Digest Number 189

[Guest guest]

Kopchuk, something like that...Right? Now, I am still involved in trying to rebalance my daughter who after the pertussis and all sorts of mainstream medicine is still nervous, coughing, acid reflux...

 

No money, no more ideas.AUGHH!!!!

[Guest guest]

>Kopchuk, something like that...Right?

 

Kaptchuk. I haven't suddenly developed spelling and pronounciation

ability, his name is listed as a contributor on a book I got yesterday for

Christmas.

 

I got a copy of Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica (Revised Edition)

compiled and translated by Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble with Ted Kaptchuk.

I also got a copy of Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas & Strategies, compiled

and translated by Dan Bensky & Randall Barolet. I also got some Bob Flaws

books on degression, diabetes, and PMS. And I got a copy of A Handbook of

Chinese Healing Herbs by Daniel Reid.

 

I'll be sharing info from the books as I get into them. Yesterday I did

some skimming of the Formulas & Strategies book and found an interesting

section on formulas that relieve Exterior - Interior Excess. I was

especially interested in the section on Five-Accumulaiton Powder for

Exterior Wind Cold and Excess Cold that has damaged the Interior. (For

readers who are new to TCM, I'll be doing a post on Exterior - Interior

conditions.) In cases of combined Exterior-Interior Excess, it's not enough

to treat just the Exterior or the Interior; they need to be treated at the

same time. If just the Exterior is released without treating the Interior,

the person will get sicker because the Evil is already in the Interior. If

just the Interior is treated without releasing the Exterior, the effects of

the Evil will remain in the body. Both the Exterior and the Interior have to

be treated at the same time.

 

There are formulas for Wind Heat and Excess Heat in the body. I was more

interested in the formulas for Wind Cold and Excess Cold in the body. In

addition to releasing the Exterior and warming the Interior, this Five

Accumulation Powder also treats the five types of accumulation of Cold,

Dampness, Qi (Stagnation), Blood (Stasis), and Phlegm.

 

" When cold (which is contractive in nature) invades the exterior, it

increases internal stagnation, which leads to accumulation of cold,

dampness, phlegm, qi, and blood. " (p. 62) It's not enough just to get rid

of the Cold in the Exterior and the Interior, herbs also need to be included

which address the problems the Cold has triggered - like the Qi Stagnation,

the Blood Stasis, the Dampness, and the Phlegm. An analogy for readers new

to TCM is to think of a stream or river during the summer. It flows freely

and easily. Now think of a stream or river in the coldest time of winter.

If the cold is severe enough, the stream or fiver will freeze over. The

stream no longer flows easily (Qi and Blood Stagnation). The water has

become locked up as ice (Dampness and Phlegm accumulation).

 

Sometimes just treating the main problem (i.e., Cold, Wind Cold, etc.) is

not enough. Sometimes, once an initial problem triggers secondary problems,

the secondary problems gain lives of their own and will continue even after

the initial problem is addressed. This is especially true of Phlegm. Once

Phlegm gets established, it goes on to begat a whole host of problems of its

own. It too can interfere with the proper flow of Qi and Blood.

 

The 4 main herbs in this formula are Herba Ephedrae (ma huang) and Radix

Anedlicae Dahuricae (bai zhi) and Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis (gan giang)

and Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae (rou gui). The ma huang and the bai zhi

release Cold from the Exterior while the gan jiang and rou gui warm the

Interior of the body and expel Cold. In addition to the 4 main herbs, there

are herbs to dry Dampness and eliminate its stagnation, herbs that

strengthen the Spleen and transform Phlegm, herbs to get the Qi moving in

the proper directions, and herbs to get Qi and Blood moving properly. The

honey fried licorice harmonizes the actions of the other herbs and

strengthens the Middle Burner (Stomach and Spleen). You'll frequently see

digestive problems connected with Interior-Excess Cold. When I used to get

the very severe Wind Cold headaches, if the headache got bad enough and went

on long enough, I would get some incredible nausea. Eventually I would

vomit. Stomach Qi ascending instead of descending. This is why this formula

also includes herbs to get Stomach Qi flowing downward like it's supposed to

and herbs to get Spleen Qi flowing upwards like it's supposed to. Bensky

and Barolet say that at the present time this formula is used most often for

treating food accumulation (sluggish digestion) due to Interior Cold

associated with Exterior Cold. They say that in recent times the formula has

been used to treat the " acute exacerbation of bronchal asthma " due to

Exterior-Interior Cold. (p. 63) It also has uses in treating irregular

menstruation due to Exteior-Interior Cold. Also, recurrent upper respiratory

tract infections and mild gastritis associated with Exterior-Interior Cold.

The combination of Exterior Wind Cold and Excess Interior Cold can have

quite a few manifestations. Because of differences in individuals (due to

heredity or to acquired weakensses), the manifestations of a particular TCM

syndrome can vary. One person whose lungs are weak because of a hereditary

tendency to weak lungs or because of a severe case of respiratory infection

in the lungs that never got resolved correctly, gets hardest hit with

respiratory problems. Another gets the irregular menstruation. A third

with digestive system weaknesses primarily gets the digestive system

problems. Wind Cold hits me hardest with very painful, very debilitating

headaches though I also get the digestive and breathing problems too if the

problem goes on long enough without proper treatment. There are other

possible manifestations of Wind Cold invading the body and moving into the

Interior, but these are some of the more common manifestations.

 

>Now, I am still involved in trying to

>rebalance my daughter who after the pertussis and all sorts of mainstream

>medicine is still nervous, coughing, acid reflux...

 

I'm very sorry your daughter is still having problems. The defining symptoms

of the pertussis may be gone, but the problems the infection and the

treatment for the infection set off still remain. This is a common problem

in the West. The illness as defined by Western medicine may have been

eliminated (according to Western medical standards), but the underlying TCM

Root(s) still remain. In some cases the treatment may have triggered

additional TCM imbalances.

 

>No money, no more ideas.AUGHH!!!!

 

I know those problems well. The finances exhausted by prolonged illness and

ineffective or only partially effective treatment, and running out of ideas

on things to try and avenues to explore. Your daugher and you are in my

thoughts and prayers.

 

Victoria

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear Master:

 

I have a friend who is suffering from Optic neruitis and the doctors think

that it is linked with MS. Can you recommend a treatment for her. I

believe she is losing sight or has lost sight in one eye and has an

incredible amount of pain in the eye.

 

Namaste

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[Guest guest]

HI Doc,

 

Can u pl. explain in detail how to do JO Christ

drilland the simple internal kung fu methodfor

stretching out the meridians in the area. stiff kneed

adults.

 

My mother has numbness in her right leg and giddyness.

Can u help her?

Jay