Breast Cysts and Cervical Cancer

[Guest guest]

Hello, I am seeing a Chinese Doctor in April for the first time and I wanted to

know what to expect.

 

I know quite a bit about western herbs and I am a biochemist so naturally I am

curious about Chinese herbs for breast cysts and cervical dysplasia (cancer)

because I have both. I have treated myself with a couple of herbs that work,

but the dysplasia and cysts do come back from time to time. The cysts can be

helped but eliminating coffee and by not wearing a bra and I do both.

 

Still I am at high risk for both types, cervical and breast cancer so I wanted

to

add some chinese herbs to my diet that are safe and that can be used for the

long term. they would have to support the immune system but not contain

estrogen or provoke either condition.

 

I am curious to learn all I can, right now I use calendula which is related to

chrysanthemum and that works pretty well at relieving symptoms for the

dysplasia.

 

Thank you,

Nathalie

[Guest guest]

Victoria, Your explanation of the first exam was very, very nice

and understandable. You should put it all together in one post

and place it in the file section for anyone to read that is new or

trying to understand how this practice works.

 

Sorry you are having trouble with your computer right now.

But I do notice that many groups overlook the use of the

file section on their lists. It can be helpful for posting detailed

information that might be asked again by a new member and

is time consuming to retype.

 

I however at this time saved all your posts on the first visit.

I hope it helps me to explain this to a friend I would like

her to try acupuncture out. Thanks for the level explanation.

 

Liz D.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Nathalie,

 

Welcome to Chinese Traditional Medicine.

 

I'm going to break this reply into smaller replies since I've been

having problems with my computer. I've already replied to it once,

and lost the reply. I'm also going to put some stuff into the reply

that some of the other new members can use.

 

> Hello, I am seeing a Chinese Doctor in April for the first time and

I wanted to

> know what to expect.

 

From the time you walk in the door, a TCM healer will be observing

things about you and starting to analyze. For example, how do you

carry yourself? Straight or slumped. Is your voice overly loud and

strong (possible Excess problem), or is it weak (possible Deficiency

problem).

 

Do you talk and move fast (possible Heat problem), or is your speech

and talk slow (possible Cold problem)? Are there any unusual tones in

your complextion (best not to wear make-up to the appointment)?

White or pale can point to Qi Deficiency, Yang Deficiency, and/or

Blood Deficiency depending on if the pale complexion is shiny or

dull). Redness points to possible Heat. Yellow to Spleen problems

(and/or liver problems). Greenish tones to possible Liver

imbalance. Dark or black tones to possible Kidney problems.

 

A TCM healer also will be noting any unusual smells so best not to

wear colonge or perfume that day. Are your finger nails healthy

looking or dull, ridged, split, and broken (indicating possible Liver

and/or Gall Bladder problems)? So best not to wear nail polish that

day.

 

(To be continue.)

[Guest guest]

A TCM healer also will do a tongue diagnosis. Pale tongue tissue

indicates possible Cold and/or Blood Deficiency, red indicates

possible Heat problems, blue indicates possible Cold problems, and

purple indicates Blood Stasis. A mottled, slighly dusky color can

sometimes indicate Qi Deficiency. The tongue may or may not be the

same color all over, and the location of the color can tell a lot

about where the problem is. For example, the tip of the tongue

redder than the rest of the tongue points to Heat in the Lungs and

Heart. BTW, a normal tongue is dark pink or pale red.

 

The TCM healer also will look at the tongue coating. In general, a

thick tongue coating points to Excess problems. Excess problems are

those caused by there being too much of something in the body. A thin

tongue coating is normal or goes along with Deficiency problems. A

Deficiency problem is one which is caused by there being too little

of something the person needs in the body. If the tongue coating is

absent - particularly in the middle of the tongue - the healer will

suspect Stomach Yin Deficiency. It's normal for the tongue coating to

be thicker toward the back of the tongue than in the front. A normal

tongue coating is thin and white (though this can also be present

when there is Deficiency Cold (Cold in the body caused by not enough

Yang to warm it properly). (If the problem is Excess Cold, the tongue

coating probably will be thick and white. Excess Cold is due to a

person consuming foods, herbs, or medications with too much Cooling

energy, or to invasion by cold from the environment.) A yellow tongue

coating points to Heat problems.

 

In addition, the healer will be observing the size of the tongue.

Shriveled can point to Blood Deficiency and Dryness problems. A

swollen tongue can indicate Dampness accumulation problems and

possible problems with the Spleen and/or Kidneys. This is especially

true if there are teeth indendations in the swollen tongue.

 

BTW, common English words with special meanings in TCM are

capitalized.

 

(To be continued.)

[Guest guest]

A TCM pulse diagnosis is different from a Western taking of the

pulse. For one thing, the TCM healer will be taking a minimum of 12

pulses. S/he will place 3 fingers on each of your arms at the same

time with light pressure. This is 6 of the pulses. Then s/he will

increase the pressure and take 6 more pulses. The pulse diagnosis

probably will come later in the intake so when you are more

comfortable with the healer and not as apprehensive as people tend to

be when they first walk into a healer's office.

 

Here are some general things about pulse diagnosis. If it's fast,

this usually points to Heat in the body. (The exception being if the

person is overweight and/or dehydrated or suffering from some

breathing problems. Remember that the healer also was noting if the

client was walking and talking fast. By itself, talking or even

walking fast does not necessarily indicate Heat, but when the healer

sees several indications of Heat - like a fast pulse in addition to

the walking and talking fast, a redder than normal tongue, and a

yellow tongue coating, the analysis is narrowed down quite a bit.)

 

A slow pulse points to Cold problems. Just like Cold slows things

down in nature and makes them sluggish. The exception to this is

that well-conditioned atheletes will have a slow pulse without having

Cold problems.

 

If the pulses can be felt strongest with no pressure, this points to

a problem in the Exterior. In TCM, the head, neck, shoulders, skin,

muscles, bones, and meridians are considered the Exterior. The

Interior is the trunk of the body and the Organs. A pulse that is

felt strongest with no pressure is called a Floating pulse. The

Floating post usually indicates an Exterior imbalance but the pulse

also can Float in some " Interior conditions, such as anemia or

cancer. In these cases, the pulse is Floating because Qi is very

deficient and " floats " to the surface of the body. " (Giovanni

Maciocia, The Foundaitons of , p. 167.)

 

The Deep pulse is one that can only be felt with a lot of pressure.

Deep pulses indicate that the imbalance is in the Interior of the

body. In the Organs.

 

There are a lot of other pulses that TCM healers recognize, but I

thought I would just mention the 4 easiest for most people to learn

to recognize.

 

In addition to observing you, and doing a pulse and a tongue

diagnosis, the healer may ask you a lot of questions. Don't be

surprised if some of them are a bit unusual. Like what is your

favorite season of the year, and do you tend to have more health

problems during a certain season. Me, I love the summer and tend to

do far worse healthwise and activity wise in the winter than other

times of the year. I have some long-term Kidney Yang Deficiency

problems. Deficiency Cold. Not enough Yang to warm (or activate or

dry) the body. Yin cools, calms, and moistens. A person with Heat

problems would tend to prefer the winter, and have the most problems

in the summer.

 

(To be continue.)

[Guest guest]

This is just a little off the topic, but I just read an article about bras

constricting lymph fluid and so causing cysts. The solution was to go braless.

Michelle

-

victoria_dragon

Chinese Traditional Medicine

Sunday, March 28, 2004 10:57 AM

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] Re: Breast Cysts and Cervical Cancer

 

 

A TCM pulse diagnosis is different from a Western taking of the

pulse. For one thing, the TCM healer will be taking a minimum of 12

pulses. S/he will place 3 fingers on each of your arms at the same

time with light pressure. This is 6 of the pulses. Then s/he will

increase the pressure and take 6 more pulses. The pulse diagnosis

probably will come later in the intake so when you are more

comfortable with the healer and not as apprehensive as people tend to

be when they first walk into a healer's office.

 

Here are some general things about pulse diagnosis. If it's fast,

this usually points to Heat in the body. (The exception being if the

person is overweight and/or dehydrated or suffering from some

breathing problems. Remember that the healer also was noting if the

client was walking and talking fast. By itself, talking or even

walking fast does not necessarily indicate Heat, but when the healer

sees several indications of Heat - like a fast pulse in addition to

the walking and talking fast, a redder than normal tongue, and a

yellow tongue coating, the analysis is narrowed down quite a bit.)

 

A slow pulse points to Cold problems. Just like Cold slows things

down in nature and makes them sluggish. The exception to this is

that well-conditioned atheletes will have a slow pulse without having

Cold problems.

 

If the pulses can be felt strongest with no pressure, this points to

a problem in the Exterior. In TCM, the head, neck, shoulders, skin,

muscles, bones, and meridians are considered the Exterior. The

Interior is the trunk of the body and the Organs. A pulse that is

felt strongest with no pressure is called a Floating pulse. The

Floating post usually indicates an Exterior imbalance but the pulse

also can Float in some " Interior conditions, such as anemia or

cancer. In these cases, the pulse is Floating because Qi is very

deficient and " floats " to the surface of the body. " (Giovanni

Maciocia, The Foundaitons of , p. 167.)

 

The Deep pulse is one that can only be felt with a lot of pressure.

Deep pulses indicate that the imbalance is in the Interior of the

body. In the Organs.

 

There are a lot of other pulses that TCM healers recognize, but I

thought I would just mention the 4 easiest for most people to learn

to recognize.

 

In addition to observing you, and doing a pulse and a tongue

diagnosis, the healer may ask you a lot of questions. Don't be

surprised if some of them are a bit unusual. Like what is your

favorite season of the year, and do you tend to have more health

problems during a certain season. Me, I love the summer and tend to

do far worse healthwise and activity wise in the winter than other

times of the year. I have some long-term Kidney Yang Deficiency

problems. Deficiency Cold. Not enough Yang to warm (or activate or

dry) the body. Yin cools, calms, and moistens. A person with Heat

problems would tend to prefer the winter, and have the most problems

in the summer.

 

(To be continue.)

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Bob Flaws talks about the differences between TCM and Western

medicine by using an analogy of maps. There are different types of

maps. For example, some maps show the locations of cities and towns,

roads, rivers, and lakes. Some maps show the average rainfall. Some

maps show the elevation of the land. Etc. Is one of these maps the

only proper map? No. They are each valid for different things.

 

In general (and this is very general), TCM is best for chronic

conditions, and Western medicine is best for acute conditions.

 

TCM looks at both diseases and underlying imbalances. For example,

asthma is the " disease " (condition), but asthma can have any of

several different Roots (underlying imbalances). For this reason,

what helps one person with asthma may do nothing for a second and may

even hurt a third because the Roots are different in all three

cases. There is a saying in TCM: Same disease, different treatments

(because the Roots are different); different diseases, same treatment

(because the Root is the same). How an underlying imbalance with

manifest will dependent on a variety of factors like how long the

person has been sick, treatments for symptoms, diet, individual

biochemistry, heredity, etc.

 

Some examples of TCM imbalances are Kidney Yang Deficiency, Blood

Deficiency, Qi Stagnation, Blood Stasis, Dampness, Spleen Deficiency,

Kidneys Not Receiving Qi (this one is a special case of Kidney Yang

Deficiency - breathing problems on top of the other Kidney Yang

Deficiency Symptoms), Liver Invading Spleen, Stomach Qi Rebelling

(rising when it should be descending - burps, vomiting, acid reflux -

by the way another possible Root of breathing problems because of the

acid reflux thing), Spleen Qi Sinking (descending when it should be

ascending - prolapsed organs), Lung Qi Deficiency (another possible

cause of breathing problems), Liver Fire Attacking Lungs (another

possible cause of breathing problems), Liver Yang Rising, and

Phlegm. BTW, the TCM concepts of Blood and Phlegm are not

equivatlent to blood and phlegm. For that matter, the TCM concept of

an Organ is not equivalent to an anatomical organ. TCM Organs are

more collections of functions than anatomical. The Kidneys including

not only many functions of the kidneys but also the adrenal glands

(and some other things). The Spleen consists of many of the

functions of the pancreas as well as the spleen. A person can have

normal blood tests according to Western criteria but be Blood

Deficient by TCM criteria.

 

What a TCM healer analyzes and treats are TCM imbalances.

 

" Qi " is pronounced " chee " , and roughly (though inadequately)

translated as " energy " . The meridians (a better term is " channels "

are pathways of Qi flow. Acupoints are areas where Qi flow can be

affected either by needles (acupuncture), pressure or massage

(acupressure), electrical currents, injections of herbs or Western

drugs, applications of warmth or cold, etc.

 

(To be continued.)

[Guest guest]

> I know quite a bit about western herbs and I am a biochemist so

naturally I am

> curious about Chinese herbs for breast cysts and cervical dysplasia

(cancer)

> because I have both. I have treated myself with a couple of herbs

that work,

> but the dysplasia and cysts do come back from time to time. The

cysts can be

> helped but eliminating coffee and by not wearing a bra and I do

both.

 

One of the main differences between Western medicine/ Western

herbalism and TCM is that even though TCM healers are aware of

certain herbs being good for certain symptoms/ diseases/ conditions

and sometimes will include these herbs in a formula specifically for

a symptom, the main focus is on identifying and correcting the

underlying imbalance. TCM is far more concerned with identifying and

treating Roots than Western medicine is. If just the symptom/

disease/ condition is taken care of, the Root still exists and

eventually will start to manifest in other ways if left untreated.

Also, when just symptoms are treated, often the treatment will have

to be increased and increased or will stop working all together or

will trigger other imbalances in the body.

 

Treatments in TCM are individualized to a degree seldom seem in

Western medicine. TCM healers try to diagnose and treat all

imbalances the individual has at the same time. This way treatment

for one imbalance won't aggravate another imbalance. Like for

example a person who is mostly Cold but has Heat in the Lungs and

Heart. If just Yang tonic (increases Yang) herbs and herbs that Warm

the Interior are given, this is going to aggravate the Heat in the

Lungs and Heart. So some herbs are included in the formula that will

Cool the Lungs and Heart and will take care of why there is Heat in

the these two Organs.

 

What makes this fine-tuning possible is that herbs are an affinity

for certain Organs and meridians. A TCM Materia Medica (list of

healing substances used in TCM) lists which Organs and meridians are

targeted by certain herbs. (For simplicity sake, animal parts,

insects, minerals, and other things also are referred to as " herbs " .)

The thermal energy of each herb also is listed. Does it warm the

body (Hot or Warm), cool the body (Cold or Cool thermal energy), or

is it neutral (no affect)? The Materia Medica will tell you.

 

In TCM, herbs are classified according to their main use. You'll see

chapters like Herbs That Release and Warm the Exterior (for exmple,

raw ginger); Herbs That Warm the Interior (like dried ginger); Herbs

That Move Qi; Herbs That Move Blood; Blood Tonic Herbs; Yin Tonic

Herbs; Qi Tonic Herbs; Yang Tonic Herbs; Herbs for Food Stagnation;

dt. Herbs may have more than one use, but they will be classified

according to the main use.

 

TCM healers also do a lot more re-evaluating and changing of

treatment than Western healers do. Depending on the nature of the

problem, re-evaluation may take place once a week, once every two

weeks, or once a month. In some cases, re-evaluation will be done

one or more times a day. (One or more times a day is usually done in

the case of some infectious disease because what works at one stage

of the illness may do nothing or may even make the person sicker if

another stage has been reached.) Don't be surprised if the acupoints

or herbs are changed each time you go in. The condition is changing

so the treatment needs to change too.

 

(To be continue.)

[Guest guest]

For many years now, the Chinese have been gathering and incorporating

information and techniques into their medical system from all over

the world. The Chinese do use drugs, surgery, etc. when these are

the best treatments for the individual. But, they look at everything

from a TCM standpoint. For example, prescription drugs are also

looked at from the standpoint of TCM imbalances. The Chinese aren't

satisfied with just a " works in 50% of the cases " or even 75% or even

95% of the cases. As much as possible they want to know exactly when

a drug (like an herb) will be effective, when it will do nothing, and

when it will make the person sicker. The TCM imbalance framework

provides this tool.

 

> I know quite a bit about western herbs and I am a biochemist

 

The chemical components of herbs aren't listed in the old literature,

but it is in the modern. What the Chinese have found is that by

being able to also use the Western " maps " of healing, they are

increasing their TCM knowledge and its effectiveness. People trained

in Western healing are discovering that when they learn TCM, they

become more effective in using Western healing. They think of things

and notice things that they never noticed or thought of before. And,

sometimes TCM works best, sometimes Western medicine works best, and

in some cases (like some of the serious blood diseases and disorders)

the combination of TCM and Western works far better than either alone.

 

With your training in biochemistry, you are uniquely qualified to

spot things in that intersection between TCM and Western medicine

that others would overlook.

 

The Chinese Herbal Materia Medica, Revised Edition, by DAn Bensky and

Andrew Gamble is one of the Materia Medicas that does list some of

the chemical compounds found in various herbs.

 

BTW, part of what all Materia Medicas list is the flavor (aka taste)

of the herbs. Herbs with a particular taste tend to have particular

properties (because of the types of compounds they contain). For

example, pungent herbs tend to be warming and to get Qi moving.

 

> so naturally I am

> curious about Chinese herbs for breast cysts and cervical dysplasia

(cancer)

> because I have both.

 

I'm not a TCM practitioner, just someone who explains the basics, but

if memory serves, some of the possible underlying Roots of breast

cysts and cervical dysplasia (cancer) include problems in the Liver

channel (Qi Stagnation), Blood Stasis, and Phlegm (though not limited

to these possibilities). The TCM healer will be able to tell you what

it is. If you feel comfortable sharing that information on here, I

can do a post on the signs and symptoms of that particular TCM

imbalance(s).

 

Good luck.

 

BTW, the earliest posts in the message base are designed to walk

those new to TCM through the basics.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

" michellec " <michellec@n...> wrote:

> This is just a little off the topic, but I just read an

> article about bras constricting lymph fluid and so

> causing cysts. The solution was to go braless.

> Michelle

 

Women with fibrocystic breast disease have breasts that are more

dense than those without the painful adventure. This can mean that

going without a bra is much more uncomfortable for them than perhaps

for a woman who has larger (more simple adipose tissue)

breasts.

 

What might be reasonable to suggest is getting a bra that is properly

fitted and without the underwire.

 

Penel

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Thanks for posting this information. This is one of the primary

reasons I get frustrated with knowing what is the right way. I've

read reports and my doctor told me that going braless for heavier

chested women would cause more scar tissue.

 

I can't go braless because it's very, very painful. I only wear

sports bras. They are all cotton and I wash them several times to

get some of the stiffness out. This has also helped somewhat with

the unrelenting back pain.

 

Thanks for the information,

mjd

 

--------------------------------

 

" michellec " <michellec@n...> wrote:

> This is just a little off the topic, but I just read an

> article about bras constricting lymph fluid and so

> causing cysts. The solution was to go braless.

> Michelle

 

Women with fibrocystic breast disease have breasts that are more

dense than those without the painful adventure. This can mean that

going without a bra is much more uncomfortable for them than perhaps

for a woman who has larger (more simple adipose tissue)

breasts.

 

What might be reasonable to suggest is getting a bra that is properly

fitted and without the underwire.

 

Penel

[Guest guest]

Actually, at the site I was at, many fibrocystic women testified that their pain

stopped almost immediately when going without bras and when they went back to

bra wearing the pain began again. The consensus seemed to be that the breasts

being free to move helped with the movement of the lymph fluid. I know that

walking and pumping the arms and legs is how we move the lymph there, so it kind

of makes sense that it would work that way in other parts of the body.

I know that energetically bras are suppose to mess up the energy flow of the

breasts, especially underwire ones.

Some of the women talked about wearing very loose bras. Like sleep bras in

the sport bra genre. I don't think fitted bras would do the trick.

I'll try to find that site again and post it.

I know what you mean Penel...but these ladies said it worked for them.

Perhaps we haven't stuck it out long enough?

Michelle

-

mjdavis108

Chinese Traditional Medicine

Monday, March 29, 2004 4:55 PM

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] Re: Breast Cysts and Cervical Cancer

 

 

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for posting this information. This is one of the primary

reasons I get frustrated with knowing what is the right way. I've

read reports and my doctor told me that going braless for heavier

chested women would cause more scar tissue.

 

I can't go braless because it's very, very painful. I only wear

sports bras. They are all cotton and I wash them several times to

get some of the stiffness out. This has also helped somewhat with

the unrelenting back pain.

 

Thanks for the information,

mjd

 

--------------------------------

 

" michellec " <michellec@n...> wrote:

> This is just a little off the topic, but I just read an

> article about bras constricting lymph fluid and so

> causing cysts. The solution was to go braless.

> Michelle

 

Women with fibrocystic breast disease have breasts that are more

dense than those without the painful adventure. This can mean that

going without a bra is much more uncomfortable for them than perhaps

for a woman who has larger (more simple adipose tissue)

breasts.

 

What might be reasonable to suggest is getting a bra that is properly

fitted and without the underwire.

 

Penel

 

 

 

 

 

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