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3 Uncommon Cures for Everyday Ailments

Aches, pains, fatigue, constipation, skin tags, stress, anxiety, colds, bad breath, sleep apnea, muscle soreness, etc. The list of the everyday ailments many people face is endless. And the medical profession is cashing in on all of it. Why? Because we’re programmed to believe our family doctor has a pill or procedure for everything. But that’s just not true and more importantly, how many pills are you willing to take every single day? Or how many procedures are you willing to undergo? Pills and procedures have side effects, and some can be quite harmful.

Many of the pharmaceuticals we’re now familiar with are derived from naturally-occurring substances. For instance, aspirin was originally derived from the bark of the willow tree and written about by ancient Egyptians. Now, most of the “cures” we use daily are man made in a factory somewhere, using chemicals that tend to be toxic to our bodies when used long term. But there are always alternatives.

Here are some everyday ailments and the alternative/uncommon cures that have been documented over the past few decades.

Muscle pain and soreness – This common affliction can be treated using cherries or cherry juice. A recent study at the University of Vermont showed drinking 12 ounces of cherry juice twice daily led to faster muscle pain relief. This is because cherries contain inflammation-fighting antioxidants that help ease muscle achiness. The juice also has a positive side effect of helping insomnia sufferers fall asleep more quickly.
Sleep apnea – According to the National Sleep Foundation, this ailment affects more than 18 million American adults. Sleep apnea is a disorder caused by flabby throat muscles and tends to be exacerbated by those carrying extra weight. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal listed a surprising way to decrease sleep apnea….blowing on a didgeridoo. Yup. Those long wooden trumpets used by the aborigines of Australia can actually help ward off sleep apnea by strengthening the muscles and tissues in the throat and mouth. When these muscles are strengthened, there is less chance of the tongue obstructing the airway. Obviously, this one takes some time to see results, as the muscles and tissues have to build up over several months.
Skin tags – These common skin growths that stick out from the surface of the skin can be large or small, flat or rounded and affect nearly three million United States citizens each year. While these little annoyances can be removed by a doctor, there is no need. Apple cider vinegar works well at removing these unsightly blemishes. By simply soaking a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and then covering the skin tag with the cotton ball and a bandage a couple of times per day, the tag will eventually dry up and fall off.

There are many different approaches to treating everyday problems and afflictions, there are even books written about the subject. While many of these “home remedies” are available for anybody to try, it is recommended to do research before taking the leap. You might be surprised how easy it is to “cure” yourself using uncommon and unconventional methods.

Boost It With Ginseng

Ginseng is said to resemble a human body in shape, and it has been used for years in Asia. Recently, it has become a popular item in Western culture. Many claims about this root have been advertised, such as its reputation for extending longevity and its use for stamina and endurance. Let’s look at the types of ginseng and the differences.

There are three main types of ginseng used:

Panax Oriental Ginseng:

This ginseng is stronger than American ginseng. It is used as a general tonic, immune booster, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer herb and to calm the mind. The taste, which in Chinese medicine indicates the organ it benefits, is sweet, slightly bitter and warm. This benefits the heart, spleen and lungs. As it is calming, it also helps relieve heart palpitations and insomnia. A main function in Chinese medicine is that this root generates fluids and quenches thirst in heat conditions. Ren shen benefits the “Original Qi,” hereditary energy we are born with and can help rid exhaustion.

American Ginseng:

American ginseng nourishes the yin of the body, especially in cases of the deficiency of yin. When one is deficient in yin, there are signs of heat in the yang that has become more exuberant. This ginseng root also helps fire excess, or exuberance of yang, because it generates fluids and helps dryness, heat, thirst and fever. Its taste properties are bitter and slightly cold.

Siberian Ginseng:

Siberian ginseng is not in the same category as the previous types mentioned. It is a weed, cheaper, and is used in Chinese medicine to help arthritis due to its benefit of dispelling cold and damp from the body, otherwise known as cold bi syndrome.

It is best to see a Chinese medical specialist or another qualified health care practitioner to get ginseng in a formula appropriate for your particular constitution, as ginseng can have serious side effects such as heart palpitations, dry mouth, dizziness, headache, high blood pressure and anxiety. Those with excess yang energy should not take ginseng. There are also possible drug interactions with ACE inhibitors, blood pressure medications, blood thinners, diabetes medications, stimulants and antidepressants. Ginseng is best used as a preventative tonic rather than a medicine, as it can prevent a pathogen from leaving the body’s “comfortable house”. Your Chinese medical specialist can assess which herb is right for you and how to include it in a formula. It is not advisable to self-diagnose and take new herbs that may harm your health.

Research Update: Acupuncture and Allergies

In 2015, the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy published research that found acupuncture is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever. The researchers compiled the results from 13 quality studies, which followed 2,365 participants. The various studies confirmed that acupuncture significantly lowers the antibody known as immunoglobulin E or IgE. IgE is the antibody associated with allergies and hypersensitivities. The researchers found not only was the IgE antibody lowered, but so too were the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. Additionally, the participants reported better quality of life.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer a solution to seasonal allergies that is all natural and will save you money. TCM uses an elemental system to determine where there are excesses and deficiencies in each person, allowing the treatments to be completely customized to each patient. The unique treatment plans not only make them more effective than one-size-fits-all, over-the-counter medications, they also address imbalances in each person that would not necessarily be connected to an aggravation of allergies in Western medical thought.

When using TCM to treat allergies, practitioners focus heavily on something called Wei Qi. Wei Qi is similar to the immune system in Western medicine. Wei Qi protects the body against foreign materials that can lead to inflammation and eventually allergies. People with lower immunity or Wei Qi are more susceptible to allergies and frequent colds. Acupuncture helps to boost the Wei Qi making it more difficult for allergens to attack the body.

Acupuncture by itself will make a difference in fighting allergies, but adding herbs and herbal formulas will provide the final punch to help eliminate allergies for good. Because each patient has different causes for their allergies, adding herbal formulas can greatly increase the efficacy of the acupuncture treatments by extending the effect of the needles. For example, if a patient specifically gets itchy, watery eyes when their allergies flare up, then the practitioner would likely want to draw the excess energy down. In this particular case, the patient would have an excess of fire-creating wind. The practitioner would use acupuncture points known to decrease fire and wind in the body. Then, adding herbs that do the same thing would create a one-two punch type of treatment that has longer lasting, more permanent effects.

Ultimately, acupuncture boosts the Wei Qi while decreasing the inflammatory response in your body that occurs when an allergen is encountered. The other aspect of treatment, as stated earlier, is to look at the patient as a whole versus just the symptoms, perhaps bringing other elements into balance that you might not think would have an effect on allergies. A good acupuncturist will focus on dietary habits that may be contributing. Many times a person’s Wei Qi is depleted from within due to the foods they are eating. Foods like sugar and dairy are often associated with a lower immune system. Eliminating or drastically reducing these items will allow the body to recover more quickly, making allergy attacks easier to resolve.

A comprehensive plan that includes acupuncture treatments, herbs and dietary changes will yield the best results when it comes to fighting allergies. Contact us today and you will be grateful year after year for the relief we can provide when it comes to treating allergies.

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1435-acupuncture-relieves-sinus-allergies

Dandelion: Detox With This Yellow Charmer

Next time you’re in a wide open field, pasture or meadow dotted with beautiful yellow dandelions, know that these prolific little delights are not only beautiful, but packed with nutrition and offer a host of healthy benefits. Let’s explore this amazing flower.

Dandelions are known as Pu Gong Ying in pinyin and are used frequently in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The name comes from the French “dent-de-lioun,” which translates into “tooth of the lion” due to its sharp leaves. They are known to aid the liver, kidneys and gallbladder in particular. In Chinese medicine herbs are used to heal, this includes flowers, bark, roots and seeds. For example, if an herb is considered “warming,” it is given for cold conditions. An herb that is bitter would clear heat and detoxify. If an herb is sour it benefits the liver. If an herb is red it benefits the heart and blood. TCM creates herbal formulas that use a combination of different herbs to balance the formula and keep it safe.

Dandelion is considered a cold, bitter and slightly sweet herb. Its milky juice clears heat, detoxifies blood, reduces swelling and helps the early stages of a cold. Dandelion helps the liver and gallbladder by increasing bile production, and helping in cases of jaundice. Often dandelion is combined with licorice, milk thistle and fennel.

Here are some other key benefits of this flower:

It is a diuretic and aids the kidneys, urinary disorders, and may prevent kidney stones
Lowers blood pressure (as a diuretic)
Weight loss (as a diuretic)
Helps digestion, promotes appetite, increases bile, is a mild laxative
Stimulates the production of insulin by the pancreas for diabetes
Has iron, vitamins and protein to help anemia

Dandelion can be eaten, taken in a tea or as a supplement. Be careful of picking dandelion on your own and ingesting it, the area it grows in may be sprayed with harmful chemicals.

It is not recommended to start taking dandelion without consulting a healthcare professional. Dandelion is considered safe, but may cause digestive upset if taken in large quantities. It is also not recommended to combine dandelion with other herbs without consulting an herbal specialist. In TCM, the practitioner will record a patient history and make a careful diagnosis before prescribing an herbal formula designed specifically for your constitution.

Smile next time you walk by a field of dandelions; these little beauties are lovely to our bodies.

Ginger and Its Uses in TCM

Ginger is a common spice once considered a luxury. Ancient Chinese and Indians used the root of the ginger plant as a tonic to treat various common ailments. Ginger originated in Southeast Asia, but since then it has been widely cultivated all around the world. At its height in popularity during the 14th century, ginger cost about the same as a piece of livestock. Today, ginger can be found in almost every local grocery store and is used worldwide.

So what makes ginger such a special herb? Its versatility. Ginger can be used for many different issues. The dominant property of ginger is that it is warming. Some people associate this with being spicy. The truth is, after a person eats ginger, the body will feel a little warmer. Over time, eating ginger daily can actually increase the body temperature. This is great for those who suffer from blood deficiency and a feeling of constant cold. This also helps people who suffer from aches and pains that flare up during the cold weather.

Ginger is frequently used to help treat digestive problems. It can effectively reduce nausea, whether it’s from morning sickness or chemotherapy. Because of its warming properties, it also aids in stimulating digestion. Grating ginger and adding it to water daily can be very beneficial for the digestive tract.

Another way ginger is used is to help treat colds or the flu. Combining ginger with scallions and making a hot water broth can help kick out a cold quickly. The combination of scallions and ginger will heat the body up, making you sweat a little. This may be just what is needed for sweating out the infection.

Ginger can also be used to treat food poisoning or dysentery. Ingesting ginger increases the secretion of gastric juices. This helps the body digest food more quickly. Ginger also creates an inhospitable environment for toxic bacteria in the gut. By increasing digestion, the toxins can be excreted quickly.

Pain and inflammation are rampant in the world today, but ginger can provide some relief. Studies show ginger consumption can reduce muscle aches and pains. Ginger has also been used in studies on cancer, showing decreased inflammation in the body.

One last way ginger consumption can benefit the body has to do with the cardiovascular system. Ginger has been shown to reduce cholesterol, which can lower the incident of heart attacks.

Ginger is used frequently in many of the herbal formulas Chinese medicinal practitioners prescribe. If you or somebody you know suffers from any of the aforementioned conditions, it might be a good idea to consider using ginger.

Professional Acupuncture & Physical Therapy

Duluth, MN