TCM Herbal Remedy for Chronic Asthma
In upstate NY, we are finally in the throes of heat and humidity or what we call the dog days of summer. This is the time when thousands of people in mainland China are lining up at special clinics in their local hospitals to start herbal plaster therapy, or fu tie, for chronic asthma and other respiratory diseases.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is common knowledge that the best time to treat a chronic winter disease is during the hottest time of the year.
In summer the yang (hot) energy of the universe is at its peak and the yin (cold) energy is at its lowest point. Chinese medicine believes that the human body is a microcosm of the universe, and therefore the same principal holds true. People who suffer from pulmonary disorders that are aggravated by cold weather typically are constitutionally deficient of yang energy and therefore susceptible to an invasion of pathogenic cold. Summer is the best time to strengthen the yang energy of the body.
The treatment for asthma involves applying an herbal paste to acupuncture points on the upper back. Chinese herbs that are warm in nature or have the function to eliminate phlegm are used in the preparations. One such formula grinds equal amounts of bai jie zi, yan hu suo, gan sui, and xi xin into a powder and moistens the mixture with ginger juice to form a paste. Cakes the size of a quarter are positioned over acupuncture points, covered with gauze and tape and left in place for three to four hours. Because the pores of the skin are open during this hot time of year, the medicinal properties of the herbs are more readily absorbed into the body.
But acupuncture can also treat digestive disorders such as nausea, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome. It is commonly used to treat asthma and sinus problems. Acupuncture is very powerful to treat gynecological problems including PMS, menopausal symptoms, endometriosis and even infertility.