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

Infertility: There is Another Way

Infertility, which now affects more couples than ever, appears to have reached epidemic proportions as one in six now have difficulty in conceiving. Awareness of IVF treatment within the consciousness of the public makes it seem to be the first and most obvious choice since the term IVF seems to be almost synonymous with infertility. However, there are good reasons held by many practitioners both mainstream and holistic (myself included) to question whether this should always be the case. We are also all aware that would be parents are often demoralized by enduring repeated invasive medical procedures especially if the long hoped for result is not achieved.

Happily, a quiet revolution in thinking about conception is taking place. Certain Holistic approaches have been used to such good effect that the media and wise couples are looking increasingly at (or even being medically referred to) experts (i.e. those having substantial experience and post graduate training) in areas such as TCM and acupuncture only to be surprised by the established reputation, success rate and waiting lists which already exist amongst these particular professionals.

It is the case that, while IVF can sometimes create new life, its limitations lie within the fact that it does nothing to address the actual causes of an inability to conceive. Much infertility is 'unexplained' which means that, without addressing or resolving the issues that lie beneath, IVF is less likely to be successful. These underlying factors include: nutritional deficiencies, unidentified health conditions, toxin exposure, stress, food intolerances, allergies and immune deficiencies. They may subtly, but critically, interact unhelpfully with a kind of negative synergy to impact the quality of a woman's eggs and man's sperm, thereby affecting your ability to conceive and maintain the health of your embryo.

For example, in my own practice, I have found that miscarriages and apparent infertility are frequently concomitant with sub clinical hypothyroidism. In other words, women may not necessarily show the most obvious symptoms of this condition or they have been tested by standard laboratory tests which fail to identify people who are at the low end of normal. TCM has other ways of revealing this by using differential diagnosis which identifies and distinguishes conditions by identifying various signs and symptoms. Often, there is simply a need to clear the system by enhancing the flow of Qi (body energy) so increasing blood supply to the ovaries, and restoring levels of general health in order to make pregnancy more possible. It is also helpful to treat the man as well as the women to ensure that optimum conception health exists for both of them. Sperm counts are usually relatively easy to improve.

Not long ago I treated Katie* whose unsuccessful attempts to have a child using IVF had left her feeling almost hopeless. However she had, rather than reconcile herself to childlessness, decided to be open minded about trying different approaches to her predicament. I had treated her for four months before she rang me one day almost breathless with excitement to say that she was, at last, pregnant. To ensure the safe continuity of the pregnancy I continued to treat her for another two months. Recently, she sent me a picture of her lovely baby girl with heartfelt thanks. These are the moments which make all our hopes and endeavours feel so very worthwhile.

Adult Acne

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.

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.