammatory medications, ice, or prolonged immobilization, the result will most likely be muscles, tendons, or ligaments that are much structurally weaker had those treatments not been applied (Hertel 1997, Tortland 2007, Jam 2014).
Part 2 of this blog post will cover some of the methods used in Chinese Medicine to treat acute soft tissue injuries.

For further reading on NSAID use in the treatment of acute soft tissue injury see:

"The Role of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Treatment of Acute Soft Tissue Inuries" by Jay Hertel, MEd, ATC, Journal of Athletic Training, 1997, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1320354/

"Sports Injuries and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) Use"  by Paul D. Tortland, DO, SPORTS Med (CSMS Committee on the Medical Aspects of Sports), Winter 2007

"Phys Ed: Does Ibuprofen Help or Hurt During Exercise?" by Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Times, September 1, 2009, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/phys-ed-does-ibuprofen-help-or-hurt-during-exercise/?_r=0

For further reading on the use of ice in the treatment of acute soft tissue injury see:

"Paradigm Shifts: Use of Ice & NSAIDs Post Acute Soft Tissue Injuries (Part 1 of 2)" by Dr. Bahram Jam, DScPT, MPhty, BScPT, CredMDT, Advanced Physical Therapy Institute, 2014, http://physicaltherapyweb.com/paradigm-shifts-use-ice-nsaids-post-acute-soft-tissue-injuries-part-1-2/

"Influence of icing on muscle regeneration after crush injury to skeletal muscles in rats." by Tagaki R, et. al., Journal of Applied Physiology, 1985, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21164157

Written by David Derdiger, EAMP, LAc, February 11th, 2015