Sunday 21 October 2012

Adult Acne

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Traditional Chinese Medicine Insights into Adult Acne

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), effective treatment for adult acne is undertaken by looking to specific diagnostic patterns and finding the one which is appropriate for the individual presenting patient. The chosen acupuncture points, application techniques and herbal medicines used will be focused around this pattern instead of being based solely on the directly manifest condition as is usual in western medicine.

With proper application of TCM, the practitioner will treat the root cause of not only the immediately obvious health issue, but often several others including those which the person may not yet have experienced. One or more of the TCM diagnostic patterns described below are likely to be involved when an adult is experiencing acne. However, some cases may require other causes and complaints to be addressed and may require multiple pattern use and/or complex relationships between the patterns.

TCM describes different diseases as having their origins in both the internal and external environment of the patient with internal imbalances being often affected by the external environment. One or more of the following TCM diagnostic patterns are likely to be involved when an adult is experiencing acne.

Part 1.

Traditional Chinese Medicine classifies adult acne into three different types

1.Conditions that may arises from the Heat in the Blood


Main Symptoms & Signs
Papules -- inflamed lesions that appear as small, pink bumps on the skin often hot to the touch.

Pattern related conditions:- Anaemia, Dermatitis, Eczema, Furuncles, Haemorrhoids, Psoriasis and toothache.

2.General signs and symptoms of Liver Fire

Headache, irritability, explosive anger, dizziness, tinnitus, bitter taste in the mouth, reddish face, red eyes, dream disturbed sleep, constipation.

This type of acne changes with the menstrual cycle. It is usually worse before menstruation, which is accompanied by irregular period or period pain.

Pattern related conditions

Asthma, Gallstones, Chronic Cholescystitis, Cystitis, Convulsion, Coma, Depression, Vertigo, Hypertation, Insomnia, Leucorrhoea, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Thyroiditis, Tinnitus, Trigeminal Neuralgia.

3.General signs and symptoms of the spleen and stomach damp heat

Epigastric and/or abdominal discomfort, lack of appetite, heavy body, thirst with little/no desire to drink, abdominal pain, loose stools, nausea, headache, intermittent acne and cystic acne which are mainly characterised by skin lesions.

Pattern related conditions

Appendicitis, Behcet’s disease, Crohn’s disease, Epigastric pain, Gingivitis, Jaundice, Glomerulonephritis, Obesity, Pancreatitis Sinusitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Uroschesis.

Part 2.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Also Uses Facial Map Reading To Analyze Individual Conditions

Acne affects different facial areas which may be related to different health issues.

Acne around the forehead is related to intestinal problems

The patient would need to eat less processed or junk food and reduce dietary fat.



Acne between the eye brows is related to stomach problems

The patient should increase their dietary fibre intake, reduce their toxin overload and drink herbal teas to help digestion while cutting down sugar and caffeine.

Acne around the left cheek is related to liver issues

The patient would need to avoid alcohol, greasy food and dairy products. Food allergies would be particularly suspect. Adequate sleep should be sought so the liver can rest and regenerate properly.

Acne around right cheek is related to lung issues

The patient needs to begin boosting their immune system. Regular exercise, stopping smoking and consuming more green vegetables with recommended wheatgrass juice would be advised.

Acne around the lips is related with kidney function issues

This is indicative of general dehydration. An urgent need to increase fluid consumption would be advised and the avoidance of acid forming foods.

Acne around the chin is related to hormonal imbalance

Stress and distress need to be given attention. Drinking more water and fluids will help to rebalance the hormonal system together with adequate sleep


Part 3.

TCM treatments for adult acne.

1.Cosmetic acupuncture


This therapeutic protocol would be used with particular emphasis on it’s DEEP ANTI INFLAMMATORY TREATMENT aspects to rebalance the PH levels in the body through use of facial acupuncture points, improving circulation and purifying internal environment.

2.Herbal tea

Certain herbs will do much to detoxify the body, rebalance the hormonal system, and improve digestive function

3.Facial cupping

Detoxification and stimulation of the micro- circulation would be aided by this.

4.Facial reflexology and lymph system massage.

These types of massage enhances the immune system assisting with circulatory function, nutrient flow, tissue fluid retention and toxic drainage.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Depression and Grief: new thinking or old thinking?

Depression and Grief

The outward signs of depression and grief can at first appear quite similar but in Traditional Chinese Medicine, (as in life) when properly observed, they are different in both cause and manifestation.

TCM holds that the forces of the spirit and qi (body energy flow) dominate all matter including the human body and spirit. Thus If the spirit is at peace, the heart is in harmony. When the heart is in harmony, the body is whole. If one seeks to cure the physical body one must first heal the spirit.’

While the effects of various emotional states (whether grief, depression, PND or SAD) may gravitate to different organs and disrupt their normal functions, the psychic aspects of the heart and liver are always held to be the primary source of all facets of our emotional life, whether positive or negative. Therefore, in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, the focus is on primarily on the heart and liver. However, there is awareness that the Gastro Intestinal Tract can also either affect, or be affected by, disturbances to the mental and spiritual well being of an individual i.e. psychosocial stressors can lead to altered brain-gut interactions and vice versa.

For example, Long periods of pensiveness, melancholy, hopelessness and excessive mental activities might be symptomatic of grief and require a different approach and application of acupuncture and other TCM modalities to Long standing bottled-up emotions such as anger, hatred, resentment and stress alternating with hopelessness. These stagnate the liver Qi (energy). The liver’s free flowing function is especially important in harmonizing the emotions and digestion since stagnancy will then invade the spleen causing various symptoms of abdominal distress and fatigue.

Other therapeutic modalities may provide a supporting role, e.g. cognitive psychotherapy, adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The initial aims of this combined approach would be improvement of mood, detection and correction of contributing factors (through psychotherapy, counselling, nutrition, physical fitness, stress management) and balancing the physiology (with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine). The goals of such an approach would be to encourage responsibility in the patient for implementing and maintaining healthy lifestyle practices. TCM treatment would continue until physiological balance has been established.’

Suggestions for Additional Activities to be undertaken by the patient.

1. Begin to think about and seek ways to train your mind.

2. Develop calmness of the mind to subdue unhelpful thoughts and emotions.

3. Build upon positive thoughts and states of mind.

4. Cultivate good, useful, positive, healthy habits every day.

5. Welcome change as positive, beneficially challenging and life enhancing.

6. Develop a long term perspective.

7. Know and the meaning of suffering.

8. Develop and invest in deep relationships and friendships.

9. Develop a sense of compassion for yourself and others.

10. Release your Buddha (!)

11. Talk to friends and share your emotions.

12. Exercise to refresh positive energy

13. See food as positive energy and life giving/enhancing.

Sunday 20 May 2012

Rehabilitation Exercises After Injury

Dapeng Zhang's Shoulder Exercises
1. This is a resistance exercise to build muscle; Have one arm bent at the side of the body and try to lift it against gentle resistance (such as another person) preventing this by using counter pressure. A strip of latex sheeting (or a long bungee) held securely under the foot (don't let it snap back!) will also provide this.

2. Stand at arms length from a wall and move the hand up and down as though you were using a paint brush.

3. Push off the wall gently with both hands as though you were doing vertical 'press ups'. Start these with only what feels comfortable and try to build up the repetitions every few days.

4. Imagine you are striving to reach a ripe apple high on a tree - just out of reach. Stand on tiptoe trying to make every bit of yourself higher and taller to reach it. Relax and repeat.

Do remember that whilst exercises are very necessary, it's important to listen to our bodies and gauge how they feel in regard to how much physical stress is needed to be beneficial rather than overly taxing to the recovering shoulder.


Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises
Use these exercises to increase the range of motion ankle after injury. All exercises (except the ‘Alphabet’ exercises) should be performed while sitting on the floor with your legs full extended, knees straight, out in front of you (this is the ‘neutral position’). Each one should be performed 10 times in row.

Dorsiflexion

1. Moving only your ankle, point your foot back toward your nose (while keeping knee straight). Continue until you feel discomfort or can't tilt it back any further.

2. Hold the position for 15 seconds then return to the neutral position.

Plantar flexion
1. Moving only your ankle point your foot forward (while keeping knees straight). Continue until you feel discomfort or can't move it any further.

2. Hold for 15 seconds then return to the neutral position.

Inversion

1. Moving only your ankle and keeping your toes pointed up, turn your foot inward, so the sole is facing your other leg. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer turn your foot inward.

2. Hold this position for 15 seconds then return to the neutral position.

Eversion

1. Moving only your ankle and keeping your toes pointed up, turn your foot outward, away from your other leg. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer turn your foot.

2. Hold for 15 seconds then return to the neutral position.

The Alphabet
1. Sit on a chair with your foot dangling in the air or on a bed with your foot hanging off edge.

2. Draw the alphabet one letter at a time by moving the injured ankle and using your big toe as your 'pencil'.



Knee Injury Rehabilitation Exercises
1. Heel slide

Sit on the floor with legs outstretched. Slowly bend the knee of your injured leg while sliding your heel/foot across the floor toward you. Slide back into the starting position and repeat 10 times.

2. Isometric Contraction of the Quadriceps

Sit on the floor with your injured leg straight and your other leg bent. Contract the quadricep of the injured knee without moving the leg. Hold for 10 seconds, Relax, then repeat 10 times

3. Prone knee flexion:

Lie on your stomach with your leg straight. Bend your knee and bring your heel toward your buttocks. Hold 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times.

Add the following exercises once knee swelling decreases and you can stand evenly on both legs without favoring the injured knee.

4. Passive Knee extension

Sit in a chair and place your heel on another chair of equal height. Relax your leg and allow your knee to straighten. Rest in this position 1-2 minutes several times a day to stretch out the hamstrings.

5. Heel Raise

While standing, place your hand on a chair for balance. Raise up onto your toes and hold it for 5 seconds. Slowly lower your heel to the floor and repeat 10 times.

6. Half Squat

Stand holding a table with both hands. With feet shoulder's width apart, slowly bend your knees and squat, lowering your hips into a half squat. Hold 10 seconds and slowly return to a standing position. Repeat 10 times.

7. Knee extension

Loop one end of a theraband around a table leg and the other around the knee of your injured leg and face the table. Bend your knee about 45 degrees against the resistance of the tubing and return.

8. One legged standing

As tolerated, try to stand unassisted on the injured leg for 10 seconds. Work up to this exercise over several weeks.



Wrist strengthening - Basic exercises

To begin with, the following basic wrist strengthening exercises should be performed 3 times daily doing 10 repetitions each time.

1. Spread your fingers apart and close them

2. Imitate a typing action and do this as fast as you can

3. Place your hand palm down a table and lift each finger in turn

4. Squeeze a tennis ball, hold for 5 seconds, 10 times and release the grip.

Repeat these exercises regularly during the day as long as there is no pain or discomfort.

Advanced Exercises


Throw a ball against a wall and build up to throwing a ball with a partner gradually using more distance in between.

Use a racquet, golf club or other equipment to practice typical movements alone before returning fully to your chosen sport or activity.

Sunday 5 February 2012

Clinical Depression

Clinical Depression and TCM: (Part One)

Before the 1980’s the national publication of the Traditional Chinese Medicine textbook contained very little information on common psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. When modern Western psychiatry was introduced into China during that decade, there was no equivalent entity in Chinese medicine to correspond to a diagnosis of Clinical Depression. Chinese psychiatrists defined ‘Depression’ by borrowing traditional pathogenic term yu (see below) and qualifying it with ‘suppress’.

In contemporary TCM, the term ‘yu’ is reserved to describe the stagnation of the qi that is associated with emotional strain and centres on liver dysfunction. In most contexts this signifies an inability to express one’s emotional responses, marked by irritability and a sense of frustration. The alternative, relatively newer term: zhi, is used in reference to qi to denote stagnation or sluggish movement in a general sense without necessarily implying emotional causes.

In modern transmissions of TCM theory, the precise nature of the relationships between an individual’s psychic life and organs are generally described with lists of correspondences between an organ and various emotions and mental faculties.

According to the Ling Shu, Scroll 2 Chapter 8:* “When the liver is deficient, fear will occur; when there is excess, one will become angry. When the heart is deficient, sorrow will occur; when there is excess, unceasing laughter will occur.” This is the only reference in the entire Nei Jing (the oldest typical TCM book) to emotions ’coming from’ organs. Thus, according to the major classical source of Chinese medicine, only the liver and, more specifically, the heart are capable of generating and affecting emotions.

While the effects of various emotional states may gravitate to different organs and disrupt their normal functions, the psychic aspects of the heart and liver alone are always held to be the primary source of all facets of our emotional life, whether positive or negative. Therefore, in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, we need to focus primarily on the heart and the liver.

The original classics of TCM have a spiritual orientation manifest in the belief that the forces of the spirit and qi dominate all matter including the human body and spirit. Thus If the spirit is at peace, the heart is in harmony. When the heart is in harmony, the body is whole. If one seeks to cure the physical body one must first heal the spirit.’ This is diametrically opposed to the orientation of Chinese medicine text from contemporary China, which places physical causes in the leading role.

Part two The Five Phases or Five Elements theory provides a useful framework for understanding depression. Viewed in simple terms, depression may be best defined by what is absent from the psyche of the depressed individual, compared with what is present in the normal healthy individual, namely:

· A sense of joy

· The ability to respond emotionally and express emotions

· The ability to give significance or meaning to things

The first related to fire; the second to wood; the third to earth. Thus we have failure in these three aspects of the Five Elements, implicating the involvement of heart-pericardium, liver and spleen in the pathogenesis of depression. In light of the above discussion, the liver and heart disorder are primary, while spleen deficiency is secondary.

The main contributing factors may be categorized as:

The experience of prolonged or intense emotional strain

· Lack of emotional self-control

· Imbalance between work and leisure

· Excessive mental work

· Lack of clearly defined value system

· Lack of harmonious interpersonal relationship

· Failure to cultivate harmony with nature

· Lack of personal integrity

· Neglect of self-cultivation

· Inaccurate self-knowledge

Any, or a combination of, the above may weaken the spirit and lead to the development of specific organ system imbalances. For the purposes of clinical diagnosis and treatment, four major syndrome-patterns may be described for patients presenting with a depressed mood, signifying the core pathodynamics of this condition:

· Liver qi constraint

· Instability of the heart qi

· Heart-blood and spleen-qi deficiency

· Phlegm clouding the mind and senses

It should be noted that patients mostly present with varying combinations of the above.

A 2004 review of clinical studies concluded that ‘there is insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of acupuncture compared to medication, or waiting list control or sham acupuncture, in the management of depression. Scientific study design was poor and the number of people studied was small.’ However, the authors noted, rather promisingly, that ‘there was no evidence that medication was better than acupuncture in reducing the severity of depression, or improving depression’ defined as remission. A 2007 systematic review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture in the treatment of depression concluded that ‘Despite the findings that the odds ratios of existing literature suggest a role for acupuncture in the treatment of depression, the evidence thus far is inconclusive’. A recent randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of acupuncture as an intervention for patients with DSM-IV Major Depressive Disorder(MDD), involving 151 subjects, concluded that’ results fail to support its efficacy as a monotherapy for’ MDD’.

Both animal and human studies have shown that acupuncture is able to modulate central neurotransmitters, which may be the key to its’ observed effect on mood regulation.

Based on the European Journal of Oriental Medicine, p32-47 Vol6. No.5.2010-11

‘Based on the material discussed above, I propose that patients with a clear diagnosis of clinical depression should be referred to a qualified psychiatrist for assessment and only receive antidepressant medication under this level of professional guidance. Other therapeutic modalities may provide a supporting role, e.g. cognitive psychotherapy, adoption of a healthy lifestyle together with TCM treatment. The initial aims of this combined approach would be improvement of mood, detection and correction of contributing factors (through psychotherapy, counselling, nutrition, physical fitness, stress management) and balancing the physiology (with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine). The goals of such an approach would be to discontinue the medication as soon as possible, while shifting the responsibility to the patient for implementing and maintaining healthy lifestyle practices. TCM treatment would continue until physiological balance has been established.’

Friday 3 February 2012

Can Acupuncture Help IBS?

Irritable Bowel Syndromes (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by episodic abdominal pain or discomfort in association with altered bowel habits being diarrhoea and/or constipation). Other gastrointestinal symptoms (such as bloating and flatulence) are also very common. A variety of factors are believed to play a role in the development of IBS symptoms. These include; altered bowel motility, visceral hypersensitivity, psychosocial stressors, altered brain-gut interactions, immune activation/low grade inflammation, alterations in the gut microbiome, and genetic factors.

In the absence of the pathophysiological biomarkers which can distinguish between the differing IBS subgroups, treatment of this condition is predicated upon a patient’s most bothersome symptoms. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, IBS is caused by a combination of the following:-

Longstanding bottled-up emotions such as anger, hatred, resentment, stress, and depression. These will stagnate the liver Qi (energy) The livers’ free flowing function is especially important in harmonizing the emotions and digestion. Stagnant liver Qi will then invade the spleen causing abdominal distension and pain, constipation and /or diarrhoea, flatulence, sour belching, nausea, vomiting and tiredness.

Long periods of pensiveness, melancholy, excessive mental activities will knot the Qi and weaken the spleen giving rise to tiredness, loss of appetite, and loose stools. There may also be lack of concentration and poor memory.

Irregular eating habits, eating too little, following a strict diet, or overeating, will impair the function of spleen. This can result in bad digestion, poor appetite, lethargy and loose stools.

Overuse of antibiotics in the treatment of various respiratory and infectious disease. Most antibiotic are cold and damp in nature and will injure the spleen and stomach resulting in diarrhoea, candida (yeast) infections and dyspepsia as well as tiredness, weakness and poor weight gain.

How Can Acupuncture Help IBS?

Acupuncture offers a positive optional solution for IBS sufferers. Often the term ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’ is used as a catch-all phrase for all cases of abdominal distress which do not have other explanations. In Chinese medicine, various cases of IBS are not viewed as falling into one broad disease category, but are broken down into many different disorders because the causes can be so varied. The individual symptoms vary greatly from person to person because the underlying problem is usually very different for each person. In TCM terms, IBS may be classified as a type of abdominal/intestinal pain, epigastrial/stomach pain, or as a type of diarrhoea, depending on the individual symptoms experienced.


For IBS with abdominal/intestinal pain, the cause is usually due to liver-energy becoming blocked, which may cause further problems with the spleen’s digestive functions. The blocked liver energy causes symptoms of bloating, constipation, and belching, as well as moodiness and irritability. These are symptoms which may well be aggravated by emotional disturbances or upset. When the spleen is also involved, there will additionally be fatigue and alternating constipation and diarrhoea. Acupuncture treatment helps mobilise liver energy to resolve the over long retention of food, relieve pain and improve digestion while correcting spleen function to resolve diarrhoea and improve energy levels.


For IBS with epigastric/stomach pain,the cause can be due to a variety of different imbalances within the stomach leading to improper or incomplete digestion of food. This can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from pain, nausea and vomiting to belching, headaches, diarrhoea or constipation. Each and every symptom experienced by the sufferer will depend on the specific problem occurring within the stomach. These may be due to heat or cold damaging the stomach, or because the stomach energy is blocked. In all these cases, acupuncture is helpful in restoring the stomach to its’ proper function so that digestion problems and symptoms are resolved.

Research has shown that physical activity improves symptoms in patients with IBS and is protective against symptom deterioration. A recent demonstration of this has been provided by a study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Also, an experiment in the use of electro-acupuncture (in which a small electrical shock is delivered via the acupuncture needle) was conducted on dogs causing their stomachs to empty faster. This is the first clear evidence that acupuncture is actually able to directly affect the function of the bowel and suggests that it may very well be useful in treating IBS.

Monday 30 January 2012

Pix Tuina Massage and Multiple Schlerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK. It has many symptoms which might include fatigue, vision problems and difficulties with walking, but MS is different for everyone. In the central nervous system a substance called myelin protects the nerve fibres. In MS, the immune system, which normally helps to fight off infections, mistakes myelin for a foreign body and attacks it. This damages the myelin and strips it off the nerve fibres, either partially or completely, leaving scars which are called lesions or plaque.

Tuina is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which says that mind, body and spirit should be in a “small balanced universe”. Once this is broken – whether because of a distressing experience, negative emotions and behaviour or poor diet or climate - people start to suffer from disease. TCM aims to make changes to lifestyle, thoughts and behaviour and also involves energy bodywork like Tuina Massage..

According to Traditional Chinese medicine, human beings are qi (pronounced "chee")* being energy which flows around the body affecting our emotions and intelligence, blood and body fluids, muscles and bones. The primary characteristic of qi is that it should always be moving and circulating without stopping or slowing.

Each organ has its own meridian in the body along which the energy moves like a network. If there is a blockage along a particular meridian then the organ will weaken and sickness will result. Therefore, broken or stagnated qi is a pathogenic factor which affects the balance of' body, spirit and mind. MS can be described as one of the severest diseases caused by disturbed qi.

How Does Tuina Work?

The aim of Tuina is to prevent and treat disease by applying therapeutic manipulation to certain parts of the body in order to regulate physiology and resolve pathological conditions. However, Tuina practitioners will work at the spiritual level of a patient before they begin to address the physical level.

Tuina practitioners focus on those acupressure points collectively known as the 'Window of the Sky' points, drawn from the oldest ancient Chinese medicine book' Ling Shu'. Only a very few top Chinese medicine masters use these particular technical points when they treat certain diseases such as MS, Parkinson's and brain tumours.

The aim of stimulating these points is to improve the flow of energy between the head and the rest of the body and ensure that the brain is properly nourished since, when it isn’t, body functions suffer. Characteristically, Tuina works on the upper cervical area down through the spine so messages to and from the brain reach their desired destinations.

The damage that MS patients suffer to their nervous system and brain cells affects their minds, emotions, and their movement. MS patients typically experience depression and anxiety together with low energy and fatigue. Tuina helps MS patients to feel more energetic and positive during and after the treatment which is how many have described their condition later during feedback response.

Unlike Western medicine, which explains MS by viral, genetic, auto-immune, environmental and other complex factors, TCM practitioners believe that human experience is the cause.

The trigger for MS may be an episode of feverish - usually infectious - illness. The weakening of and loss of control over the muscles may come about because the critical energizing, regulating function of the internal organs have become disturbed, perhaps because of a disturbing or distressing experience of the type which has "scattered one's soul from its resting place".

The illness consumes vital fluids that are essential to nourishing the body whilst providing a relaxing medium for the spirit. Without spiritual relaxation, there is ongoing agitation, and destruction of bodily harmony.

TCM practitioners always consider emotion to be a very important pathogenic factor affecting health. There is a very strong relationship between specific emotions and disturbances to particular organs. For example, there is a link between fear and the kidney, grief and the lung. When a negative emotional state is prolonged or intense, other organs also suffer.

Demyelination - a loss of fatty substance surrounding the nerve fibres and the eventual schlerosis roughly corresponds to the description by Chinese doctors of the loss of a vital fluid essence. The autoimmune process whose antibodies that attack the body instead of attacking a pathological organism, corresponds roughly to the Oriental description of dysfunction and disharmony of the internal organs.

The majority of MS patients often have three main pathogenic factors in common: liver blood deficiency, kidney chi deficiency and spleen qi deficiency. According to TCM, MS symptoms such as visual disturbances, dizziness, muscle twitches and pain are often due to liver blood deficiency. Memory loss, insomnia, lower back pain, incontinence and erectile dysfunction are believed to be caused by kidney qi and essence deficiency. Muscle weakness and atrophy, fatigue, indigestion, lack of mental clarity and bruising easily are thought to indicate spleen qi deficiency.

* Yin and Yang and the Nature of Qi.
The nature of qi is categorised as Yin and Yang. Yin qualities include cold, stillness and physiologic processes involved in nutritional support, while Yang qualities include heat, moving and physiologic processes involved in function. In the normal state of health, Yin and Yang are in balance with each other

Thursday 26 January 2012

Five Elements Philosophy for People and Places

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In Chinese thought (or Wu Xing) there are essentially five elements which provide a philosophical and practical approach to assessing human wellness on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.

This unique classification system helps to explain patterns of behavior and how our own energy levels mirror the transformational cycles in the natural world and all phenomena whether those are plant, animal (including people!), mineral, chemical or movement.

Anyone who has any awareness of the Feng Shui approach to rebalancing the energy of our physical environments (such as homes or offices) may have already discovered references to these five elements and been interested to gain a better understanding of their meanings and origins. These elements are used as a mnemonic (memory-guiding) device rather like a five-faceted circle to explain the natural world, its life cycle and all that exists around us They may be supportive and generative (i.e. life enhancing) or controlling and overactive.

Many other ancient philosophies or religions such as Wicca/Paganism, Greek and Hindu philosophy have adopted belief in a classical set of four elements which are:- earth, water, air and fire.
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The historical and medical fundaments of the belief system as it applies to Classical Five Element Acupuncture share much with modern practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, Five Element Acupuncture is very different in theory and aim encompassing more than the commonly taught five phase theory. In modern clinical practice it is used to varying degrees in diagnostic and treatment protocols and is helpful where there are conflicting symptoms depending on the practitioner and style of acupuncture that they practice. Within Classic five Element Acupuncture there is a relative standard protocol which practitioners follow - some of which will be unfamilliar to TCM or Japanese style acupuncturists.

The Five Elements:-
Fire: A fire element will want to relate and be equal with you. They may lack joy or have it in excess. Their colour can range between ashen grey to quite red and will manifest under skin at the level of their blood flow and their odour may be scorched to be. The voice will have a sense of laugher even when discussing grave topics.

Earth: An Earth element carries a deep sense of emptiness. The chief emotion is sympathy whilst they may convey a sense of neediness. They will either be the type of person who really wants you to understand all they have been through or expresses that they do not need anyone. The voice will have a singing quality to it, their odour is fragrant the colour of the face will range from gray yellow to a bright colour.

Metal: The metal person wants respect. The emotion of metal is grief caused by a sense of loss and feeling for what might have been. The colour of metal is white and will be manifest on the skin. The odour is rotten, like the smell of the large intestine. THEY WANT TO KNOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FEEL BETTER THAN THEY DO.

Wood: Wood is the element of determination and the assertion of anger. Their main emotion will range between frustration to hopelessness. They need feel that you are in control before they can relax. They may feel ‘pushy’ and provoke you to ‘push’ back. The voice will have a shout or sense of assertion to it. The colour green will be exuded almost above the skin like a glow. Their odour is rancid, similar to that of stale oil as though the body is not digesting fat.

Water: Water is the element of Fear. These people will either be frozen like ice or raging like an over flowing stream. They are either driven - even manic - or quite still like a pond. Their skin colour will show as a ruddy red/blue. The odour is putrid as with that of the kidneys and bladder. A water person lives on the edge of fear having a love/hate relationship with that emotion. Their voice will groan and have a continuous, maybe monotonous, feel to

Classical 5 Element Acupuncture

It is thought that there is one main or root cause for patient symptoms (called a ‘Causative Factor’). This has become established in the patient’s early life and develops throughout adulthood to a point where the body’s energy-flow or Qi (pronounced “chee”) is impeded leading to the condition with which they now present. When a professional practitioner of TCM takes a full diagnostic case history (which may last longer than an hour) many factors are noted and considered in additional to lifetime health history, psychological/emotional state, such as skin, sleep patterns, appetite, alcohol, nutrition and lifestyle, voice, odour and body language. These may all point during diagnosis to the establishment of an elemental type.

Interaction between the elements is also of fundmental significance in deciding how to treat by looking at many aspects like the mother/child elemental relationship. Parental style may also point towards the CF. For Example:- Parents who over parent, enmesh or abandon can contribute to the Earth element. Parents who control the child's behavior with fear can contribute to Water element. Interaction is also key in the determination of where other imbalances may rise in the cycle e.g. poor diet and overwork have weakened an Earth type so more nourishment is requested from the fire element and the metal element may also be affected.

Once a person’s classic five element are decided upon, the acupuncturist may begin treatment removing – where necessary - any blockages in the Qi which exhibit themselves.