The Acorus plant family represents the source of one of the world’s most widely used medicinals. In Egypt, the Chester Beatty Papyrus VI mentioned Acorus as an ingredient for a digestive plaster around 1,300 BC. In ancient Europe, Acorus was a symbol of love, lust and affection. The calamus variety, often referred to as Sweet Flag, was added to absinthe and digestive bitters, used in the perfume industry and as a flavoring for pipe tobacco. In Ayurvedic medicine, Acorus calamus is called Vacha, and revered for its ability to transmute Kundalini energy, rejuvenate the brain and stimulate self-expression. In Sanskrit, the term Vacha literally means “speaking,” mirroring a quality that is also expressed in the herb’s Chinese name: the ancient word chang in Shichangpu originally signifies “splendid expression.” In North America, moreover, Dakota warriors used to apply the root paste to their faces in order to calm the senses and conquer fear when facing an enemy.
Study finds evidence that gut microbiome regulates brain response to fear
The community of microorganisms living in your gut may influence anxiety disorders. New research suggests that the gut microbiome plays an important role in fear responses.
William Heath [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Acupuncture and the Complex Connections Between the Mind and the Body
Almost 50 years ago, New York Times reporter James Reston had an emergency appendectomy while traveling in China. His subsequent report1 that acupuncture produced substantial relief from his postoperative discomfort is widely credited with launching Western interest in acupuncture, although many Western medical practitioners have remained skeptical. Nevertheless, there has been steady progress in application of the methods of evidence-based medicine and modern neuroscience to these ancient practices, suggesting that acupuncture may have therapeutic benefit.
The evaluation involves at least 3 questions: Can acupuncture be studied rigorously? What is known about the benefits (and harms)? What is known about the mechanisms?
Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Single Herbs: Sanqi (Panax notoginseng)
Sanqi, often referred to as Pseudoginseng or Tianqi, is a relatively recent medicinal that officially joined the Chinese materia medica only during the 16th century. Due to its ability to treat all blood disorders it soared to great importance during Qing dynasty times—the master herbalist Li Shizhen referred to it as Jinbuhuan (Not Even Exchanged for Gold), and some later herb primers went so far to call it “the king of all herbs”—a status it has maintained until today. It is the main ingredient of the well-known patent medicine Yunnan Baiyao, which was first marketed in 1902 and remains a favorite emergency remedy for acute bleeding disorders.
Single Herbs: Huangjing (Rhizome Polygonati)
Huangjing, once an herb of global significance, has been all but forgotten by modern herbalists. Referred to as Siberian Solomon’s Seal in the West, it was first mentioned by Dioscorides and Pliny during the 1st century. It became a valued substance in both European and Native American medical practices, especially for healing connective tissue injuries and other musculoskeletal issues.
The Use of ZuSanLi (St 36)
Zusanli is one of the most frequently used of all acupuncture points and is certainly the most intensively studied single point treatment in acumoxa therapy. The indications for use of this acupuncture point are many, and the claimed benefits are substantial. Many proposals for acupuncture research in the West rely upon complex treatment protocols involving several acupuncture points; single-point acupuncture research to confirm Chinese reports is rare. If one wishes to demonstrate that acupuncture is therapeutically beneficial, and to do so with a simple treatment that is easily reproduced, needling zusanli seems most appropriate. While many acupuncturists would prefer, on the basis of their training, to administer a more complex treatment, few can deny that the proclaimed benefits of treating this point, even alone, are worthy of investigation
See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
How to Use Direct Moxa in the Treatment of Lyme Disease
The training in TCM in the US by and large gives short shrift to moxibustion, and this is tragic. Many, and perhaps most TCM colleges, train their students only minimally in moxibustion. Across the US many student intern clinic, if they use moxa at all, use only indirect smokeless moxa poles. So much more than that is possible with mugwort. Moxa as a therapy is of immense benefit, and you owe it to yourself to investigate it more closely.
Photo by Shutterstock 251320126. Image of moxibustion sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Anatomic connections of the diaphragm: influence of respiration on the body system
The article explains the scientific reasons for the diaphragm muscle being an important crossroads for information involving the entire body. The diaphragm muscle extends from the trigeminal system to the pelvic floor, passing from the thoracic diaphragm to the floor of the mouth. Like many structures in the human body, the diaphragm muscle has more than one function, and has links throughout the body, and provides the network necessary for breathing. To assess and treat this muscle effectively, it is necessary to be aware of its anatomic, fascial, and neurologic complexity in the control of breathing. The patient is never a symptom localized, but a system that adapts to a corporeal dysfunction.
Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body (See "Book" section below). Bartleby.com: Gray's Anatomy, Plate 430. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.
The Value of Blowing Up a Balloon
Suboptimal breathing patterns and impairments of posture and trunk stability are often associated with musculoskeletal complaints such as low back pain. A therapeutic exercise that promotes optimal posture (diaphragm and lumbar spine position), and neuromuscular control of the deep abdominals, diaphragm, and pelvic floor (lumbar-pelvic stabilization) is desirable for utilization with patients who demonstrate suboptimal respiration and posture. This clinical suggestion presents a therapeutic exercise called the 90/90 bridge with ball and balloon. This exercise was designed to optimize breathing and enhance both posture and stability in order to improve function and/or decrease pain.
By Ishmael Orendain (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishmaelo/225833750/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The role of touch in regulating inter-partner physiological coupling during empathy for pain
The evidence indicates that social touch increases interpersonal physiological coupling during pain. Furthermore, the effects of touch on cardio-respiratory inter-partner coupling may contribute to the analgesic effects of touch via the autonomic nervous system.
Shutterstock. (n.d.). [Japan flag integration with multicultural group of young people]. Shutterstock. Available here.
Mung Bean with Lily Bulb Congee to Remove Summer Heat
In late summer we become more and more impatient to the hot and damp weather. We become vexed. Some people even cannot sleep very well.
Mung Bean is the best food to remove summer heat while lily bulb can soothes the nerves as well as clears away heat. The combination of the two foods will help us to remove extra heat in our body and bring us a clear mind.
By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
A History Of 'Snake Oil Salesmen'
Among the items the Chinese railroad workers brought with them to the States were various medicines — including snake oil. Made from the oil of the Chinese water snake, which is rich in the omega-3 acids that help reduce inflammation, snake oil in its original form really was effective, especially when used to treat arthritis and bursitis. The workers would rub the oil, used for centuries in China, on their joints after a long hard day at work. The story goes that the Chinese workers began sharing the oil with some American counterparts, who marveled at the effects.
The color cover for Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment. It features a description of the product's uses, and Mr. Stanley wearing a hat with two snakes surrounding him. Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment, True Life in the Far West, 200-page pamphlet, illustrated, Worcester, Massachusetts, c. 1905. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.
For Centuries, These Asian Recipes Have Helped New Moms Recover From Childbirth
In Chinese, it's called zuo yuezi, or "sitting the month." Vietnamese refer to it as nằm ổ, literally "lying in a nest." The recipes for these foods are unlikely to be found in any cookbook. These postpartum tonics have traditionally been prepared by grandmothers and aunts; the ingredients and techniques passed down orally.
By sfllaw from Restaurant Lotte Furama [http://www.google.ca/local?f=l&hl=en&q=lotte+furama&near=Montreal,+QC&ll=45.508497,-73.564432&spn=0.013383,0.014977 in Montréal, Québec] (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Treatment of Gallstones with Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture
Since ancient times, the Chinese have been aware of the gallbladder (identified as one of the six fu organs) and aware of its ability to form stones. Gallstones of the ox (niuhuang) have long been used in traditional medicine: they were listed in the Shennong Bencao Jing (ca. 100 A.D.). It is thought that the medicinal use of the ox gallstone may have originated in India, from which it was then adopted in China (1), along with other ancient Indian remedies, such as ginger root. In the Chinese tradition, ox gallstone is used to "open the orifices of the heart," when there are symptoms of delirium, convulsions, and loss of consciousness in feverish diseases, and also to treat swellings in the throat and mouth.
Gray's Anatomy; edited by user Rao85. A plate from Gray's Anatomy, from the online edition of the 20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, originally published in 1918. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.
Emergency doctors are using acupuncture to treat pain, now here’s the evidence
Emergency medicine is not all about life and death situations and high-tech solutions. Our study, the largest of its kind in the world, shows using acupuncture in the emergency department can relieve acute pain.
Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Complementary Therapy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disease. PCOS afflicts 5 to 10 % of women of reproductive age. The symptoms are: amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, hirsutism, obesity, infertility, chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation and acne.
Other risk factors aggravate this condition: insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation and subclinical cardiovascular disease. Anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life are also common.
This review highlights the mechanisms and the beneficial effects of acupuncture, exercise and resveratrol on animal models and on humans affected by PCOS.
Photo by Shutterstock 232755100. Image of acupuncture sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Management of Fibroids and Associated Symptomatology
Uterine fibroids are a common condition affecting women in their reproductive and post-reproductive years, with an estimated lifetime incidence of 50 % in white women and 80 % in black women. This article discusses the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the management of fibroids and associated symptomatology.
See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Pain, anxiety, and depression- Why do they often occur together?
Everyone experiences pain at some point, but in people with depression or anxiety, pain can become particularly intense and hard to treat. People suffering from depression, for example, tend to experience more severe and long-lasting pain than other people.
See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Loneliness Predicts Self-Reported Cold Symptoms After a Viral Challenge
Loneliness is a well-established risk factor for poor physical health. Much less is known about
how loneliness affects patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as somatic symptoms, which are increasingly
important for guiding symptom management and assessing quality of patient care. The current
study investigates whether (a) loneliness and social isolation predict cold symptoms independent of each other, and (b) whether loneliness is a more robust risk factor than objective social isolation for experiencing cold symptoms.
Giovanni Battista Quadrone: Every Occasion is Good. Artist: Giovanni Battista Quadrone (1844–1898). Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.
Dampness and Food Therapy in TCM
One of the most central concepts of TCM is that of the intimate connection between the body and the environment. The physiology of the cells, tissues, zang-fu organs and meridian system of the body is in dynamic internal equilibrium and constantly adjusts to the vagaries of the external environment. If the body is not able to cope with changes in the environment, internal equilibrium will be lost and disease will result. Thus, according to the constitution of any particular individual, the presence of disease is due to a lack of adaptability by the physiology of that individual to the conditions of the environment.
By Marcus Quigmire from Florida, USA (Just Wings) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons