| Qi Vitality
Amajor functional concept from traditional chinese medicine is qi (pronounced "chee" and sometimes spelled chi). Qi is similar to the term prana (life force) of India and is known as ki in Japan. A vital essence found in all things, qi has aspects of both matter and energy. We will refer primarily to its expression as energy, keeping in mind that energy and matter are convertible into one another. |
| Fluorite, a naturally occurring compound of calcium and fluoride, is already used as a formidable tranquilizer in traditional chinese medicine.4 Judging from the intensity of the battles that rage, and the tremendous pro-fluoride support coming from some factions in the government, there must be something behind fluoridation besides merely promoting healthy teeth. Otherwise local and federal governments could easily advocate free fluoride pills for children whose parents consented (it is presumed that the teeth of children benefit most from fluoride). |
Bill Gottlieb
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 It's known as the headache point in acupuncture, and massaging this area provides a lot of relief from headaches," says Ben Dierauf, a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of traditional chinese medicine in San Francisco. It's also known as LI4. (For the exact location, see An Illustrated Guide to Acupressure Points on page 638.) Rub the web of each hand as hard as you can tolerate for about 30 seconds, he says. |
Paul Pitchford
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 Accordingly, traditional chinese medicine describes the kidneys as the "palace of Fire and Water," and in any diagnosis involving the kidneys, one considers both their yang and yin aspects. For example, the person with healthy, vital kidneys is active yet calm, courageous but gentle, accomplishes a great deal without stress, and balances assertive action with nurture.
All problems with the kidneys show up in one or more specific areas of the body, its emotions, and its development patterns. Knowing these areas is invaluable in assessing kidney vitality. |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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 Like the common cold, traditional chinese medicine classifies influenza symptoms in the external disease category of wen bing and biao zheng as discussed in the previous chapter. However, based upon symptoms, flu has a category of its own called biao re, or "wind-heat." The Chinese make a distinction between herbs that treat symptoms of the common cold and those that treat influenza and more virulent respiratory tract viral infections.
You may recall that "wind-cold" or gan mao was the Chinese diagnosis of the common cold. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Teas for chronic conditions, and the teas used in traditional chinese medicine, are almost always mixtures of herbs.
Of all the forms in which herbs may be used, teas have the gentlest and slowest effects on the body. The degree to which the active constituents of the herbs used to make the teas will be absorbed is unpredictable. For this reason, the best way to describe the results from taking a tea is "Drink the tea, wait and see."
Despite their unpredictable benefits and their slow onset of action, teas are especially safe. |
| In the treatment of lupus with prednisolone, for example, use of a specific ginseng formula from traditional chinese medicine allows the lupus patient to use a reduced dosage of prednisolone, and thus avoid side effects.
• Combination therapy to reduce the side effects of conventional medication. For example, chemotherapy drugs are widely used in cancer treatment. While these compounds fight the disease, they also usually result in loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, anemia, kidney damage, and hair loss. |
| The complex herbal formulas of traditional chinese medicine and Japanese herbal medicine, in particular, are valuable in that they neither depress nor overstim-ulate the central nervous system. These herbal treatments do not induce drowsiness, tremors, or fatigue. Nor do they trigger nightmares, hallucinations, or manic behavior.
• Subjective symptoms. Herbs can be used to treat familiar symptoms of known conditions that are not quite severe enough to justify expensive medical treatment. Herbs also can be used to treat symptoms that don't quite fit the symptom pattern of diagnosed disease. |
| Zhang's book later became the basis of both traditional chinese medicine and Japanese kampo medicine. Zhang taught that herbal medicines should conform to people, instead of the other way around. His central idea was that if the disharmonies causing diseases in individuals were carefully studied, then knowledge of the specific combinations of herbs useful in treatment would naturally follow.
Over the centuries, the Chinese refined the notion of person-centered medicine with the development of the principle of Four Examinations. |
| EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT
Reishi has been used in traditional chinese medicine for at least 2,000 years and is regarded as the "elixir of life." It still ranks as one of the premier Chinese tonics and has been reported to boost energy, help the body resist disease and stress, and promote longevity.
Contemporary Western herbalists regard reishi as an adaptogen and recommend it as an immune stimulant that activates several different phases of immune defense. |
Susun S. Weed
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 Many older herbals mistakenly equated stimulating herbs with tonifying herbs, leading to widespread misuse of many herbs, and severe side effects.
In traditional chinese medicine, potentially poisonous herbs are used as tonics by women at high risk of developing breast cancer. (The herbs are taken daily, for one week only out of every six months.)
Tonifying herbs in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! |
Paul Pitchford
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| Heat/Cold: The Thermal Nature of Food and People n traditional chinese medicine, the two most important qualities for food-as-medicine are heat and cold. Even though these terms hardly sound significant when compared to more sophisticated medical usages, they are distilled from generations of empirical observation and, in their very simplicity, have a diagnostic value that complicated pathological explanations lack.
Heat and cold are fundamental properties in the environment, in people and everything else. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| Hochschuler, including back specialty clinics, chiropractic, physical therapy, therapeutic massage, movement therapies such as the Alexander Technique, acupuncture (including techniques using electrical stimulation, such as electroacupuncture and Craig PENS acupuncture), gentle exercise therapies such as tai chi and qigong, and natural medical systems such as traditional chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. |
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
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 In traditional chinese medicine, this life energy is called ch'i. In the Indian yogic tradition, it is called prana, and the energy that it releases and channels in the body is called kundalini. The body's kundalini energy is stimulated by kundalini yoga exercises, such as the mind/body exercises that are part of brain longevity programs.
This vital energy, according to the Eastern perspective, inhabits not just your body, but also the entire cosmos. Thus it is sometimes referred to as "cosmic energy. |
| A practitioner of traditional chinese medicine would have said that her chi had become much more concentrated, and that it was "circulating" better.
Her mood and mental outlook also improved dramatically. Her depression lifted, and her mental focus became much more acute.
Within a couple of months her short-term memory improved significantly. It appeared as if the root cause of her memory problems had been a mixture of depression and attention deficit disorder. This often creates a syndrome that mimics severe memory disorder. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| PROBIOTICS: Keep "Damp Heat" under Control
In traditional chinese medicine, a probiotic supplement containing the healthy bowel bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bi-fidum decreases "damp heat" in the bowel so that it can't travel to the genitals and cause herpes, Dr. Zand says. "I've seen again and again in my patients with herpes that those who take a probiotic supplement of 500 milligrams twice a day are less prone to outbreaks."
SIBERIAN GINSENG: One Week a Month
Siberian ginseng is an "adaptogenic" herb that strengthens the immune system, says Dr. Zand. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
This herb, revered in traditional chinese medicine, is the one to take long-term if you or a child seems to be prone to recurring infections. a healing helping of heat
Ear infections can hurt—especially middle and outer ear infections. You can reduce discomfort by applying a hot water bottle or warm washcloth or by putting warm olive oil into the ear canal. You can also try an herbal ear oil. Look for commercial products that contain garlic, mullein, or St.-John's-wort. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| These herbs can be obtained from a Chinese herbal pharmacy or a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine.
Skip the Side Effects with Drug-Free Help for Hives
Hives are red bumps on your skin that are so maddeningly itchy that you'd do just about anything to prevent another attack.
Prescription medications such as antihistamines and cortisone are very effective at controlling hives, but they also can cause side effects. Antihistamines can make you drowsy, and cortisone can cause a wide range of body-damaging reactions. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 If you're trying to keep warm in a cold, wintry world, the two Cs—cinnamon and cayenne— are worth indulging in before heading out. In traditional chinese medicine, cinnamon is known as a warming herb. Herbalists also believe that cayenne, commonly known as red pepper, increases circulation, says Steven Rissman, N.D., a naturopathic physician at American WholeHealth in Cherry Creek, Colorado.
Sprinkle a generous dusting of cinnamon on your morning oatmeal or chew on a cinnamon stick to help keep your toes and fingers warm. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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 The current range of therapies in which naturopathic physicians are trained includes clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, counseling and other psychotherapies, and minor surgery (i.e., suturing wounds, removing warts or moles, and other minor office procedures). |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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| However, traditional forms of medicine, notably what is called traditional chinese medicine, the source of acupuncture, has a different and, I contend, a viable alternative model for understanding and treating illness. That model is based not so much on biochemistry and physiology, but on the energy underlying both.
The Organization of Energy: The Chinese model of health is based upon balance and harmony within the individual and between the individual, society, and nature. |
| Due to the high incidence of viral hepatitis B in China, traditional chinese medicine has had a long history of treating chronic hepatitis utilizing a systematic and comprehensive methodology underlying its principles of treatment. Although hepatitis is not specifically mentioned in The Yellow Emperor's Classic, it did describe syndromes that closely resemble the symptom profile of hepatitis in the acute and chronic stages.
Though most research in China on herbal treatment for hepatitis has been on hepatitis B, recent studies demonstrate equal effectiveness against HCV. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| ACUPRESSURE: 10 Minutes ofHands-On Healing
In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), chi is the life-force or energy that flows in currents, or meridians, throughout the body. The "liver chi" is understood to be both the organ itself and the energy system that controls the movement of the blood.
And, according to TCM, it is primarily "stagnant" liver chi that creates any kind of tumor or mass, including fibroids, Elias says. Stimulating the following acupressure points can help unblock stagnant liver chi and shrink fibroids, Elias says. For the precise locations of the points, see page 000. |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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| Doctors of traditional chinese medicine routinely examine the patient's pulse at the radial artery on the wrist of both hands to evaluate the qi. A pulse that is stronger near the surface of the wrist is called a superficial pulse and indicates an active defense response against biao han, or acute illness caused by an attack of wind and cold. There are numerous different pulse qualities that the Chinese doctor uses to determine the state of the patient's health, the location of the illness, the strength of the defensive response, and the quality of yin and yang. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| Doctors of traditional chinese medicine and experts in acupressure, who enhance the chi, or life-energy of the body. Psychologists, who use imagery, visualization, relaxation, and other mind-body techniques to heal. And that's only a partial listing of the types of alternative practitioners included here.
I asked them for their best home remedies for each of the 160 health conditions in this book, while always making sure that they told me when professional care is necessary and how to find the best professional care, be it alternative or conventional. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Astragalus membranaceus
Astragalus root is a traditional chinese medicine used to treat viral infections. Clinical studies in China have shown it to be effective when used as a preventive measure against the common cold.82 It has also been shown to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms in acute treatment of the common cold, as well as raise white blood cell counts in chronic leukopenia (a condition characterized by low white blood cell levels). |
| For example, a naturopathic physician who has been trained in traditional chinese medicine or Ayurvedic medicine will probably also utilize diagnostic techniques based on these systems of medicine.
A typical first office visit with a naturopathic doctor takes one hour. Since teaching the patient how to live healthfully is a primary goal of naturopathy, the time devoted to discussing and explaining principles of health maintenance sets naturopaths apart from many other health care providers. |
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
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| In traditional chinese medicine, it is considered effective for relieving fatigue, impotence, and the general effects of aging.
Ginseng is an adaptogen—a compound that helps the body to adapt to physical and psychological stressors. It does this, according to the Western interpretation, by heightening the productivity of the adrenal glands.
It is considered by Western practitioners to be a "balanced stimulant," because it achieves arousal without provoking a nervous or jittery response. |
J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
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| In traditional chinese medicine, "wind" meant both the physical wind and a subtle wind that was similar to qi, invisible and active in the body. The Chinese concept of wind also carried the connotation of "bad air" or "evil wind" as a carrier of disease. One was "attached by wind" or became ill from the influence of an unfavorable circumstance carried upon the wind. This is not as simplistic as it might seem.
It is well known that viral particles of influenza spread through the atmosphere. The Chinese also believed that people were susceptible to seasonal differences in illnesses. |
Christopher Hobbs
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 The Ascomycotina include the familiar truffles, green and blue citrus molds, ergot (a parasite of rye and other grains that we will discuss again later), and the
Cordyceps genus, which is widely used in traditional chinese medicine.
The Basidiomycotina, for their part, are called "club fungi" because their spores are attached to club-shaped structures named basidia (basidium means "club" in Latin). What are commonly called "mushrooms" are the fruiting bodies of Basidiomycetes and certain Ascomycetes. Fruiting bodies are reproductive structures that grow above ground to release spores. |
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