The Meaning of Autumn from a Chinese Medical Perspective

Autumn is the beginning of the yin cycle when daylight begins to fade within twelve hours. It's a time of harvest when we gather colourful fruits and vegetables for winter storage. Pumpkins and squashes are our symbols of plenty. We also gather stores of wood for the fire and get out our warm clothes for the colder, darker days of winter.

In Chinese medicine Autumn is associated with the element of metal and organs of large intestine and the lungs; one eliminates waste, the other receives heavenly Qi.

This need to eliminate is clearly seen in nature. Autumn is known for the falling of leaves. Farmers know how important it is for this year's debris to be recycled, turned into rich nutrients like minerals for next year's new crops. We eat nourishing food, extract what is of quality, and remove what is not needed.

Any inappropriate retention would be seen as prematurely eliminating or holding on too long. This could manifest physically as either diarrhoea or constipation. At the emotional and spiritual level, holding onto old outgrown beliefs, judgements and negative thoughts can pollute our speech, relationships and our basic sense of self worth. If we don't let go of what is now ripe, mature and complete, we will be unable to move on to the next phase.

Inspiration: A divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.

Exhaling and inhaling are necessary functions. We can get by by without food and even water for some time, but cannot last more than minutes without breath. Many ancient cultures, in addition to the Chinese, equate inhalation with inspiration. Life without this divine connection feels empty and dull. The time of day associated with the lungs is 3-5a.m. In many cultures this is the time of early morning meditation, with deep breathing practices. Starting our day with inspiration allows us to better appreciate the glory of nature which abounds all around us.

The lungs govern our body's protective qi energy, helping us to ward off the wind and cold that are ushered in with the seasonal change. When this energy is weak, a body may succumb to colds and flu. The lungs fill with phlegm, coughs occur, the nasal passages become congested. The increased wind can cause dryness e.g. a dry cough. Dry skin, known in Chinese medicine as the "third lung", can lose it’s ability to eliminate, causing acne, psoriasis or eczema.

Autumn is generally a good time to consider cleansing the gastro intestinal tract (GIT). Look at your diet and eliminate unsupportive foods. Perhaps follow a simple detox cleanse or go for a colonic cleanse to further help with elimination.

Steps you can take every day:-

1. Increase your exercise or any activity that increases breath.

2. Hydrate. Drink lots of water and wean yourself from dehydrating fluids such as coffee, black tea and alcohol.

3. Eat foods that are contracting and astringent, to match the seasonal change to draw inwards, eventually leading to winter. Such foods are often sour: pickles, sauerkraut, vinegar, lemons, limes and grapefruit. Others are aduki beans, yogurt, some plums and apples, even rose hip tea. To COMBAT THE DRYNESS ADD WHOLE OATS, MILLET, BARLEY, SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS, SEAWEEEDS, almonds, pine nuts, eggs, crab, oyster, mussels and autumn fruits such as apples, persimmons, pears and loquats.

4. Set aside time to meditate or pray, and connect with the spiritual world.

In general, try to think “less is best". Let the beauty and simplicity of autumn feed the soul whilst appreciating the divine wisdom of nature all around us!

Timing of Acupuncture

When acupuncture is used to supplement and enhance the process of conventional treatment it is vital to consider the correct timing of the therapy in order to maximise the benefit and efficacy. This is where the value of a truly experienced practitioner cannot be underestimated.


Recent research has demonstrated how effective acupuncture can be in reducing the side effects (like nausea, vomiting and fatigue) of radio and chemotherapy in cancer patients. Knowing exactly when (before or after but not during) the treatment process is vital to the process. Therefore a specific treatment plan would be devised after discussions between all the parties involved.

Women having acupuncture while undergoing IVF have, according to new research, increased their chances of becoming pregnant by 65 per cent when having treatment within one day of embryo transfer. The timing of the acupuncture sessions in relation to embryo transfer differed somewhat among trials. However, all the women received acupuncture immediately before or immediately after the embryo transfer. Understanding how the timing of this part of the process (taking in aspects such as whether the patient has previously used oral contraception or other methods) should be applied to each individual patient is almost as important as knowledge of acupuncture treatment itself.

Cancer Treatment Effects - Can Acupuncture Help?

Does acupuncture help cancer patients?

The article ‘Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer: a pragmatic randomized controlled trail’ was published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Oncology’ in Dec, 2012. The trial was conducted at the University of Manchester under Professor Alexander Molassiotis, a specialist in cancer and supportive care at the University of Manchester, This was the most recent of several similar undertakings which have been conducted in the last twenty years.

This trial was a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial comparing acupuncture with enhanced usual care. The study involved 302 patients who had all received chemotherapy for breast cancer in the five years before the study. Most reported feeling chronically tired for a year or more. 75 women were randomly assigned to receive a booklet (being part of ‘usual care’ procedure) about managing fatigue, while 227 received acupuncture once a week for six weeks as well as a usual care. Treatment was delivered by acupuncturists once a week for 6 weeks through needling three pairs of acupoints.

After six weeks, both groups were asked to rate their levels of fatigue, anxiety, depression and other quality-of-life measures. Among the acupuncture group, general fatigue had dropped by almost four points on a 0-20 scale, compared with a less than a one-point decline in the booklet /usual care only group.

Anxiety and depression scores dropped by even more post-acupuncture, compared with the scores from women in the booklet/usual care only group. Emotional and physical well-being got a greater boost with acupuncture therapy as well, the researchers found.

Amit Sood, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnosota., who was not part of the study, told Reuters that the four-point drop should be considered enough to make acupuncture ”well worth a try” for some people.

Julienne Bower of UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center noted, in response to the study results, that “there is a critical need” for more studies like this to help patients cope with the effects of cancer treatment.

I was invited to the Whittington Hospital’s London Clinic to give acupuncture to some of their cancer patients and also performed similar treatments at the Harley Street Medical Centre.

Here I was introduced to several patients including those suffering from cancer of the breast, kidney, lung, bowel and varying kinds of pelvic cancers. These patients were all undergoing treatment by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. After acupuncture treatment, there was general reporting by these patients of noticeable reductions in nausea and vomiting. Levels of fatigue were also reduced with recovery times shortened so that more patients were able to return to some normal living between hospital cancer treatments. It was also seen that patients were more able to release some of the anxiety and depression typically experienced so that their emotional wellbeing was significantly enhanced.

There is widespread general agreement between all types of health professionals, patients and support groups that the value of a more enhanced and positive state of mind is of inestimable value in supporting the healing process.

 

What Can We Do For You in 2014?

This period after the traditional New Year Celebrations (and before the beginning of the Chinese New Year?) with the exciting prospect of moving to our new larger premises in 22, Harley Street, London has been a time for reflection as well as looking forward. Like all caring practitioners, we take pride in our achievements but also realistically ask; ‘What more can we do for our patients in 2014? How can we improve upon our achievements to date?’

It has been three years since we established the current Dapeng Clinic in Harley Street. Things have, I realise, changed astonishingly quickly since the clinic’s patients now are very different from those I saw at the outset.

I recall that most of the patients treated when I first began there in 2011 presented with skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis etc. This emphasis has shifted considerably reflecting the prevailing realisations (via media and internet reporting) of the time in which we live and an intelligent self-awareness and education among patients. Now there are more people presenting with long standing conditions such as chronic fatigue, cancer, fertility issues, stroke and other unexplained syndromes (being none the less worrying for that!). People have realized that dietary considerations, exercise and lifestyle changing protocols can have a profoundly positive impact upon their health. However, prolonged excessive stress, negative emotions such as anger or anxiety, trauma and over work are serious factors which help to undermine people’s health. The increasing incidence of these, when not addressed, is now contributing to more serious, even potentially fatal, diseases.

In 2014, we will be providing a one stop holistic service for our clients which will be of the highest standard.

Our clients will be offered consultations which provide personalised advice on nutrition, exercises and approach to lifestyle matters in addition to individually tailored healing treatment. This may, when appropriate, also include giving patients referrals to other specialists such as private GPs, chiropractors, osteopaths, personal trainers and meditation instructors. We are also delighted to contemplate how the move to our newly refurbished clinic in the heart of London’s busy Harley Street will facilitate the creation of a calm, benign and restorative oasis for our clients so that they can experience the best kind of healing environment.

Please note our web page blogs on various topics will continue. We hope this helps more people understand holistic or complementary medicine in greater depth gaining insight into how it’s very different approach to achieving wellness has already benefited many and will continue to do so.

Dapeng Zhang will be at 22, Harley Street, W1G 9PL from Tuesday 18th February 2014