Acupuncture Services of Central NY

In the following article, Dr. Jake Fratkin discusses the many Chinese herbal formulas that can be used to treat the common cold and flu. Consult a licensed practitioner of Chinese mediicne to determine which formula should be used in any given situation.

Treating Acute Common Cold
BY
Dr. Jake Paul Fratkin

One of the great contributions Chinese medicine offers the West is the availability of herbs and herbal formulas that directly attack viral heat toxins causing the common cold, influenza, upper respiratory infections, and common pediatric diseases. Here, western medicine is at a total loss, offering at best bed rest and fluids, and at worse, antibiotics. Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections, doing nothing to alter the severity of symptoms or the time frame of an infection. However, they do negatively impact the body’s immune system by destroying the beneficial gut bacteria that neutralize harmful toxins. By destroying gut bacteria, one’s immune system becomes depleted, doing the work that would have been done by beneficial bacteria.

While western herbology offers several antiviral herbs such as echinacea and dandelion (Taraxacum), the Chinese herbal materia medica has at least 30 strong medicinal herbs that can destroy pathogenic viruses. Modern clinical research in China has validated their efficacy against the viruses that cause common cold, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, respiratory, encephalitis, meningitis, herpes, and hepatitis. Herbs with antiviral effect used in the classical formulas included Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Taraxacum Pu Gong Ying, Isatis Ban Lan Gen, Isatis Da Qing Ye, Oldenlandia Bai Hua She She Cao, Smilax Tu Fu Ling and Lasiosphaera Ma Bo.

Although not discussed in the classical literature, certain herbs have emerged in the last fifty years that are also effective against viruses. These include Ilex Mao Dong Qing, Andrographis Chuan Xin Lian, Evodia San Cha Ku, Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Patrinia Bai Jiang Cao, Polygonum Hu Zhang and Viola Zi Hua Di Ding.

When we evaluate the appropriateness of an herbal formula in fighting a viral disease, one benchmark is the inclusion of one or more of the herbs listed above.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 04:38 AM | Chinese Herbal Formulas for the Common Cold

In the following article, Dr. Jake Fratkin gives us an acupuncture protocol to help pass kidney stones during an acute attack. He also, talks of an herbal product that he himself has formulated to treat and prevent kidney stones.

Treating Acute Kidney Stone Attack

BY
Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD

I created AMBER STONE FORMULA as a variation on PASSWAN, a Chinese patent medicine for the treatment of kidney stone from Bai Yun Shan Pharmaceutical Manufactory in Guangzhou. PASSWAN has become generally unavailable in the United States, and few American companies have elected to offer a kidney stone formula. The original name, PASSWAN, I suppose is a Chinese-English variation for Pass (the Stone) Wan (Pill). Its Chinese name is te xiao pai shi wan, which translates as “Specially Effective Expel Stone Pill”. The formula is certainly “Specially Effective.” I have heard of cases of acute stone impaction that would release within 30 minutes of taking the pill.

The Herbal Formula. The original formula had the following composition:

Desmodium Jin Qian Cao 25.0 %
Lygodium Hai Jin Sha 20.0
Angelica Bai Zhi 10.0
Andrographis Chuan Xin Lian 10.0
Achyranthes Niu Xi 7.5
Ficus Wu Zhi Mao Tao 5.5
Rheum Da Huang 5.0
Millettia Niu Da Li 5.0Succinum Hu Po 5.0
Sha Niu * 4.0
Notoginseng Tian Qi 3.0

*(Unknown herb. Translates as Sand Cow, and in fact could be stones or sand from a cow’s bladder or kidney.)

Our formula for Golden Flower is as follows:

Desmodium Jin Qian Cao 15 %
Lygodium Hai Jin Sha 15
Imperata Bai Mao Gen 12
Pyrrosia Shi Wei 12
Lonicera Jin Yin Hua 9
Millettia Ji Xue Teng 8
Notoginseng Sheng Tian Qi 8
Dianthus Qu Mai 7
Succinum Hu Po 7
Talcum Hua Shi 7

The original formula has 11 ingredients, while ours has 10 herbs. Five herbs are the same. The lead herbs are Desmodium Jin Qian Cao and Lygodium Hai Jin Sha. These two herbs together act synergetically to dissolve stone, and offer a significant contribution to the treatment of kidney stone. Western medicine currently employs ultrasound to crack a stone, but this approach shatters the stone into small pieces which injure local tissue as they are expelled. The combination of Jin Qian Cao and Hai Jin Sha actually dissolve the stone, allowing expulsion without damage.

Millettia Ji Xue Teng is a both a blood tonic as well as a blood mover, but in this formula it is included to relax spasm, a chief feature of acute stone obstruction. Notoginseng Sheng Tian Qi helps to stop bleeding. The last shared herb of the formula is Succinum Hu Po, or amber pine resin, which is used synergestically with Desmodium Jin Qian Cao and Lygodium Hai Jin Sha to treat urinary obstruction and dissolve stone.

In my formula, I also added herbs to reduce kidney and bladder damp heat, namely Pyrrosia Shi Wei, Dianthus Qu Mai and Talcum Hua Shi. Damp heat is the underlying condition that allows stones to form in the first place. The heat congeals stones, and it is important to clear heat to address the root cause. These damp heat herbs specifically go to the kidney and bladder.

The final herbs of the formula treat specific aspects of a kidney stone presentation. Imperata Bai Mao Gen reinforces the effect of stop bleeding, and also helps to heal damaged tissue following an acute attack. Lonicera Jin Yin Hua inhibits infection, which often accompanies the damage of a kidney stone.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 12:51 AM | Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs for Kidney Stones

Many of China’s remarkable herbal products have been exported to the United States for years; Gan Mao Ling, Yunnan Pai Yao, Huang Lian Su, Ching Wan Hong and so on. So, it is refreshing to find a premier Chinese herbal product that has never been exported to the United States finally find its way here. It arrived here through the stubborn persistence of an American practitioner awestruck by the usefulness and effectiveness of the product.

The product is imported and packaged as Yin-Care by ArborUSA. In China it is known as Jie Er Yin Xi Ye, literally “Clean Your Yin Wash-Liquid”. It is popular in China on a level rivaling America’s successful over-the-counter products. Millions of bottles are sold yearly, mostly for vaginitis and as a topical anti-fungal.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 07:27 AM | An Extraordinary Chinese Herbal Product Finds Its Way to North America By Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD

For practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine in North America, one of the most significant obstacles has been patient compliance. While it is possible to initially convince patients to take water-extracted decoctions, enthusiasm wanes dramatically after three weeks. There are three main reasons for this: 1) The taste is not agreeable. 2) The patient does not like the effort and time that it takes to boil down herbs on a daily basis; also, the smell in the house is often objectionable. 3) The price is excessive, often costing the patient $3 - 7 per bag per day, or $60 to $140 per month. In America, we often use 100 grams of herb per bag, and try to get three doses out of it, lasting one and a half days. In China, one bag might be two to three times the dosage, and meant to last one day. Which is to say that this approach, when practiced in North America, is often less strong (and effective) as is practiced in China.

So, compliance is affected by hassle and cost. Practitioners, many of whom recognize this problem, have tried to circumvent it by using ready made Chinese herbal products. This, of course, inhibits the herbalist's effectiveness in customizing an individual formula. For those herbalists wishing to individualize patient's prescriptions, there are three methods for reducing the cost and increasing compliance on the part of the patient.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 09:37 AM | Making Chinese Herbal Formulas into Alcohol Extracts by Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD