Some of the ways herbs can be administered

[Guest guest]

This is a post for readers new to TCM and for beginning students.

 

Pills (wan) and decoctions (teas) (tang) are two of the most common

methods for administering herbs. Sometimes the method of

administration will make a difference in how well an individual

responds. For example, people with Cold disorders generally respond

more quickly and more completely to warm teas than to pills. Not

room temperature decoctions but warm decoctions. However, compliance

is likely to be greater with pills than with decoctions because of

the greater ease of taking the pills vs. preparing decoctions.

 

Herbs can be soaked in alcohol or other substances. These are

called " tintures " .

 

Formulas can be administered as powders.

 

Sometimes an herb will work best when taken with food.

 

In China herbs frequently are prepared in syrup for children. It's a

compliance thing.

 

The modern Chinese sometimes will inject herbal solutions into a

muscle or into an acupoint.

 

Herbs can be applied externally to the skin using various methods:

Gauze pads soaked in a solution, salves, etc. This method is not

just for strained and sprained muscles. What is called uremia in

Western medicine can be treated by applying qauze pads soaked in an

herbal formula over the Bladder 23 point. (Clinical Nephrology in

, Wei Li and David Frierman with Ben Luna and Bob

Flaws, p. 262.) (Note to students: Bladder 23 is the Back

Transporting Point for the Kidneys. BTPs often will be sore when the

corresponding Organ is imbalanced. In addition to being diagnostic,

the appropriate BTP(s) almost has to be worked in order to clear up

long existing imbalances in Organs.)

 

" A Chinese medicinal enema is a traditional way to treat patterns

associated with CRF. " (p. 261.) CRF is Chronic Renal Failure. " This

enema is contraindicated if the patient is very weak or has over

three bowel movements a day, hemorrhoids, a fistula, or bleeding. "

(p. 262.)

 

Herbs also can be administered via soaks in a bathtub. Wei Li,

Frierman, etc. caution that the person should soak for 15 to 30

minutes - just long enough for a light sweat appears but not long

enough for the treatment to exhaust the person. (Qi is lost via

sweat.) If the water cools down too much, more hot water should be

added. (p. 262.) Among other things, bathtub soaks are used to treat

patterns associated with what is called nephritis in Western

medicine. (p. 262.) (There is an inccreasing movement among doctors

trained in both TCM and Western allopathic medicine to list dual

diagnoses - the allopathic diagnosis as well as the TCM diagnosis.)

Wei Li, etc. mention that one formula in particular is " especially

effective for hypertension " (associated with kidney disease)

and " remarkedly reduces BUN. " (p. 263.)

[Guest guest]

victoria,

 

you reference a book on nephrology from a tcm

perspective. is this related to the western concept

of kidney function or the tcm concept of Kidney

function?

 

Lew

 

--- victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote:

 

> This is a post for readers new to TCM and for

> beginning students.

>

> Pills (wan) and decoctions (teas) (tang) are two of

> the most common

> methods for administering herbs. Sometimes the

> method of

> administration will make a difference in how well an

> individual

> responds. For example, people with Cold disorders

> generally respond

> more quickly and more completely to warm teas than

> to pills. Not

> room temperature decoctions but warm decoctions.

> However, compliance

> is likely to be greater with pills than with

> decoctions because of

> the greater ease of taking the pills vs. preparing

> decoctions.

>

> Herbs can be soaked in alcohol or other substances.

> These are

> called " tintures " .

>

> Formulas can be administered as powders.

>

> Sometimes an herb will work best when taken with

> food.

>

> In China herbs frequently are prepared in syrup for

> children. It's a

> compliance thing.

>

> The modern Chinese sometimes will inject herbal

> solutions into a

> muscle or into an acupoint.

>

> Herbs can be applied externally to the skin using

> various methods:

> Gauze pads soaked in a solution, salves, etc. This

> method is not

> just for strained and sprained muscles. What is

> called uremia in

> Western medicine can be treated by applying qauze

> pads soaked in an

> herbal formula over the Bladder 23 point. (Clinical

> Nephrology in

> , Wei Li and David Frierman with Ben

> Luna and Bob

> Flaws, p. 262.) (Note to students: Bladder 23 is the

> Back

> Transporting Point for the Kidneys. BTPs often will

> be sore when the

> corresponding Organ is imbalanced. In addition to

> being diagnostic,

> the appropriate BTP(s) almost has to be worked in

> order to clear up

> long existing imbalances in Organs.)

>

> " A Chinese medicinal enema is a traditional way to

> treat patterns

> associated with CRF. " (p. 261.) CRF is Chronic

> Renal Failure. " This

> enema is contraindicated if the patient is very weak

> or has over

> three bowel movements a day, hemorrhoids, a fistula,

> or bleeding. "

> (p. 262.)

>

> Herbs also can be administered via soaks in a

> bathtub. Wei Li,

> Frierman, etc. caution that the person should soak

> for 15 to 30

> minutes - just long enough for a light sweat appears

> but not long

> enough for the treatment to exhaust the person. (Qi

> is lost via

> sweat.) If the water cools down too much, more hot

> water should be

> added. (p. 262.) Among other things, bathtub soaks

> are used to treat

> patterns associated with what is called nephritis in

> Western

> medicine. (p. 262.) (There is an inccreasing

> movement among doctors

> trained in both TCM and Western allopathic medicine

> to list dual

> diagnoses - the allopathic diagnosis as well as the

> TCM diagnosis.)

> Wei Li, etc. mention that one formula in particular

> is " especially

> effective for hypertension " (associated with kidney

> disease)

> and " remarkedly reduces BUN. " (p. 263.)

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Lewis Kramer <sethwai

wrote:

>

> you reference a book on nephrology from a tcm

> perspective. is this related to the western concept

> of kidney function or the tcm concept of Kidney

> function?

 

Both. It's a very well-written book.

 

In the General Theory unit of the book, the authors go into the

functions of the kidneys in anatomy and physiology and the functions

of the Kidneys in TCM in the first chapter.

 

The second unit covers TCM diseases. The word " disease " in TCM

doesn't always mean what it means in allopathic medicine. In TCM the

term " disease " often (not always) refers to what are

called " symptoms " in allopathic medicine. For example, among

the " diseases " listed in this unit are things like Bloody Urine,

Lumbar Pain, Abdominal Distention, Dizziness, and Water Swelling

(edema). In addition, there are some TCM diseases that do fit the

Western criteria of disease or syndrome (a collection of symptoms).

For example, Kidney Wind is one of these. The " disease " Kidney Wind

manifests with several symptoms including edema, trouble urinating,

profuse sweating, " pain in the loin and spine, inability to stand

very long, " and a blackish facial complexion. The cheeks in

particular will be blackish. (Info taken from Su Wen, Chapter 42,

and related in Clinical Nephrology in , Wei Li and

David Frierman with Ben Luna and Bob Flaws, p. 39.)

 

The third unit covers Western-defined kidney and bladder conditions

like Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Interstitial Cystitis (IC),

Nephrotic Syndrome (NS), Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), and

others. The authors go into some detail on what these are, factors

that can cause one to be prone to a particular disorder, and

differential diagnoses. The authors then go into what TCM " disease

(s) " correspond to these diagnoses. For example, " In Chinese

medicine, the clinial signs and symptoms of chronic nephritis

correspond to the following traditional disease categories: kidney

wind, dribbling urinary block, bloody urine, water swelling, kidney

taxation or vacuity taxation and taxation wind, phlegm rheum, lumbar

pain, abdominal distention, and dizziness. " (p. 210.) The

correspondence for Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are more straight-

forward. " Urinary tract infections are categorized as strangury in

Chinese medicine. Strangury is defined as a disease condition

characterized by urinary urgency, frequent, short, painful, rough

voidings, and dribbling incontinence. " (pp. 155 - 156.)

 

If all the book was is a compiling of what TCM " disease(s) "

correspond to what allopathic conditions, the book wouldn't be very

helpful. Like all TCM books, the book goes into what TCM patterns

can underlie what TCM and allopathic diseases.

 

Pattern identification is what many Westerners find most confusing

about TCM at first but in time come to appreciate most about TCM.

Patterns are underlying imbalances of Organs and Channels which can

give rise to certain diseases (symptoms). What makes it so confusing

for many Westerners is the fact that people can have the same

symptoms (disese, condtion, etc.) but have different underlying

patterns. TCM treatment is determined primarily by patterns, not

diseases or symptoms. Two people can have the same TCM " disease " or

allopathic condition but different underlying patterns. Thus,

treatment would be very different for the two. Clinical Nephrology

in goes into the possible patterns for both

TCM " diseases " and allopathic conditions.

 

Take for example the TCM " disease " Bloody Urine " . First let me say

that Bloody Urine refers just to blood in the urine without pain.

If there also is pain, the " disease " is Bloody Strangury. There are

several possible patterns that can manifest as bloody urine. Some of

these are " Excess " patterns (what Blue Poppy books refer to

as " Replete " ). Some of these are Deficiency patterns (what BP Press

refers to as " vacuity " .) Excess patterns are those caused by there

being too much of something, and Deficiency patterns are those

caused by there not being enough of something.

 

The Excess patterns that can underlie Bloody Urine are Damp Heat

Pouring Downward, Heart Fire Shifted Downward, and Static Blood

Binding Internally. The Deficiency patterns are Liver-Kidney Yin

Deficiency and Central Qi Falling Downward.

 

Readers who are new to TCM and beginning TCM students, don't worry

about understanding what these patterns are. The important thing to

remember at this point is that people can have the same

TCM " disease " or the same allopathic condition, but different

underlying patterns. Therefore what helps one person with a

particular disease may do nothing for a second person with the same

disease and may even make a third sicker because the underlying

patterns are different.

 

What I find most helpful about the book is that second unit which

goes into TCM " diseases " . Because it was included, I found it

easier to follow the discussions of allopathic diseases and

syndromes in unit three. Also, many TCM books written for Westerners

tend to give short-shift to TCM " diseases " because so many of them

are what are called symptoms in the West. This is unfortunate

because some TCM diseases really do fit the criteria for what is

meant by disease or syndrome in the West. For example, Painful

Obstruction Syndrome (arthritis and rheumatism in the West), Wasting

and Thirsting Disease (which includes some cases but not all of

diabetes but is not limited to diabetes), Steaming Bone Disease,

etc. Learning to recognize and think in terms of TCM diseases

results in greater understanding and in better diagnostic and

treatment abilities for healers.

 

This is not a book for people new to TCM or beginning students

UNLESS there is a strong need to know. (A strong need to know often

results in people being able to understand and even master material

they usually wouldn't be able to understand or master.) Although the

book can be used for referencing particular TCM or allopathic

diseases to see what the possible underlying patterns and treatments

are, the book is written in such a way as to give readers a very

good understanding of Chinese medicine nephrology when the book is

read from beginning to end. Anyone who uses the book just to look up

possible underlying patterns isn't getting his or her money's worth

out of the book. It's much more than that, and there are better

texts for looking up at least some of the TCM as well as the

allopathic diseases. For example, some other texts go into far more

details on Stone Strangury (kidney stones) than this one does. But

for gaining an understanding of and overall view of TCM nephrology,

this book is better than some others.

 

Unit four is " Integrating Western & " .

 

The book contains warnings about herbs which contain aristolochic

acid. For example Xi Xin, aka Herba Cum Radice Asari. The authors

recommend substituting dried ginger or cinnamom bark in classical

formulas that list Xi Xin. (Aristolochic acid can damage the

kidneys (it's a " nephrotoxin " ), and the last thing one wants when

treating kidney or Kidney problems is an increased risk of more

kidney or Kidney problems. many authors warn about using herbs

containing aristolochic acid for any condition.)

[Guest guest]

Victoria, would herbs that are pills (wan) meant for a cold disorder be

improved if one took them with a hot drink? I've used both tang & wan forms &

agree that for me, tang works better but the pills were much cheaper so I'm

opting for them for now. I do wish to go back to tang form later when I have

more money.

 

So for now, I take them with a hot drink of tea at the end of the meal (the

time I'm supposed to take them). Is there greater benefits taking wan form

with a hot drink? Or am I deluding myself? I dislike cold drinks to begin

with & have to make sure any 'cold' drinks are actually only cool.

 

Judy

 

On Sunday 03 September 2006 5:59 am, victoria_dragon wrote:

> This is a post for readers new to TCM and for beginning students.

>

> Pills (wan) and decoctions (teas) (tang) are two of the most common

> methods for administering herbs. Sometimes the method of

> administration will make a difference in how well an individual

> responds. For example, people with Cold disorders generally respond

> more quickly and more completely to warm teas than to pills. Not

> room temperature decoctions but warm decoctions. However, compliance

> is likely to be greater with pills than with decoctions because of

> the greater ease of taking the pills vs. preparing decoctions.

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Judy Wilkins <isomorphix

wrote:

>

> Victoria, would herbs that are pills (wan) meant for a cold disorder

be

> improved if one took them with a hot drink?

 

I would think so.

 

> I dislike cold drinks to begin

> with & have to make sure any 'cold' drinks are actually only cool.

 

TCM warns against cold drinks and cold food.

 

When I was very Kidney Yang Deficient, even room-temperature drinks

were too " cold " for me. Even today I find that soemtimes a glass of

warm water benefits me much more than room temperature water does.

Like when I first get up in the morning.