Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of primary health care that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, remedial massage ( tuina), exercise and breathing therapy (such as Qi Gong),  diet and lifestyle advice. In Australia, the most popular forms of TCM health care are acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has an uninterrupted history of development in China and other parts of East Asia dating back thousands of years. The primary feature of modern TCM is the premise that good health relies on the restoration and maintenance of harmony, balance and order to the individual.

TCM takes a wholistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses as much on the prevention of illness as it does on the treatment.

When healthy, an abundant supply of qi (pronounced chee) or “life energy” flows through the body’s meridians (a network of invisible channels through the body). If the flow of qi in the meridians becomes blocked or there is an inadequate supply of qi, then the body fails to maintain harmony, balance and order, and disease or illness follows. This can result from stress, overwork, poor diet, disease pathogens, weather and environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors and becomes evident to TCM practitioners through identifiable signs of body dysfunction. TCM practitioners look carefully for these signs of health and dysfunction, paying particular attention to not only the presenting condition, but also the medical history, general constitution, and the pulse and tongue.

Acupuncture for Weight Loss

When acupuncture is being used to treat weight loss, the acupuncture points in the ear are generally used for both weight loss and the general detoxification of the body.  During treatment, the acupuncturist places five needles in each ear.  Out of these needles, four directly corresponds to specific organs in the body – the kidneys, lungs, nervous system, and liver.  The fifth needle is used for relaxation.  Once the acupuncture treatment starts, the body is stimulated to produce endorphins.  Endorphins are the “feel good chemicals” in the body help to combat the cravings for carbohydrates in the body, reduce the person’s appetite, and also helps with
withdrawal symptoms if weight loss is related to drug abuse (smoking, alcohol etc).

However, as well as the points in the ear, other points in the body can also be used.  This is why it is so important to have a detailed consultation with your acupuncturist.  The acupuncturist needs to know your eating habits in order to ascertain digestive problems as well as your appetite.  They will also check your pulses to determine your general energy states and measure the state of the stomach energy.  The tongue is also checked for cracks and yellow or white coatings.  These provide clues to the person’s condition and the reasons for gaining weight.

The needles are inserted into the body at certain points and these include:

• Mouth – this point relates to an impulsive eater that is also a chain smoker
• Stomach – this point relates to a person that is obese (eating even when the stomach is full)
• Lungs – this point relates to people that are addicted to food
• Endocrine – this point relates to those that gain weight due to water retention
• Shen-men – this point relates to the psychological reasons for anxiety, frustration and loneliness.
• Spleen – this point relates to hormonal and sugar imbalances.
• Kidney – this point relates to the nervous system and water retention.
• Thyroid – this point relates to a slow metabolism.

Male Infertility

What is Male Infertility?
Male infertility is a term used to describe the inability of a male to fertilize his female partner after more than a year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.

What causes Male Infertility?
To fertilize the female egg (ovum), healthy sperm have to be produced by the testicles, and travel along the tubes (vas deferens and urethra) connecting the testes to the opening at the tip of the penis.Then they must be propelled into the female vagina by ejaculation, and be sufficiently mobile to continue to travel up the female reproductive tract until the ovum is reached. Male infertility can be the result of a problem at any point along its route.

The testicles may not produce sperm. This may be due to a congenital problem, a previous infection like the mumps, exposure to radiation, a hormone deficiency or trauma. The sperm may be insufficient or of poor quality and so not survive the journey. The route may be interrupted by vasectomy, or by an anatomical abnormality, or infections such as gonorrhea may block the vas deferens. In other cases impotence may prevent successful intercourse or there may be a problem with ejaculation. The female may also be
providing antibodies to the sperm.

How is Male Infertility diagnosed?
One of the first investigations undertaken for a couple complaining of infertility is semen analysis. Fresh semen is examined under the microscope, and the presence and quality of sperm are assessed. The complete absence of sperm (zoosperm) confirms male infertility. A vasectomy may be reversed by an operation, although success is not guaranteed. Also, tubes blocked by infection may occasionally be reopened. Oligospermia means there are sperm present
in the ejaculate, but have reduced numbers and quality.
Intercourse at regular three to four time intervals can also improve sperm production. Sperm prefer a lower temperature to the rest of the body – hence the siting of the testicles outside the abdomen. Avoidance of hot baths, and the wearing of loose trousers and boxer shorts can improve the sperm count; so too can stopping smoking and cutting down on alcohol.

What are the chances of achieving pregnancy?
One in 10 couples are infertile. Of these the cause lies with the female in 30% of cases, the male in another 30% and, in the remaining 40%, there is either a combination of factors or no cause is ever found. In male infertility, correction of a specific problem is successful in around 50% of cases. However, in many instances of male infertility, no specific problem can be identified other than poor sperm quality.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the nervous system, mainly the brain and spinal cord. The nervous system acts as a communications centre, sending and receiving messages to and from the brain. These messages are conveyed as impulses traveling along nerve fibers from the brain through the spinal cord and through the nerves branching off it. Most of these nerve fibers are covered along their length with a substance called myelin. MS attacks the
myelin, causing scarring (sclerosis).

Causes of Multiple Sclerosis
The cause is unknown, but many researchers think that the immune system is in some way involved. There may also be an inherited tendency that increases susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis. One common theory holds that an unidentified virus, acquired in youth, triggers the immune system to turn against itself. As part of this response, the immune system attacks the body’s own myelin, resulting in MS. The disease is unevenly distributed over the globe, with
a much lower incidence in tropical areas. The critical geographical factor seems to be the area in which people spend the first 15 years of their lives. After this age, their probability of developing the disease corresponds to its incidence in the area they spent their childhood and early adolescence.

Symptoms of MS
Symptoms vary widely, may occur in any order and may disappear for long periods. Among the more common symptoms are:

• Loss of vision in one eye and double vision
• Psychological changes, such as mood swings, apathy and lack of judgment
• Dizziness
• Staggering or loss of balance
• Dragging one or both feet
• Hand tremors
• Facial numbness or pain
• Loss of bladder control leading to increased urinary tract infections
• Speech problems
• Loss of hearing
• Pins and needles sensations in various parts of the body, prickling or numbness
• Increasing disability or paralysis on one side
• Impotence in men

How is MS diagnosed?
MS is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are so variable and so intermittent. A physical examination may reveal nothing in early stages, and the person’s complaints may be dismissed as imaginary or emotional. Often, diagnosis is by a series of tests to eliminate other possible causes. MS may be confirmed by evoked response testing. This involves recording the speed of electrical response in the brain to an external stimulus, such as a flashing light. The speed of electrical response is usually slowed down in MS because of damage to the myelin sheaths. There is no cure for MS, but attacks can sometimes
be reduced in intensity. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms.

The course of MS
While the course of MS is highly varied and unpredictable, in most patients it comes and goes. The disease usually begins between the ages of 20 and 40. The
periods when symptoms disappear are called remissions. At first, months or years of remission may occur between episodes of the disease, but usually the intervals become gradually shorter. Disability is normally progressive and permanent, but the person’s life span is rarely shortened. Some people have frequent attacks and rapidly become incapacitated, while others are able to lead normal lives and continue with their normal job even though they may be
bothered by symptoms at times.

Skin Infections

What are Skin Infections?
Skin infections occur when the skin’s resistance to attack is lowered, or overwhelmed, by micro-organisms. In either case, the infecting organisms reach the layers of the skin under the surface where they can cause inflammation and damage.

What causes Skin Infections?
The epidermis (outer layer of the skin) is highly resistant to infection, but if this barrier is breached by cuts or abrasions, infection becomes more likely. The skin also has its own immune defences, which include immunoglobulins (special proteins which destroy invading organisms). Strong sunlight can weaken these defences, resulting, for example, in cold sores. Some of the more common types of viral skin infections are:

• Chickenpox: this is acquired by inhaling infected droplets expelled during coughing or sneezing. The virus migrates to the skin where it causes crops of tiny irritating, crusting blisters.
• Shingles: This is caused by the chickenpox virus, which has lain dormant in the nerves for years, after an attack of chickenpox. Symptoms include tenderness and hypersensitivity of the skin, blisters, and sometimes, persistent pain.

• Cold sores: These may be transmitted by kissing the lips and face. They form small, tense, painful blisters that cause crusts and then heal in about a week.

• Genital herpes: This is caused by a sexually transmitted strain of the cold-sore virus.

• Warts and veruccas: Viruses cause all these from the human papilloma group.

The more common bacterial infections of the skin include:

• Boils: These result from infection of the skin pores with staphylococcal bacteria, causing small local abscesses with inflammation and pain.
• Impetigo: This causes areas of blistering, weeping and yellow crusts that may be wide spread. It is most common in children.
• Cellulitis: This occurs where streptococcal infection of the skin has lead to a rapidly spreading inflammation and accompanying fever. It can be dangerous if it progresses to septicaemia (blood poisoning).

The following represent the more common fungal skin infections.

• Tinea: This group includes tinea pedis (athlete’s foot), tinea corporis (body tinea), tinea cruis (crutch or jock itch), and tinea capitis (head tinea).

Tinea can be caught by direct contact with an infected person or animal, or directly via infected objects such as towels and changing room floors.

• Thrush: Known as candidiasis, its cause is the fungus Candida albicans. Mucous membranes such as the mouth or vagina are usually affected, but it readily spreads to moist areas of the skin causing an itchy red rash with white patches on it.

• Pityriasis versiclor: This is a superficial fungal infection mainly affecting the trunk. Either increased or decreased pigmented patches appear on the skin and patients may notice that they do not tan properly in the affected area.

Symptoms:
• Local redness
• Blisters that may crust or flake
• Irritation
• Pain
• Inflammation
• Fever
• Malaise

Insomnia

Insomnia is a term used to describe interference with normal sleep patterns. Symptoms include delays in falling asleep, waking during the night but eventually going back to sleep, or waking very early in the morning before the sleep cycle has been completed. Quite often, insomnia is more a perception of sleeplessness than true disturbed sleep. This may be due to disordered sleep patterns or sleep that is so fitful that you wake feeling out of sor ts and tired.

What causes Insomnia?
Everyone occasionally experiences some difficulty sleeping, and sleeping patterns tend to change with age – many older people find they need fewer hours of sleep. Gradually, however, insomnia falls into one of two categories – primary, with no apparent physical or environmental cause and secondary, where a cause can be identified.

Secondary insomnia can be further classified as transient, short term or long term. Transient insomnia lasts for only a few nights and may be due to stress, worry, illness, noise, an itchy rash or some other reason. Short-term insomnia lasts up to 3 weeks, and a cause, either physical or emotional, can usually be found.

Long-term insomnia may be due to environmental factors, such as living in a noisy area. Long-term insomnia can go on indefinitely, unless the cause can be identified and treated. More often, however, it is the result of medical conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, chronic sinusitis, epilepsy, a peptic ulcer or any painful condition such as backache.

Insomnia can also be brought on by chronic drug or alcohol use, excessive caffeine intake, or the abuse of sleeping pills. Psychiatric conditions, such as depression or stress can also cause long-term insomnia.

Hernia

An abdominal hernia occurs when a portion of an internal organ (usually the intestine) bulges through a weakened segment of the abdominal muscle wall. A layered sheath of muscle that normally keeps the internal organs firmly in place covers the abdominal cavity. If a segment of this muscle wall becomes weak or slack, a portion of an underlying organ can protrude through. This can occur without the sufferer even knowing he or she has a hernia; but generally sufferers notice a bulge at the site of the weakness. Hernias can occur anywhere in the body but are most common in the abdominal area.

Specific types of hernias include:
• Epigastric hernia. This occurs in the upper abdomen, between the breastbone (sternum) and the navel. It is more common in men than women, and can cause tenderness in the area, indigestion, belching and sometimes vomiting.

• Para-umbilical hernia. This develops around the navel and is more common in women than in men. It can produce constipation and sometimes abdominal pain.

• Inguinal hernia. This occurs in the groin area, and is generally found in men or male babies.

• Femoral hernia. This is similar to an inguinal hernia, except it is lower in the groin. It is most common in women who are overweight or have had several children.

• Umbilical hernia. This occurs in newborn babies and appears as a bulge at the navel.

• Incisional hernia. This occurs after abdominal surgery, at the site where the muscle was cut.

Causes of an Abdominal Hernia
Hernias are caused by weakening or a tear in the muscle wall that covers the abdominal cavity. Pregnancy, surgery and obesity can be precipitating factors. Some hernias occur suddenly, for example, when you cough or strain to lift a heavy object. Others will evolve over a few days or even weeks. The weakness in the muscle wall may have been present since birth. Generally, a hernia will become progressively worse as time goes on.

Neck Pain

A Pain in Your Neck

From stiffness to aches – pains in the neck are all too common. No wonder: your neck is prone to injury from poor posture, years of abuse, wear and tear, and even stress. Joints can be pushed out of alignment, and other structures can be stretched, distorted or torn. Using specialised
Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) approaches, stiffness and instability, as well as joint, nerve, and other neck problems can be rectified.

Know Your Neck

Your neck (cervical spine) is made up of the top seven vertebrae of your spine. A healthy neck is strong, flexible, and pain free, and the joints of these vertebrae are balanced and aligned with a natural curve. Your neck supports your head, protects your spinal cord and spinal nerves, and allows you
to move your head in a variety of ways.

A Balanced Spine

Vertebrae and Discs
Your neck is made up of seven bones. Vertebrae are naturally aligned in a slight forward curve. The vertebrae have openings (Foramina) where the cervical
nerves pass into the shoulders and arms. Discs are shock absorbing pads of cartilage between the vertebrae. Healthy discs have a tough covering, a jelly-like interior, and a certain amount of “give” to adapt to various head and neck movements.

Joints
The joints in your neck allow you to move your head. Each vertebrae joins with the next in two places (the facet joint and the Joints of Luschka), giving the spine great flexibility.

Nerves
Your neck is the channel connecting your brain with the nerves throughout your body. Spinal nerves branch off from the spinal cords and pass through the foramina. Each spinal nerve is “rooted” to the spinal cord with two small nerve roots.

Soft Tissue
Soft tissue includes muscle, tendons, and ligaments. Muscles work together to move and support your head. Tendons are tough tissues connecting muscle to bone. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that stabilise and connect vertebrae. Trigger points are small, localised areas of pain and muscle spasm, a common symptom of many neck problems. Referred points may originate in the neck but can be felt nearby in the shoulders, arms, and hands or face. Each
muscle has its own pattern of referred pain.

Your Range of Motion
Your neck moves more than any other part of your spine, and can move in three basic ways. Each of these movements has its own range of motion – the amount of motion that is normally possible. Most neck problems affect your range of movement in some way. Flexion is dropping your head forward; extension is dropping your head backward. Their combined range of movement is about 90 degrees. Rotation is turning your head from side to side, and has
a range of motion of about 180 degrees. Tilting your head from side to side has a range of motion of about 120 degrees.

COMMON NECK CONDITIONS

Neck Stiffness (hypomobility)
Can result from poor posture, muscle tension, stress, and fatigue. When your neck has too little mobility, you may experience stiffness, pain, muscle tension, and muscle tension headache. If you have a stiff neck, you may also have pain and muscle spasm, an aching, tired neck, headache, and referred pain to your face, shoulder, arm, or hand. Stiffness can come on suddenly, or can accumulate fatigue and stress over many years. Left untreated, stiffness may result in muscle tension headaches and eventually lead to the degeneration of your joints (osteoarthritis).

Instability (hypermobility)
If your neck problem is instability, you may be feeling pain, muscle spasm, and the curious sensation of a wobbly neck. Instability is often caused by a whiplash injury from a car accident. Your head is hurled in one direction, then another, causing the ligaments, muscles and tendons of your neck to stretch too far or tear. (You may have had the injury several years ago, with neck pain and looseness ever since.) Left untreated, instability can result in stiff scar tissue around your joints, referred pain, headache, and disc problems.

Degenerative Joint Disease
When a spinal joint becomes misaligned or injured, the vertebrae can’t move properly, discs can become compressed, and nerves may be irritated. As degeneration progresses, your discs lose their ability to cushion and your vertebrae can develop bone spurs.You may experience pain, stiffness, headaches and nagging neck aches (often worse in the mornings). Joint degeneration is often the result of too much stress on the joints caused by poor posture, repeated movements, or injury. Left untreated joint problems can begin to affect your nerves and spinal cord.

Nerve Root Problems
With nerve root problems, the spinal nerves that pass through the vertebrae in your neck can be stretched, inflamed or pinched.You may experience sharp pain shooting down your arm (often triggered by turning your head), or tingling, weakness, and numbness in your arms and hands. A nerve root problem can be caused by a variety of joint and disc problems, such as facet problems, a ruptured (herniated) disc, or severe osteoarthritis. Left untreated further neck or nerve problems can develop.

NECK EXERCISES

Your TCM practitioner may recommend that you do some of the exercises below (or offer you others) to increase flexibility and strengthen your neck muscles. These exercises can help you maintain the improvements gained through your treatment regime, as well as help prevent future neck problems. Ask how often each exercise should be repeated. Do them slowly, and try to relax and breathe naturally. Before beginning your exercise program, consult your TCM practitioner. Discontinue any exercise that causes pain and discomfort, and check with your TCM practitioner.

Shingles

What are Shingles?
Shingles is a viral disorder that appears as a rash, patch, or a line of painful blisters, which arise on the skin over a nerve. The rash often forms a girdle-like belt over the skin area served by a single nerve. In fact, the name shingles is derived from the Latin word cingulus, which means belt or girdle. The disorder frequently appears on a strip of skin over the ribs on one side of the body, on the side of the neck or arm, or on the upper half of the face. Shingles can cause
prolonged pain, particularly in older people or those that are weakened by other diseases that affect the immune system. Discomfort can last long after the characteristic rash has disappeared.

Symptoms
• Excessive sensitivity of one area of the skin, followed by pain and irritation.
• After around 48-72 hours a rash appears, first as slightly raised red spots, then as swollen red blisters.
• Blisters slowly dry out, flatten and crust over. Small-pitted scars may be left after the rash has disappeared.
• Pain can persist for months or even years after the rash has cleared.

What causes Shingles?
The virus called herpes zoster causes the skin eruptions of shingles. This is the same virus that causes the common childhood illness chickenpox. Shingles is most common in people over the age of 50. The medical belief is that after a youngster recovers from chickenpox, some of the virus hides, in an inactive state, in the nerve cells. They may then re-emerge years later – perhaps when the body has been awakened by another illness or stress – to cause shingles.
Virus particles can be found in the skin lesions. But the nerve track and adjacent lymph nodes are also swollen and inflamed, and thus may contribute to the pain.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a perception of a sound in the ears or head when no external sound source is actually present. The sound is usually of ringing, but it may also be a buzzing, roaring, whistling or hissing noise. It may also vary in its quality and intensity at different times. It is very common, affecting up to one in six of the adult population. Those with normal hearing as well as the deaf or hard of hearing may be affected.

Causes of Tinnitus
There are a number of situations, which can cause damage, or over stimulation of tiny hair cells in the inner ear. This results in an irregular series of nerve impulses being sent to the brain, which are then perceived as tinnitus. Major reasons for this occurring are hearing disorders associated with aging, and exposure to loud noise. The condition can also develop following an emotional upset or an illness, injury or infection, which may or may not be related to the hearing mechanism. Tinnitus can also appear as a side effect of or reaction to some types of drugs.

How is Tinnitus is diagnosed?
Many causes of tinnitus are already solved by simply cleaning out the ear. It may be that you need to stop taking, or reduce intake of, certain drugs, such as aspirin or quinine. Although damaged inner hair cells cannot be replaced; it is usually possible to reduce the distress caused by tinnitus.

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