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May 20, 2003

Survey Clinic

Clinic Ratings

The second most important categories next to the school ratings are that of the clinic. This was to judge how the surveyors rated their experience and their supervision.

		29.		Rate Your Clinical Experience
1 I Still Can't Get the Needle In 2 3 I Practice with Confidence 4 5 I am the Master!! 1.  Overall Clinical Experience 6% 17 11% 33 37% 114 35% 106 12% 37

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Ranking)

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.00
2.	Southwest Acupuncture College	3.82
3.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.80
4.	Five Branches Institute	3.57
4.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	3.57
6.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.50
6.	Bastyr University	3.50
8.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.43
8.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.43
10.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	3.33
11.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	3.29
12.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.28
13.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	3.27
14.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.25
15.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	3.14
16.	Mercy College	3.13
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	3.07
18.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	2.83
18.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	2.83
20.	South Baylo University	2.78
21.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.29

		29.		Rate Your Clinical Experience
1 I Still Can't Get the Needle In 2 3 I Practice with Confidence 4 5 I am the Master!! 4.  Clinical Supervision Quality 7% 21 13% 40 21% 65 34% 104 25% 76

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Supervision)

1.	Five Branches Institute	4.29
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.20
3.	Southwest Acupuncture College	4.12
4.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	3.86
4.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.86
6.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.85
7.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	3.83
8.	Bastyr University	3.80
9.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.75
10.	South Baylo University	3.67
11.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.63
12.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.57
13.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.53
14.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.50
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	3.44
16.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	3.27
17.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	3.17
18.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	2.89
19.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	2.86
20.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.71
21.	Mercy College	2.25

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Posted by Admin at 05:56 PM

Survey Clinic Facilities

Clinical Facilities

This was to determine how good of a space you had to treat your patients and get proper supervision. Additionally, I wanted to see how many schools gave their students an option aside from the school clinic and if they had made relationships with community hospitals and clinics.

		29.		Rate Your Clinical Experience
1 I Still Can't Get the Needle In 2 3 I Practice with Confidence 4 5 I am the Master!! 2.  Clinic Facilites (quality of practice space) 7% 23 18% 56 27% 84 32% 98 16% 49

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Facilities)

1.	Southwest Acupuncture College	4.18
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.00
2.	Five Branches Institute	4.00
4.	Bastyr University	3.90
5.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.70
6.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.63
6.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.63
8.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.50
9.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.42
10.	South Baylo University	3.33
11.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.29
12.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.14
13.	Mercy College	3.13
14.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	3.11
15.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	3.00
16.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	2.93
17.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	2.86
18.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	2.67
19.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	2.45
20.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	2.13
21.	National College of Oriental Medicine	1.86

		26.		Are there outside clinics where you can treat? (hospitals, community health centers)
Yes 208 63% No 124 37%

Yes = .25 | No = 0

1.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.25
2.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.24
3.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.23
3.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.23
3.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.23
6.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.22
6.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.22
6.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.22
6.	Bastyr University	0.22
10.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.21
11.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.20
12.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.18
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.14
14.	Mercy College	0.13
14.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.13
16.	Five Branches Institute	0.09
17.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.08
18.	South Baylo University	0.05
19.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.03
20.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.02
21.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.02

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Posted by Admin at 05:37 PM

Survey Clinic Shift

Clinical Shifts

How worthwhile are your clinical shifts? Do you see enough patients, are you treating the same conditions with all your patients, and do you learn how to manage the all important factor of time? Theory is one thing, but actually "needle time" is what's needed from your clinical shifts to turn out quality practitioners. Being in a practice requires a good knowledge of many different disorders and an insanely good ability to juggle a schedule.

		29.		Rate Your Clinical Experience
1 I Still Can't Get the Needle In 2 3 I Practice with Confidence 4 5 I am the Master!! 3.  Diversity of Patients (variety or just pain) 6% 20 11% 33 27% 84 32% 100 24% 73

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = More Diverse)

1.	Five Branches Institute	4.14
2.	Bastyr University	4.10
3.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.00
3.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	4.00
3.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	4.00
6.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.85
7.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.68
8.	Southwest Acupuncture College	3.65
9.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.64
10.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	3.56
11.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.50
12.	South Baylo University	3.44
13.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.43
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	3.43
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	3.40
16.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.14
17.	Mercy College	3.13
18.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	3.00
18.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	3.00
20.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	2.71
20.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.71

		25.		How many patients do you treat per shift on average?
1 10 3% 2 70 23% 3 100 33% 4 55 18% 5 32 10% 6 14 5% 7 6 2% 8 9 3% 9 1 0% 10 3 1% 11 0 0% 12 or more 5 2%   305 100%

Gave .25 Points to Schools that
Averaged 4 patients or more per shift.

Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.25
American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.25
NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.25
International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.25
Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.25
Mercy College	0.25

		28.		Do you learn how to manage you and your patient's time well?
Yes 265 79% No 69 21%

Yes = .25 | No = 0

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.25
2.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.24
3.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.23
3.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.23
5.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.22
5.	Five Branches Institute	0.22
7.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.20
7.	Bastyr University	0.20
7.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.20
7.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.20
11.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.19
11.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.19
11.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.19
14.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.18
14.	South Baylo University	0.18
16.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.16
16.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.16
18.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.14
18.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.14
18.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.14
21.	Mercy College	0.09

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Posted by Admin at 05:35 PM

Survey School Ratings

School Ratings

Here are the ones that really count. These are the overall ratings surveyors gave for their schools and their instructors. I know this is totally subjective but that's the whole point of this survey anyway.

		19.		Overall Ratings
1 State College 2 3 2nd Tier School 4 5 Ivy League! 1.  Rate Your School 13% 45 12% 40 25% 86 31% 108 19% 66

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Ranking)

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.40
2.	Bastyr University	3.90
3.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.82
4.	Southwest Acupuncture College	3.79
5.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.78
6.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	3.75
7.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.50
8.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.44
9.	Five Branches Institute	3.38
10.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.29
11.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	3.28
12.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	3.27
13.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.21
13.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.21
15.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	3.14
16.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.75
16.	Mercy College	2.75
18.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.50
19.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	2.40
20.	South Baylo University	2.20
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	1.78

		19.		Overall Ratings
1 State College 2 3 2nd Tier School 4 5 Ivy League! 2.  Rate Your Instructors 7% 24 9% 31 22% 76 30% 105 32% 109

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Ranking)

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	4.73
2.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	4.38
3.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	4.29
4.	Five Branches Institute	4.13
5.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	4.00
5.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	4.00
7.	Southwest Acupuncture College	3.89
7.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.89
9.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.82
10.	Bastyr University	3.80
11.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	3.79
12.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.78
13.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	3.60
14.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.50
14.	National College of Oriental Medicine	3.50
16.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	3.43
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	3.24
18.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	3.22
19.	South Baylo University	2.80
20.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.79
21.	Mercy College	2.75

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Posted by Admin at 05:32 PM

Survey Facilities

School Facilities

Even if the education is top notch, the quality of your surroundings can greatly affect a students ability to actually learn. This, to me, includes a good library, and the ability for students to do everything they need to at school which requires the use computers. That is how we do research after all, and can learn how to play with the big boys like your average med school. Below is also the Overall Ratings give to facilities of each school.

		19.		Overall Ratings
1 State College 2 3 2nd Tier School 4 5 Ivy League! 3.  Rate Your Facilities 20% 69 17% 58 27% 94 27% 93 9% 30

Rating Scale: 1 - 5
(Higher = Better Facilities)

1.	Southwest Acupuncture College	4.11
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	3.73
3.	Bastyr University	3.60
4.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	3.41
5.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	3.22
6.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	3.11
7.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	3.00
8.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	2.93
9.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	2.90
10.	Five Branches Institute	2.88
11.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	2.79
12.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	2.64
13.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	2.50
14.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	2.36
15.	South Baylo University	2.30
16.	Mercy College	2.25
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	2.22
18.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.21
19.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	2.20
20.	National College of Oriental Medicine	1.88
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	1.22

		14.		Does your school have an adequate library?
Yes 240 69% No 107 31%

Yes = 1 | No = 0

1.	Bastyr University	0.90
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.87
3.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.82
4.	South Baylo University	0.80
5.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.79
6.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.78
7.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.75
8.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.74
9.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.70
10.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.68
11.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.67
11.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.67
13.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.64
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.64
15.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.63
15.	Mercy College	0.63
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.56
18.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.50
18.	Five Branches Institute	0.50
20.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.43
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.11

		13.		Does your school have computers and/or the internet for students to use?
Yes 241 69% Yes, but no internet. 35 10% No 71 20%   347 100%

Yes = .75 | Yes, but no internet = .5 | No = 0

1.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.54
2.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.52
2.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.52
4.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.51
5.	Bastyr University	0.50
5.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.50
5.	South Baylo University	0.50
5.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.50
5.	Five Branches Institute	0.50
10.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.45
10.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.45
10.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.45
13.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.44
13.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.44
15.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.43
16.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.36
17.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.32
18.	Mercy College	0.31
18.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.31
20.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.19
20.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.19

Posted by Admin at 05:30 PM

Survey Job

Job Preparation

Another common problem with Acu schools is their ability to prepare for what comes after school. For most, that involves setting up a practice. Again my suspicions were confirmed by the bare majority of those who said they were prepared.

		17.		Does your school ready you for the job market/setting up a practice?
Yes 185 55% No 153 45%

Yes = .5 | No = 0

1.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.44
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.43
3.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.36
4.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.35
4.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.35
6.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.32
6.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.32
8.	Five Branches Institute	0.31
9.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.25
9.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	0.25
9.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.25
12.	South Baylo University	0.22
13.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.21
13.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.21
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.21
13.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.21
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.19
18.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.17
19.	Bastyr University	0.15
20.	Mercy College	0.13
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.11

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Posted by Admin at 05:28 PM

Survey Herbs

Herbal Program

In my mind, I put a decent amount of weight on how well the schools taught herbs. I know only the CA Exam includes it, but I felt it was very important to the overall understanding of TCM. As a way out for students in programs that don't offer or didn't take their herbal program, I left a N/A category below. All ranks below are from people who were actually in or had taken the herbal program.

		16.		How well does your school teach Herbal Medicine? (If not offered at your school please click N/A for all of the following or leave blank)
1 Poorly 2 Average 3 Well   N/A 1.  Knowledge of Single Herbs 8% 25 24% 79 61% 199 7% 24 2.  Knowledge of Formulas 6% 20 21% 70 63% 206 9% 30 3.  Clincal Experience 11% 37 29% 93 52% 169 7% 23 4.  Patent Knowledge 13% 43 31% 100 46% 149 9% 30

Raw Scores Below Are Averages of 4 Categories
(For overall ranking, each categories' average was added to the
raw score, not the average of all four combined)

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	2.81
2.	Five Branches Institute	2.78
3.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	2.70
4.	Bastyr University	2.69
5.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	2.68
6.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	2.63
7.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	2.57
8.	NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture	2.54
9.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	2.53
10.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	2.50
11.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	2.45
12.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	2.43
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.41
14.	Southwest Acupuncture College	2.40
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	2.38
16.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.34
17.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	2.33
18.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	2.23
19.	South Baylo University	2.20
20.	Mercy College	2.09
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	1.63

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Posted by Admin at 05:27 PM

Survey Admin

Quality of Administration

A common problem with smaller schools is that they don't have the right infrastructure to handle graduate students. Many Acu schools have problems with their administrations so I wanted to see how everyone felt about theirs. The response was almost exactly what I thought it would be.

		12.		Are your administrators easy to talk to and efficient when dealing with problems?
Surprisingly, Yes 185 54% Yeah Right! No. 159 46%   344 100%

Yes = 2 | No = 0

1.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	2.00
2.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	1.64
3.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	1.60
4.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	1.56
5.	Southwest Acupuncture College	1.37
6.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	1.33
7.	Five Branches Institute	1.14
7.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	1.14
9.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	1.11
10.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	1.00
10.	National College of Oriental Medicine	1.00
12.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.89
13.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.86
14.	Bastyr University	0.80
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.76
16.	New England School of Acupuncture	0.73
17.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.71
18.	South Baylo University	0.67
19.	Mercy College	0.50
20.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.40
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.22

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Posted by Admin at 03:56 PM

Survey Trust

Trusting of Other Students

What better way to judge the caliber of students your school is pumping out than by how willing you would be to send them your most dear friends and family for treatment. I am both impressed and amazed that overwhemingly people trusted their fellow students. I think it says something about the quality of education we are getting.

		11.		Would you trust your graduating classmates to treat your loved ones?
Sure 270 78% Hell No!! 76 22%   346 100%

Yes = 0.5 | No = 0

1.	Five Branches Institute	0.50
2.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.47
3.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.45
3.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.45
5.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.44
6.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.43
6.	New England School of Acupuncture	0.43
8.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.40
9.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.39
9.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.39
9.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.39
9.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.39
13.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.38
13.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.38
15.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.31
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.31
17.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.29
18.	South Baylo University	0.25
19.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.23
20.	Mercy College	0.19
21.	Bastyr University	0.17

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Posted by Admin at 03:55 PM

Survey Expinst

Instructor and TA Experience

Students' perceived level of experience of both their instructors and their TA's. I asked this question because a lot of schools out there have started hiring younger students and fresh grads to be teachers, not just TA's.

		10.		Experience Level of Instructors
1 Fresh Grads 2 Couple of Years Worth 3 Very Experienced 1.  Teachers 3% 11 16% 57 81% 282 2.  Teacher Assistants (TA's) 43% 119 41% 116 16% 45

Instructors Rating Scale: 1 - 3
(Higher = More Experience)

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	3.00
1.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	3.00
1.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	3.00
1.	Five Branches Institute	3.00
1.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	3.00
1.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	3.00
7.	Bastyr University	2.90
8.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	2.89
8.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	2.89
10.	New England School of Acupuncture	2.82
10.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	2.82
12.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	2.75
13.	Southwest Acupuncture College	2.74
14.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.71
14.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	2.71
16.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	2.67
17.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	2.64
18.	South Baylo University	2.50
18.	National College of Oriental Medicine	2.50
20.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	2.28
21.	Mercy College	2.25

---

TA's Rating Scale: 1 - 3
(Higher = More Experience)

1.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	2.50
1.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	2.50
3.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	2.44
4.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	2.25
5.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	2.20
6.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	2.15
7.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	2.00
8.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	1.75
8.	National College of Oriental Medicine	1.75
10.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	1.67
11.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	1.58
12.	Bastyr University	1.56
13.	New England School of Acupuncture	1.50
13.	South Baylo University	1.50
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	1.48
16.	Southwest Acupuncture College	1.47
17.	Mercy College	1.43
18.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	1.40
19.	Five Branches Institute	1.33
20.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	1.28
21.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	1.25

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Posted by Admin at 03:53 PM

Survey Practical

Practical Vs. Didactic

I tried to assess whether students thought they had a good balance between didactic work and hands on experience. Additionally, was there enough supervision with the hands on part for it to be worthwhile. 2 questions here so keep scrolling.

		8.		Is there a good mix of practical learning with classroom learning?
Yes 256 73% No, not enough practice 93 27%   349 100%

1.	Five Branches Institute	1.00
1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	1.00
1.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	1.00
4.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.95
5.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.86
6.	New England School of Acupuncture	0.82
7.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.79
8.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.72
9.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.71
10.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.67
10.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.67
10.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.67
13.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.64
13.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.64
15.	Mercy College	0.63
16.	South Baylo University	0.60
17.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.53
18.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.50
19.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.45
20.	Bastyr University	0.40
21.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.22

		9.		Do practical classes have enough teachers per student?
Yes 193 55% Almost 89 25% No 68 19%   350 100%

1.	Oregon College of Oriental Medicine	0.90
2.	Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup.	0.81
3.	Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin	0.77
4.	New England School of Acupuncture	0.76
5.	International Institute of Chinese Medicine	0.75
5.	Mercy College	0.75
7.	American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med	0.72
8.	Bastyr University	0.70
9.	Southwest Acupuncture College	0.68
9.	Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine	0.68
11.	Academy of Oriental Medicine	0.64
11.	Samra University of Oriental Medicine	0.64
13.	Five Branches Institute	0.63
13.	Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med.	0.63
15.	South Baylo University	0.60
15.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego	0.60
17.	Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc	0.59
18.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago	0.56
19.	Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York	0.50
19.	Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med.	0.50
21.	National College of Oriental Medicine	0.38

Back to Survey Home

Posted by Admin at 03:48 PM

Survey Demographics

Student Demographics

Here are some demographics of the students who took the poll including the year they graduated, their gender, age, and whether they were part or full timers.

The Average Age of the Survey = 35.7
Full Time........88%
Part Time........12%

2. When do/did you graduate? 1980 1 0% 1989 2 1% 1995 2 1% 1996 5 1% 1997 6 2% 1998 9 3% 1999 9 3% 2000 19 5% 2001 43 12% 2002 68 20% 2003 70 20% 2004 58 17% 2005 38 11% 2006 16 5%   346 100%

This shocked me a bit, and maybe it says something to the demographics of the internet and not acupuncture schools, but I know in my school, I was 1 of 5 guys in a class with over 40 women. I expected the female majority to be much higher.

		3.		Gender
Male 155 44% Female 198 56%   353 100%

Back to Survey Home

Posted by Admin at 03:42 PM

Survey Response

Responses By School

Below is a graph of all the schools and the number of responses received per school. If you see your school on the list here, but not on the final list it's because I didn't receive at least 10 responses to statistically qualify.

1. What school do/did you attend? Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences 5 1% Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc 11 3% Academy of Integrated Medicine 1 0% Academy of Oriental Medicine 14 4% Academy for Five Element Acupuncture 1 0% Acupressure-Acupuncture Institute 3 1% American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Med 0 0% American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Med 9 3% American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 6 2% Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Med. 0 0% Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine 1 0% Atlantic University of Chinese Medicine 2 1% Bastyr University 10 3% China International Medical University 1 0% Chinese Medicine Institute 1 0% Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Institute 0 0% Chinese Healing Arts Center 2 1% Classical Acupuncture Institute 0 0% Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 1% Colorado School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medi 0 0% Community School Traditional Chinese Healthcare 0 0% Connecticut Institute of Herbal Studies 0 0% Dallas Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Med 6 2% Dongguk Royal University 2 1% Eastern School of Acupuncture & Traditional Med. 3 1% Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Med. 13 4% Five Branches Institutecine 8 2% Florida Health Academy 1 0% Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicin 2 1% Florida School of Acupuncture and Oriental Med. 1 0% Green Mountain Institute of Acup. & Holistic Med 0 0% Institute of Chinese Medicine 1 0% Institute of Clinical Acupuncture & Oriental Med 0 0% International Institute of Chinese Medicine 15 4% Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine 1 0% Kyung San University 0 0% Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Med. 9 3% Mercy College 8 2% Meridian Institute College of Integrated Ch. Med 0 0% Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicin 14 4% Meiji College of Oriental Medicine 6 2% Minnesota Institute of Acup. & Herbal Studies 0 0% National College of Oriental Medicine 8 2% New Center Col. for Wholistic Health Education 5 1% NESA, The New England School of Acupuncture 22 6% New York Institute Of Chinese Medicine 2 1% North American Oriental Medical School 0 0% Northwest Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Me 4 1% Oregon College of Oriental Medicine 15 4% Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago 9 3% Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York 19 5% Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego 21 6% Phoenix Institute of Herbal Med. & Acupuncture 0 0% Ruseto College 1 0% Samra University of Oriental Medicine 11 3% Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine 5 1% The Sarasota School of Natural Healing Arts 0 0% Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine 0 0% South Baylo University 7 2% South Baylo University 3 1% Southwest Acupuncture College 12 3% Southwest Acupuncture College 3 1% Southwest Acupuncture College 4 1% Southwest College of Naturopathic Med. & Health 0 0% Swedish Inst. School of Acup. & Oriental Med. 3 1% Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 14 4% Tai Hsuan Foundation, Acup. & Herbal Med. Colleg 2 1% Traditional Acupuncture Institute 5 1% Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawaii 0 0% Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acup. 8 2% University of Bridgeport 1 0% Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicin 3 1%   349 100%

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Posted by Admin at 03:26 PM

Survey Ranks Raw

Overall Ranks - Raw Scores

These are the overall rankings for the Acupuncture Schools Survey. The first tab (Overall) are the rankings only including the schools with a stastistically relevant sampling. The second tab is the raw scores per school. There were a few ties, and you will see why when you look at the raw scores. Hopefully later I can list all the schools that were not stat significant.

Overall Rankings

Raw Scores

Acupuncture School Survey Rankings School Raw Score Oregon College of Oriental Medicine 52.77 Southwest Acupuncture College 48.12 New England School of Acupuncture 47.38 American College of Acu. and Oriental Med. 47.10 Bastyr University 47.07 Five Branches Institute 46.61 Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acu. 46.60 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago 44.78 Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 44.69 Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc 44.32 Academy of Oriental Medicine 44.26 International Institute of Chinese Medicine 43.32 Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine 42.55 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego 42.38 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York 40.43 Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicine 40.40 Samra University of Oriental Medicine 39.37 South Baylo University 38.49 Mercy College 37.11 National College of Oriental Medicine 36.52 Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine 33.23

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Posted by Admin at 02:02 PM

Survey Ranks

Overall Ranks

These are the overall rankings for the Acupuncture Schools Survey. The first tab (Overall) are the rankings only including the schools with a stastistically relevant sampling. The second tab is the raw scores per school. There were a few ties, and you will see why when you look at the raw scores. Hopefully later I can list all the schools that were not stat significant.

Overall Rankings

Raw Scores

Acupuncture School Survey Rankings 1. Oregon College of Oriental Medicine - Portland, OR 2. Southwest Acupuncture College - Santa Fe, NM 3. New England School of Acupuncture - Watertown, MA 4. American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Houston, TX 5. Bastyr University - Kenmore, WA 6. Five Branches Institute - Santa Cruz, CA 6. Tri-State Institute of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture - New York, NY 8. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Chicago - Chicago, IL 8. Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Austin, TX 10. Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, Inc - Sarasota, FL 10. Academy of Oriental Medicine - Austin, TX 12. International Institute of Chinese Medicine - Santa Fe, NM 13. Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine - Santa Monica, CA 13. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: San Diego - San Diego, CA 15. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: New York - New York, NY 15. Midwest Center for the Study of Oriental Medicine - Racine WI 17. Samra University of Oriental Medicine - Los Angeles, CA 18. South Baylo University - Anaheim, CA 19. Mercy College - Dobbs Ferry, NY 20. National College of Oriental Medicine - Orlando, FL 21. Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Bethesda, MD (closed)

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Posted by Admin at 01:54 PM

School Survey

Acupuncture School Survey 2003-2004

After two years and many setbacks the results of the Acupuncture Schools Survey are finally ready. There is a lot of information here and thus I have given you a few different ways to take a look at it all. Below are the top five schools that were determined from all the responses of the survey and a few extra statistics that I received directly from the schools themselves. To your right is a link that sends you directly to the responses per question or subject in the survey itself. I will also try and do a school by school listing that tells you where each school ranked in each of the questions. Below is an explanation of the methods of determining everything. Without further ado:

The Top 5 Acupuncture Schools

1. Oregon College of Oriental Medicine - Portland, OR
2. Southwest Acupuncture College - Santa Fe, NM
3. New England School of Acupuncture - Watertown, MA
4. American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Houston, TX
5. Bastyr University - Kenmore, WA

Here's how this was determined. There were 30 questions, 18 of which were relevant questions to the quality of the school. Each question was assigned a numerical value between .25 and 1, depending on its importance. These numbers were added up to come up with a raw score. The ratings in the questionnaire that were already on a numerical scale from 1-3 or 1-5 were averaged and then added to this raw score. The schools were then ranked according to the raw score. To preserve some measure of statistical significance, any school that received fewer than 10 ratings from students were excluded. After this, the top five schools were determined, and then a further analysis was done comparing their programs in terms of depth, cost, national board passing scores, and the amount of clinical experience given to students.

The bias in this survey is to the overall ratings of instructors, academics, clinic, facilities and programs that were supplied by the students. Many of these questions were simple yes/no so more importance was given to the scale of 3 and 5 ratings systems.

To be fair, I'd like to point out that this survey is far and away NOT statistically valid. The sample sizes were too small to get a large enough representation from each school. Additionally, many have said that my questions were poorly worded and with them I agree. I was going for "informal" and that is what I got. I will soon be following this up with a new study which will erase the errors as best as I can.

If you feel there is a better way to do the statistics for this type of analysis, feel free to click on Contact Me below and let me know what you think.

Posted by Admin at 01:10 PM

Contact Us

Contact Us

If you want to send me a message and don't want to have the whole forum know about it you can use this form. I can sometimes be quick about replying, and sometimes not. I will try though. Please include your email address or I will have no way of replying to you. When done, just click on the email me button.

Your Message

Email Subject Message Send Email

Posted by Admin at 12:46 PM

May 19, 2003

Five Phase Treatments

Five Phase Treatments

Introduction

Five phase treatments are aptly named for both their relations to the five phases (elements) which they treat, but also that the treatment itself consists of five steps. Each step is very precise in its choosing of points to use and time in which to administer treatment. As with much of Japanese styles of acupuncture, five phase treatments are very subtle in their workings. How far the needle goes in, the direction of the needle placement, and the manipulation of the needle are very important. If you are unfamiliar with japanese needles check out the Needle Comparison Chart.

Step 1
Pulse: Feel the pulse and determine which pulse position, and in turn phase, is the weakest. Then see if the mother or son is also deficient. This is your pair. Focus on the son here, regardless which of the two is weaker, and that is the pattern under which you will treat. Let us take the kidneys as our example throughout the page. We felt the pulse and have determined that both the kidney and the lung are the weakest. We call this a kidney primary pattern. For all the pulse patterns click here.
Needling: In Step 1 we will be treating two points in a specific order. Using the command or five shu chart, we have the points laid out in the Nan Jing associated with the phases. On each meridian there is a point corresponding to each of the phases. The first point to treat will be on the primary pattern meridian (kidney here) and it will be the mother phase point (lung point here) on that meridian. The second point to treat will be on the mother meridian of the primary pattern (lung meridian here). The point to treat is the horary point on the mother meridian (lung point here). The horary point on any meridian is the point associated with the same phase as the meridian itself.

Yin	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
	Jing-Well	Ying-Spring	Shu-Stream	Jing-River	He-Sea
Lung	LU 11	LU 10	LU 9	LU 8	LU 5
Kidney	KD 1	KD 2	KD 3	KD 7	KD 10

If you look at the chart, feast your eyes on the column under the Metal phase (lung). These are your two points; Kidney 7 and Lung 8. Order is important here. First needle Kidney 7 since it is on the primary pattern meridian, then needle Lung 8. These are both being tonified so use a small needle, shallow insertion of 1-2mm, following the flow of the meridian. The side needled can be determined one of two ways. The first is the opposite side of pain or disease. So if someone has right shoulder pain, treat the side that is healthy, the left. If there is no pain or if the pain is bilateral then use the second method decided by gender. For men use the left; women use the right.
Time: 10 minutes (start counting after the second needle is placed).
Exceptions: The Pericardium/San Jiao pulse position is basically ignored in 5 phase since they both belong to the fire phase as does the Heart. Additionally, the Heart primary pattern is considered taboo in Japan and is not treated. They save it for extremely serious conditions of physical and mental illness.
Note: In our case of the kidney primary, the lung point Lung 5 may also be used as our second point. This was found through empirical work and does not necessarily come from the theory here.
Options:

Primary Pattern	Points
Liver	Lv 8, Kd 10
Lung	Lu 9, Sp 3
Kidney	Kd 7, Lu 8/5
Spleen	Sp 3, Pc 7
Heart	Pc 8, Sp 2 *

* The heart is explained at the end of this section.

Step 2
Pulse: With every primary pattern, there is a secondary pattern that is also treated. The possible meridians that constitute the secondary pattern are either the one that controls the primary pattern meridian, or is controlled by the primary pattern meridian (in the controlling cycle). With our example of the kidney, this means the possible secondary patterns are Spleen and Heart. However, as noted above, the heart is generally avoided under most circumstances for treatment, thus we choose the Spleen. In a case where two meridians are an option (like in treating a Spleen primary where you have either Kidney or Liver to choose from) you go by whichever secondary option stands out to you in the pulse, either by being more deficient or excess. So here we feel the Spleen pulse and we determine if it is excess or deficient (the Spleen is rarely in excess so for example purposes let's say it is deficient). If none of the above pulses seem deficient or excess you can also just do the same points as step 1 on the opposite side.
Needling: Step 2 involves one point being needled on the opposite side of the primary points. That point is the source point of the secondary pattern meridian. How it is needled is determined by the pulse and if it was deficient or excess. In our example, the Spleen is our secondary pattern, and thus our point is Spleen 3. Here we are dealing with a Spleen secondary deficiency so we are going to tonify that point by inserting a small size needle shallowly, 1-2mm, following the flow of the meridian.
Time: Remainder of 10 minutes from Step 1.
Exceptions: The Kidney is never thought of as being in excess, thus if you come up with a Spleen primary you can have either Liver secondary excess or deficiency, or kidney secondary deficiency.
Needle Removal: After the ten minutes has passed, remove the needles in the reverse order in which you put them in. So in this case, first remove Sp 3, then Lu 8/5, and finally Kd 7.
Options:

Primary Pattern	Points
Liver	Lu 9 or Sp 3
Lung	Lv 3
Kidney	Sp 3
Spleen	Kd 3 or Lv 3
Heart	Lu 9 or Kd 3*

* The heart is explained at the end of this section.

Step 3
Pulse: Remove all the needles in steps 1 and 2, remembering to remove in the reverse order. Now check the pulse again, this time concentrating on the Yang organs. First find the most deficient and tonify that meridian. Then find the most excess and reduce that meridian. Only feel for the excess yang pulse after you have needled the deficient one.
Needling: When the deficient yang organ is found, tonify the point on that meridian (below are the list of points which have been empirically deduced). Use the side of the body which corresponds to the pulse position that is weak. For example, if the Large Intestine is deficient, since the LI pulse is found on the right side, treat only right LI 11. After that has been done for the appropriate time, disperse the luo point on the meridian of the excess organ. Again, only treating the side of the body corresponding the pulse position. Keep in mind that you will be using a thicker needle and you will be needling against the flow of the meridian when dispersing.
Time: Tonify the deficient yang organ for 1-2 minutes. Disperse the excess organ for 30 seconds.
Exceptions: If all the yang organs seem deficient, use either TW 4 or St 36 bilaterally.
Options:

Yang Deficient Points Gall Bladder GB 37 (l) Large Intestine LI 11 (r) Bladder Bl 58 (l) Stomach St 36 (r) Small Intestine SI 7 (l) Triple Warmer TW 4 (r)

Yang Excess Points (Luo) Gall Bladder GB 37 (l) Large Intestine LI 6 (r) Bladder Bl 58 (l) Stomach St 40 (r) Small Intestine SI 7 (l) Triple Warmer TW 5 (r)

Note: The second part of this step, dispersing the excess organ, is not a mandatory step. Often in tonifying the deficient yang organ, the excess one will disperse on its own. Make sure to look for the excess yang pulse after needling the deficient organ / meridian.

Step 4
Needling: This step is rather simple with no pulse taking necessary. Turn the patient over and tonify the the corresponding shu points to the primary diagnosis mother and son. For example, to continue with our Kidney primary pattern, you would tonify the shu points of the Kidney and the Lung (Bl 23 & Bl 13).
Time: 30 seconds from the end of the last needle inserted.
Options:

Primary Pattern	Points
Liver	Bl 18 & 23
Lung	Bl 13 & 20
Kidney	Bl 23 & 13
Spleen	Bl 20 & 15 or 14
Heart	Bl 15 & 20

Step 5
(under construction)

Back to Japanase Styles

Posted by Admin at 03:55 PM

May 18, 2003

Japanese Style

Acupuncture Theory - Japanese Style

Even with it's definitive roots in the classics of oriental medicine, the Japanese styles hardly resemble modern TCM. The needles are different, the applications are different, even the points have their own variations at times. Japanese acupuncture definitely takes the more subtle route in many ways. No heavy stimulation, no deep insertions, and everything counts. Even the gauge of the needle has a special significance in the effect. There are a variety of ways this style is applied, each being rather unique in themselves. Below the general information is a more in detail look into the three usages of the Japanese style that I know of.

General Theory Five Phase Treatments Five Phase Patterns Manaka Style Ion Pumping Cord Treatments Six Major Extraordinary Vessel Patterns Polar Pair Ion Pumping Cord Treatments Local Treatments

(under construction)

Posted by Admin at 07:02 PM

Function Liver

Functions of the Liver

The Liver is referred to as the body's general in the Simple Questions. The liver plans and oversees the direction and efficiency of the flow of qi. It in turn influences the degree of determination and resolve, and the ability to make decisions in life. It is internally-externally related to the Gallbladder. Its element is Wood.

Functions	Character	Element	Patterns

Stores the Blood
The liver controls the flow of blood out into the muscles and sinews during activity, as well as the return of the blood back into itself during rest. Proper nourishment of the muscles is necessary to ensure enough energy to be active, and thus how well the liver does its job greatly effects the level of energy in the body. As a side effect of this, the quantity of blood available to ensure the nourishment of the muscles and surface help promote the strength of the Wei Qi (Defensive Qi).
    Menstruation is also greatly effected by this function of the liver. The volume stored in the liver determines the flow of the menses. Deficient liver blood will lead to a scanty flow or amenorrhea (lack of period). Excess liver blood will lead to heavy flows, extended periods, or even spotting mid-cycle. Stagnation of liver qi may lead to stagnant liver blood and thus cause dysmenorrhea (painful periods), clotting in the flow and PMS. Finally, since the liver is where the blood is stored and nourished, a liver in disharmony (from qi stagnation, dampness, heat, etc.) may affect the blood. It may become reckless or hot and cause skin problems or emotional problems.

Maintains the Smooth Flow of Qi
Each individual organ usually has a direction in which its qi flows (e.g. the stomach descends while the spleen rises). The liver qi goes in all directions and ensures that the other organs go the way they are supposed to. This prime aspect of the liver can have great affect on three aspects of the body: the emotions, digestion, and free flow of blood.
    1) Aside from the heart, the liver is closely related to the emotions. A lack of smooth flow of the liver qi will not allow the mind to be at ease. If it is stagnant it will cause depression, sadness, oppression of the chest or plum pit throat (a lump in the throat). If it is hyperactive it will cause restlessness, insomnia, dizziness and vertigo.
    2) The liver assists in the smooth flow of the stomach and spleen qi, especially. If the liver qi is not flowing smoothly, bile will not be introduced properly and the liver will attack the stomach and spleen. This can result in nausea, vomiting, belching, reflux, chest and hypochondriac pain, even diarrhea.
    3) The blood cannot go where the qi does not. In the vessels the qi and blood move together. If the free flow of the qi is stagnated by the liver, the blood will in turn stagnate as well. Though the heart and lung are the promoters of blood circulation, stagnation of liver qi will still cause stagnation of blood which will lead to the GYN symptoms above, as well as the formation of masses and hypochondric pain.

Controls the Tendons & Sinews
The tendons are the main tissues linking the joints and muscles, and dominate the movement of the limbs. The liver nourishes the tendons of the whole body to maintain their normal physiological activities. Thus, when liver blood is deficient, it may deprive the tendons of nourishment and give rise to weakness of the tendons, numbness of the limbs, and dysfunction of the joints. When the tendons are invaded by the pathogenic heat of the liver caused by liver yang rising or by chronic liver qi stagnation, there may be convulsions of the four extremities, opisthotonos and clenching of the teeth.

Opens Into the Eyes
The free movement of the blood from the liver gives the eyes their brightness and shine. When liver blood is abundant the vision is clear and crisp. When it is deficient, the vision is blurred, dry and conditions such as myopia can develop. If the liver fire or yang is rising, heat can get into the eyes and cause them to be red, dry, irritated. If the fire is strong enough to become wind, it may cause the eyes to turn upwards or to move involuntarily.

Manifests in the Nails
When liver blood is ample, the tendons and nails are strong, and when liver blood is deficient, the nails become soft and brittle.

Houses the Ethereal Soul (Hun)
As the Lungs house the physical or corporeal soul, it is the liver the houses the spiritual or ethereal soul. The ethereal soul is very similar to a western concept of the soul. It is that in the body which gives it both life and purpose. Without it we would lose direction and be empty. The ethereal soul is important to classical chinese medicine because it is the ethereal soul that leaves the body to join the spirits and qi of nature. When the popular thought that disease was caused by the curse of evil spirits and demons (sometime during the Chou period before ~220 BC), it was the ethereal soul of ancestors that were coming to haunt and plague the ill. The ethereal soul gives us guidance and a sense of purpose. When the liver blood is deficient it cannot root the ethereal soul and thus we lose direction in life. A sensation of fear or of floating prior to sleep can indicate this.

Posted by Admin at 06:25 PM

Function Kidney

Functions of the Kidney

The kidneys are the root of all pre-natal qi in the body, just as the Spleen is the root of all post-natal qi. Anything that might be considered genetic or hereditary in modern terms stems from the kidneys, as all of our ancestral information is stored there. Thus, the kidneys are also the source of the base yin and yang of the body. Within the kidneys the interdependence of yin and yang are even more pronounced than in the yin and yang of the other organs. It is internally-externally related to the Bladder. Its element is Water.

Functions	Character	Element	Patterns

Stores Essence & Governs Reproduction & Development
Essence (jing), comes in 2 forms: pre and post natal. Post-natal Essence is simply the pure substances made by workings of the Spleen (transformation), Lungs and Heart. Pre-natal Essence is all that is inherited. It, in turn, controls how the baby develops and matures, and makes up the basic constitution of a person. It is also the basis for sexual function and its strength is proportionally related to its ability to reproduce. When pre-natal Essence is strong and abundant: fetus develops properly, constitution is strong, person can reproduce without problem. When pre-natal Essence is weak and deficient: fetus is underdeveloped, can have birth defects, constitution is weak, infertility, physical and mental retardation. The strength of the Essence pushes a person through their lifelong developments of adolescence, puberty, reproduction, aging, menopause, etc. Additionally, it is the root of all yin and yang of the Kidney (which is in turn the root of all yin and yang of the body).
(Note: The "Su Wen" states that development occurs in periods of 7 years for men, and 8 years for women. These ages are milestones and are the norm with which a child's development should be compared.)

Controls Water Metabolism
The kidneys control the water in the lower warmer as the lungs do in the upper warmer. This function helps the kidney to regulate the yin (form) and the yang (function) of the body, by releasing or holding in fluids (processing and urination as in allopathic medicine). The kidneys provide the Qi necessary for the bladder to hold and release fluid and for the large and small intestines to separate pure and impure fluids. Additionally, remember it warms the fluids to send to the Lungs and upper warmer in the form of mist.

Receives & Grasps Qi
The kidneys work hand in hand with the lungs by taking the qi sent down to the lower warmer and holding it. If it cannot do this we have something called counterflow qi where there is qi above, but none below. This can lead to breathing issues, as well as deficiencies of the lower warmer.

Produces Marrow to Fill the Brain & Control the Bones
Get your mind away from the word "marrow" as in where blood cells come from. This marrow is found in both the bones and the brain and spinal cord. The Essence produces the marrow and the marrow in turn makes the bones strong and fills the spinal cord and brain to garner the intelligence and concentration. The brain is often called the "Sea of Marrow" for this reason. Everything involved in aging is governed by the kidneys as you can see. When the kidneys finally go weak, the memory and quality of thought is poor (brain), the bodies reactions and speed are slowed (spine), the teeth crack and fall out (bone), and the bones become brittle.

Opens Into the Ear
The state of hearing is directly related to the strength of the Kidneys.

Manifests in the Hair
The shine, health, and abundance of hair is related to the kidneys as well. Thus when we get old and our essence is weak, our hair stops growing or falls out.

Houses Will Power
No real explanation here. This is all that is said in the Su Wen so assume it means determination and adherence to principles.

Posted by Admin at 06:25 PM

Function Lung

Functions of the Lungs

The Lung is known as the "canopy" of all the internal organs as it is the superior-most organ in the body. The flow of the lung qi therefore is always down and out. In addition, the lung is the middle man between the body and its environment. It is internally-externally related to the Large Intestine. Its element is Metal.

Functions	Character	Element	Patterns

Governs the Qi and Respiration
The lung takes in the qi of the air (kong qi) and in the chest this is what is combined with the food qi to make true qi. After that it exhales the waste, and then circulates the qi througout the body.

Controls Descending and Dispersing
The lungs circulate the finished product of true qi througout the body. The lungs are responsible for dispersing the qi to the skin and surface as well as to within the channels and blood (yup there's qi in blood too). Thus if anything attacks the lungs (external pathogens) the lungs are the first thing effected. In TCM, the lungs are considered the uppermost organ of the body, so aside from out, the qi has to descend, and it is the lungs that do this. This function is also key because here it has to communicate with the kidneys which receives the qi from above (very important with all breathing problems: it is said the kidneys govern inhalation while the lungs govern exhalation). When functioning properly: strong defensive qi, abundance of qi in channels, lustrous skin. When not functioning properly:weak defensive qi (easy invasion of pathogens), dull skin, nasal obstructions, poor breathing.

Regulates Water Passages
Descending and dispersing of water are also of the realm of the lungs. The spleen sends pure fluids up to the lungs who then spreads it to the rest of the body.

Opens into the Nose
No nose, no breathing, you figure it out. Particularly the qi of the lungs effects the opening and closing of the passages and are thus effected when external pathogens are attacking.

Controls the Skin and Hair
Since the lungs spread both qi and moisture to the outer areas, this determines how nourished the skin and hair are. Additionally, it gives the lungs another opening to regulate the water passages; the pores.

Houses the Corporeal Soul (Po)
The corporeal and ethereal souls are the yin and yang of a persons sould. The corporeal is the yin or material aspect of it. It is most affected by grief and sadness. This is the key to the relationship between the breath and the emotions. Possibly why easy breathing calms the soul, and constriction in the chest can constrict the emotions.

Posted by Admin at 06:21 PM

Function Spleen

Functions of the Spleen

The Spleen is the root of all post-natal Qi. Combined with the Stomach it takes all things consumed and converts them into energy. If any lack of qi is found in the body, the Spleen is the first place to look for an imbalance. It is internally-externally related to the Stomach. Its element is earth.

Functions	Character	Element	Patterns

Governs Transformation and Transportation
The spleen is responsible for the intake, processing, and shipping out of food and fluid. From the food and fluid, the spleen derives key components of making qi and blood and is thus the primary organ looked at when these two essential substances are not balanced. The spleen extracts the qi of the food (gu qi), and sends it up to the heart and lungs. In the heart, it combines with the pre-natal qi to form blood. In the lungs, it combines with the qi of the air (kong qi) and the original qi (yuan qi) to form the True or Upright Qi (zhen qi). It is this final type of qi that will be sent through the blood and channels of the rest of the body. When functioning properly: qi is strong, digestion goes smoothly, body is kept moist. When malfunctioning: qi is weak (lassitude), appetite is poor, digestion is sluggish, stools may be loose, phlegm and damp may accumulate.

Controls the Blood
As just said, the spleen is the key to the manufacturing of blood and is thus in control of its quantity in the body. Additionally, the spleen qi holds the blood in the vessels. Thus if the spleen qi is weak there may be hemorrhaging or spilling over of blood.

Controls the Muscles and Four Limbs
This ties into the transformation and transportation function of the spleen to spread nutrients to the muscles and tissues. If the spleen is weak, the limbs and muscles aren't nourished and they become weak and tired.

Opens into the Mouth
Mastication is necessary to the function of the spleen, thus it is functionally related. Also, if the spleen is weak, the sense of taste may dull.

Manifests in the Lips
Red and vibrant lips are the domain of the spleen. When the spleen is deficient the lips may turn pale from lack of nourishment.

Controls Upright Qi
The upright qi is that which holds the body, particularly the organs right and in place. It is like the gravity fighting force of the body, that without the organs would all by lying at the bottom of your abdomen. Thus if the qi is weak, prolapses may occur.

Houses Thought
The spleen is directly related to our capacity for thinking. How well we manage things that require concentration is dependent on the strength of the spleen. So if you wanna ace that test, make sure your spleen qi is strong. Some translation use different words, some indicate worry as much as thought. Possibly it is meant that the spleen controls how much we overthink and analyze and when strong the spleen is weak it can't keep the mind from running through things over and over.

Posted by Admin at 05:39 PM

Zang Fu

The Zang Fu

Surrounding the core principles of yin and yang, the theory of the internal organs distinguishes TCM from all other forms of medicine. Throw away all your thoughts of allopathic medicine's view of the viscera and prepare for a complex, wholistic view that encompasses the form, function, emotion and spirit of the body.

Zang and Fu are two words which are similarly translated as organ but are different in their composition. Zang can be associated with storage and yin, while Fu can be associated with governing and yang. The Zang store all the bodily fluids and energies (See Qi, Blood & Body Fluids after this section for further explanation). Fu, on the other hand, act as governors by taking in, processing and moving out all external substances. The Zang are also called the solid organs since they store, while the Fu are called hollow since things go through them.

Only Lung, Spleen, Kidney, and Liver so far...

Most of the information in the following pages can be found throughout the classics, mostly the Nan Jing Su Wen. Be sure to check out my bibliography for more places to read up on this information.

Posted by Admin at 05:16 PM

Five Element Application

Application of Five Elements

Applying this theory to the body is actually just a matter of plugging in for the variables. Wherever you see an element, replace it with it's corresponding zangfu organs. The examples below show the zang organs.

This simple substitution is enough to explain how the organs interact within the body. Oriental Medicine, being mostly a system based on imbalances as the cause of disease, now has a second form of pathology along with the yin-yang theory. The examples below will make more sense as you read on and learn the functions of the organs.

Application Examples of the Cycles

1. One of the most common pathologies, as you will learn, is Liver Qi Stagnation. This pathology is often accompanied by problems with the digestive system. This is an excess of the liver. According to this theory, the liver controls the spleen. If the liver is in excess as it is here, it will over-act on the spleen and interfere with it's ability to transform and transport food.

2. Using the generating cycle, we see that the kidneys generate or are the mother of the liver. You will learn later on that the kidneys are the root of the yin of the body. Additionally, the liver stores the blood of the body and is susceptible to deficiency of blood if too much is used during the active hours. Since the kidney is the mother of the liver, you can nourish the yin of the kidneys, to in turn nourish the blood of the liver (as blood is part of the yin of the body).

3. The heart controls the lungs. When the heart is in excess it will over-act upon the lungs. Symptoms of heart excess are often accompanied by shortness of breath and chest oppression, affecting the ability of the lungs to control the airways.

Application Examples of the 5 Element Chart

Five Elements Metal Seasons Autumn Environment Dry Zang Lung Fu Large Intestine Directions West Tastes Pungent Sense Organs Nose Tissues Skin and Hair Emotions Grief

Remember the chart that you saw on the previous page. Lets take the element Metal as an example. Here you have a chart of correspondences. If a patient comes to you complaining of anything in the chart you attribute it to an imbalance in that particular organ. If someone comes in and is in grief, has either skin issues or dry and brittle hair, or maybe a pungent taste in the mouth, you attribute the imbalance to the Lung. The same goes for the rest of the organs. In addition, the colors are important, which are noted by the color of the cell in chart. The Japanese school of five phase, for example, rubs the skin of the forearm and then looks to see a color shading. If it was green for example, they would attribute imbalances to the liver. If it was red it would be heart, pale white would be lung, yellow would spleen and dark or black would be kidney. I think you get the idea.

Application Examples from the Nan Jing

In many chapters of the Nan Jing, particularly chapter 69, it discusses how to utilize the mother-son principle for tonifying and reducing the elements to create balance. The general principle is to tonify the mother in case of deficiency and to reduce the son in case of excess. For example, if the liver is excess, you should reduce the heart. If the kidney is deficient, you should tonify the lung and so on.

If Deficienct in ... Tonify Spleen Heart Lung Spleen Kidney Lung Liver Kidney Heart Liver

If Excess in ... Reduce Spleen Lung Lung Kidney Kidney Liver Liver Heart Heart Spleen

Multitude of Possibilities

Okay, now to tie it all together here. So imagine, if you see a deficiency in an organ there are a lot of possibilities as to what is causing it. There is a good picture in Maciocia's Foundations of Chinese Medicine book on page 32 that describes almost all of the possible pathologies that any organ can have according to five phase. Take a look to get a cool pictoral view. For our purposes, let's take the spleen (earth) as an example here. The spleen is susceptible to becoming deficient or attacked at least 4 different ways.

1. The liver controls the spleen. If the liver is excess it can over-act on the spleen.
2. The spleen controls the kidneys. If the kidneys are excess they can insult the spleen.
3. The heart is the mother of the spleen. If the heart is deficient, it will not have enough to nourish the spleen.
4. The lung is the son of the spleen. If the lungs are deficient, they may drain too much from the mother spleen.

Now you can see how complex diagnosing can become. If you take into account the fact that there are 2 organs per element (four for fire since the pericardium and triple warmer are both associated with fire), at least 4 different ways for imbalance to occur per organ, you get a nice and easy 48 possible diagnoses to look at. Let's not think that this is just one aspect of organ and body disharmony. Don't worry, it gets worse :)

I have put the explanation of the zang/fu next. Usually a discussion of the fluids and influences of the body come next in most texts but I think this way will make it easier to understand the concepts of qi and blood.

Posted by Admin at 04:52 PM

Five Element Theory

Theory of Five Elements

The theory of the five elements has an interesting history and is utilized in the different forms of acupuncture very differently. It seems that some forms, Japanese in particular (including Shiatsu), take it more seriously and it is absolutely instrumental to diagnosis. TCM seems to take it with a grain of salt. Mostly they use it to help explain the etiology of disease and to associate symptoms or signs to particular organ pathologies found in the five element chart.

History

The theory of five elements or wu xing, was most likely conceived in or around the Warring States Period (476 - 221 BC) by someone named Zou Yen. Interestingly, many translators think that using the term "elements" is almost wrong. Unschuld translates it as "phase" and this seems to me as the best translation yet, although it seems elements has stuck in people's heads and thus it isn't going anywhere. By calling them phases it allures more to the processes that are occurring in both nature and the microcosm that is the body. Particularly it better explains the motion of the generating and controlling cycle (see below). In early texts these same five things are also referred to as basic materials of the universe with an addition of grain as a sixth, so I guess they can be thought of in both ways. Keep the term "phase" in mind though as you learn more.

Five Element Correspondences

Without further adieu here they are, pretty much unchanged from the way it is in the Nan Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine).

Quick note: pay attention to the seasons being the first on the list. The Earth element or phase has an interesting position here. In this table it is denoted as Late Summer. In parts of the Nei Jing it is said that it also corresponds to the time in between the seasons.

Movement of the Five Phases

The five phases have a flow in which they move called the Generating Cycle. Again looking at the seasons, put the phases in order by season and you get the image to your right. (I myself wonder if this cycle was originally formed from the concept of Earth being Late Summer or if that was extrapolated later to give some reasoning for this cycle.) Starting with water (a good way to remember it), water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and metal generates water. The Nan Jing or Classic of Difficulties, makes the analogy of mother to son when it comes to the generating cycle (e.g., fire is the mother and earth is the son, water is the mother wood and wood is the son of water, etc.). This becomes more relevant when we look at the application of this theory to medical applications.

The way I remember it is: Water is the necessary ingredient for plants to grow, thus you get wood. Wood can be rubbed together to form and transform into fire. Fire burns the wood to ash and what is left is earth. Earth in the form of continents crashes together to create mountains of rock from which metal can be drawn. Then the rain falls on the mountains of rock and from the metal, water flows down the ground to nourish the trees. It's a little bit of a stretch but it works. Think up your own and you'll remember.

Now, in true democratic form and of course to preserve balance, the five phases also have a system of checks & balances. This cycle, as seen below, is called the Controlling Cycle. Here the phases insure that no phase is too long or too strong. Again starting from water, water controls fire, fire controls metal, metal controls wood, wood controls earth, earth controls water. Another cycle which is just a further example of the image to the right, is the Over-Acting Cycle. Basically the over-acting cycle is when any given phase is overly strong and not controlled enough. It then takes the element it controls and does damage to it (e.g., water controls fire, but if too much water is used the fire will go out completely, etc.)

The way I remember it is: Water can be thrown to dose out fire. Fire melts metal. Metal in the form of an axe or knife cuts wood. Wood in the form of a tree breaks through the earth to grow. Earth clouds and turns water to mud.

A third way to look at this same image is to reverse the direction of the arrows. If you do this you get the Insulting Cycle. If any phase is extremely strong, it can actually turn around and put down the phase which normally controls it.

Posted by Admin at 12:33 PM

Yin Yang Application

Application of Yin Yang Theory to Body

Every sign, symptom and aspect of the body can be contemplated with yin and yang in mind. Before looking at medical applications and imbalances, first the structure of the body is placed into the two categories by their nature. This includes both the external surface of the body as well as the internal organs and meridians or channels (Surprisingly no introductory texts actually explain the origin of meridians and where they fit, thus I am throwing them in as well).

YinYang Application to Body Structure

There is a story that says the application of yin and yang to the body came from watching the way the noon time sun would hit an animal. Just as every hill had a sunny side and a shady side, so too does the animal. Every part of the animal that touched the sunlight was associated with yang and every part that was in shade was associated with yin. To yang went the entirety of the head, the posterior-lateral arms and legs, the posterior of the torso, etc. To yin went the anterior of the torso, the anterior-medial arms and legs, etc. Internally, those organs which are in direct contact with the outside world, mostly from mouth to anus, went to yang (a.k.a. the hollow organs). Those organs which open to the outside only indirectly went to yin (solid organs). Here are the basics:

As for the meridians, the split is correlated to both the meridians organ association and it's location. Interestingly, all of the hollow organs have meridians which run along the posterior-lateral aspects of the arms and legs. Similarly all the solid organs have meridians that run along the anterior-medial aspects of the arms and legs. (What's curious is even though some meridians have a greater percentage of points on one aspect of the body, they fall into the other.)

YinYang Application to Pathology and Treatment

It is the imbalance between yin and yang in the body that is one of the major pathologies in TCM. In addition, the nature and characteristics of an illness and how it runs its course, can also give inclinations to whether the pathogen or pattern is yin or yang.

Recall the graph from the four properties page (YinYang Graph). It is this property of mutual consuming and supporting that gives us four major pathologies (Yin deficiency, Yin Excess, Yang deficiency, Yang Excess). Each have a set of symptoms and signs discussed in the Eight Principles section. Balance must be achieved, so the strategy is to tonify that which is deficient, and reduce that which is excess. Yin and yang patterns are rather serious patterns and are not as simple as those that are in the table above. Just because you have a qi deficiency does not mean that you have yang deficiency. In these cases, any effect you wish to have on yin and yang should be indirect or subtle.

Posted by Admin at 12:28 PM

Four Properties

Four Properties of Yin & Yang

There are four basic properties that help to understand the relationship of yin and yang and make it easier to apply these prinicples to the microcosm that is the human body.

1) The Opposition of Yin & Yang

Yin and Yang are oppossite, however only relative to each other. Nothing is wholly yin or wholly yang. Each contains even the smallest of seeds of the other inside it. At any given time the two are in a constantly changing balance, with each vying for that one step ahead. Yang natured things (e.g., heat) counter and dispel yin natured things (e.g., cold) and vice-versa. If one predominates, it can overact on the other, cause imbalance and lead to disease.

2) The Interdependence of Yin & Yang

Yin and yang, though relatively opposite to one another, can not exist independently. They define each other, much as night and day do. One cannot know light without dark, or dark without light. They only exist in relation to the other. In addition, they feed off of each other. Yang is energy, and it needs nutrients to exert itself. Yin is nutrient and needs energy to form.

3) The Mutual Consuming & Supporting Nature of Yin & Yang

Being in a constant balance, yin and yang are constantly attempting to adjust to levels of the other. Outside influences may cause levels of one to either become significantly greater or lesser than the other. Four possibilities can occur: Yang Deficiency or Heat Xu, Yang Excess of Heat Shi, Yin Deficiency or Cold Xu, Yin Excess or Cold Shi.

There are two things to take note of here. The first is to pay attention to the heat and the cold attributes. Interchanging the words yang and yin with heat and cold respectively, plus combining with deficiency (xu) and excess (shi), you can get a rather good sense how to apply this to the body imbalances. For example, yin deficiency can also be thought of as cold deficiency. With a lack of cold in the body, false heat signs can be seen. The second thing to note is the level of the non-deficient part of a xu/deficient condition. Since yin & yang draw off each other to exist, any deficient condition will cause a general deficiency of both yin and yang. For example, yin deficiency will also have a minor deficiency of yang that puts it just below its balanced level.

4) The Intertransformation of Yin & Yang

The dynamic balance of yin & yang is such that the two can transform into each other. Summer will eventually turn to winter, day will become night, even the most wild sugar rush will eventually lead to a resounding depression. The change is not spontaneous but needs certain factors or precursors to exist. Internal factors are primary, yet external factors also have an effect. In addition, the timing of these things must be right. Consider the transformation of matter to energy. The internal conditions of the composition of matter must be right and external factors must be applied at the right time for Mass to multiply by C² and cross over that equal sign to Energy (wonder where Einstein really got the notion of E=MC² ?).

Posted by Admin at 11:54 AM

Yin Yang Theory

The Theory of Yin and Yang

Yin and yang are one of the most fundamental concepts in TCM because it makes up such a large chunk of the foundation of diagnosis and treatment. First appearing in the Book of Changes (Yi Jing), the theory has probably been around since prior to the Warring States Period (pre 221 B.C.). The common meaning of the traditional characters for yin and yang stand for the dark and light sides of a hill, respectively (simplified characters in parentheses).

This leads us to the basic metaphor of yin and yang being the cycle of the day, with yin being night and yang being day. The two are opposite, true. However, one will eventually lead into another in an endless cycle. Furthermore, the two define themselves by being the opposite of the other.

The ancients then looked in nature for other representations of this dichotomy. They began with fire and water and went on from there. To the yang side went all that is bright, exciting, moving and warm. To the yin side went all that is dark, dull, still and cold. When they were done they had a list which placed every natural occurrence and state into one of the two camps. Here is a small example:

Yang	Yin
Fire Sun Male Excess Active Energy Function	Water Moon Female Deficient Inactive Matter Form

The yin-yang symbol (tai ji tu), again draws off of the day and night association of yin and yang. The story goes that the ancients plotted a graph made up of 6 concentrically larger rings. In the center they placed an 8 foot high stick and measured the shadow cast by the sun throughout the seasons. They then colored in where the shade landed and where there was none. When they looked at the graph from above, they ended up with a picture that extremely resembles the yin-yang without the two dots on either side. (For the whole story go to www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm).

The addition of the smaller black and white circles are inserted into the opposite sides to further show the inseparable relationship between the two. A fun explanation of yin and yang is to think of a coin with yang being heads and yin being tails. They are two sides of the same thing. Now take that coin and spin it on a table and watch it make what looks like a globe. That is how close their relationship is.

Posted by Admin at 11:44 AM

Chinese Style

Acupuncture Theory - Chinese Style (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), as it is in modern China, is a glorious trinity made up of acupuncture and moxibustion, tui-na massage, and herbal medicine. At it's foundation is a deep theory of the nature of the world and its relationship to the human body. It is this theory that is the basis for TCM's diagnostic and treatment strategies. The best place to start is on the most influential theory to chinese medicine, that of the tai ji or yin-yang.

The Theory of Yin and Yang Four Properties of Yin & Yang Application of Yin Yang Theory To Body The Theory of Five Elements Application of Five Elements to Zang Fu The Zang Fu/Organs Zang/Yin/Solid Organs Spleen   Lung   Kidney   Liver

Posted by Admin at 11:21 AM

May 17, 2003

Acne Rosacea

Case Study & Research of Acne Rosacea Patient

The patient is a 23 year old female whose main complaint is acne rosacea, localized more on the cheeks than the nose. She has had it for almost 2 years. Currently, she is using metronidizaloe cream/gel .75% applied twice a day as treatment. In the past, courses of erythromycin and tetracycline have been tried. The antibiotics worked to some extent, but only as long as she was taking them. Her secondary complaint was tendinitis of the wrist joint, mostly on the anterior side near the carpal tunnel but no other signs of carpal tunnel syndrome were present.

Other symptoms included mild dizzy spells for the past year, generalized headaches with no specific location a few times a week, stiffness in the trapezius, trouble falling asleep, and general stress. She is slightly irritable, especially before her periods which were towards the darker side with some clots lasting for 5 days. The patient runs on the cold side, often has an insatiable thirst, yet the stools and urine were normal. Her tongue was slightly red with a normal coat, and the pulse was wiry on the left and slippery on the right.

My initial diagnosis was liver qi stagnation, which may be turning into yang rising. It is possible that this is causing the wind and heat which may be perpetually flushing her face. Initially I considered blood deficiency, but the length of her menstrual cycles with clots plus the tongue and pulse led me differently. My point selections were chosen from both the diagnosis and the research I will present below, with consideration to the fact that this is America and many of the treatments in the research wouldnít fly so well here.

The treatment involved needling the following points: Yin Tang, LI 20 to Bi Tong, LI 11, LI 4, LV 3, ST 36, ST 44, GB 20. In addition, cupping with bloodletting was applied to GV 14. As of yet the patient has only had one treatment and results are yet to be determined. Follow up treatments may include the addition of points locally for the tendinitis but immediate concentration is currently on the rosacea. Also, she is not the greatest with needles so the fewer used, the better.

Research

An interesting thing to note is that the major pathology that acne rosacea usually falls into is one of Lung heat with Large Intestine dry. However, some discussion about the causes have stated that stagnation of Liver qi or heat in the Stomach and Spleen can also be the cause. Many of the published cases involve patients where the rosacea is concentrated in the male population, and are many times accompanied by severe constipation.

It seems almost like there are two different types of this disease. On the one hand are males, usually older than 30, which show much of the Lung heat and Large Intestine dry symptoms. Also the disease can progress further in a male to nasal rhinophoma and sometimes extended systemically. On the other you have females, ranging from 18-50, with more Liver qi stagnation symptoms where the disease goes no further than the face.

A thorough search of the major publications of oriental medicine came up with three articles which influenced the treatment protocol used here. There were another seven articles which revolved area general acne and acne vulgaris, but after reading them little was found that was relevant to acne rosacea. This was mostly because the symptoms and pathology were different enough for them to have not been relevant here.

The first study involved 32 cases that were treated with regular acupuncture along with fire-needle techniques. Most of the patients were male and the author attributed the disorder to accumulation of heat within the Lung and Stomach which manifested by attacking the nose and cheeks. The treatment protocol involved two things. The first was a treatment protocol of the points: LI 20, LI 11, TW 5, LI 4, ST 36, ST 40 and LV 3. The points were treated once a day for ten days as one course of treatment, with three days in between each course.

The interesting addition to their treatments was the use of the fire-needle which was applied to the nose mostly. Fire-needle was done by putting a needle to flame until the shaft gets red hot. It is then quickly inserted and withdrawn with one fluid motion. It was unclear as to how many times the fire needle was done per treatment.

The results of the study were extremely promising. 84.4% of the cases showed marked improvement with 75% showing a complete cure and were symptom free after a 2 year follow up. Unfortunately, fire-needle is not something that this particular patient would allow. Her fear around needles in general is high enough without the addition of a glowing red needle. Itís also unclear why fire needle was used, since the conditionís pathology is based on heat.

The next study was a report of 26 cases, this time mostly female. All of the patients were concurrently utilizing some form of external medicine all to no avail. This study also attributed the cause of the disease to heat stasis in the Lungs. It again cited that the lung opens into the nose and thus that is where the heat is stagnated. Most of the patients in this study as well had a central location of the disorder on the nose.

Four points were used here; DU 14, BL 13 and 15 (both bilateral), and LI 11 (bilateral). The points were all punctured with a three-edged needle (lancet) and then cupped. The cup stayed on for 15 minutes. The treatments were given once every other day with 6 treatments being considered a course. 2-3 courses were usually enough to show results. In addition, the patients were all given an herbal decoction. The decoction was not given until after the third treatment, was taken twice a day, and continued throughout the rest of the courses.

This study had similar results as the first. 92.3% of the patients had marked improvement with 80% completely cured even after a 1 year follow-up. The average patient showed results by the third treatment, and was usually at itís best after 2 courses. Itís curious why they added the herbal decoction after the third treatment since by then they were seeing results with blood-letting and cupping alone. A follow up to the study could be a separation of the two, with one group getting the herbs, and another getting just the cupping and seeing how they were in relation to the combination.

The last study did not focus solely on rosacea but on acne in general. Of the 120 cases, 61 were pustular acne (which rosacea falls under), 29 were pustular, 19 were nodular, and 11 were mixed. The distribution was more even between male and female, though slightly more on the female, and the age range was slightly younger since it involved some cases that were under 18. Their explained pathology didnít say either Lung or Liver, but instead simply said that stagnation of blood-heat was the cause, and this stagnation rose to the face.

Their treatment involved one thing only. The point GV 14 was pricked with a three-edged needle (lancet) and then a fire-cup was placed on top of it. The cups were in place for no more than five minutes. The treatments were given once a week, and a course of treatment was considered 3 treatments. It didnít say if there was a spacing between courses of treatment. The study also prohibited the use of any type of drug during the study.

Again the results were outstanding. 95.8% showed marked improvement with 70% showing complete cure with no recurrence of symptoms after 2 years. Most results were seen after one course, and 2-3 courses were usually enough to reach maximum. Some, however, did require an extra 1 or 2 treatments (not courses). The study said that GV 14 was the perfect point since the 3 Yang meridians met there and that the etiology of the stagnant heat was in the Yangming. It was amazing that with such minimal treatment amazing results could be had.

The point prescription for the original patient was chosen for three reasons. Since the treatments are being done in the student clinic, herbal medicine cannot be given without a separate consult. Secondly, the patient could only come once a week as that is the nature of the clinic. Finally, the patients condition is slightly different than the Lung heat which is apparent in the first two studies, especially since the concentration of her problem is not on the nose.

In many ways the prescription would be only slightly different if used for treating Lung heat. The points GB 20 and ST 44 could be removed and replaced with ST 40 to match almost exactly to the first study. At the same time, with just GV 14 the third study was able to show amazing results once a week. With that kind of success it wasnít necessary to add BL 13 & 15 into the bloodletting and cupping, and LI 11 was already being needled.

Since only one treatment thus far has been given, more time is necessary to test the results. If by the third treatment little progress is seen, possibly an herbal consult would be worthwhile or possibly changing LI 11 to cupping with bloodletting. It would be interesting to see if these studies included the signs and symptoms their patients presented with to see if truly they all fell into this Lung heat category or if some other diagnosis could have been given.

Sources

1.Chen, Wei Ling. Treatment of acne by injection plus cosmetic acupuncture. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Vol. 1, #3, 1999, pages 85-86.
2.Xiuyan, Yan. Treatment of acne rosacea with filiform needle and burned-needle: a report of 32 cases. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Vol. 1, # 1, 1999, pages 43-44.
3.Tian, Xu. Blood-letting and cupping for acne rosacea: report of 26 cases. International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, Vol. 11, # 1, 2000, pages 75-76.
4.Hua, A. & Shu-Zhang, Y. Treatment of facial acne with bloodletting followed by cupping at dazhui. International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, Vol. 7, # 2, 1996, pages 245-246.

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Posted by Admin at 05:23 PM

Ba Fa

A Discussion of the Eight Strategies (Ba Fa) from the Aspect of Herbal Formulary
by Attilio D'Alberto

Introduction
The eight strategies (Ba Fa) were originally recorded in the Nei Jing Su Wen. It wasn't until the Qing dynasty that Dr Cheng Zhong-Ling organized and categorized the eight basic strategies known as the 'Eight Methods in Therapy' (Yi Men Ba Fa) (Williams 1992, p28) and recorded them in the 'Medical Revelations' (Yi Xue Xin Wu).

The eight strategies are categorised according to their therapeutic action and are shown below.

• Sweating (Han Fa)
• Vomiting (Tu Fa)
• Draining Downward (Xia Fa)
• Harmonizing (He Fa)
• Warming (Wen Fa)
• Clearing (Qing Fa)
• Reducing (Xiao Fa)
• Tonifying (Bu Fa)

In TCM, diagnosis and treatment are based on an overall analysis of signs and symptoms, aetiology, the nature and location of the illness, the patient's Qi level (weak or strong) and their constitution (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi). The practitioner will then make a syndrome differentiation and use the eight methods to conduct their treatment strategy.

The aim of this essay is to discuss the eight strategies (Ba Fa) in relation to TCM and herbal formulary and present a case study with an analysis of the strategies used.

Discussion

Sweating - Han Fa
The sweating strategy induces perspiration to aid in the regulation of lung Qi. This facilitates interaction between the nutritive (Ying) and protective (Wei) Qi allowing for the release of pathogens from the exterior of the body. It is used in patients with wind-heat or cold syndromes (i.e. patients with the common cold). Pungent warm formulas are used to release the exterior (Ma Huang Tang), and pungent cool formulas are used to release the exterior (Yin Qiao San).

If sweating is induced in a patient suffering from an exterior syndrome then it should be only for a short period of time after which the patient should feel better. If sweating, whether diseased or medicinal, lasts too long or is excessive it will then injure Yin.

Applications:

• Externally-contracted exterior excess conditions
• Rashes
• Acute oedema which is more severe in the upper part of the body
• Early-stage pain and swelling from wind-damp
• Skin disorders caused by wind
• Diseases that are working their way out from the interior

Vomiting - Tu Fa
This strategy uses herbs that over-stimulate the stomach to induce vomiting. It is rarely used today except in acute interior full (excess, shi) conditions and is used in emergency or life-threatening conditions (Yi 2000, p19). This is because it injures Yin and the stomach due to its violent action and should therefore only be used in strong patients. When it is used it induces vomiting to quickly remove stagnation of food, phlegm or poisonous materials from either the stomach, throat or oesophagus. An example of a vomiting inducing formula is Gua Di San.

Applications:

• Phlegm stuck in the throat
• Phlegm accumulation in the chest
• Food stagnation in the stomach
• Ingestion of poisons

Draining Downwards - Xia Fa
This strategy induces defecation to purge the bowels by irritating or stimulating the intestines to treat interior full (excess, shi) conditions. For example to drain heat and move stools (Da Cheng Qi Tang), warm the Yang and guide out accumulation (San Wu Bei Ji Wan), moisten the intestines and unblock the bowels (Ma Zi Ren Wan), and drive out excess water (Shi Zao Tang).

Draining downward formulas (purgatives) are used to treat constipation, certain febrile diseases and certain gynaecological disorders. It should however be used with caution during pregnancy, parturition and menstruation.

Applications:

• Constipation
• Dried faeces in the intestines
• Heat accumulation
• Cold accumulation
• Excess water
• Blood build up

Harmonizing - He Fa
This strategy is used to harmonize the different levels of the body and the Zangfu organs. Harmonizing can both expel pathogenic factors aswell as tonify the upright Qi (Zheng Qi). It is used to harmonise the Shaoyang (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) when the pathogen lies half-way between the interior and exterior of the body, harmonise the Zangfu organs that are affected simultaneously, for example the liver and spleen (Si Ni San), and the intestines and stomach (Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang). It is also used for complex conditions such as heat with cold or emptiness with fullness.

Applications:

• Half interior-half exterior (Shaoyang) disorders
• Malarial
• Depression
• Dysmenorrhoea
• Epigastric focal distention

Warming - Wen Fa
This strategy is used to warm the Yang. It is used to eliminate pathogenic cold conditions of both fullness (excess, shi) and emptiness (deficiency, xu) in either the interior or exterior. For example, to warm the channels and disperse cold (Dang Gui Si Ni Tang), warm the middle jiao and dispel cold (Li Zhong Wan), restore and revive the devastated Yang (Si Ni Tang), and warm the menses and dispel cold (Wen Jing Tang). It can also be used to treat mal-absorption syndromes and certain gynaecological disorders.

Applications:

• Cold in the channels
• Cold attacking the middle jiao
• Cold with devastated Yang

Clearing Heat - Qing Fa
This strategy is used to clear heat or cool the heat in the body. It eliminates pathogenic heat or drains the fire from the body's interior in full (shi) or empty (xu) conditions. For example, to clear heat from the Qi level (Bai Hu Tang), clear the Ying level and cool the blood (Qing Ying Tang), drain the fire and relieve toxicity (Huang Lian Jie Du Tang), and clear heat from the Zangfu organs (Qing Wei San).

Applications:

• Interior heat
• Heat in the Zangfu organs

Tonifying - Bu Fa
This strategy is used to either tonify, restore, supplement or replenish emptiness, deficiency or weakness of the body's Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang, fluids, essence or any of the Zangfu organs. For example, to tonify Qi and replenish the spleen (Si Jun Zi Tang), tonify the blood (Si Wu Tang), tonify the Yin (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) or tonify the Yang (Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan).

Applications:

• Deficiency of Qi, Blood, Yin or Yang
• Deficiency of the Zangfu organs

Reducing - Xiao Fa
This strategy is used to reduce, dissolve or eliminate accumulation. For example, chronic conditions resulting from the accumulation of hard and swollen substances such as blood (Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang), phlegm (Er Chen Tang) or food stagnation (Bao He Wan); Qi stagnation (Yue Ju Wan); abscesses (Wu Ling San) and parasites (Wu Mei Wan).

Applications:

• Qi stagnation
• Blood stasis
• Food stagnation
• Phlegm
• Abscesses
• Parasites

Case Study
In many conditions the disease is too complex to be treated with just one method alone, therefore two or more methods are used together. For example a patient presents the following symptoms: night fever and morning coolness with an absence of sweating as the fever recedes, emaciation with no loss of appetite. Upon further inspection the tongue had a red colour with a little coating and the pulse was fine and rapid.

The patient's syndrome is deficient heat due to the advanced stage of febrile disease of an insufficient type (heat smouldering in the Yin regions). Therefore the most appropriate formula for this condition is Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang. It acts by simultaneously nourishing (tonifying-Bu Fa) the Yin and venting (heat clearing-Qing Fa) the heat. Two of the eight strategies are used in this formula, one to tonify the Yin and the other to clear the heat. The eight strategies are further reiterated within the 'feudal system' (king, minister, assistant and envoy) adopted to illustrate the different roles of each herb in any particular formula.

In Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang the king herb Bie Jia (6g) directly enters the Yin regions to enrich the Yin (tonifying-Bu Fa) and reduce the fever caused from deficiency. Qing Hao (15g), another king herb, vents the heat and expels it from the body (heat clearing-Qing Fa). The minister herbs Sheng Di Huang (12g) and Zhi Mu (6g), assists Bie Jia in nourishing the Yin (tonifying-Bu Fa) and clearing heat from deficiency. The assistant herb Mu Dan Pi (8g) drains heat from the Yin regions and assists Qing Hao (8g) in venting and dispersing the heat (heat clearing-Qing Fa).

Conclusion
The eight strategies are the first recorded number of therapeutic actions that are accomplished by formulas and are related to a practitioner's syndrome differentiation. Furthermore the practitioner's treatment strategy is related to the fundamental aspects of the eight strategies.

Due to the nature of the pathogen and the way in which it can move or develop through the body's various levels, a formula often contains two or more strategies in order to treat the condition.

Today the eight strategies have increased tenfold to further subcategorise formulas according to their therapeutic actions. Nevertheless, the eight strategies are the basis and the broad framework from which all strategies originated. As Dr Cheng once said:

"The eight methods exist in any single method. Likewise, a myriad of methods exist within the eight methods." (Bensky and Barolet 1990, p9).

References
Bensky, D. & Barolet, R. (1990). Formulas & Strategies. Seattle: Eastland Press, Inc.

Williams, J.E. (1992). 'Herbal Prescriptions Corresponding to the Eight Methods', Journal of Chinese Medicine, May, p28-31.

Yi, Q. (2000). The Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Study Guide. Boulder: Snow Lotus Press.

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Posted by Admin at 05:22 PM

East West Compare

A Comparison of the Influence of the Chinese
and Western Philosophies on the Development of TCM and Western Medicine.
by Attilio D'Alberto

Introduction
Various cultures throughout history have sought to construct life to understand the relationships between birth, death, sickness and health. When civilised cultures developed their skills and became specialised, healthcare physicians became a separated form within the community. Since then, they have sort to influence man's daily life. Chinese medicine has been notably more concerned with the nature of the cosmos in relationship to the human being, whilst the West preoccupied itself with the individual, their identity and the body's own cosmos. In Europe from the Greco-Roman times and in Asia, medicine changed its explanations of disease and healing from a transcendental basis to one in which the natural elements were governed within the law of the cosmos.

The aim of this essay is to explore the development of Western orthodox medicine and Chinese medicine with their accompanying philosophy. The comparisons of the two idealologies will also be discussed along with how these two philosophies might merge at a later date.

Discussion
Western medicine is greatly related to Greek thinking. Porter (1997, p7) states that Greek medicine emphasized the microcosm/macrocosm relationship between man and nature. Great attention was given to hygiene, which was seen as the root to all ills. This was carried forward later during the Renaissance period, where in actual fact no cures were ever found for man's great ills; i.e. the black plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, etc, rather it developed a preventative measure of medicine. Actually, the Renaissance period did more for knowledge than health for it was the basis of our modern understanding of Western medicine.

It was in the work of Galen that recorded dissections were first carried out but only on dogs and rarely. This was later carried on solely by European medicine in late medieval Italy. However, later during the Renaissance period, a flourish of anatomical and physiological studies began to emerge. These investigations were based upon the philosophy that all our answers could be found by delving deeper into the structure and flesh of humanity. It was Rene Descartes, the philosopher and physician who made a major contribution to Western medicine. He needed bodies to dissect, these bodies were controlled by the Christian church so he had to comprise with the Pope of Rome. The Pope agreed that he could have the bodies to dissect if he wouldn't have anything to do with the soul, mind or emotions, which were left to the church for exclusive control (Pert 1997, p18). This caused a major split between the body, emotions and the soul. Suddenly Western medicine had moved completely into the Greek notion of microcosm/macrocosm, but not within nature but just within the body itself.

It was not until the publication of Paduan's De humani corporis fabrica in 1543 that this theology was truly indoctrinated. It challenged Galen's teachings of anatomy with its own maps of the body drawn and studied during dissections. Later Harvey's De motu cordis, published in 1628 showed for the first time the workings of the heart in relation to blood. Medicine then began to sub-divide itself in scientific entities that we see today, notably physiological experimentation, pathology, microscopy, biochemistry and surgery. The advent of technology also helped to prove and encourage the growth of the microcosm/macrocosm relation held solely within the body. This was seen with the invention of the microscope during the nineteenth century. Medicine went truly inward as cell biology was born along with pathological anatomy. This lead to a greater understanding of the respiration system, digestive system and nutrition. It was largely Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch who established micro organic biology. Now medicine could look at infectious diseases like air pathogens, soil and water hygiene and person-to-person contact. Then within the twentieth century came the age of genetics and molecular biology.

During the West's industrial revolution, thinking began to be broken down into its sub units with Isaac Newton's philosophy of singular components. Suddenly everything was specialised and categorised according to its component properties. This advocated Western medical thinking. He believed that the body was a complex biological system in which abnormally functioning components could be removed and replaced with man made mechanical ones, i.e. the heart. After some time Albert Einsteinian's famous equation E=mc≤ came in being. It opened the way as Gerber (1988, p68) puts it for 'the conformation of the human being as a multidimensional organism made up of physical/cellular systems in dynamic interplay with complex regulatory energetic fields'. It thus confirmed acupuncture, Qi as the vital force of all things and the etheric body, although it has never been fully indoctrinated in Western orthodox medicine.

The modern mechanisms of thought was collaborated upon Renaissance thinking and Isaac Newton's theories by Charles Darwin. It reiterated the clinical view of man's evolution in their quest for survival and re-propagation of man's genes. This is contrary to one of harmony with man's environment as seen in ancient Greek and Chinese thinking to one of struggle, pain and death.

Since Western medicine moved away from its origins and developed its own philosophy on illness and disease it has created a personalisation of the physician. Chinese medicine however, is a collective weight of its tradition as a whole. Although individual Chinese doctors can translate and interpret traditional texts better than others based upon practical experience. This is why so much importance is given to practical application rather than theory.

Chinese theory was greatly politically orientated as we see with the shifting of views from Daoism to Confucianism to Buddhism to Communism. The Chinese empire became politically united in 221 BC. The Han dynasty established political, philosophical and religious teachings. It was built upon the four major classical texts, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine, the Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica, the Canon of Problems and the Treatise on Cold-Damage Disorders (Porter 1997, p149). One of the most important shifts in theory came from the transcendental texts of the I Ching. It was from there that the theories of Qi movement within nature derived from: the theory of Yin and Yang. This theory represents the duality of our universe: light and dark, high and low good and bad, etc, where Yin and Yang are in a constant state of dynamic balance. It is a philosophical concept in constant flux, therefore it is never fixed but in a state of continuous mutual consumption and support.

Daoism was based upon the teachings and writings of Laozi and Zhuangzi (c.339 - 295 BC). It stressed non-action (wu wei) by the need to withdraw from the world and following 'the way' or dao. Daoism is one of the oldest forms of Chinese philosophy. It has had popular support from society and the imperial state in which it co-existed alongside Confucianism throughout Chinese history. Confucianism was founded by Confucius (c.551 - 479 BC). It focused upon a series of key relationships and behaviour within social hierarchy. Confucius looked back to the 'Golden Days' of far-gone Emperors, where man lived in harmony with nature and others. His idea was to solve your own problems first then your family's and then your community's. Confucianism later brought in Daoist thinking to combat the sophisticated Buddhist teachings in an effect to maintain popularity. It became a corner stone of Chinese thinking and subsequent structures within Chinese state and society. Buddhism was introduced to China from the Indian subcontinent as early as the Han dynasty (200 BC - AD 220). It brought the ancient Sanskrit texts into China, which greatly influenced medicine and philosophy.

Chinese phonetics played a great part in all aspects of learning and life throughout history. Because Chinese characters remained the same throughout time, it helped to keep the important philosophical and medical knowledge that would otherwise have been lost. With that, the idea that spirits walked with the living also helped to maintain Chinese medical traditions, because of the need to uphold the ancestor's traditional ways.

There are many comparisons between Chinese philosophy and that of the ancient West. As Reid (1989, p80) reminds us, Hippocrates once said to his students 'Thy food shall be thy medicine'. This is identical to Chinese thinking: Sun Ssu-mo the physician wrote in Precious Recipes 'a truly good physician first finds out the cause of the illness, and having found that, he first tries to cure it by food. Only when food fails does he prescribe medication'.

Another example is Greek and Roman thinking: The influential Roman physician Claudius Galen devised a theory on breathing based on earlier Greek writers. He thought that a natural 'world spirit', seeped from the air down the windpipe into the lungs, along hollow pulmonary veins and into the heart, where it added special life to the vital flame. This vital spirit was then distributed throughout the arterial system (Parker 1993, p24). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), air (Qing Qi) is mixed in the chest with the essence from food and fluids (Gu Qi) and then given the spark of life by the primary Qi (Yuan Qi) stored in the Kidneys to produce Zong Qi. This Zong Qi is dispersed around the body and to the Heart where it is transformed to produce the vital substance of all mammals, blood.

From Hippocrates to Galen humoral medicine was based upon the Greek's four elements; fire, water, air and earth, which in turn related to the four bodily fluids; blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. In Chinese medicine, there are five elements or phases which are related to certain organs of the body.

Conclusion
There is a highly significant paradox to Western medicine: it is an unresolved dis-equilibrium between the powerful science-based medical establishment and the larger issue of unfulfilled health requirements of the people. Humanity today, lives in a wishful dream ideal of genetic molecular biology, when everywhere around us there is still disease, ignorance and unanswered questions, hundreds of years old, rotting in the corner where no one wants to look. Western medicine needs to change and update their philosophy from a Newton perspective to the more expanded Einsteinian view, even if this is difficult, if they ever want to restore their faith in the people who use it. This can only be lead by an evolutionary step in Western philosophy. We can only watch as Einsteinian's theory is full integrated into Western and Chinese medicine. From there, we shall see a more unified, whole and integrated philosophy and a new world healthcare system that is more effective at treating disease.

References
Gerber, R. (1988). Vibrational Medicine. Santa Fe: Bear & Company.

Parker, S. (1993). Human Body. London: Dorling Kindersley.

Pert, C. (1997). Molecules of Emotion. London: Simon & Schuster.

Porter, R. (1997). The Greatest Benefit to Mankind-A Medical History of Humanity From Antiquity to the Present. London: Harper Collins.

Reid, D. (1989). The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity. London: Simon & Schuster.

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Posted by Admin at 05:21 PM

Gui Pi Wan

The Use of Gui Pi Tang in TCM Internal Medicine
Attilio DíAlberto

Introduction

The Zangfu organ relationship is often a ëblindí detective game in which externally manifested symptoms give clues to the pathological underlying mechanisms that occur within the body. These symptoms and signs are then broken down in a symptom differentiation (Bianzheng). This allows the physician to metaphorically look inside the body and understand which organ(s) is diseased, the pattern or movement of the disharmony from one organ to another and its origin. This is because Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) chiefly focuses on the difference of the pathogenesis, that being the syndrome rather than the disease itself. From there a treatment strategy is employed, (Lunzhi) to either treat the branch (Biao) (often the presenting symptoms) or the root (Ben) cause. Therefore, the aim of this essay is to discuss the Bianzheng Lunzhi of Gui Pi Tang in terms of the theory of treating different diseases with the same method.

Gui Pi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction) was first recorded in the classic Ji Sheng Fang (Formulas to Aid the Living) in 1253AD by Yan Yonghe and is derived from the modification of Si Jun Zi Tang. However, it wasnít until three to four centuries later that the Ming and Qing physicians completed its actions, indications and symptom complexes. It is categorised as a formula that tonifies Qi and Blood. Gui Pi Tang is used to treat different diseases with the same method. This method implies that the same principle and method may be applied for different diseases on condition that they share some pathological syndrome conditions (Bo 2000). When prescribing any formula, the physician should always consider the action of supporting the Zheng Qi (genuine) and dispelling the Shi Qi (evil). The pattern of Zheng Qi and Shi Qi can one of three:

1. Excess: Right and Evil are strong.
2. Deficiency: Right and Evil are weak.
3. Complex: Deficiency complicated by excess and visa versa.

When treating the complex patterns, the physician must employ one of the following strategies listed below. Gui Pi Tang acts to tonify the Spleen and nourish the Heart Blood, therefore strengthening the Zheng Qi.

• Strong Zheng Qi: .Drain/Tonify:
• Not so strong Zheng Qi: First, drain, second tonify.
• Weak Zheng Qi: First tonify, second drain (Wahnish 2000).

The abnormality of Qi and Blood are closely and directly connected with the functions of the Zangfu. The Lung dominates Qi, the Heart controls the circulation of Blood, the Spleen is the source of Qi and Blood and keeps it flowing, the Liver stores Blood and regulates the flow of Qi and the Kidney governs the reception of air and stores essence which shares a common source with Blood (Bo 2000).

In TCM, the Spleen and Stomach are regarded as the ëSea of Qi and Bloodí. This symbolism refers to the Spleen being the source, origin or reservoir of Qi and Blood. The Stomach stores the food stuffs and then the Spleen transforms and transports the Gu Qi to the Lung. From there it is mixed with air to form Zong Qi. It is then transported to the Heart where it is transformed into Blood (Maciocia 1989). There are several schools of thought in TCM. One of these is the Li Kao school, which states that a large number of rooted Zangfu disharmonies are cured by treating the Spleen and Stomach. A deficient Spleen will lead to a reduction in Qi and Blood production and will have a major influence on the rest of the Zangfu organs moreover than any other organ because a lack of generated Qi and Blood will lead to a lack of Qi to correctly maintain the Zangfu organs and dysfunction will occur. Therefore, the importance of Gui Pi Tang is greatly exuberated by the condition it treats, that being; Spleen Qi and Heart Blood deficiency. The composition of Gui Pi Tang is given below with the original dosage. The modern dosage is shown in brackets. All the herbs should be cooked together as a decoction using water.

Ingredients: Dosage:

Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng) 15g (3-6g)

Huang Qi (Radix Astragali Membranacei) 30g (9-12g)

Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 30g (9-12g)

Fu Ling (Sclerotium Poriae Cocos) 30g (9-12g)

Suan Zao Ren (Semen Zizyphi Spinosae) 30g (9-12g)

Long Yao Rou (Arillus Euphoriae Longanae) 30g (6-9g)

Mu Xiang (Radix Aucklandiae Lappae) 15g (3-6g)

Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis) 7.5g (3-6g)

Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) 30g (6-9g)

Zhi Yuan Zhi (Honey-fried Radix Polygalae Tenuifoliae) 30g (3-6g)

Sheng Jiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis Recens) 5p

Da Zao (Zizyphi Jujubae) 1p

(Bensky and Barolett 1990).

Analysis of formula:

Ren Shen, Huang Qi, Bai Zhu and Gan Cao tonify the Qi and strengthen the Spleen. Dang Gui and Long Yan Rou nourish the Blood, whilst Da Zao stops sweating and strengthens the Heart and calms the Shen. Yuan Zhi and Fu Ling also strengthen the Heart and calm the Shen. Sheng Jiang and Da Zao strengthen the Spleen and stomach to promote the production of Qi and Blood. Whilst Mu Xiang promotes the circulation of Qi and strengthens the Spleenís transportation function thereby avoiding excessive tonification (Junying 1991).

Actions:

Tonifies the Qi and nourishes the Blood. Strengthens the Spleen and nourishes the Heart.

Indications:

• Amnesia
• Anxiety
• Bleeding
• Dream disturbed sleep
• Fatigue
• General debility
• Insomnia
• Irregular menstruation
• Low grade fever
• Night sweats
• Pale, swollen tongue with a thin white coating
• Palpitations
• Phobias
• Poor appetite
• Poor memory
• Swallow complexion
• Weak and thin pulse
• Weariness
• Withdrawal (Qiao and Stone 2000).

Discussion

Every disease has its own pathogenesis and can be categorised into three essential patterns: excess or deficiency of the vital Qi, the imbalance of Yin and Yang and the abnormality of Qi and Blood (Bo 2000). Any Zangfu disorder will fall into one of these three patterns. In this Bianzheng, we are concerned with the inadequacy of Spleen Qi and Heart Blood; both being a deficiency type.

To understand how Gui Pi Tang acts to treat several disorders with the same method, we have to first look at the relation between the Spleen and the Heart. In the Five element theory as laid down by the Huang Dei Nei Jing, the Heart is Fire and the Spleen is Earth. Fire produces ashes, which will turn into Earth, hence the Heart is the mother and the Spleen is the son (see figure 1). Therefore the Heart may have a greater effect upon the Spleen than any other Zangfu organ within the Five Element theory.

Along with the Five Element theory is its controlling sequence (figure 2). Here, each organ as defined by its element controls the next organ. Thus the Spleen controls the Kidney, as Earth controls Water. Therefore when there is a deficient Spleen it will adversely affect the Kidney. The majority of syndromes that Gui Pi Tang treats will not only show symptoms of a deficient Spleen but also symptoms of a deficient Kidney.

Figure 1. The generating sequence of the Five Elements.

We have seen how the Spleen dominates the bodyís Qi and Blood with the Li Kao school of theory, yet the Heart also has this function, but within a Zangfu hierarchy framework. This is because the Heart houses the Shen (mind) and is the organ that controls all the Zangfu, as the Su Wen chapter 8 states:

ìAs the heart is the monarch in the organs, it dominates the functions of the various viscera.î (Wu and Wu 1997).

As the Heart houses the Shen and the Spleen is associated with pensiveness, any excessive thinking will also affect the Shen. This will affect the Spleen again and lead to a deficiency of the Spleenís ability to produce Qi and Blood resulting in a further weakened Heart, as the son (although indirectly) insults the mother. This creates a cycle in which both organs will mutually adversely affect each other.

In the case of amnesia (Jian Wang) the dysfunction of the brain is brought about by a deficiency of Qi, Blood and essence. The Heart and Spleen are impaired by anxiety and worry which will cause a deficiency of Blood as the weakened Spleen Qi is unable to produce sufficient quantities of Qi and Blood leading to a deficiency of Heart Blood and a restless Shen. Essence is depleted as the Kidney is weakened by sexual hyperactivity and in its role of supplementing post-heaven Qi due to a deficiency of Spleen Qi. In this relationship between the Heart, Spleen and Kidney, the Spleen dominates the syndrome as it is the origin of Qi and Blood.

Figure 2. The controlling sequence of the Five Elements.

An important action of Gui Pi Tang that lies outside its standardised actions is its ability to nourish the Heart to warm the Spleen and Stomach. As the Spleen is warmed it allows the food to be further cooked and transformed and transported. Gui Pi Tang also acts directly upon the Spleen to nourish it. This principle of tonifying both the Heart and the Spleen is known as the combined method of treatment (Williams 1992).

Generally, a deficiency of Spleen Qi will manifest itself as fatigue, tiredness, weariness and a weak pulse, all of which are Yang deficiency type symptoms. Secondly, it acts upon the Heart Blood which is the Yin aspect. A deficiency of Heart Blood can cause the patient to manifest a pale complexion due to a lack of circulating Blood, whilst dizziness is due to a lack of circulating nutritive Blood supplying the brain. Listlessness is also due to a lack of Blood as Blood transports nutrients to the tissues. A thin pulse is a Blood aspect as a reduction in the quantity of circulating Blood with lead to a thin movement of Blood through the vessels.

The pathological mechanisms involved with insomnia (Bu Mei) of a deficient type is when Blood fails to nourish the Heart and therefore cannot house the Shen due to a deficiency of Heart Blood. This leads to a restless Shen causing the sufferer to experience difficulty in falling sleeping as the Shen spirit has trouble ëfallingí into its residence, the Heart. The sufferer may also experience excessive dreams and be easily woken from their sleep for the same reason of a disturbed Shen.

A deficiency of Heart Blood can lead to palpitations (Xin Ji) as the lack of Heart Blood fails to fill the vessels and therefore will lead to a lack of nourishment to the tissues, brain and Shen. The night sweating (Dan Han) accompanying this syndrome is the result of the consumption of Heart Blood in the form of sweat, as sweat is the Yin aspect of the Heart. Therefore, the patient will have Blood deficiency symptoms, i.e. a pale complexion, pale tongue, tiredness, etc.

An important syndrome treated by Gui Pi Tang is bleeding (Xue Zheng). The mechanisms involved in bleeding syndromes are more complex than the previous aspects looked at so far. Here, the physician may need to take into account other Zangfu organs, i.e. the Stomach. Gui Pi Tang can only treat bleeding syndromes caused by a deficiency in cases of epistaxis, haematemesis, haematuria and purpura. They are all categorised by the failure of Spleen Qi to command Blood (Pi Tong Xue). The mechanism of bleeding is when the Spleen fails to assists the Blood to circulate inside the vessels, and no extravasation occurs, therefore ëthe Spleen controls Bloodí (Shousheng 1996). Another explanation of the Spleenís controlling functions of Blood can be related to its element, Earth, as stated in the Classic of Difficulties (Nanjing):

ìThe spleen contains the blood. This function of the spleen is evocative of the characteristics of earth, just as rivers and streams are contained by an earthen bed, the bodyís blood is contained in the channelsî (cited in Dharmananda 2002).

A personís constitution will also have a major influence upon the location of any bleeding. For example, in relation to the Stomach, bleeding can occur in the gums, nose and in the Stomach itself. The root cause usually lies with insufficient amounts of Kidney Yin. If there is a deficiency of Kidney Yin then there is not enough water to balance Yang, leading to Stomach Fire. Again this can often be traced back to a deficient Spleen, which is unable to supply the correct quantity of Qi and Blood causing the exhaustion of Kidney essence/Yin. The different locations of bleeding can be contributed to the Stomach meridian itself. It starts at the eyes and ends on the foot making it one of the longest and extensive meridians (see figures 3 and 4). Another pathological mechanism involved in bleeding is when the Stomach meridian has several weaknesses along its pathway where exogenous or endogenous evils may attack. The success of an evil attack depends upon the Zheng Qi. The struggle between Zheng Qi and the evil Qi can also lead to bleeding as the two struggle for dominance and generate Heat causing the Blood to boil out of the vessels. The strength of the Zheng Qi is largely based upon pre and post heaven Qi, that being again the Spleen and the Kidney. In cases such as these, Gui Pi Tang acts to tonify Qi and Blood and therefore strengthening the Zheng Qi in its ability to ward-off evil Qi.

 

Figure 3. The pathway of the Stomach meridian on the face (Qiu 1993).

 

 

Figure 4. The pathway of the Stomach meridian on the body (Qiu 1993).

Epistaxis is usually associated with bleeding gums and haematohidrosis. The typical Spleen Qi symptoms of listlessness, pale complexion and dizziness are also prevalent along with tinnitus and a thready pulse. Tinnitus is attributed to a deficiency of Kidney Qi. The lack of Qi and Blood will cause the extra depletion of Jing essence stored in the Kidneys leading to a deficient Kidney and therefore poor hearing as the bodily functions must be maintained from any available energy source. Again it is seen how the Spleen controls the Kidney. In these instances a modification of Gui Pi Tang is used to treat the syndrome, with the addition of Xian He Cao to restrain the leakage of Blood, E Jiao to nourish the Blood and stop bleeding and Qian Cao Gen, which also stops bleeding. The mechanism in cases of spermatorrhoea is the same as above, as overwork injuries the Spleen and leads to the use of Kidney essence as a source of energy.

With haematemesis the palpitations indicate a deficiency of Heart Blood but this is not as serious or prevalent than with insomnia. Again Gui Pi Tang is modified to include herbs whose sole action is to stop bleeding; Xian He Cao, as we saw with epistaxis, along with other herbs such as Bai Ji, Jiang Tan and Hai Piao Xiao. The breathlessness seen with haematemesis syndromes indicates a deficiency of Kidney Qi due to a depletion of Jing caused by a deficiency of Blood. The Kidney Yang then fails to grasp the Lung Qi resulting in shallow breathing and breathlessness.

Haematuria symptoms are very similar to that of the previous two bleeding syndromes, except that in this instance we may also see bleeding gums and breathlessness with a low voice. The mechanisms of these additional symptoms are the same with the previous bleeding disorders; a deficiency of Spleen Qi, which failures to command Blood, a weakness of the Stomach meridian along various parts of its course and a deficiency of Kidney Qi.

Purpura, macules, papules and haematohidrosis are often seen with typical Spleen deficient symptoms of listlessness, dizziness and a pale complexion. However, the purpura is often accompanied with signs of Blood stasis with a dull purple colour to the skin, all of which are aggravated by overwork. This is due to the depletion of more notably Qi than its counterpart Blood. Overwork will exhaust an already depleted quantity of Qi to the point at which Qi cannot hold the Blood within the vessels. In this case the modification of Gui Pi Tang is used with the addition of Xian He Cao, Zhong Lu Tan, Di Yu, Pu Huang, Qian Cao Gen and Zi Cao.

As we have seen in the latter syndromes, Gui Pi Tang is modified to include herbs whose sole action is to directly stop bleeding in addition to the reinforcing of Spleen Qi and the nourishing of Heart Blood. By doing so, the formula is not only able to strengthen the Spleenís function of controlling the Blood and keeping it housed within the vessels in a general broad sense but also has the ability to stop bleeding locally.

In most instances looked at so far, the syndrome manifests the typical symptoms of either a deficient Spleen Qi or Heart Blood. However, in the case of Xu Re (deficient fever), we see that the deficiency of Qi and Blood, are unable to hold the Yang, causing it to float upwards and outwards and manifest as fever. By tonifying the Spleen Qi and Heart Blood it is possible to restrain the upward floating Yang Qi thereby balancing Yin and Yang.

An example of how Gui Pi Tang can employ the principle of treating different diseases with the same method can be expressed in the following case where the chief complaint is ulcers of the mouth. The clinical features include, recurrent mouth ulceration of the tongue, and to a lesser extent the gums and buccal cavity, dizziness, light headedness, blurred vision, pale complexion, fatigue, pale nails, lethargy, weakness, spontaneous sweating, a low weak voice and a shortness of breath. The pulse is thready and weak whilst the tongue is pale with a thin white coating. All these indicate a deficiency of Qi, Blood and Spleen Qi. The Spleen and Heart both influence the tongue and weakness of these two organs can lead to a general failure of Qi and Blood nourishment in the tissues of the mouth (Maclean and Lyttleton 2002). The fact that no nourishment is reaching these areas of the mouth indicates a deficiency of Qi and its ability to move nourishment to these areas of the body whilst the deficiency of Blood and its Yin aspect means there is no nourishment to move to the mouth. Gui Pi Tang is used to tonify the Qi and Blood and also calm the Shen, which may be restless as ulcers are commonly associated with anxiety and stress.

Conclusion

Gui Pi Tang acts to treat many disorders with the same principle; tonify the Spleen Qi and nourish the Heart Blood. It acts upon these two important organs that either generate Qi and Blood or control the Zangfu as a whole, whilst indirectly it allows the other Zangfu to function correctly without any adverse effects. In the case of the Kidney, it safeguards any potential unnecessary lose of essence resulted by the Spleen attacking the Kidney. It therefore, truly encompasses the theory of treating different diseases with the same method and TCMís philosophy of treating the whole person; the body and the mind in one treatment as one entity.

References

Bensky, D. & Barolet, R. (1990). Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas & Strategies. Seattle: Eastland Press.

Bo, P. (2000). Traditional Chinese Internal Medicine. Beijing: Peopleís Medical Publishing House.

Dharmananda, S. (subhuti@itmonline.org). 24th October 2002. Re: Gui Pi Tang. Email to Attilio DíAlberto (attilio74@hotmail.com).

Junying, G. & Zhihong, S. (1990). Basic Theories and Principles. Beijing: New World Press.

Junying, G. (1991). Herbal Formulas. Beijing: New World Press.

Long, Z. (1998). Formulas of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Beijing: Academy Press.

Maciocia, G. (1989). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Maclean, W. & Lyttleton, J. (2002). Clinical Handbook of Internal Medicine vol 2. Penrith South DC: University of Western Sydney.

Shousheng, W. (1996). Advanced Textbook on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology. Beijing: New World Press.

Qiao, Y & Stone, A. (2000). The Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Study Guide. Boulder: Snow Lotus Press.

Qiu, M. (1993). Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Wahnish, J.R. (2000). Pattern Differentiation/Diagnosis/Treatment. New York: Energetics Press.

Williams, J.E. (1992). ëHerbal Prescriptions Corresponding to the Eight Methodsí, Journal of Chinese Medicine, 39, (May), p28-31.

Wu, N. L. & Wu, A. Q. (1997). Yellow Emperorís Canon Internal Medicine. Beijing: China Science & Technology Press.

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Posted by Admin at 05:17 PM

Leading to Disease

Why Does Excessive Sex Lead to Disease?
By Zheng Younil

We are born with Qi widespread in the Nature and Universe. Qi is a vital power in the body and mind. Microscopically, we are a small universe. Our body's main energy sources are made up of four elements in the light of holistic medicine. These elements are Semen , Blood , Qi , and Spirit. Generally speaking, the order of formation is as such: Semen > Blood > Qi > Spirit. Of course, these four elements can be interchangeable and inseparable among themselves.

Semen has two sources. One is what we inherited from our parents. The other is what we obtain from foods we eat everyday. Semen can not only be stockpiled in our kidney but also be secreted when our other respective internal organs need it or when we have intercourse with our spouse. Physiologically, semen can be transformed to Blood, Qi , or Spirit through metabolism in our body. Semen and blood are visible. On the contrary, Qi and Spirit are invisible and can only be felt by our sixth sense. Speaking figuratively, Semen and Blood are to red wine what Qi and Spirit are to white wine. White wine is more expensive and higher in calories than red wine. Likewise, Qi and Spirit are more precious and difficult to be made than Semen and Blood.

Why is Qi so important?

Qi is very important for our body metabolism for these reasons;

1. It heats up our internal organs and makes them function well. For example, it circulates our Blood through our heart and stores Blood in the liver.
2. It regulates our body fluid's balance and excretes dampness formed by useless fluid in the course of metabolism in the form of feces and urine. So lack of Qi caused by exhaustion of semen by excessive sex accumulates dampness in our body which can lead to obesity.
3. It also passes through our internal meridians, which control our body's whole network system. It is different from nerves in the western medicine by no means.

In conclusion, excessive sex exhausts our semen and thereby interfering with the formation of Qi. Then the lack of Qi accumulates dampness in our body which can lead to disease. Of course, moderate sex is inevitable for the instinct of preservation of the human species for us. But excessive sex just for pleasure is dangerous to our life. I presume that what I've written above is different from the common concepts of western medicine. So, whether you believe it or not is up to you. But what I am sure of is that this concept of holistic medicine has our korean ancestors' long experience.

Yin Yang Tang For Preventing Disease & A Healthy Life

** How to make Yin-Yang Tang **

First pour hot water in the cup about 2/3 deep. Next, pour cold water the rest 1/3 and drink whenever you want to drink something. It's that simple, just two different temperatures of water.

Why? Our upper body or head should be cool and reversely, our lower body should be warm so that the upper body's cool Qi is able to descend and the lower body's warm Qi can go up thereby circulating the Qi and blood through the entire body. Thus the stomach and spleen in the middle of our body can balance the two Qi's interaction by lukewarm water (Yin-Yang Tang). If this dynamic movement stops, dampness accumulates in our stomach and spleen and interferes with the metabolism of the stomach and spleen and affects our urination and defecation thereby forming fats and dampness in our body. I bet, if we keep this habit of drinking lukewarm water (Yin-Yang Tang), we could lead a healthy life without putting on weight and without getting ill.

This theory was emphasized by our master Gum - ho, a mogul in Korean holistic medicine. He has been teaching Sa-Am acupuncture for 24 years to Korean holistic medical student in our South Korea for free in person and serve the community by doing non-profit Sa-Am Acupuncture Service for the public with us.

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Posted by Admin at 05:13 PM

Liver Wind

ENDOGENOUS LIVER-WIND
By Enzo Ilander

Liver Wind, also referred as Liver Wind stirring internally, is internal Wind arising from extreme Yin/Yang and Qi/Blood imbalance when excessive depletion of Liver and kidney Yin humor deprives the Liver's Yang Qi of its nourishment and counterbalancing. The result of this is an erratic movement of Liver-Qi manifesting sings characterized by movement or by the absence of it, like for example tremor and convulsions or paralysis.

The main signs are dizziness, headache with a pulling sensation, tensions and stiffness in the neck, tremor, tic, convulsions, paralysis, tingling or numbness in the limbs, seizures, and sudden loss of consciousness.

There are three main causes of Liver- Wind: Extreme Heat with upflaming of Liver-Fire generating Wind, Deficiency of Liver-Yin with raising of Liver-Yang and Deficiency of Liver-Blood.

Extreme heat generating Wind is an excess pattern related to acute febrile diseases in which the exterior Heat penetrates deeply into the Blood level. Liver is the viscera of Wind and trees, it governs the sinews and stores blood, when Blood Heat scorches the Liver channel, the sinews and vessels lose nourishment and Wind is stirred.

Evil heat is internally exuberant. It causes a vigorous fever. Extreme fever engenders Wind, which rises and harasses the clear openings resulting in dizziness and distending pain in the heart. Transverse penetration of the channel vessels results in vexation of the hands and feet and in convulsions. Rigidity of the limbs, tightly closed jaw, upward gazing eyes and arched back and rigidity are also manifestations of stirred Wind. When heat attacks the spirit brightness, mania results.

Internal Wind signs are characterized by movements hence the tremor of limbs and convulsions. It also prevents the Liver from moistening the sinews, causing rigidity. The main signs are high fever with thirst, red face and eyes, ringing in the ears, convulsions, hypertonicity, upward staring eyes, rigidity of neck and back and clenched jaw. Other signs are short inhibited voidings of urine, constipation. In severe cases, when entering the pericardium, the extreme Heat and Wind can cloud the Mind causing clouded spirit, delirious speech and coma.

The tongue will be deep-red, stiff and with a thick, yellow coating. The Pulse will be wiry, rapid and full.

The method will be clearing. The treatment will be clear Heat, disperse the Liver and subdue Wind.

Useful herbs for this type of pattern are: Ling Yang Jiao (Cornus Antelopis), Niu Xi (Acyranthes) and Gou Teng (Uncaria).

Formulas: Ling Jiao Gou Teng Tang (Antelope Horn and Uncaria Decoction) or An Gong Niu Huang Wan (Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar pill).

Extreme heat generating Wind it is more common in children, Fright Wind, as a complication of febrile diseases like measles, encephalitis and meningitis. In such cases, patients need urgent Western medical treatment.

Liver-Yang rising causing Wind arises when Liver-Kidney Yin depletion makes Yin unable to constrain Yang, and Liver Yang becomes hyperactive causing Wind to stir and Fire Qi to float upwards.

This pattern is a combination of deficiency and excess, usually caused by emotional factors, especially due to a continuous state of anger, resentment, frustration, etcÖ It may include symptoms of Liver Wind by extreme Heat (Headache, dizziness, anger, red eyes,Ö) and signs of Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency. The Yin and Blood of the Liver depend on the nourishment of Kidney-Yin and Essence because the Kidneys correspond to the water element, which should nourish wood, the Liver element. Thus, if Kidney fails to nourish, Liver-Yang upbears and stirs unchecked.

The signs are dizziness that upsets balance, shaking head, trembling of the limbs, sluggish speech or stiff tongue preventing speech, sudden collapse and unconsciousness, convulsions, deviation of eyes and mouth, headache, rigidity of the neck, numbness of the extremities and unsteady gait.

The tongue is red-peeled, deviated. The pulse is floating-empty or wiry-fine and rapid.

The method is combined (supplement Yin-subdue Wind). The treatment principles are: Extinguish Liver-Wind, subdue Liver-Yang, nourish Yin, regulate Liver.

The herbs to use: Tian Ma (Gastrodia), Gou Teng (Uncaria).

The formulas: Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin (Gastrodia and Uncaria Decoction) or Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang (Liver Settling Wind Extinguishing Decoction)

Deficiency of Liver-Blood is a pattern where a vacuity of Liver-Blood creates an emptiness in the blood vessels that is filled by internal Wind. This is a deficient type of internal Wind.

Two main causes for Liver Blood vacuity are commonly observed: damage to Yin-Blood during the course of an enduring illness which deprives the Liver of blood for storage and adequate nourishment; and an excessive loss of blood due to an acute or chronic hemorrhage or other type of bleeding. That insufficiency of Liver Blood deprives the sinews of nourishment and gives rise to spasm.

Among the main signs, itchy rashes that change location, shaking of the head, tic and tremor are due to internal Wind. The numbness of limbs is due to deficient Blood not nourishing muscles and sinews. There are also tremors, but in this case they are much softer than in the other two types, where real convulsions will be found.

Besides the main signs due to Liver-Wind the pattern will present the general Blood vacuity signs with symptoms getting worst as day goes on: functional weakness, dryness, difficulty sleeping, malar flush, night sweats, 5 hearts fever. Since Blood is insufficient it cannot ascend to nourish the head and face, manifesting in dizziness, tinnitus, lusterless complexion and pale tongue, unclear vision, dry eyes, night blindness, and scant menstrual flow or menstrual block.

The tongue is pale and deviated. The pulse is fine, choppy (because blood is scanty and vessels are empty).

The method of treatment is combined. The principles are nourishing Blood and subdue Liver-Wind.

Herbs: Tian Ma, Gou tong and Liver-Blood Tonics.

Formula: Ding Zhen Wan (Tremor-Stabilizing Pill)

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Posted by Admin at 05:11 PM

Menieres

Case Study & Research of Meniere's Disease Patient

Meniere's disease, defined by western medicine, is a distention of compartments in the inner ear due to an unknown cause. The often thought causes include head trauma and viral infection. As far as manifestations, there is usually vertigo (dizziness where the room seems to spin around you), tinnitus, and possibly hearing loss. Underneath Meniere's disease is a variety of types, but the basic difference is whether their onset was acute or chronic, and which of the three symptoms is worse.

A female patient around 28 years old came into the clinic with a Western diagnosis of Meniere's disease, of a particular variety known as labyrinthitis (acute onset of vertigo with little to no hearing loss). Amazingly, within 4 treatments almost all symptoms of the disorder were gone. Even though she suffered with the symptoms for the past 7 months straight, they returned after the initial four treatments but one time and then never again.

What was most interesting was that I did not think at the time that I was giving a Meniere's specific treatment. Instead I found a TCM diagnosis (in this case liver qi stagnation with yang rising) and followed through with it. In other words I did not use any "magical" empirical point known to the ancients for vertigo or dizziness. In effect it became a proof that the theory of Chinese medicine wasn't just a complete farce, but instead a meaningful pursuit in treating problems that didn't have "magic" points.

My patient's main complaints were dizzy spells. They had been going on since last November (7 months). For her, the room tilts, occurring three to four times a week, felt particularly at the vertex of the head, was better with rest, and was definitely stress related. Her complexion is rather pale yet she tended towards warmth. She also had migraines once every 2-3 months which manifested right in the point yin tang. In addition she had stress related headache's about three times a week, tinnitus once a week which was high pitched, and alternating stools between hard and soft. Her tongue was scalloped with a purple body and her pulse was tight and slippery. I diagnosed her with classic Liver Qi stagnation with some yang rising up to the head. My treatment was simple, Chinese style acupuncture: LI4, Liv3, GB 20, SI19, Tai Yang, Yin Tang, GV 20, TW 5, and GB 41.

Research produced four different articles relating directly to Meniere's disease and the symptoms that she had. What was most interesting in studying the four was that only slight differences could be found between them and in turn between them and my own case study. One of the articles I am omitting here because its focus was solely on electro-acupuncture and the results presented were not compelling enough to warrant writing about.

All of the articles (including the electro article) agreed upon but two possible etiologies and pathologies that cause the disorder to manifest. They are "liver yang rising from qi stagnation" and "phlegm & damp in the middle burner." One also mentioned a quick stab at a possible diagnosis of kidney and liver yin deficiency but that it was very rare and it wasn't included in the study. An interesting thing to note is that all the studies, being TCM theory based, stated an uneven population of men and women, with a much higher frequency of occurrence in men, and in turn all their studies had a greater male population. Yet in the western medical book it mentioned no such predisposition of the disorder to men, and in fact stated there were hints of the opposite.

The first study was very simply laid out, placing the 30 plus patient population into one of the two diagnoses of liver stagnation or phlegm-damp. It's point selection for liver stagnation were GB20, LV3, GV20, YT, KD3 with moxa on the kidney and liver shu points. For phlegm-damp the selection was ST8, TW17, ST36, PC6, GB43, and ST40. The study followed the patient's symptoms while giving treatments multiple times a week as one course, and treating for three courses. Eighty percent of the patient responded and were considered cured after the finish of the third course. The other twenty all had a great reduction in symptoms. Thirty percent of the whole population had a relapse of symptoms within one year, most of which came from the non-cured patients.

The second study was almost a perfect mimic of the first and had very similar conclusions. The point selection for liver stagnation were LV3, SP6, KD3, LV8, TW17, and SI19. They used ST36, SP3, ST40, SP9, PC6, GB20, TW17, SI19 for the cases with phlegm-damp. The study included a greater number of patients than the first (72), again mostly male. This population enjoyed a seventy percent cure rate, a seventeen percent lessening of symptoms, and a mere twenty percent of relapse within a year. In this case it is kind of interesting to note that they used GB20 in the phlegm cases and not with the liver qi stagnation that could cause wind or yang to rise up. Yet, the results seemed no less successful.

The final study had less of a conclusion since it was only most of the way finished and it seemed a publisher's deadline must have been looming and they only published partial results. However, they were very promising. Their point selections for liver pattern was LV2, LV3, GV20, TW17, and SI19. Phlegm patterns received SP6, ST36, ST40, SI19, and TW17. A population was not given since the final number wasn't calculated. In the article it gave an average example of a typical patient and the results were a complete cure of all symptoms after but three treatments. It was stated that that was the "average patient." Promising results indeed.

After going over my patients signs and symptoms I definitely think I made the correct decision to utilize the Liver yang rising from Qi stagnation approach as opposed to phlegm-damp since her damp sings were few and far between. It was almost difficult to write a paper that felt comprehensive given how congruent all the clinical studies and case studies have been in treating this disease. It was truly difficult to find a significant difference in the studies that were done in either point selection or treatment principle. The reason I discluded the electro-study is because it's results were poor and it definitely doesn't seem like the way to go in treating when these two simple methods appear so effective. The only things that differed, amusingly, were how they introduced the disease itself from a western standpoint. It didn't seem like they all read the same text to garner a definition of the disorder.

All of the studies had excellent short and long term outcomes. My patient for example, I still keep in touch with and has yet to have any relapse for over 8 months now and is feeling wonderful. The minor recurrence of symptoms in a few of the studies were reported in cases of long standing disease and the recurrence was again treated successfully with acupuncture. To me this seems like one that should go on the walls in doctors offices of when to just let it go and refer to acupuncture.

Sources

1. Tierney, Lawrence. M. Current: Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. Connecticut: Norwalk. 1995, p179.
2. Tian, Zhen-ming. "Treatment by Electro-Acupuncture of Meniere's Disease." Journal of Chinese Medicine #61, p27-29, 1999.
3. Chell, Keith. "Treatment by Acupuncture of Meniere's Disease." Journal of Chinese Medicine #55, p5-9, 1997.
4. Zhong-hou, LU. "Meniere's Syndrome Treated with Acupuncture: a Report of 30 Cases". International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture. Vol 8, p295-296, 1997.
5. Zhou, Hong Zi. "Treatment by Acupuncture of Meniere's Disease." International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture. Vol 9, p195, 1999.

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Posted by Admin at 05:04 PM

May 16, 2003

Software POS

TCM Software for Palm OS

• Software
• PC
• Mac
• Pocket PC
• Palm OS

Acuxo	Acuxo - Acuxo is a great website that contains a ton of quality info on points along with images to go with them. Additionally the site has a great and interesting html based TCM differentiation tool. The guys at acuxo have decided to basically port their site to the palm and from what I have seen they did a great job doing exactly that. So if you like their site and want access to everything it contains away from the net, pick it up. A demo is available at their site. The file is about 250kb, runs on OS 3.0 or higher and costs 33$.
AcuClinic 1.0	AcuClinic 1.0 - This is made by tcmpc and is a clinical diagnosing tool. It quickly allows you to diagnose and find points for commonly treated ailments via western medicine or TCM. It also includes a small point database of common points, and is editable to allow for your own point combos or additions. Seems like a great idea if the points and diagnoses are right. A demo is available and registration for unlocking is 39.95.
Acupuncture Points Database Pro 1.4	Acpuncture Points Database Pro 1.4 - Ah yes, finally some freeware. I quote the author JoEllen Donahue Hermes L.Ac.: "This database of acupuncture points was compiled during my studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine to assist myself and fellow students in learning the points and functions. The database file POINTSPRO.PDB requires JfilePro to run."
AcuPoints 1.0	AcuPoints 1.0 - This is a handbase searchable database of points and indications. It additionally includes five phase, shu and mu points and more specifications. From PalmGear: "Searchable acupuncture point database. Lists point, name, relative strength (per Helms), five phase element, meridians (principal, extroardinary, distinct ) shu-mu points, command and phase functions. Detailed indications and location hints. You can modify and add notes of your own. Works with HanDBase (an essential application). This is very useful for study or for every day patient managment." Cost is 15$. There is a demo available.
BodyEnergyPoint 2.0a	BodyEnergyPoint 2.0a - It's a little hard to tell exactly what this does but it appears to calculate the ten day cycle of Japanese style of acupuncture based on the palms clock. It also includes some basic point info. From PalmGear: "BodyEnergyPoint displays and updates the biorhythmic acupuncture points (or acupoints) based on the clock and calendar of a Palm device, allows one to step through all the biorhythmic acupoints in any 10-day cycle, and includes a handy popup list to provide a quick lookup of specific acupoints that are associated with selected physiological disorders." Cost is 19$. There is a demo available.
Qpalm	Qpalm - The Qpuncture equivalent for the Palm and Pocket PC. Full color with lots of illustrations and helpfull tools. One for Herbs is also available. Qpalm focuses mostly on acupoints but does also include some other info. Very visually pretty like all the other qpuncture software.

Posted by Admin at 06:52 PM

Software PPC

TCM Software for Pocket PC

• Software
• PC
• Mac
• Pocket PC
• Palm OS

Acupoints 3.5	Jeffers Acupoints 3.5 - Jeffers Software seems to be a whole suite of database software for the Pocket PC where Acupoints is the anchor. The databases include one for Points, Formulas, Diagnosing, and more. Admittedly the prices are a little higher than most handheld software but try them out and see if they work. They all integrate together which is also helpful.