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Acupuncture for Gastritis
Chronic gastritis may imply certain different kinds of chronic inflammation of gastric mucus caused by several possible factors. Depending on the pathological changes, there may be three types of chronic gastritis: hypertrophic, atrophic and superficial gastritis. These types have their own unique symptoms although basically the common shared symptoms of chronic gastritis include belching, vomiting, nausea, dyspepsia, anorexia, pain and discomfort in the upper and middle stomach, and recurrent fullness. Gastritis can have symptoms like stomach fullness and epigastralgia that may mimic other conditions. Based on traditional Chinese medicine, this condition can come about due to qi and blood stagnation, stomach yin deficiency, asthenia, longstanding conditions that cause blockages in the liver qi, overstrain, poor diet and emotional upsets.
Differentiation of Syndrome
1. Qi stagnation and liver depression – symptoms may include a rapid and taut pulse, red tongue with yellow and thin coating, frequent sighing and belching, migratory pain and epigastralgia affecting the sides of the rib.
2. Asthenia (cold in the stomach and spleen) – symptoms for this syndrome include: weak and thin pulse; tongue that is bulgy, light colored, with slippery, thin and white coating; cold limbs; aversion to cold; loose stool; pale complexion; spiritual lassitude; emaciation; preference for warmth and pressure; and a dull abdominal pain.
3. Stomach yin deficiency – symptoms for this syndrome: thin and rapid or thin and taut pulse; red tongue with scanty coating; dry mouth with the urge to drink; hunger without appetite, heartburn-like hunger; and irregular pain in the abdomen.
4. Stagnation of blood in the collaterals – syndrome symptoms: unsmooth pulse; purplish tongue sometimes with ecchymoses; hematochezia, occasional hematemesis, and stabbing epigastralgia with unpressable and fixed pain.
Treatment
1. Body acupuncture – acupuncture points include: ST 36 or Zusanli point; ST 21 (Liangmen point); SP 4 (Gongsun); PC 6 (Neiguan), CV 12 (Zhongwan).
Additions:
For distention and fullness in stomach and epigastrium, the BL 20(Pishu), ST 19 (Bu-rong), and LR 13 (Zhangmen) are also needled.
For abdominal heat, ST 44 (Neiting) is needled.
For stagnation of blood in the collaterals, BL 17 (Geshu) and SP 10 (Xuehai) are needled.
For stomach yin deficiency, P6 (Sanyinjiao) and Kl 3 (Taixi) are needled.
For asthenia-cold in the abdomen and spleen, BL 20 (Pishu) and BL 21 (Weishu) are needled
For liver qi invading the stomach, LR 3 (Tai-chong), LR 14 (Qimen) and BL 18 (Ganshu) are needled.
Performance
For the stagnation of blood in the collaterals and for liver qi invading the abdomen, reinforcing and mild reducing needling techniques can be utilized
For stomach yin deficiency and asthenia-cold in the abdomen and spleen, reinforcing needling technique can be adopted.
For the asthenia-cold syndrome therapy, moxibustion can be applied as an adjunct for acupuncture.
2. Ear acupuncture
Acupuncture points include: AT 4 (Subcortical); TF4 (Ear Shenmen); AH6a (Sympathetic); CO4 (Stomach); CO17 (Triple Energizer); C012 (Liver); and CO13 (Spleen).
Performance:
Per acupuncture treatment, two to three points are treated. The needles stay in the ear acupoint for half an hour and manipulated at specific intervals. Electro-acupuncture can be utilized or Semen Vaccariae (Wang-buliuxingzi) to pressure the ear. Both ears need to be needled albeit in alternating fashion.
Dr. Jack Handlin is an experienced acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist and oriental reproductive medicine specialist at Tree of Life Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine in Bellevue, WA.
Acupuncture for Anemia
When the body is unable to create adequate amounts of red blood cells (RBCs) to supply oxygen to the other cells of the body for them to function healthily, it suffers from a condition known as anemia. Anemia is often characterized by tiredness that happens due to the incapacity of the body to function efficiently. This symptom makes anemia sometimes referred to as “tired blood.” Anemia may have several types and they may range from mild or light to extremely severe and can last fleetingly or as long as a person’s entire life. The modalities used by allopathic medicine for anemia are based on the type of anemia the patient suffers from. Alternative medicine specialists such as acupuncturists or practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), on the other hand, utilize acupuncture, different forms of bodywork, herbal remedies or other complementary or other alternative forms of medicine to resolve anemia.
The Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Anemia
Allopathic doctors are aware of the different types of anemia, including thalassemia, hemolytic anemia, iron-deficiency anemia, vitamin-deficiency anemia, sickle-cell anemia, and aplastic anemia. Each form of anemia has distinct causes and hence, different treatments. Contrast that to practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine who think that all forms of anemia are signs that the flow of vital energy or qi, the body’s life giving energy force that makes the body healthy has stagnated because of blockages in its flow or it means that the body produces inadequate amounts of good-quality blood. To address this condition, they adopt certain techniques to energize the organ systems to improve the flow of qi and create more and better quality of blood. What treatment to be used will depend on the patient’s manifested symptoms.
Acupuncture for Anemia
Acupuncture is a kind of TCM modality that involves the application of thin, long needles inserted at specific parts on the body known as acupuncture points to restore the normal flow of qi. For anemia therapy, acupuncture needles are inserted at the pathways of qi known as meridians to help enhance qi flow to the stomach and spleen system. Needles can also be inserted at other meridians to enhance the flow of qi to the liver. The liver, according to TCM, is the organ system that maintains good flow of blood throughout the body and is also the organ system where blood is stored.
Acupuncturists often needle these common acupuncture points to treat anemia:
Stomach 36 – The Stomach 36 point is found on the meridian of the stomach system and is known as Foot Three Mile or Zu San Li; this means that treatment of this point can help treat fatigue enabling you to walk much farther, maybe for an extra 3 miles more. The point strengthens both blood and qi and also helps improve the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients and to enhance digestion.
Liver 8 – This is the liver meridian and is known as Spring at the Crook or Qu Quan. This point is a commonly treated point to help tonify the liver system which is usually associated with disorders of the blood. Liver 8 nourishes the blood and strengthens both the blood and yin of the body.
Spleen 10 – this spleen meridian acupuncture point is known as Sea of Blood or Xue Hai and is needled to tonify and invigorate the blood that can result in the treatment of many types of disorders of the blood.
Anemia Therapy Using Chinese Herbal Medicine
For the resolution of anemia using Chinese herbal medicine, single herbs and herbal compound mixtures may be used. Different kinds of herbs can help boost or improve the production of qi and high quality blood. They may include:
White peony rhizome or Bai Shao – this remedy is to astrnge yin and nourish blood.
Rehmannia or Sheng Di – this formula in its processed form is known as Shu Di. Rehmannia helps generate fluids and nourish yin.
Deer antler or Lu rong – used for tonifying qi and blood and for strengthening yang
Astragalus propinquus or Huang qi – tonifies spleen qi and blood.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) or Gan cao – tonifies stomach qi and spleen.
Pilose asiabell [radix codonopsis pilosulae radix and Codonopsis pilosulae] or Dang shen – to help augment body energy and nourish the blood
Angelica (Archangelica spp.) or Dang gui – helps dispel cold, tonifies blood and harmonizes and invigorates the blood
White Atractylodes rhizome (Atractylodis macrocephalae) or Bai zhu – tonifies the spleen and supplements qi
A lot of times, TCM’s way of treating disorders is to apply Chinese herbal medicine along with complementary modalities. The TCM remedy that is a classical formula for deficiency of blood is Four Ingredient Decoction or Si Wu Tang. It is made up of Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, Bai Shao and Shu Di. Some other equally potent formulas that help produce more blood is Angelica Tonify the Blood Decoction or Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang. This formula contains only two herbs: Huang Qi and Dang Gui. A number of assorted remedies are available to treat specific aspects of anemia in line with the medical presentation of the patient. They include Zhou’s Anemia Formula, Zhang’s Anemia Formula, Yi Xue Sheng, Ye Xue Jing, Xue Bao Hau Jia, and Sheng Xue Jiao Nang; these are all herbal formulas that have been experimented on and have been verified to be effective in treating many types of anemia.
Anemia Treatment Using Tui Na Massage
Tui Na massage therapy has been practiced in China for thousands of years and its foundation is similar to that of acupuncture. Like acupuncture Tui Na massage entails the stimulation of the meridians to normalize the flow of qi, and bring balance to yin and yang in the body. Certain Tui Na therapists may concentrate on hand and foot massage to normalize qi flow throughout the body and better the production of blood in the spleen.
Acupuncture for Eczema
Eczema sufferers may be happy to know that Chinese medicine has been proven a very successful treatment for this chronic skin condition. Eczema responds very well to both the traditional Chinese medicine modalities of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. Western medicine modes of treatment for eczema include the use of cortisone topical creams and other kinds of steroids that can aid in the removal of the lesions. The drawback to these treatments is that they do not prevent the condition from happening again. A person experiencing recurring or chronic eczema may discover that Chinese medicine is a safer and more effective way of dealing with this skin problem.
How does Chinese Medicine Treat Eczema?
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) states that eczema is a delayed allergic reaction that is generated by aggravated external and internal factors. This means that eczema can arise from environmental factors or due to the state of your health. Certain individuals can also be genetically predisposed to it. TCM believes that there are 3 classifications by which eczema is categorized:
Dietary irregularities – long term consumption of alcohol and sugary, greasy, or spicy foods can eventually weaken the body making it vulnerable to skin conditions such as weepy, red or itchy sores. This is because there is a gradual build up of toxins in the body due to undigested foods. TCM looks into these three factors that can occur all at the same time in severe cases, and then treats them all at once.
Internal factors – They may arise due to an imbalance inside the body that may be the reason for the skin reaction. Internal factors may involve a hereditary condition, a longstanding illness preceding the eczema, or a problem in any of the organ systems. The imbalance is oftentimes unremitting and chronic.
External factors – These types of factors cause hypersensitivity toward his/her environment and may involve exposure to toxic chemicals, asthma, frequent cold infections, seasonal allergies or hay fever. The sensitivity can result in acute episodes of eczema, often seasonal, or an aggravation of the sickness due to changes in the weather.
The use of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can lead to the following results:
-The removal of toxins from the skin, resulting in the treatment of the weepy, red or itchy sores
-The treatment and balance of the internal organ systems that may contribute to the development of eczema
-The strengthening of the immune system, helping lessen sensitivity to environmental and external hazards in the process
Traditional Chinese medicine is different to that of western medicine in that the treatment of skin problems entails a slow gradual process. The reason for this is that the body takes a while to regain its internal balance unlike western medicine which is to resolve the condition temporarily or topically. With TCM, the whole body is treated instead of only the affected parts of the skin as western medicine is wont to do. The whole treatment may take months to accomplish depending on how long the patient has had his/her eczema. TCM believes that when the skin becomes affected by a chronic condition, it can be a sign that the overall health of the patient has been weakened for a long time now. When you go for acupuncture treatment, positive skin changes may be seen just right after the treatment session has ended. Chinese herbal formula taken daily and acupuncture given for a month or two can give significant results within weeks. As your skin condition gets better, acupuncture treatment may not be required regularly although Chinese herbal medicine needs to be taken daily. The length of your herbal treatment may depend on the severity of your symptoms. One of the advantages of this treatment plan is that you will be less likely to have a repeat of your eczema ever again.
Other Modalities for the Treatment of Eczema
Diet has a significant role to play in the treatment of eczema. Along with acupuncture, your acupuncturist may advice that you adhere to dietary guidelines that can exclude foods that may be causing your eczema. Also he may recommend supplements and vitamins that quicken the healing of your skin problem. Your acupuncturist may also recommend on the skin care products and topical treatments to use to help you heal and care for your skin
Eva Paglialonga is a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist in Miami, FL and the medical director of Needles and Moxa Wellness Center.