Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and a Proper Diet can Help Resolve Anemia

The body tissues of a person suffering from anemia are deprived of oxygen resulting in a decrease of the number of red blood cells circulating in the body. The blood condition known as anemia has actually more than 40 different types. They usually come with symptoms of loss of memory, depression, confusion, slick tongue, balance of movement problems creases on the palms (strong signs of anemia), pale eyelids linings, nail beds, or gums (strong signs of anemia), bluish lips, yellowish or pasty skin, dizziness or faintness (severe anemia), shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, burning tongue, (vitamin B12 anemia), an overall feeling of malaise, fatigue, weakness, and tingling in the extremities (pernicious anemia). Less common symptoms may include irregular heartbeat, poor concentration, weak appetite, insomnia, and headache. Too much iron supplement can cause symptoms like seizures, lethargy, jaundice, fever, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Miami use Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture to treat anemia or deficient blood. For fatigue, a general tonic of Asian ginseng is used. The blood tonic known as dang gui has been used for thousands of years often along with astralagus and Chinese foxglove root.

Acupuncture

A 1990 Chinese study observed the use of a Chinese medicine principle known as bu-shen-yi in the treatment of anemia. The study had 60 volunteers all suffering from orthostatic dysregulation. The patients were randomly divided into a control group (treated with vitamins B1 and B6 and oryzanol) and a treatment group (given Chinese herbal formulas under the principle of bu-shen yi-qi). Herbs used had high amounts of trace elements, especially in zinc and iron (boosts red blood cell action). A month after, outcomes revealed that members of the control group and 16 members of the treatment group exhibited significant improvement. Seventy-one percent of the total group (43 of the volunteers) also clinically manifested mild anemia. Blood tests before and after treatment for hyperchromia, hemoglobin, and red blood cells in 20 volunteers of the treatment group showed significant improvement while 17 members of the control group remained unchanged.

A Chinese study (1992) experimented on the use of a tonic decoction of shi-quan-da-bu-tang (SQT). The study concluded that SQT relieves anemia by strengthening and tonifying vital energy (Qi).

A 1993 Chinese study about an herbal mixture of rehmannia and astralagus (known as Man-Shen Ling) proved that it was effective in treating anemia whilst showing no negative impact on gastrointestinal, heart, kidney, or liver functions.

Another Chinese study done in 1995 showed Vitamin C and Chinese herbal’s effectiveness in treating 43 children suffering from condition known as aplastic anemia who were subjected to fetal blood transfusion therapy. The results showed that only 46% of the members of the group given only blood transfusion treatment improved compared to the 88.9% improvement of chronic aplastic anemia in the group administered with blood transfusion and Chinese medicinal herbs.

Supplements and Foods

Parsley and other foods rich in iron and vitamin C like red meat, poultry, liver, almonds, dried fruits, blackstrap molasses, dried beans, tomatoes, and broccoli are great for increasing iron in the body..

Foods to be avoided when you have anemia include tea, particularly black tea containing tannin, cola, and coffee as they all impair the absorption of iron. In lieu of this, one can drink citrus juices and other foods and drinks high in vitamin C. You need to avoid the long term use of alcoholic beverages as they adversely impact the body’s ability to absorb folic acid.

Red blood cell production can be improved by consuming foods minimally cooked or even raw, to preserve their acid and folic content: eggs, liver, pumpkin, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, milk, and dark green vegetables. Mackerel and salmon are high in vitamin B12, and lentils, beans, and black-eyed peas provide folate. Most vegetarians are deficient in vitamin B12 since this vitamin is only found in fermented foods (such as tempsch, tofun and miso), eggs, dairy products, and animal products. Vitamin and iron supplements con oversupply the body with iron that can prove harmful.

Resolving the Symptoms of Anemia Using Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs

A lot of people are pleasantly surprised when they hear that Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be used to treat anemia symptoms like pale complexion, weakness and fatigue. These traditional Chinese medicine modalities have been used for thousands of years to treat several blood conditions including anemia. Anemia is actually the most common blood disorder in the world that can cause shortness of breath and heart palpitations.

It has been shown in numerous clinical studies that acupuncture raises the serum ferratin levels of a person and lowers TIBC pr Total Iron Binding Capacity. TIBS is a way to measure the body’s capacity to bind iron.

These studies all used the three leg mile (hsu san li) acupoint which has a history of helping strengthen the body to a point that the person can walk an additional three miles after walking all day. The treatment of this acupoint is known to better the function of the spleen.

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners including acupuncturists believe that one of the functions of the spleen is to process food. When the proper acupoints are stimulated, the body’s ability to absorb iron and nutrients is improved. The proper treatment of those acupoints (including the three leg mile point) can resolve the anemia related symptoms of shortness of breath, palpitations, paleness, and tiredness.

A proper diet also needs to be implemented along with acupuncture when addressing anemia. Acupuncture, however, is the catalyst that can boost the function of digestion and absorption of the body.

Acupuncturists know the locations of the pressure points that need to be needled when treating a certain condition. The needles used for acupuncture therapy are not the same as hypodermic needles used to draw blood or inject a vaccine. Acupuncture needles are ten times thinner than these needles and may vary in length.

The acupuncturist may apply certain stimulation techniques once the needles are inserted into the skin. He can twist the needles in certain directions or lift it up and down for a few times to generate a more powerful stimulating effect.

Patients usually complain that iron supplements tend to make them constipated.

Acupuncturists need to also determine the underlying cause of their patients’ anemia in order to implement the right kind of treatment that will result in numerous long-term benefits for their patients.

Chinese herbs and acupuncture are reliable ways to boost nutrient absorption and resolve the symptoms of anemia.

Vita-Health Acupuncture and Wellness Center
6840 Dykes Road
Pembroke Pines, FL 33331
Phone: (954) 880-0090
http://www.vitahealthmedspa.com

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.