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What Does Acupuncture & Traditional
Chinese Medicine Treat? |
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Sports-Related Injuries/Orthopedics
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Allergies
In Chinese medicine, one’s wei qi is the defensive barrier that protects us from allergens. If our wei qi is compromised, the manifestation is characterized by symptoms like excess sneezing, mucus production, red eyes, etc. Treatment is aimed at boosting the wei qi so that the body does not react to harmless allergens.
Sinusitis
Many allergy sufferers also have chronic sinusitis. Sinusitis can be painful and cause headaches, tooth pain, and fatigue. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be very effective in reducing chronically inflamed sinuses.
Asthma
TCM has a long history of treating asthma. Western medicine is only palliative and never curative. Furthermore, a recent study found that using albuterol (an inhaler that is in the class of drugs called beta-agonists, which dilate the bronchioles) long term actually increases the likelihood of having an asthma attack, and worse, a heart attack. A study done at Stanford showed that that beta-agonist use increases cardiac risks, such as heart attacks, by more than two-fold, compared with the use of a placebo. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=9604) (http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/04/7.29.04/asthma_drug_risk.html)
Advair, which is both an oral steroid and a beta-agonist, is the new drug that is being pushed on asthma patients, which over time can produce an array of undesirable symptoms, including death. In fact, those taking Advair are three times more likely to die of asthma than those not taking it. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/17/eveningnews/main589058.shtml)
The herb Ma Huang has been safely used by TCM practitioners for the dilating of the bronchioles for thousands of years. However, due to its recent use in weight loss formulas that were non-TCM based, the herb was banned by the FDA, despite the fact that Ma Huang has never been used in a Chinese herbal formula for weight loss. TCM practitioners know the contraindications for use in certain patients, like those with heart conditions, yet because non-herbalists began to improperly dispense the herb, deaths occurred. Today Ma Huang, one of the most important herbs to treat asthma during an acute attack, is no longer available due to the abuse of several supplement companies who were uneducated about Ma Huang’s contraindications. Possibly the most famous case was an ephedra product made by Nutraquest Inc., who has since gone out of business. The company made the supplement Xenadrine RFA-1, an ephedra-based weight loss product, which medical examiners believed help caused 23-year-old Baltimore Oriole pitcher Steve Bechler to die of multiple organ failures secondary to heatstroke while at spring training.
Still, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be very helpful for treating asthma. This is in part due to the fact that every asthma patient is treated differently, as no two cases are alike. One person may have allergic asthma, and the other exercise-induced asthma. Supplements can also be helpful, including Omega 3’s, digestive enzymes, and magnesium.
Asthma is now generally perceived as a disease of inflammation. Therefore, substances that reduce inflammation in the body are important. Lifestyle changes such as breathing techniques are also becoming increasingly popular. |
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Traditional Chinese Medicine
Monica Bloch, M.S., L.Ac. |
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