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There are twelve energy pathways, or meridians, in the human body that connect to specific organs in the body. Chinese medicine believes that each organ has a two hour time period when the Qi is at its peak in that meridian. The Qi flows cyclically in a clockwise rotation like a wave through the meridians.
In the past, when a couple has had difficulty conceiving, the assumption was that the problem was with the female partner. Not so anymore. Male infertility now accounts for 40% of infertility cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses male fertility via a sperm analysis, which measures the volume, count, motility and morphology of the sperm sample.
The average male sperm count has dropped 45% over the last few generations. The cause of this drastic decline has been linked to the increased exposure to environmental pollutants. Other factors include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and some prescription drugs. Cell phone usage has also been implicated in the decline and men hoping to impregnate their partners should avoid wearing cell phones on their belt.
Tongue diagnosis is an integral part of taking a medical history in Chinese medicine. Giavanni Macciocia, a renowned acupuncturist and herbalist from the United Kingdom, in my opinion, has compiled the most complete reference available to English speaking practitioners with his book "Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine".His book was one of the first that I purchased as an acupuncture student and remains an invaluable reference in my practice today.
In Chinese medicine, disease is explained by an imbalance of yin and yang and heat and cold in the human body. Chinese medicine believes that chronic imbalances will have a definite impact on the color and shape of the tongue body and the color and thickness of the tongue coating.
As a teenager and young woman, I suffered horribly with painful menstrual periods. Every month, for several days before my period, I would feel bloated, tired and irritable. Just the pressure of the water in the shower would be intolerable on my tender breasts. I would crave sugar (especially chocolate). And the day before my period, I would literally be bedridden with knife-like cramps that would cause severe nausea and vomiting.
My mother took me to the gynecologist. They found absolutely nothing wrong with me and told my mother and me that all of these symptoms would probably disappear after I had my first baby. Just what every mother wants the doctor to tell her sixteen-year old daughter!
After completing my education in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I returned home to central NY faced with the decision of where to set up my acupuncture practice. My husband, who had been quite busy running our family orchard business and waiting patiently for my return, suggested that I use some space behind the apple grading room and run my practice on the farm. I definitely knew that that was not the serene and professional image that I was going for! “Aw, c’mon”, he said. “You can call it your apple-puncture clinic, and we can have a new slogan – “come in for a prick and a peck!”
My husband has a weird sense of humor. But, “a prick and a peck” does prompt me to think about the differences between the philosophies of western and eastern medicine.
As a member of the NY Apple Association, they provided us with a display poster for our farm stand. It proclaims the nutritional value of the apple. Did you know that the apple contains 85 calories, has no fat or cholesterol, is low in sodium and fat and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals? Western culture analyzes our food at the molecular level, just like we analyze our bodies to diagnose disease. There is the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but as a society we are slow in taking the role of diet seriously in preventative health care.
Fertility issues affect at least one in six couples in the United States alone. Millions of women have gone through every test Western medicine has to offer to try to determine why they have not been able to conceive. Ultrasounds confirm that the ovaries and uterus appear to be normal. Blood work confirms that hormone levels are within normal range. Their partners have passed sperm analysis with flying colors. Many women tolerate hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. Some attempt intrauterine inseminations (IUI’s) or expensive invitro fertilization procedures (IVF’s) in an attempt to bypass cervical, sperm or any other mysterious fertility issue. Many attempts fail and couples are given the dreaded, frustrating diagnosis of “unexplained infertility”. So, if nothing is wrong, what is wrong?
"Between Heaven and Earth"
"A Guide to Chinese Medicine"
By Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korn
When I first mentioned to my yoga teacher several years ago that I was considering a major career change and wanted to go back to school to study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), (I had been a computer programmer/systems analyst for 20 years) – she suggested that I read “Between Heaven and Earth”. I bought the book that day and have been fascinated with the theories that are the foundation of TCM ever since.
Trigeminal neuralgia, a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, is a condition that produces intense, sporadic facial pain along one or more of the three branches of this nerve. The pain is severe and can last from seconds to minutes. Another name for this condition is “tic douloreaux” due to the fact that facial muscle spasms often accompany the pain. The pain can be triggered by normal activities such as eating, brushing of the teeth or even touching trigger points on the face during everyday activities such as washing the face or applying make-up. Wind, cold, heat, stress or fatigue may aggravate the condition. The pain is typically one sided, more common in women and more common in the over 40 population. The condition may become chronic and debilitating, often lasting for years.
Once Western medicine utilizes an MRI exam to rule out a physical obstruction pressing on the trigeminal nerve or multiple sclerosis, which can mimic the same symptoms, the choice of treatment is drug therapy to control the pain. Often drugs such as Tegritol or Neurontin can control the pain, but not without the significant risk of side effects ranging from dizziness and nausea to serious heart, liver, kidney and blood complications. Occasionally, surgical intervention is the last resort to provide relief.
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