Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Blog

It's a busy month here at eLotus as we're hosting multiple 1 hour webinars a week!! But hey, we LOVE it!

Let me get you up to speed on what's been going on:

Disease During Pregnancy and Menopause with Jonathan Law

Jonathan Law discusses pregnancy- and menopause-related conditions, such as morning sickness, abdominal pain, threatened miscarriage, constipation, under-developed fetus, dizziness, and edema, and their most appropriate herbal medicine prescription.

Clinical Applications of the 4 Phases in Menstrual Disorders with Giovanni Maciocia

Giovanni Maciocia discusses the origin and nature of Tian Gui, the flow of Yin and Yang in the menstrual cycle, the four phases of the menstrual cycle, the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis, and treatment principles of the four phases.

Intro to Recognition & Prevention of Herb-Drug Interactions (2013) by John Chen

Dr. John Chen briefly explains that this introductory course is a preview of a new advance herb-drug interaction course Dr. Chen has put together. He also goes over pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic herb-drug interactions.

Candida Diagnosis and Treatment by Eric Bakker

Eric Bakker discusses the signs and symptoms, nutritional recommendations, and treatment methods for candida. Many attendees found this course very informational and we know you will too!

This was a great class with Dr. Alex Feng sharing some qi gong techniques and herbal recommendations when working with oncology.

Did you know that 8 million people die of cancer worldwide ever year?

Dr. Feng started the class of with a general overview of what cancer is and the etiology of it from a Western and TCM perspective. Then, he explains why patients need integrative oncology care and helpful herbal recommendations for post surgical care, post radiation care, and post chemo support. Dr. Feng also goes over commonly used points for treating side effects of chemothearpy and radiation and breathing techniques.

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

For more great and FREE recordings of past 1-hr webinars, click here for the TCM Wisdom Tube!

1, 2, 3!!

That's the answer to treating all pain conditions Dr. Richard Tan talked about in this webinar.

Specifically, Dr. Tan focused on treating right ankle pain, right knee pain, right shoulder pain, and headache using the Balance Method. The first thing to do is figuring out the diseased vessel, and then using the Balance Method chart to figure out what vessels you can use to treat the problem. It's as simple as 1-2-3!

Finally, Dr. Tan ends his amazing class with his famous 8 Magical Points. But you'll need to watch the recording to see why it's so special! =)

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

For more great and FREE recordings of past 1-hr webinars, click here for the TCM Wisdom Tube!

What a great class with Dr. Jimmy Chang, as always!

This class covered the eye conditions of conjunctiviits and stye.

Even though you know the symptom and reason for the clinic visit, you still need to take the patient's pulse to see what's the underlying condition of the patient. Depending on the body condition, herbal prescription will differ!

The patient can have real heat, fake heat (viral infection), blood deficiency/stagnation, or have a weak condition. Feel the pulse and you will be able to best treat the patient!

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

For more great and FREE recordings of past 1-hr webinars, click here for the TCM Wisdom Tube!

Asking the Right Questions by M.M. Van Benschoten, OMD

Questioning the patient is an essential part of the four diagnostic methods in TCM. In complex cases, asking the right questions and paying close attention to minor symptoms can help to determine the location of pathogenic factors and direct appropriate treatment. A complete history of previous illnesses, surgeries, and hospitalizations with a review of current symptoms provide the basis for accurate diagnosis. Review of laboratory test results, imaging reports, current pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements must be included.

Repeated questioning about history, diet, and environment will reveal information that was forgotten or ignored for years. A good example is an elderly patient with severe multiple food allergies, eczema, hip pain, and weight loss who recalls the flooded basement in her home after 12 office visits and three years of treatment. The new onset of daily headaches suggested indoor mold exposure, although the patient denied any water damage in her home on the initial examination.

Getting to the roots of chronic illness requires constant and persistent questioning to uncover the origins of processes that began many months or years ago. Continued inquiry into the patient’s diet and environmental conditions assists the process of recovery through identification and elimination of interfering factors. When clinical improvement is followed by relapses, the cause often stems from errors in diet or new environmental exposures.