Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment Improves the Overall Survival Rate of Individuals with Hypertension among Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Modulates In Vitro Smooth Muscle Cell Contractility

A cohort of one million randomly sampled cases from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was used to investigate the overall survival rate of CHM users, and prescription patterns.

Gut Decision: Scientists Identify New Organ in Humans

A mighty membrane that twists and turns through the gut is starting the new year with a new classification: the structure, called the mesentery, has been upgraded to an organ.

The mesentery (yellow) connects the small and large intestines (pink). (Image credit: Dara Walsh, Medical Illustrator, University of Limerick, Ireland, and Dr. Calvin Coffey.) Image sourced from Live Science. Available here.

Drilling Deep: How Ancient Chinese Surgeons Opened Skulls and Minds

Hua Tuo, known today as the father of Chinese surgery, was already famous for treating a number of other patients successfully. Historical accounts credit him for his fame with acupuncture, surgery and for the use of an herbal drug mixture (possibly including marijuana or opium), which made him one of the first known doctors in the world to use anesthetics.

An Inca skull from the Cuzco region of Peru, showing four healed trepanations. The new review focuses on the practice in ancient China. Photo by John Verano. Image sourced from Smithsonian Magazine. Available here.

New research centre aims to study integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine with western medicine

The Global Institute of Traditional Medicine is an international research collaboration between the University of Adelaide in South Australia and a number of leading Chinese universities specialising in traditional medicine research.

The Institute’s overall aim is to study the potential integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine with western medicine and discover new treatments.

Herbs for the treatment of patients with cancer

In order to give examples of herbal prescriptions for patients with cancer, we must distinguish three situations:
a) Patient with cancer before chemo-/radio-therapy
b) Patient during chemo- or radio-therapy
c) Patient after surgery and radio-/chemo-therapy

Photo by Shutterstock 313843037. Image of dried gardenia fruit herbs used in treatments in Chinese medicine sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/dried-gardenia-fruit-herbs-treatments-chinese-313843037

The treatment of cancer with Chinese medicine

I am presenting here the Chinese medicine view of cancer with patterns, treatment  principle, herbs and herbal formulae. Very many of our patient have or have had cancer (or will have cancer) and, for this reason, I think it is extremely important to understand cancer from the point of view of Chinese medicine, even if we do not actually treat it.  Moreover, even if we do not treat cancer itself, we can do our patients who have survived cancer a great service if we can develop treatment strategies to prevent recurrence.

Frothy Douglas Fir Infused Eggnog

While eggnog is traditionally spiked with bourbon and/or rum for a more “mature” beverage, this Douglas fir infused eggnog is a family friendly version of the more, ahem, festive kind.  Spike liberally and accordingly, if so desired.  I am not judging. 

How Just 8 Flavors Have Defined American Cuisine

For instance, "vanilla is here thanks to a 12-year-old slave who figured out a botanical secret no one else knew. Chili powder spread across the country because of entrepreneurial Texan-Mexican women who fed soldiers and tourists — and a clever German immigrant who was looking for a culinary shortcut," she writes.

Japanese chemist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda is credited with discovering MSG — one of the eight ingredients Lohman explores in her book. Photo by Peter Van Hyning. Image sourced from NPR. Available at: https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2016/12/02/1_wide-408eb395952a7cfcba24e3f4c5f4ab15d1f663d2.jpg?s=800&c=85&f=webp

Acupuncture Practice Expands The Brain Discovery

The study and practice of acupuncture by licensed acupuncturists causes functional and structural changes to their brains. The MRI investigation reveals important information on acupuncture and the brain. Researchers note that the behavioral and tactile-motor training and clinical experiences of acupuncturists promotes specific types of brain development in practitioners.

Image sourced from HealthCMi. Available at: https://www.healthcmi.com/images/9news/brainMRIgrey2.jpg

Acupuncture Reduces Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Plaques

Researchers at The Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have made promising discoveries about the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and have identified that electroacupuncture (EA) at the acupoint Baihui (DU20) may reverse key neurogenic factors of the disease.

Image sourced from HealthCMi. Available at: https://www.healthcmi.com/images/4ceu/scalp-acupoints.jpg

AMA, Other Leading Medical Organizations Urge Insurance for Non-Pharma/Integrative Pain Care

Stated Mathew Bauer, LAc, ANF president: “Mainstream group after mainstream group [is] telling the CDC that physicians can’t act on the CDC’s number one recommendation regarding how to avoid relying on opioids because of a lack of insurance coverage for CAM/integrative therapies. I have never seen anything like this.”

Photo by Shutterstock 160707833. Image of infrared radiation hardening sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/infrared-radiation-hardening-160707833

UVM Researchers Tout Growing Saffron in Vermont

Saffron, grown for centuries for its aromatic, culinary and healing properties, is literally more valuable than gold; made from the crocuses' stigmas, the spice can fetch as much as $5,000 per pound. Recent medical research suggests that saffron's therapeutic and medicinal applications may include lowering blood cholesterol levels, preventing convulsions, fighting cancer and combating depression.

Photo by Oliver Parini. Image of Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahan sourced from Seven Days VT. Available at: https://media1.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/3868413/agriculture1-1-73d91bc027de52db.jpg?cb=1680219742

Sichuan Peppercorns (Hua Jiao)

 In the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this slightly spicy, warm herb is often used to stimulate the taste buds to take more food, warm the body, get rid of cold and dampness, and protect the stomach and spleen.

Acupuncture Repairs Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury

The research demonstrates that electroacupuncture promotes repair of cells responsible for motor function, which may stimulate nerve repair sufficient for the prevention of paralysis after a spinal cord injury.

Image sourced from HealthCMi. Available at: https://www.healthcmi.com/images/4ceu/spinal-back-shu.jpg

National Health Survey Finds Acupuncture Patients Have High Rates of Satisfaction Exceeding National Averages

A study of 89,000 acupuncture patients treated in 2014 and 2015 within a managed care network of licensed acupuncturists found high rates of satisfaction, exceeding national benchmarks' averages.

Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/acupuncturist-pointing-bl17-on-acupuncture-model-281440808

Astragalus: Practical Aspects of Administration

The applications of astragalus underwent dramatic changes during the past 50 years because of two medical concerns: the increasing use of chemotherapy for cancer, in which case herbs to counter the immune-debilitating effects were sought, and the rise of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart attack and stroke). For the former, the combination astragalus with ligustrum (nüzhenzi) was most publicized due to involvement of Western investigators; for the latter, the combination of astragalus with salvia (danshen) became well known.