Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture - Washington DC

Study: Traditional Chinese, Western Treatments Combo Can Boost Fertility

2012-01-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Combining traditional Chinese medicine and a Western treatment results in a significant increase in fertility in women hoping to become pregnant according to study results from Tel Aviv University.

Traditional Chinese medicine included weekly sessions of acupuncture and a regime of powdered or raw Chinese herbs. Lead researcher Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine followed the progress of 29 women who received the combined therapy, and 94 women who underwent IUI treatment alone.

According to Lev-Ari, traditional Chinese medicine is aimed at correcting imbalances in the body's natural energy flow, promoting an overall sense of well-being, which can affect the ovulation and menstrual cycle, enhance blood flow to the uterus, and enhance endorphin production and secretion to inhibit the central nervous system and induce calm - all of which can contribute to successful conception.

The results are published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine.

Sitting On Your Butt Will Kill You !

2011-05-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

One of the theoretical foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine are the Statements Of Fact that all students are obligated to know and understand. These Statements of Facts are the building blocks that practitioners use to construct
logically consistent deductions or inferences the help in diagnosis and patient treatment.

I ran across the informative illustration that I have linked to below and it reminded me of a Statement of Fact that I encountered in my first year of schooling.

Prolonged sitting damages the flesh. The flesh is governed by the Spleen in 5 phase theory. Prolonged sitting results in too much fat and not enough muscle. When sitting, the qi and blood are not stirred. Therefore, dampness and turbidity collect and accumulate, eventually congealing into phlegm and fat.

Sitting Will Kill You !!

A Case of Using Acupuncture to Induce Labor

2011-03-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

I received this short little thank you note from a tired new mom who avoided a C-section by using acupuncture to help induce labor:

Ryan Kenneth was born yesterday at 9:45 am weighing 6.9 lbs and measuring 19 3/4 inches long! He came all by himself thanks to your help! Thank you again.

What Were Those Ancient Chinese Up To?

2011-02-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

The scientific validity of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of pain received a nod of support in the May issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
Dr. Philip Lang and colleagues of the University of Munich used quantitative sensory testing to identify changes in pain sensitivity with acupuncture in 24 healthy volunteers. After applying acupuncture to the leg, the researchers found that pain thresholds increased by up to 50 percent. Effects were noted in both the treated leg and the untreated (contralateral) leg.

Tests Show Measurable and Specific Effects of Acupuncture on Pain
Quantitative sensory testing is used clinically to help physicians understand specific injuries in nerve fibers associated with chronic pain. It includes tests of both thermal perception (heat and cold), and mechanical perception (pressure applied to the skin). The patterns of response provide diagnostic information in patients with nerve injury regarding the type of nerve involved, and possible treatments.
The results pointed to two nerve fibers—the "A delta" pain fibers and the "C" pain fibers—as being specifically affected by acupuncture. Although the effects were modest, the researchers believe they provide the basis for future studies in individuals with chronic pain, where the effects might be more dramatic.
The study also supported the effects of three different forms of acupuncture: manual acupuncture needling alone and with the addition of high-frequency and low-frequency electrical stimulation. All treatments were performed by an experienced acupuncturist, applied to acupuncture points commonly used in pain management.
The results provide a scientific background for the ancient practice of acupuncture, according to Dr. Dominik Irnich, Head of the Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Munich, and the study's leading author. Additionally, Dr. Irnich notes, "Our results show that contralateral stimulation leads to a remarkable pain relief. This suggests that acupuncturists should needle contralaterally if the affected side is too painful or not accessible—for example, if the skin is injured or there is a dressing in place."
Dr. Steven L. Shafer, Editor-in-Chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia and Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University, views the results as an important preliminary finding. "Reproducible findings are the cornerstone of scientific inquiry," Dr. Shafer comments. "The authors have clearly described their methodology, and their findings. If other laboratories can reproduce these results in properly controlled studies, then this provides further support for the scientific basis of acupuncture. Additionally, the ability of quantitative sensory testing to identify specific types of nerves involved in pain transmission may help direct research into the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia."

Sleep Well. Be Healthy. Live Long.

2010-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I love to sleep. I often experience this little wave of delight after I have finished all of my nightly scrubbing, flossing, and brushing rituals knowing that sleep is near. ( A bit weird I know but still true.) Sleep is a form of letting go, of trust. An act of surrender perhaps, a simple recognition that we are a part of nature's cycles and processes . Sleeping is all about rhythms and balance. Humans have developed over millions of years with our physiological rhythms synchronizing with the spinning of the earth on it's axis and it's rotation around the sun. Sleeping is the most natural act.

Western medicine divides sleep into 5 phases that we cycle through every night. In phase 2 our breath becomes regular, our body temperature drops, and our heart rate slows. Phases 3 and 4 are known as deep sleep. Blood pressure drops to it's lowest levels, and breathing and brain activity slows further still. In Chinese medical speak, sleep is the time when yang qi that propels our daily activities and metabolism is embraced and enfolded by the coolness and quiet of the yin aspect of our nature.

In a newly published book, Dr. Mark Lachs, director of geriatrics at the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, discusses major influences on how well older people are able to function. The first, called physiologic reserve, refers to excess capacity in organs and biological systems that we are given at birth, and tends to decrease over time. A secret of successful aging is to slow down the loss of physiologic reserve. It is no surprise that along with diet and exercise one of the keys to maintaining physiological reserve is sleep. Phase 4 sleep is seen as being very restorative, a time when our body conserves energy, the brain is biochemically replenished, the nervous system recuperates, bones and muscles are built, and tissues regenerated. Simply put, Phase 4 sleep helps to protect our physiological reserve.

While using different language and viewing the body through a different lens, the ancient Chinese figured this out thousands of years ago. Jing or essence is explained as being our deeper energetic reserves. Prenatal essence is described as being innate at birth, finite in amount, and endowed to us from our parents. This prenatal essence is then reinforced or supplemented by what is called postnatal essence or qi. This essence is built through the food that we eat, air we breathe, and the exercise we engage in. If our diet and lifestyle are appropriate and we produce more qi than we consume during the day, the excess is in effect banked and stored as a supplement to our deeper energies. In the Chinese model, aging occurs when we are drawing down our essence or reserves at a faster rate than we are building them up.

There are many excellent resources available if you are chronically having a hard time sleeping well. My personal and clinical experience says that proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle behaviors with a short term assist from Chinese herbs and possibly acupuncture is a far superior alternative to over the counter or prescription sleeping medications. The earth is spinning. Enjoy it.

Where I Work

2010-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

My Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture clinic in DC overlooks a tributary of Rock Creek Park and provides a beautiful and welcoming environment.

Tennis Elbow. Doing It Right.

2010-10-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Western medicine has long treated tennis elbow with cortisone shots and the application of ice. Surprise. Surprise. It turns out that studies now show that cortisone shots are actually detrimental to long term healing. Ice of course would prove to be of no value since tennis elbow is not an inflammatory condition.. I believe that the suggested therapy suggested by Chinese medicine of acupuncture and the application of heat makes much more clinic sense.

Cathy on Morning Edition

2010-09-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the audio of Cathy's appearance on NPR's Morning Edition. Enjoy.

Home Cooking

2010-08-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

My wife Cathy, who is an accomplished home cook and food blogger, will be featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition on Friday, August 27th. Cathy's blog is both entertaining and informative. The Morning Edition segment will be with Linda Wertheimer of NPR visiting Cathy in the kitchen while she cans some of her favorite recipes.

Recent Study on High Fructose Corn Syrup & Pancreatic Cancer

2010-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pancreatic tumor cells use fructose to divide and proliferate, U.S. researchers said on Monday in a study that challenges the common wisdom that all sugars are the same.

Tumor cells fed both glucose and fructose used the two sugars in two different ways, the team at the University of California Los Angeles found.

They said their finding, published in the journal Cancer Research, may help explain other studies that have linked fructose intake with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancer types.

"These findings show that cancer cells can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation," Dr. Anthony Heaney of UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center and colleagues wrote.

"They have major significance for cancer patients given dietary refined fructose consumption, and indicate that efforts to reduce refined fructose intake or inhibit fructose-mediated actions may disrupt cancer growth."

Americans take in large amounts of fructose, mainly in high fructose corn syrup, a mix of fructose and glucose that is used in soft drinks, bread and a range of other foods.

Politicians, regulators, health experts and the industry have debated whether high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients have been helping make Americans fatter and less healthy.

Too much sugar of any kind not only adds pounds, but is also a key culprit in diabetes, heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association.

Several states, including New York and California, have weighed a tax on sweetened soft drinks to defray the cost of treating obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The American Beverage Association, whose members include Coca-Cola (KO.N) and Kraft Foods (KFT.N) have strongly, and successfully, opposed efforts to tax soda. [ID:nN12233126]

The industry has also argued that sugar is sugar.

Heaney said his team found otherwise. They grew pancreatic cancer cells in lab dishes and fed them both glucose and fructose.

Tumor cells thrive on sugar but they used the fructose to proliferate. "Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different," Heaney's team wrote.

"I think this paper has a lot of public health implications. Hopefully, at the federal level there will be some effort to step back on the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our diets," Heaney said in a statement.

Now the team hopes to develop a drug that might stop tumor cells from making use of fructose.

U.S. consumption of high fructose corn syrup went up 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, researchers reported in 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Anti-inflammaotory Drugs and Ovulation.

2010-07-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

There is some evidence that taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) may interfere with the chemical signals which allow release of the egg at ovulation time, producing a syndrome known as LUFS or luteinised unruptured follicle syndrome. This phenomenon was noticed in women taking either the standard class of NSAIDs or the new generation COX-2 inhibitors. Stopping the medication reversed the effect, and ovulation was no longer delayed. (British Journal of Rheumatology35(5:458-462)

Is it all about the neurotransmitters ?

2010-06-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

The compound adenosine is key to acupuncture's effectiveness, according to a study in Nature Neuroscience. Despite acupuncture's 4,000-year history, little is known about the biological pathways that enable carefully placed needles to relieve pain in many patients. Researchers mimicked acupuncture in mice by placing and gradually rotating a needle at a point just below the knee, for 30 minutes. Levels of adenosine, a neurotransmitter, rose 24-fold in the tissue fluid surrounding the needle. Mice injected with an inflammatory substance in their paws and given acupuncture displayed fewer pain symptoms than mice that didn't get acupuncture. But mice genetically engineered to lack a certain adenosine receptor didn't benefit from the acupuncture session at all—further evidence of adenosine's role. Blocking enzymes that break down adenosine made the acupuncture much more effective, tripling the level of adenosine near the needle and extending pain relief from about one hour to about three hours.

Mounting Evidence of Acupuncture Increasing IVF Success Rates

2010-05-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Most studies are quite small but they continually point to the positive effects that acupuncture can have on IVF success rates.

Preconception Strategies No. 4 - Control Your Weight

2010-04-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Approximately 12 percent of all infertility cases can be traced to weight problems. This is split almost evenly between those you weigh too much and those who weigh too little. Seriously obese women are infertile at almost double the rate of normal weight women. Seriously obese men are 50% more likely to be infertile.

In overweight women, one important contributing factor to infertility is the estrogen that is made in fat cells. The more fat cells results in more estrogen. Increased estrogen prevents ovulation (like in birth control pills). These estrogen producing fat cells also produce inflammatory substances and increase insulin levels, both contributing to infertility.

Underweight women, without adequate amounts of body fat, can't produce enough estrogen. Insufficient nourishment lowers FSH and LH levels, which creates too little estrogen, resulting in irregular cycles, poorly developed follicles, and a poor or nonexistent ovulation.

You can maximize your fertility by finding and maintaining a healthy weight.

Preconception Strategies # 3. Sleep

2010-01-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

The benefit of good quality and a sufficient quantity of sleep is an overlooked and underrated aspect of a healthy lifestyle that influences reproductive health. Chinese medical theory states that the body's deepest energetic reserves, in the form of Kidney yin and Kidney yang, are rejuvenated and nourished during deep and restful sleep. Kidney yin and yang are the source of reproductive and sexual energies and should be protected, especially after the approximate age 35 for most women. Poor sleep will thus weaken Kidney yin and Kidney yang.

Inadequate sleep will have adverse health benefits including the weakening of the body's ability to metabolize food, manage stress, fight off infections, and maintain proper hormonal balance.

Chinese medicine never solely focuses of the treatment of symptoms (i.e. poor sleep/insomnia) but seeks to treat the underlying imbalances through the diagnostic methodology of pattern discrimination. There are several patterns (imbalances) that can lead to poor sleep. A properly trained TCM practitioner can suggest the appropriate lifestyle changes, Chinese herbal formulas or acupuncture protocols to help one achieve a restful and rejuvenating sleep.

Preconception Strategies. No. 2: Avoid Coffee

2009-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Western medical research has shown that coffee consumption has negative correlation with female fertility. Consumption of one to one and a half cups of coffee per day in one study and about three or four cups per day in other studies has been associated with delayed conception in women trying to get pregnant. Caffeine consumption equivalent to more than two cups of coffee per day has been associated with an increased incidence of infertility due to tubal disease or endometriosis. In another study, women who consumed more than one cup of coffee per day had a 50% reduction in fertility, compared with women who drank less coffee.

Traditional Chinese medical theory also stipulates that coffee is injurious to reproductive health. TCM says that using coffee as an energy boost is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. The extra movement and boost of qi is the result of stealing from one's deeper energetic reserves (reproductive qi) in order to gain the short term energy boost. Over time this will result in depleted "essence" and the loss of reproductive resources.

Preconception Strategies. No. 1: Give Yourself Some Time

2009-10-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

A significant amount of my time in the clinic is in treating for fertility related issues. While Chinese herbs and acupuncture are potent modalities in treating female and male infertility, there are also some practical and sometimes necessary strategies that can people implement regardless if they are trying to conceive naturally or are contemplating IVF or other assisted reproduction technologies. In this series of posts I will list 10 such strategies.

Allow yourself 120 days before trying to conceive.

There is a common misconception that egg and sperm quality can not be improved. In fact, it is possible to improve the quality of your egg and sperm however, it takes 120 days. This is because it takes approximately 120 days for eggs to mature and sperm to develop. During the generation and maturation of gamete cells -- sperm and ovum -- that form an embryo, everything that you and your partner ingest, inhale or are exposed to will influence the health of your eggs and sperm for better or worse, and the ultimate quality of the genetic building blocks you pass onto your child.

Sperm disorders contribute to 40% of infertility cases. Woman who suffer from recurrent miscarriages often have partners with low sperm counts and visually abnormal sperm. Therefore both partners should follow an appropriate diet, avoid reproductive toxins, and take advantage of Chinese herbs and acupuncture therapy.

Acupuncture and PCOS

2009-09-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Exercise and electro-acupuncture treatments reduce sympathetic nerve activity in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), according to a new study. The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that the electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference.

Exercise had no effect on the irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles that are common among women with PCOS, nor did it reduce waist circumference. However, exercise did lead to reductions in weight and body mass index.

"The findings that low-frequency electro-acupuncture and exercise decrease sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS indicates a possible alternative non-pharmacologic approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients," said one of the researchers, Dr. Elisabet Stener-Victorin of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The findings regarding menstrual cycles and decrease in testosterone levels in the low-frequency electro-acupuncture are also of interest, according to the researcher.

The study, "Low-frequency electro-acupuncture and physical exercise decrease high muscle sympathetic nerve activity in polycystic ovary syndrome" was conducted by Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Elizabeth Jedel, Per Olof Janson and Vrsa Bergmann Sverrisdottir, all of the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. The study is in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society.

Acupuncture and Fibromyalgia

2009-09-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found acupuncture helpful in treating the fatigue and anxiety commonly experienced by fibromyalgia patients.

In the trial, patients who received acupuncture to counter their fibromyalgia symptoms reported improvement in fatigue and anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.

In the double-blind study, Mayo Clinic doctors gave 25 fibromyalgia patients acupuncture, and 25 "sham" acupuncture treatments. Patients received six treatments during the two- to three-week study. Those who received acupuncture treatments reported less fatigue and anxiety one month following after treatment than did the "sham" group.

Summertime

2009-08-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Chinese Medicine, with it's Taoist roots, has always found wisdom in living with an understanding of the cycles of nature. In the "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine" the following advice is given:

In the three months of summer there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The heavenly energy descends and the earthly energy rises. When these energies merge there is intercourse between heaven and earth. As a result plants mature and animals, flowers, and fruit appear abundantly.

One may retire somewhat later at this time of year, while still arising early. One should refrain from anger and stay physically active, to prevent the pores from closing and the qi from stagnating. Emotionally, it is important to be happy and easygoing and hold not grudges, so that the energy can flow freely and communicate between the external and internal. In this way illness may be averted in the fall..Problems in the summer will cause injury to the heart and will manifest in autumn.

Acupuncture for Lung Cancer Patients

2009-06-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Evidence-based guidelines published by the American College of Chest Physicians in September of 2007 recommend acupuncture for lung cancer patients experiencing fatigue, dyspnea, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, or to soothe symptoms of pain or nausea and vomiting. Massage therapy is recommended for patients experiencing anxiety or pain.

The new edition of these standard guidelines represent the first time complementary and integrative medicine has been addressed in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, causing more fatalities than the next four most common types of cancer combined.

The new guidelines were developed and reviewed by 100 multidisciplinary panel members and have been endorsed by the American Association for Bronchology, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Oncology Nurses Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the World Association of Bronchology.

A Case of Chronic Hives

2009-05-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

I recently treated a patient for her chronic hives. These are her remarks:

"I found Dennis through an internet search. (www.DennisBarrow.com). I was looking for someone who practiced Chinese medicine in Washington DC who could help me with both hot flashes and chronic hives. The last time in the past 14 years when I was free from chronic hives is when I went to a medical clinic in China. That was in 2003 and the improvement lasted for 6 months.

After meeting Dennis we first worked on my hot flashed and then on the hives. We did weekly treatments for about 2 months. The intensity of the hives abated. Dennis then prescribed Chinese herbs. Today my hives are 98% reduced. I rarely feel them now. After exercise, I can look in the mirror and still see that I have some red spots. However, they are much better. Before I couldn't even move in hot weather without getting hives and I had to give up exercise completely. Now I walk a mile and a half to the metro every day. I only experience hives when I experience extreme anxiety and then only slightly. I am so thankful to Dennis and his willingness to work with me through this."

Speaking Engagement at the Spasmodic Dysphonia Support Group

2009-03-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

I will be speaking to the DC Spasmodic Dsyphonia Support Group on March 26, 2009 at the George Washington University Medical Center. The topic will be the application of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia.

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD), a focal form of dystonia, is a neurological voice disorder that involves involuntary "spasms" of the vocal cords causing interruptions of speech and affecting the voice quality. SD can cause the voice to break up or to have a tight, strained, or strangled quality.

I will be discussing how the diagnostic methodology of Traditional Chinese Medicine would be applied to a patient presenting with a western medical diagnosis of spasmodic dysphohia and how treatment would be provided using both acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Please feel free to contact me if you or anyone you know would like to attend this presentation.

Breast Cancer: Tamoxifen and Acupuncture

2009-02-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

This study was recently reported on WebMD.com regarding the use of acupuncture in the treatment of tamoxifen induced menopausal side effects for breast cancer patients.
Acupuncture eases the hot flashes and night sweats common in women taking tamoxifen and Arimidex after breast cancer treatment.

In a clinical trial, acupuncture helped hot flashes as much as Effexor, the antidepressant currently prescribed for women suffering the menopausal side effects of anti-estrogen drugs.

Effexor itself has troubling side effects, but acupuncture doesn't, says study leader Eleanor Walker, MD, a radiation oncologist at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital.

"With acupuncture you can get a treatment for those hot flashes that can alleviate them equal to drug therapy -- without side effects and with improved quality of life," Walker tells WebMD.

Happy New Year !!! The Year of the Ox.

2009-01-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture to Induce Labor

2009-01-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

I just received this email from a patient I worked with last week who was hoping to avoid the chemical inducement of her past due pregnancy:

Hello Dennis!

You’ll be excited to hear that I believe the acupuncture treatments worked! I saw you last on Thursday morning and contractions started that evening around 7pm…by 12:14am Friday I was holding my new baby girl. It was a very very fast labor with zero complications and I did it without any augmentation or pain medication. All natural, just as I had hoped.

Thank you so much for your treatments, advice, and support!

Crohn's Disease and Acupuncture.

2009-01-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

A study completed at the University of Nuremberg has shown that acupuncture is statistically more effective than "sham" acupuncture for the treatment of Crohn's disease. The real acupuncture group showed a significantly greater benefit, including less bowel inflammation, a benefit which persisted when all patients were reassessed after 16 weeks.

Dietary Rule # 1. Food Only Please.

2008-12-30T05:16:00.000-08:00

Dietary counseling is an an integral part of my practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chinese medical principals dictates a few basic common sense guidelines of how a healthy diet should be structured. Of course, there is no shortage of dietary advice of all orientations and prejudices.

I think however, that there is one obvious recommendation that any rational view of human dietary needs would agree on. A human being should only consume food. Substances that are not food should not be something that people are putting in their mouths on a regular basis.

Specifically what I am talking about here is the intake of pesticides, preservatives, chemical dyes, chemical additives, highly engineered substances such as aspartame, and the other various non-sugar sugars. Historically of course, Chinese medicine had nothing to say about these modern day substances. If one was pushed to identify the health consequences of these substances through the prism of the TCM model, they would be classified as a form of poisoning.

This may sound a bit harsh but how else would you classify a "diet" soda ?

The New Alzheimer's Disease Study

2008-12-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

A new study released today on the causes of Alzheimer's disease caught my attention.

The new research shows that an insufficient supply of sugar glucose, transported by blood, sets off a biochemical chain reaction resulting in the accumulation of the neuron-attacking proteins that cause Alzheimer's.

"This finding is significant because it suggests that improving blood flow to the brain might be an effective therapeutic approach to prevent or treat Alzheimer's," said Robert Vassar, a professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and lead author of the study.

"A stroke is a blockage that prevents blood flow and produces cell death in an acute, dramatic event," he explained. "What we are talking about here is a slow, invidious process over many years where people have a low level of cardiovascular disease."

"It is so mild, they don't even notice it, but it has an effect over time because it is producing a chronic reduction in the blood flow," he added.

Ancient and modern TCM practitioners have long understood the link between blood flow and mental function. In the ancient Ling Shu, it says, "When blood vessels are harmonious and uninhibited, the essence spirit can abide there." In the Xue Zheng Lun it says, "Whoever's heart has static blood will also be affected by poor memory".

Yan De-Xin is a famous contemporary TCM practitioner in China, who after 54 years in practice, has come to the conclusion that static blood is the chief mechanism of senility. He has written extensively on this topic and has formulated a number of herbal prescriptions that he tested extensively in his clinic. His work has laid the groundwork for a new systematic approach to geriatrics, including the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

I will talk a little more about the clinical signs and symptoms of the TCM pattern of blood stasis in a later post.

An inquistive and open mind is valuable for both acupuncturist and patient.

2008-12-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here is Dylan teaching me that thorough investigation and examination is important in order to get to the root of the problem.

TCM and Preventative Medicine.

2008-12-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

One of the great strengths of Chinese medicine is that it is inherently preventative in nature. In ancient China it was generally thought that a wise doctor was one who worked with his/her patients to help them stay healthy and avoid illness. The less accomplished practitioner was one who allowed his patients' disease process to take root and deepen and thus have to spend his efforts tending to the sick.

I love reading the ancient Chinese texts. The Su Wen, which dates to approximately the late 1st century BCE, has this wonderful passage:

...for healing " the sages did not treat those who were already ill; they instructed those who were not yet ill. They did not rule those who were already rebellious; they guided those who were not yet rebellious."

"Treating an illness after it has begun is like suppressing revolt after it has broken out. If someone digs a well when thirsty, or forges weapons after becoming engaged in battle, once cannot help but ask: Are not these actions too late?"

It also should be noted that even though great emphasis is placed on preventive care and appropriate lifestyle, the text itself is dedicated primarily to the art of healing diseases. The ancients had obviously figured out that good advice is not always followed.

TCM, Fertility, and Egg Quality

2008-12-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

It is well known that advanced female age is an important factor in low pregnancy outcomes. As a woman progresses through her reproductive years, her ovarian reserve diminishes, with an approximately 50% decrease in fertility rates in women attempting pregnancy at the age of 40 onwards, and a two to-three-fold increased risk of miscarriage. Common causes for a much reduced conception rate in women aged 40+ with her own eggs are:

1) diminished egg quality and quantity with poor endocrine readings such as high FSH or low estrogen levels.
2) Less frequent monthly ovulations or reduced cervical mucus secretions.
3) Reduced blood perfusion to the ovaries and uterus.

The question often comes up in the clinic if Chinese medicine can help when there is a suspected poor egg quality evidenced by a high FSH reading. While it cannot turn back time and improve egg quality in an older woman, Chinese medicine (which has to include the prescription of Chinese herbs) can improve the growth of the dominant follicle within an ovary as well as improve the environment an egg matures in, and thus indirectly influence its maturity and quality. Chinese medicine can improve the thickness of the endometrial lining (and thus the endometrial receptivity to the embryo), increasing the chances of a successful conception and pregnancy. Research as well as clinical experience has shown that both Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can improve ovarian and uterine blood flow, regulate the endocrine hormones FSH & LH (luteinizing hormone), increase estrogen and progesterone and normalize both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.

Cholesterol Part 3. It is all about yin and yang.

2008-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

As I wrote earlier, high serum cholesterol levels are not simply a matter of high dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol levels are also a function of one's stress levels. Eating sugar, drinking coffee and alcohol are all stresssful to the adrenal glands. Chinese medicine would say that coffee and alcohol release a lot of yang qi. Since the body's inclination is to keep things in balance its response is to secrete more yin substance. Cholesterol is one such yin substance. When excessive, it becomes a pathogenic yin substance composed of dampness and phlegm. Therefore, the key to keeping it under control is to keep yang from being overly stressed and yin from being overly generated by avoiding the over consumption of simple sugars and animal products.

Lifestyle and dietary modification along with the appropriately prescribed Chinese herbal formulas is a great way to not only lower cholesterol levels but to improve one's overall health and well being.

TCM and cholesterol....part 2. Stress !!

2008-11-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

Cholesterol is a nutrient in foods. It is a hormone precursor and so it is found specifically in animal foods. In addition to being ingested when we eat, cholesterol is also manufactured in our bodies. Its production is directly related to our levels of stress. When we are under stress our metabolism is heightened. (Acupuncture of course is great for stress reduction.) The orders for such gearing up are dependent upon hormonal regulation and many important hormones are synthesized from cholesterol. This is evidenced by the fact that many hormones have steroid or sterol in their name, such as cortiocosteriods. This is the same sterol as in cholesterol.

The corticosteroids are manufactured in the adrenal cortex sitting on top of the kidneys. These corticosteroids are often referred to as flight or fight hormones. Their manufacture are the body's coping mechanisms for dealing with stresses of all kinds. Thus anything that stresses the body can cause an elevation of cholesterol.

Lowering Cholesterol with TCM...part 1

2008-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

TCM using a combination of dietary modification and Chinese herbs can significantly lower blood lipid levels matching the performance of statin drugs while improving overall health and without side effects.

High cholesterol is a laboratory test result. As such, it is not a disease in and of itself but rather a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Many people have no signs or symptoms of that condition per se. Therefore, there is no one-to-one relationship between between high cholesterol and a single, particular Chinese medical pattern. Nevertheless, Chinese doctors have identified the five or six most commonly presenting Chinese medical patterns in patients with high cholesterol. The fruits of this research now allows the Chinese medical practitioner to prescribe Chinese herbal formulas that work to lower cholesterol levels but do it in a way that is custom tailored to each individual and without side effects. In fact, Chinese medical treatment of high cholesterol not only results in a lowering of LDL and triglycerides but also an improvement in HDL numbers, something that statin drugs do not do.

The Heart and Soul of Traditional Chinese Medicine

2008-06-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief Traditional Chinese Medicine is not defined by it's therapeutic modalities and pharmaceuticals. There are many forms of acupuncture and many of the medicinals (herbs and such) are not native Chinese. What distinguishes Traditional Chinese Medicine from other forms of oriental medical practices and from western bio-medicine is that within TCM diagnosis and the resulting treatment protocols are derived through the process of "pattern discrimination" and also disease diagnosis. A patient's patterns are determined by a combination of clincial signs and symptoms, including tongue and pulse diagnosis. The collection and analysis of these signs and symptoms and their distillation in to professionally standaradized patterns allow the practitioner to treat the whole person and to address the underlying imbalances that in the TCM perspective are the underlying causes of specific symptoms or disease processes.

The ability of the TCM practitioner to treat the whole person without side effects is entirely based on pattern discrimination. I take great pleasure within my practice to describe each patient's TCM patterns, how they came about and how we are going to treat them.

Chinese Medicine and IVF

2008-05-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

From "Acupuncture and IVF" by Lifang Liang:

"In clinical observation, the ultrasound shows that, after acupuncture, the color of a woman's ovaries change from cloudy to bright and clear. The follicles usually double in number, the lining of the uterus becomes thicker, and the number of embryos increases significantly. Patients express less side effects from the Western drugs and feel more at ease and happy.''

A typical evening after closing the clinic.

2008-05-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

After inserting the last acupuncture needles, writing and filling the last herbal order and closing the clinic doors I headed down to Union Station to shake the hand of this guy named Barack Obama.

Dylan...aka Clinic Dog.

2008-04-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

What is the use of having a blog about Chinese Medicine and acupuncture if you can't post a picture or two of your dog.

Introducing Dylan aka Clinic Dog. Dylan's sole duty, when he decides he wants to participate, is to sleep under the acupuncture table. Recently it seems that this is only a seasonal job for Dylan. In the winter time he can be found upstairs sleeping next to the radiator.

He is my buddy.

TCM. More than just acupuncture.

2008-04-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I hope to use these occasional postings to explain the medicine in more detail than what can be found on my two websites: www.DennisBarrow.com and www.HealthyConception.com.

One of the topics that I hope to explain in detail is when the different therapies that fall under the umbrella of TCM are most appropriately used. TCM includes the therapies of herbs (medicinals), acupuncture, dietary therapy, massage (tuina) and the meditative arts such as taiqi and qigong.

There has been a signicant amount of reporting in the popular press regarding the value of acupuncture in the treatment of infertility in women. I don't doubt the accuracy of these reported studies. It is my experience however, that using acupuncture alone in the treatment of infertility is not the way that Chinese medicine is practiced in China. Specifically, outside of using acupuncture to support a woman who is going through IVF treatments, the most effective treatment of infertility would have to include Chinese herbs. Most of the patterns that women present with in my clinic just cannot be sufficiently resolved through acupuncture alone. That is why in China, infertility and many other women's health issues are primarily treated with Chinese herbs. Acupuncture would normally be used as an adjunctive therapy.

In later posts I will provide some detail on what can be accomplished through acupuncture as opposed to Chinese medicinals in the treatment of infertility and women's health issues.