Crisis-Danger or Opportunity?      

The Chinese character for crisis contains the combined characters for danger and opportunity.

A crisis is a potentially dangerous stage in our lives.  However, it is also an opportunity for change to occur, to change the course of our life for the better.

If we stumble from one similar crisis to another it tells us that our pattern of behaviour or thinking is stuck.  The way we think or behave in this situation does not serve us well and prevents us from pursuing our ideal path in life.

Illness too, confronts us with a crisis.   The modern approach to health encourages us to seek a quick fix for our symptoms.  If these symptoms are severe or life threatening, this is an appropriate reaction.  However, if they are not, it may be better to find the cause of our illness, unravelling the tangle of information which leads us to our disease.  From there we can learn what went wrong and gradually heal the disharmony.

If we treat our illness with natural medicine, we can get back to a balance within the body, which then can create a genuine cure..

We are on a journey towards health with natural medicine.  Along the way, we can grow as people and learn about ourselves and the world.

By treating illness naturally, we not only heal the body, but allow our minds and souls access to the natural wisdom within us.  Treatment with natural medicine can help release this wisdom and connect us to the greater wisdom of the Universe.

 Illness & Spiritual Growth

 Our culture encourages us to ignore symptoms if there are no observable changes to the structure of our bodies, even when we feel ill.  When tissue change has occured Western medical intervention is required to save our bodies from serious decline.  Oriental medicine takes the opposite approach.  Symptoms are best treated early, before there is tissue damage.  At this point symptoms can be treated easily with Oriental medicine BEFORE they develop into more serious conditions.

Illness  often shows us that their is  imbalance in our lives and bodies. We may be living lives which do not sustain us spiritually and which provide little meaning.  Often support available to us is minimal, as weakness is often frowned upon and help is not forthcoming.

What a shame this is!  The sun warms us and makes food grow and asks nothing of us.  The air we breathe gives us life and asks nothing more of us. The world gives us life, food, air and beauty, all for free.  

This is the greatest law in the universe, all that we need to thrive is provided to us for free, we just have to find out what we need.  This is the driving force for all the great processes of life.   The universe  has brought cells together to form LIFE and has brought the Earth and the Sun together to make life between Heaven and Earth.  The answer to our health problems lie in the world around us, waiting to be discovered.  Our lesson is to learn how to appreciate life.  When we can do this we will be happier and our health will often improve.

How Infertility is treated in China

According to the Ancient Chinese everything in the universe can be seperated into 2 categories, which are called Yin & Yang.  Yin is the female quality; darkness, night, substance, moisture etc.  Yang is the male quality of light, movement, sun, day etc.

 The same is true of fertility.  The menstrual cycle can be divided into a yin and a yang part.  The yin part of the menstrual cycle involves the production  of oestrogen and the development of an egg.  The yang part of the cycle involves the production of progesterone and the maintenance of a developing pregnancy.

Over thousands of years the Chinese have studied the ebb and flow of the menstrual cycle and the problems which may impede it.  As a result, there is a rich knowledge of the mechanisms which are thought to effect fertility.  Chinese doctors have developed many herbal formulas which they believe encourage the production of oestrogen and progesterone, safely and by nourishing the body to produce its own hormones in sufficient amounts.  Acupuncture also encourages the smooth flow of energy and blood throughout the body to help this process.

The following problems can be resolved using Chinese herbs & acupuncture

1 High levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).  

This may be a sign of Premature Ovarian Failure.  Even though a woman with high FSH may have a low ovarian reserve, doctors in China believe that Oriental medicine is effective at encouraging the follicular development of an egg for fertilisation.  Only 1 egg is necessary for fertilisation, even if there is a low reserve.  In Oriental medicine this problem would be described as a lack of Yin in the body.

2 Luteal Phase Defect

In Oriental medicine this problem was described by the Ancient Chinese as a 'cold womb'.  Interestingly, this corresponds with modern knowledge of the warming effects of progesterone on the body.  A Basal Body Temperature Chart will clearly show a rise in temperature in the second half of the menstrual cycle, the Luteal Phase.  A warming and fertility enhancing herbal prescription can increase the levels of progesterone and improve any problems with an existing Luteal Phase Defect.  A lack of progesterone would be described by the Ancient Chinese as a lack of Yang in the body.

How doctors in China treat skin problems

Chinese medical doctors believe that skin problems are more than skin deep.   As a result, herbalists will treat skin problems from the inside, with a little help from nature!

Skin problems are resolved by using a prescription of different herbs which are believed to have anti inflammatory properties.  Each prescription is designed to carefully treat each individual, as well as their individual collection of symptoms.  Skin problems are believed to be mainly due to too much heat in the blood, so herbs which are cooling are always included.  An eczema sufferer would take herbs to calm itching and for acne, herbs to improve micro circulation would be added as well as herbs to clear fluid from the skin.  

Far from being exotic some of the herbs used to treat skin conditions  are very familiar.  For example, dandelion leaves, honeysuckle flowers, red sage root, red peony root, chrysanthemum flowers and self heal spike would be used to treat acne.

Skin conditions may be avoided by preventative action.  If problems are caused by diet it is best to drink less coffee and alcohol and eat less spicy food, chocolate and greasy foods.  If stress has caused your skin problem,  this will need to be addressed as well.   Acupuncture may be a good way to help de-stress and deal with underlying emotional problems.  Hormonal imbalances may also cause skin problems such as acne and will need to be treated at the same time.  Often, sufferers of PMT, fertility problems and the menopause have skin rashes and acne.  These conditions may be made worse by stress.  

Chinese medicine has been tried and tested over thousands of years and millions of people are treated with acupuncture and herbs today.   You can now discover nature's healing power and the wisdom of the East in England today!

A Herbalist's Personal Experience of Severe Morning Sickness

I have 3 children.  When i was 25 i had my first child.  The first 20 weeks were very difficult as i experienced severe nausea and tiredness.  I was living in London at the time, and  while suffering from these problems i managed to stumble across a Oriental herbal shop run by English educated herbalists, i was given a herbal prescription for my tiredness  which worked a treat, however, i was told that there was no treatment for morning sickness.    

Ten years on i had my third child in Sheffield, this time the morning sickness was even worse and lasted for the entire pregnancy.  Thinking that there was no treatment for the condition i didn't seek help until i was 20 weeks pregnant and still feeling ill, but also very weak from months of starvation.  I was told by the herbalist that morning sickness could be treated.  What a shame, all that suffering which could have been avoided!  That is why i want to show you that this is a serious condition which can be alleviated with acupuncture.

Nausea & vomiting is a complication of the first few weeks of pregnancy, however the condition of a woman's digestive system before pregnancy will effect the severity of the morning sickness.  

Chinese medical doctors believe there are various types of morning sickness, and each type has a particular treatment.  This is a very different approach to western medicine which acknowledges only one set of symtoms and one condition.  It is believed to be important to distinguish between hot and cold symptoms and deficiency and excess.  Treatment strategies would be different.  However, what ever the problem 3 acupuncture points are always important.  One of these is on the wrist and is called the Inner Pass, another is above the belly button and is called Middle Cavity and the last point is on the leg and is called Leg Three Miles.  All these points are safe in pregnancy and will also improve your energy levels.

Speaking from experience, there is hope for sufferers of this awful condition.

Warm Hands and Feet

Circulation is everything.  Without it we die very quickly.  However, poor circulation may not kill you but it can contribute to many health problems.

Asprin has been in the news a lot recently due to its ability to cut the risk of heart disease and some cancers.  It is Asprin's ability to enhance the blood circulation which enables it to do this.  Asprin, however can also have harsh side effects, like many chemicals.  

In China, Sage Root or Angelica Root would be used to help improve circulation, depending on the constitution of the person taking the herbs.  These herbs improve circulation while also nourishing the blood.  Asprin, thins the blood and as a result can leave people feeling tired.

Warm hands and feet are a sign of good circulation and therefore good health.  If you don't have warm hands and feet this may be a sign that your health is not as good as it could be.