Chinese Medicine can help prevent Cervical Dysplasia

Infections caused by variants of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a leading cause of the development of cancerous cells in the cervix. Many women are tested each year and found to have precursor cancer cells developing. A recent study showed that stress does affect how these HPV cells develop in women, as stress weakens the immune system’s ability to fight off the HPV virus. From a Chinese medicine perspective, these types of disorders are caused by disruption to the Liver’s energy flow (which is often affected by perverse emotions) which rules the reproductive organs. Since Acupuncture is very effective in reducing the affects stress has on the body (as well as boosting the immune system) it can help control and even prevent such disorders developing, and in turn protect the cervix from developing dangerous precursor cancer cells. A copy of the journal article can be downloaded here (198kb).

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

In ancient texts it was always written that a practitioner should treat people while they are healthy to prevent illness ever occurring. This of course was during a time when communities were much smaller and the practitioner knew and saw everyone regularly, so symptoms and illnesses were spotted early. Now days communities are much larger and people only seek treatment when they have already fallen ill, or have had an ailment for an extended period of time. Sadly many of these conditions could be avoided if people looked after their bodies in a similar manner we cared for our vehicles.

We service our cars to try and prevent them breaking down, which has many long term benefits; It increases the longevity of the vehicle, decreases the chances of faults occurring -which reduces long term expenses, and the vehicle runs more efficiently. This theory also applies to our health, keeping our body’s well maintained will decrease our chance of falling ill as well as improve our quality of life. This means less expenses in the long run, as fewer doctor visits will be needed, which means fewer drugs, less time off work, and more time and energy to do the things you really want to do. Chinese Medicine is proven to be able to keep you both physically and mentally strong. This means your ability to cope with life’s daily stresses is improved which further reduces your chances of falling ill.

Though western medicine cannot yet prove it, much research points to the idea that many diseases have an emotional root, which is a concept that has existed in Chinese Medicines for a thousand years. Your health is a very precious commodity, one which cannot be fully replenished if damaged severely. In the grand scheme of life, many of the forces which impact on our health can easily be avoided or cancelled out by simply having some form of regular maintenance. Whether it be bi-monthly acupuncture treatments, or weekly yoga and meditation classes, simple little practices can make a huge difference to the quality of your life in the long term.

Emptying Our Soul Creates Room For Happiness

This is an old Daoist principle that a teacher told me several years ago.  He explained why money doesn’t always buy happiness, and why many rich and famous people are troubled.

He explained how our soul and spirit works in a similar way to our digestive system, it is designed for things to flow through it, not just in.  for example; If you constant eat and never excrete the waste, then you feel very sick, like to want to burst.  Similarly if you over-eat more than you should you feel very sick, as you have over-filled your stomach.

Our spirit works in a similar way.  Famous people are a good example, as they recieve so much in the way of; money, admiration, attention and so on.  but how many give an equal amount back?  They are effectively recieving all this Qi but not letting any out, thus their spirit becomes full to the point they cannot take in anymore. their spiritual Qi becomes stagnant.  Qi by nature wants to constantly move, otherwise it causes disharmonies.

However, if you receive things and also give, whether it be in the form of volunteering, donations, helping out friends and family etc.  then your soul and spirit is being emptied and ready to receive fresh Qi.  When someone constantly takes and takes from others, then this causes stagnation, which is why they never seem trully happy.  they are stagnant spiritually.

This is largely comes from the Daoist principle of “going with the flow”.  A healthy soul and spirit is one that lets Qi flow through, not just in.

Think of it as not being a spiritual glutton.

Analytical versus Poetic Medicine

Both Western and Eastern medicine have their own frameworks for explaining illness and pathogenesis.  Due to this fundamental difference, it is borderline impossible to explain one medicine’s theories using the others framework.  If though, you gain an understanding of the key differences in principles and perception, understanding each medicine’s viewpoint becomes much easier.

To Western Medicine, understanding illness means finding a single distinct entity which is separate from the patient’s being; In Chinese Medicine, understanding means witnessing the relationships between all the patient’s signs and symptoms in the context of their life.  Let me explain what that text book example means:

In simplest terms, The western view is about “What X is causing Y?”, whereas in Chinese Medicine the importance is on “What is the relationship between X and Y?”

Western Medicine is far more analytical and clinical in its approach looking for a singular causative factor, where as Chinese Medicine works to paint a more poetic description of the person as a whole.  Both approaches achieve the same goal, providing the practitioner with a framework for treatment.  Western medicine works on finding, isolating and either controlling or destroying the entity.  Chinese medicine views it as a “Pattern of Disharmony”, whereby the individual needs to be returned to a state of balance.

This difference in approach shows in many studies performed in China, where for example, 6 patients are all be diagnosed with “stomach ulcers” by western physicians.  The Chinese Medicine doctors however see 6 different patterns of disharmony, as each individual always paints a different picture.  As a result, in Biomedicine all 6 patients receive the same treatment, whereas in Chinese Medicine, each patient receives a slightly different treatment to match their individual presentation.

Eating in Accordance with the Seasons

Most people don’t realise that as the season’s change so should our diet.  Because we live in a world where food can be flown and sold all over the planet, many don’t realise when food is out of season for their locale.  Ideally with fruit you should only eat what is in season for a given time of year.  Why you may ask? Most summer fruits such as watermelon are cooling in nature, you eat them in summer when you want relief from the heat.  Therefore why would you eat cooling foods when the weather is already cold?

Though it may sound rather non-scientific its really quite logical.  During summer your body is working against the environment to stay cool, therefore you should eat cooling foods and avoid hot spicy meals.  If you eat a nice spicy meal on a hot day, your effectively making your body work harder to try and maintain homeostasis.  Similarly in winter, warm simple to digest meals and citrus fruits should be eaten to help keep the body warm and working at its peak.  In the colder months avoid cold raw salads, ice drinks, ice cream and tropical fruits.

Think about it this way, you dress in accordance to the weather, even our sleeping patterns want to change, so should our diet.  No drastic changes need be made, but just little adjustments like drinking warm tea instead of ice water can make all the difference.  If we make it easier for our body to process food, it can use that spare energy for other purposes such as fighting off those terrible winter colds and flu.

A Simple Remedy for an Upset Stomach

This is a simple Chinese tea that anyone can make at home and is a great way to harmonise your digestive system and keep it strong.  The herb is called “Chen Pi” in Chinese, which means “Roasted Citrus Peel”.  Traditionally the peels were left out in the sun to dry, but this can take weeks, and pretty hard to do in the depths of winter.  But now days there’s a much quicker and easier way to do it.  Gather up enough Mandarin or Orange peels (not grapefruit) and lay them out on a baking tray.  Put them in the oven on 180 degrees for about 12min.  The speed at which they cook will obviously be dependent on the size of the pieces.  They only need to be browned, not blackened.

All you need to do then is let it cool, break off a piece the size of your thumbnail, add hot water and let it draw for about 8 minutes.  Then drink.

Store the herb in an airtight container, in a cool place away from sunlight.  It never really goes off, so can use it even one year later!!

So what is it good for?

Its classically in many formulas for overeating, indigestion, nausea, bloating and reflux.  Had too much to eat? morning sickness? bloating after food? stomach feeling queezy? this should work well for you.  If you have nausea I’d advise adding some ginger into the tea also.  The benefits and uses of ginger I will discuss at a later date.

This simple herb is a fabulous way to settle and aid digestion whatever the cause.  If it doesn’t help at all, then I highly recommend seeking out an acupuncturist for an assessment and treatment.

Articles coming soon…

Hello and welcome to my acupuncture blog.  Here I will be regularly posting information and developments in the world of acupuncture.  Both from my own experience and current research.  I will also be providing you with many simple techniques and tips you can use to help improve your health and general well being…

Stay tuned, lots more coming soon.  Feel free to visit my website for more information about me and my clinics.