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Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of natural therapies is their ability to optimize immune function and prevent illness and disease. In particular, Chinese and naturopathic medicine have a tremendous arsenal of natural remedies that can effectively heighten immunity and greatly reduce the chance of serious pathology from occurring. Immune weakness is certainly a ubiquitous concern in the modern world, as cancer, AIDS, autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, etc.), and pandemics such as the Avian bird flu constitute major health hazards for the global population. Although Western medicine can be miraculous in its ability to save lives, it is notably vacuous in its repertoire of natural agents to bolster immunity and balance one’s physiology. Therefore, it is imperative that the health benefits of natural therapies such as acupuncture, herbs, nutritional supplements, and dietary strategies be made available to as many people as possible. Let’s examine the main approaches of each of these therapies.

ACUPUNCTURE
Practiced for over 2,500 years in various Asian cultures, acupuncture has finally made its way to the Western world. In my clinical practice, many patients have sought treatment for weak immunity. A typical pattern includes frequent colds and flus, recurring sinus infections, fatigue, stress, and insomnia. For this constellation of symptoms, acupuncture can be an effective way to break the cycle of chronic vulnerability to the elements. Acupuncture works by regulating the flow of Qi (life force) through 14 major meridians on the body. Immune weakness is typically due to deficient Qi of the lungs and spleen. When these organs are weak, symptoms such as allergies, diarrhea, fatigue, cough, and recurring infections are commonplace. For these issues, acupuncture points are chosen on the lung and spleen meridians to supplement the Qi, thereby strengthening immune function.

Moxibustion is also a powerful tool in the acupuncture repertoire. Moxibustion is a heat therapy that involves the use of mugwort, an herb that is applied topically on acupuncture points. Moxibustion has been shown in studies to increase white blood cell count in chemotherapy patients and other cases of immune weakness. For patiens with recurring infections and colds, moxibustion is an excellent technique for naturally bolstering immunity.

HERBS
There is one Chinese herbal formula that has gained international recognition for its ability to immediately strengthen immunity. The formula is called Jade Windscreen or Yu Ping Feng San. It has been used in China for many centuries as a natural preventative against environmental pathogens. Jade Windscreen is a simple formula that consists of three herbs: huang qi/astragalus, fang feng/siler, and bai zhu/atractylodes. Astragalus is considered one of the most renowned immune strengthening herbs on the planet. It is very helpful for chronic cycles of infection and illness.

Another class of herbs that is used for a variety of immunity issues is medicinal mushrooms. This class of herbs is frequently used for immune regulation in serious patterns of cancer and AIDS. Mushrooms such as shitake, reishi, ganoderma, maitake, and poria have numerous health benefits that are beyond the scope of this article. If you have serious immune dysfunction, I recommend learning more about these amazing medicinals.

Echinacea is probably the most commonly applied herb for prevention of colds and flus. Recent research suggests that this herb is not as effective as many have been led to believe. A recent major study concluded that Echinacea is no more effective than placebo in warding off and treating colds and flus.

NUTRITION
The food we eat is one of the most important determinants in not only our immune function, but our overall health. Many people have weak immune systems because they are eating processed, refined, and rich diets that are devoid of the essential nutrients that the body needs for optimal health. Here are a few simple steps you can take right now to greatly strengthen immunity:

• Start eating organic foods
• Drink 6-9 glasses filtered water daily
• Drink green tea instead of coffee
• Reduce intake of refined sugar and carbohydrates
• Eat 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables
• Minimize pasteurized dairy
• Eat a diet rich in essential fats and low in transfats and saturated fats

Supplements such as zinc, vitamin C and green tea extract can be helpful adjuncts to ward off illness.

HEALING THE STRESS RESPONSE
Stress can be a major cause of immune weakness. Many studies from the field of psychoneuroimmunology have clearly demonstrated the link between stress and immunity. Along with acupuncture and herbs, two of the most powerful practices you can undertake for overcoming chronic stress are yoga and meditation. I recommend practicing each about 1/2 hour per day. This can profoundly heighten your quality of life and health.

Sleep disorders plague millions of Americans and can be attributed to a variety of causes. Perhaps the main cause of insomnia and restless sleep is the whirlwind pace that most modern people live with day in and day out. Our society emphasizes ‘doing’ much more than ‘being’. From the perspective of acupuncture, the yin aspect of life is quite depleted for the average modern American. In case you have never heard of yin and yang, these are the polar forces that are reflected in everything in the natural world. Yin is related to stillness, tranquility, and contemplation. Yang is related to movement, accomplishment, and function. We need yin and yang to be in balance within ourselves in order to experience true health and wellbeing. When we are yin deficient, we easily become restless, irritable, and excessively busy. Our ability to rest and restore is compromised, as we never seem to get a break from the constant activity in our minds and our lives.

This is one of the main dilemmas that we face in terms of experiencing deep states of continuous sleep. We have forgotten how to turn our minds off due to the frantic speed of everything around us and we have become yin deficient. The common word is stress, but there is a lot more to this picture than is implied. Another way to look at this is that the sympathetic nervous system is on overdrive. We are stuck in fight or flight mode, as we are trying to keep up with our hectic schedules and myriad responsibilities. We have excessive amounts of cortisol and adrenaline in our systems, which keep us feeling amped up and unable to rest. With the pattern of yin deficiency and a hyperactive sympathetic nervous system, we often feel too warm, excessively thirsty, dried out, and anxious. This pattern is extremely common in menopausal women. Due to the fact that we are in fight or flight, we sometimes can’t tell if we are tired. We often feel wired or manic. Yet other times a deep-seated exhaustion is felt that penetrates into our bones.

There are many other factors that contribute to insomnia, but this is the primary issue that many people are facing. Other potential inputs are nutritional imbalances, suppressed emotions, relationship troubles, hormonal imbalances, and energetic imbalances. Let’s take a look at a few of the top natural treatment options for insomnia:

Acupuncture
All of the major organs of the body are related to specific kinds of insomnia. For instance, there is a liver/gall bladder insomnia in which one is kept awake strategizing, planning and scheduling their lives at night. This person often can’t turn their minds off unless they read or watch TV before bed. Likewise, there are kidney, heart, lung and spleen forms of insomnia that all have specific manifestations. Acupuncture is an excellent treatment option for insomnia, regardless of its etiology. For chronic insomnia, I generally recommend receiving acupuncture once a week for 4-6 weeks, then we can assess for progress. Acupuncture helps to restore balance to the central nervous system and harmonize Qi, the functional energy that underlies our general state of health. Qi can either become stagnant, meaning that too much energy is locked up in a certain area or organ, or it can become deficient, meaning that there is not enough energy in an area or organ. Either pattern can cause insomnia and both are treatable with acupuncture.

Herbs
There are many Chinese and Western herbs that can be very helpful for insomnia. Chinese herbs are typically used in combination to create formulas that treat specific patterns of disharmony. Western herbs are frequently used on their own. The great thing about the herbs listed here is that they don’t cause the drowsiness and disorientation that many of the Western sedative drugs do.

Valerian
Has mild sedative properties that help to relax the nervous system and calm the mind.

Chamomile
Has a mild tranquilizing and calming effect that soothes all major systems of the body.

Kava
A highly prized medicinal that is used to alleviate anxiety and induce deeper sleeping patterns.

Gui pi tang
A Chinese formula that nourishes the heart and spleen, for insomnia with low energy, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and possibly night sweats.

Tian wan bu xin dan
A Chinese formula that balances the relationship between the heart and kidneys, for symptoms such as insomnia, low back pain, anxiety, feeling of heat, thirst, and night sweats.

Suan zao ren tang
Chinese formula that nourishes the heart and liver, for insomnia irritability.

An mian pian
A Chinese formula translated as peaceful sleep, for insomnia due to heart blood deficiency.

Meditation and Deep breathing
Meditation is a deeply restorative practice and can replicate many of the benefits of sleep. In fact, meditation is often considered to be even more beneficial because it can lead to a state of non-thought, which is said by many spiritual traditions to be the deepest state of relaxation and healing possible for human beings. In sleep, our minds are still processing and dreaming. Spend 15 minutes before bed meditating and it will quite likely allow you to fall asleep faster and to sleep more peacefully.

Yoga
Practiced for many centuries throughout the Eastern world, yoga has finally made its way to the West with unprecedented popularity. There are many different styles of yoga; I encourage you to experiment until you find a style that meets your needs. I recommend doing 15-20 minutes of restorative poses (child pose, shoulder stand, plow pose, corpse pose, standing forward bend, etc.) before bed. Combine this with your sitting meditation practice and you will take a significant step toward healing your nervous system.

Nutrition

Caffeine
One of the obvious substances in terms of its effect on insomnia is caffeine. If you are drinking coffee, I recommend either cutting it out altogether for a period of time or switching to green tea. Coffee tends to irritate the nervous system, colon, and liver. It is very heating and stimulating and can be a major obstacle in healing insomnia. Green tea, on the other hand, is soothing to the gut and nervous system. It is cooling in nature and is loaded with antioxidants. While it does have some caffeine, it is still a much better choice than coffee.

Sugar
Another culprit in sleep disturbance is refined sugar. Regularly eating sugar causes increasing problems with the regulation of insulin and glucose, which will lead to hypoglycemia and possibly pre-diabetic symptoms. It has been clinically proven that blood sugar has a profound impact on the health of the nervous system. In order to keep blood sugar balanced, white sugar should be avoided or, at the very least, should be coupled with adequate protein intake. Sugar also causes inflammation in the body, which can adversely affect our ability to relax, rest and restore.

Alcohol
While some people claim that alcohol helps them sleep better, if you have chronic insomnia and drink regularly, it is certainly worth giving it up for a period of several weeks and see if your sleep improves. Alcohol also has an adverse effect on blood sugar and can easily irritate the liver, heart, and nervous system. Many people are sensitive to alcohol but haven’t identified it as a problem.

The ideal diet
Simply put, the best thing you can do to heal nutritionally from most chronic health conditions, including insomnia, is to eat an organic whole foods diet that is rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and fiber and to minimize processed foods, sugars, and refined carbohydrates.

Nutritional Supplements

Melatonin
Has been proven to help people fall asleep, still controversial as to whether it helps with staying asleep.

Fish oil
ssential fatty acids have numerous health benefits. They are often used in the treatment of emotional and mental imbalances. As such, they tend to compliment other treatments that are being used for insomnia.

5HTP
A precursor to serotonin, 5HTP is used for anxiety, depression, carbohydrate cravings and insomnia.

I should reiterate that it is extremely rare that any of these natural options cause the side effects seen in Western sedatives such as drowsiness, moodiness, or dream disturbed sleep. I commonly notice that the patient’s overall health improves while using one or more of these protocols. Insomnia is quite treatable using this combination of therapies. In particular, I would highly recommend acupuncture is you have never tried it before. It should also be noted that there is a wide disparity in the quality of nutritional products available to the consumer. I only use pharmaceutical grade products that have performed thorough clinical testing on their products. It is definitely worth it to pay more for higher quality products and to be diagnosed by a qualified healthcare professional in order to achieve maximum benefit.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have enjoyed a long and successful history of treating a wide variety of headache patterns. Migraine headaches currently affect around 5 million Americans. The cause of migraines eludes many of its sufferers. Certain foods have been identified as triggers. Stress, anxiety, and hormonal imbalances have also been found to play a role. Many people with migraines feel hopeless, as they have tried conventional medications such as imitrex without good effect.

In Chinese medicine, migraines have a few different causes. The number one pattern underlying migraines is liver qi stagnation. This means that the functional energy of the liver becomes stuck and hyperactive. This is usually due to pent up anger or a chronic inability to express one’s emotions. Liver related headaches tend to run along the temples, as the gall bladder meridian, which is closely connected with the liver, travels through this area.

Another cause of migraine headaches is kidney deficiency which is synonymous with adrenal fatigue. This pattern is due to overwork, excessive will power, and the misuse of one’s ambition. When this is the predominant pattern, one will experience migraines when they are resting. They work hard all week and run on adrenaline, then collapse on the weekend and get a migraine. The bladder meridian, which is closely associated with the kidney meridian, runs along the nape of the neck. This is the primary origin of headaches due to a kidney deficient pattern.

Acupuncture is certainly worth pursuing as a powerful treatment option for migraines. The typical course of treatment in my practice is once a week for 6-8 visits, at which time we will assess where to go from there. Acupuncture is usually a deeply relaxing experience that optimizes one’s overall level of health. It has no side effects.

Chinese herbs are typically used in conjunction with acupuncture. The following herbal formulas can be considered in the treatment of migraines:

• xiao yao wan: for migraines that occur around the menstrual cycle. This is the best formula for regulating the liver and underlying hormonal imbalances in women.
• cnidium 9: This is a formula by 7 Forests that utilizes a variety of blood vitalizing herbs that have been clinically proven to be effective in the treatment of headaches.
• Head Q: This is a formula by Health Concerns that provides strong analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects in the treatment of migraines.
• Ge gen tang: This formula is typically used for neck tension and headache at the onset of a cold. It can also be used for chronic neck tension and occipital headaches.

OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS

For most migraine sufferers, reducing stress plays a crucial role in healing this condition. Yoga and meditation can be incredibly helpful practices in this regard. These practices help to restore circulation through movement, awareness, and deep breathing. Many people with chronic pain have been able to heal their symptoms using these techniques alone.

Basic dietary considerations:

• Give up caffeine and alcohol for 2 months and look for improvement in symptoms
• Drink 8 glasses of filtered water daily. Dehydration plays an integral role in many headache patterns
• Avoid inflammatory foods: sugars, refined carbs
• Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables
• Eliminate high trigger foods such as chocolate, avocado, coffee, and peanuts for a period of time

With the right combination of treatments and a strong commitment to improved health, most patients respond very well to the Chinese medical treatment of migraines.

Neck pain is one of the most common reasons for doctor visits. It is estimated that approximately Million people currently suffer with chronic neck pain. Acupuncture is one of the most widely used treatment options for neck pain, as it has a proven history of effectively treating this condition.

In Acupuncture theory, pain is said to be caused by the stagnation of either Qi (energy or life force) or blood in the body. When energy gets stuck, pain results. Pain that is due to qi stagnation tends to be rather mild or achy in nature, whereas pain due to blood stagnation is more severe, sharp, fixed, or stabbing. Acupuncture is often effective in either case, as it has the unique ability to regulate the circulation of Qi and restore blood flow through painful areas.

Acupuncture works by regulating the flow of Qi in meridians, which can be seen as networks that distribute Qi through the body. The meridians correspond to the major organs of the body. The bladder meridian runs along the nape of the neck and is, therefore, primarily implicated in the treatment of neck pain. The energetic of the bladder meridian relate to fear, anxiety, ambition, will power, and urgency. Therefore, many people with neck pain also have deeper layers of fear that need to be released, either from whiplash as occurs in a car accident, or in relating to the daily life circumstances of work, money, and survival. The Qi tends to get stuck around the point Bladder 10 at the nape of the neck, which is a central point for clearing fear and anxiety.

Acupuncture should be a relaxing, gentle treatment approach, even if the painful area is being stimulated. There are occasions where the neck won’t be touched at all, as the treatment will be more effective by stimulating distal points that correspond to the imbalanced meridian.

While acupuncture is an excellent treatment option for all kinds of neck pain, Chinese herbs are used frequently as well. The following formulas are used regularly for this purpose:

• Neck Formula by Plum Flower: This formula has been found to be 92% effective in Chinese hospitals for treating all kinds of neck pain.
• Ease Plus by Health Concerns: Helps with neck and upper back tension due to excessive stress and worry
• Ge gen tang: Often used for neck pain due to the onset of a cold, but has been applied for many types of chronic neck pain as well. This formula has also been found to be useful for helping chiropractic adjustments hold for longer periods of time.

Regular yoga practice is also of great benefit for most kinds of chronic neck pain. The following poses all have a direct action on creating space between the cervical discs and relieving muscle tension through the upper back into the occipital region:

• standing forward bend
• downward facing dog
• bridge
• plow
• shoulder stand
• fish

Meditation and deep breathing exercises can also be helpful, as most people with chronic neck and upper back pain tend to breathe quite superficially. Training yourself to breathe more deeply oxygenates the muscle tissue and provides an internal massage for the deepest layers of your musculature. To learn mindfulness meditation, go to http://www.mindfulnesscd.net

Most of my patients with chronic neck pain commit to acupuncture once a week for 4-6 visits, at which time we reassess for progress. Most patients find that they feel much better after each treatment, not only in relation to the neck pain, but in their overall sense of health and well being.

Optimal health. We all want to have it, but very few of us are anywhere close to achieving it. This is because, unfortunately, health is not a high priority for most of us. Even more so, most of us don’t even know how to define optimal health. Our medical model teaches us that health is the absence of disease. I can guarantee you that health is much more than this. There are millions of people who don’t have a diagnosable disease, but are still in poor or mediocre health.

Interestingly, there are also many people who do have a disease but are in good to excellent health. How could this be? Because I define health in a much different way than our medical model does. I define health as the absence of addiction, not disease. Health is about living spontaneously. In Chinese medicine, the character ziran symbolizes both health and spontaneity.

Now, this may seem strange to you. But think about it. People who are free of harmful habits and addictions generally exude peace and contentment. I am referring to both inner and outer habits here. For instance, coffee, sex, gambling, food, cocaine, etc. are external habits. Inner habits include belief systems and perceptions that are habitual, rote, and stuck. We get lost in what we think we know about ourselves and our lives. To achieve optimal health, we must be free of addictions of all kinds. The daily habits are what get us in trouble.

We can see here that optimal health has a strong spiritual component, as it is largely based on seeing through limiting thoughts and beliefs and living with a fresh perspective every day. The byproduct of a spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced life is tremendous energy and vitality and a heightened experience of general wellness. If this is one end of the spectrum and death is at the other, I would argue that most of us are somewhere in the middle. We may not have a ‘disease’, but we don’t feel that great either. We may have chronic pain, stress, emotional ups and downs, fatigue, etc.

Sometimes we wonder if there really is something wrong with us. Symptoms such as these show us that the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, especially if there is a family history of degenerative illness or cardiovascular disease. If we look at the following statistics, it is obvious that, as a society, we have a ways to go before most of us are optimally healthy. ,li>16 million people in USA have diabetes

• Over 30% of America obese, 4 million Americans carry over 300 pounds
• We each have a 1 in 3 lifetime risk of getting some form of cancer
• 23 million Americans have some kind of heart disease (1 in 12), 44 million have arthritis (1 in 6)
• 38 million have anxiety and depression
• 5 million have Alzheimers

The following five foundations of optimal health have become apparent to me after working with such a diverse array of people and health concerns. These five foundations have spiritual, emotional, and physical connotations, each of which is an integral part of healing. Each of these must be met with this quality of spontaneity that optimal health depends upon.

Mindfulness, Passion, and Purpose
For most of us, embarking on the path to optimal health will entail making some lifestyle changes that are conducive to this pursuit. To do this authentically, we have to start with a healthy psychological orientation toward making changes. This means that we initiate our healing without using will power. Instead, we use mindfulness, passion, and purpose to guide us through change. We identify with the deepest part of ourselves that is already complete and we set an unwavering intention to allow this to surface as we embark on healthy living. We are not making changes out of guilt or ‘should’. This will always backfire because will power comes in limited supply. Contrarily, we have a burning desire to discover who we are and to fulfill our potential. Our health is crucial to and inseparable from this process. This is the most important foundation because it is crucial for the success of any of these other foundations.

Nutrition
Ok, now that we have identified what we are seeking out to do, we need to eat a certain way to be healthy. Food is an extremely important influence in our mood, attitude, energy level, and how comfortable we feel in our skin. The key is to strip away what you have been taught about food through your upbringing, the media, or what you see around you. Food is either poison or medicine and we have to start working w/ it medicinally if we wish to use it as a gateway to optimal health. Eating an organic whole foods diet is a wonderful first step to take in this regard.

Exercise
We have all heard that it is essential to exercise regularly, but so many of us haven’t made a commitment to it. This is because exercise feels like a burden, it is uncomfortable and we have to use will power to do it. Sometimes we use exercise to beat ourselves up, or we exercise out of guilt. And for some of us, it just isn’t on our radar screen at all. Exercise can only be done long-term if it is enjoyable.

Sleep
Most of us need 7-9 hours of sleep per night to get the rest we need for our busy lives. When we are living with mindfulness, passion, and purpose, we can get away with much less sleep, perhaps even 4-5 hours per night. If you suffer from insomnia or restless sleep, then healing this one of the first priorities for your health. We need time to rest and restore, or else our waking hours will be compromised.

Chinese medicine
So, how does alternative medicine fit into achieving optimal health? Well, I think it plays a big role even if we aren’t suffering with explicit health problems. In China, acupuncture is considered to be a primary part of the average person’s lifestyle. It keeps the internal workings of the body balanced and often improves one’s mental well being as well. The truth is that, unless you are already optimally healthy, acupuncture and herbs can take you very far in that direction. Other forms of medicine such as Ayurveda can also be included in this category, as can the skillful application of drugs and surgery in Western medicine.

In order to initiate the lifestyle choices that reflect a high degree of wellness, it is important that you take action NOW. We are incredibly clever when it comes to putting off things of this nature. We convince ourselves that it’s simply not a good time to even think about this. Each of us has a passion for self-care and optimal living that is buried within us. How are you going to find it in this moment? Perhaps the first step is making a personal commitment to live in accordance with health and balance rather than stress, drama, and denial. Yes, it’s easier said than done, but it certainly can be done. The choice is yours.

In my private practice, PMS and dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) are certainly common reasons for seeking treatment with acupuncture with herbs, as these holistic methods tend to be very effective and safe options for most women. Chinese medicine and acupuncture have enjoyed a rich history in treating gynecological issues. Even today, many women turn to this style of treatment for numerous female health concerns. PMS and cramping usually respond very well to treatment. The key is to give it sufficient time before discerning if it is working for you. My experience has been that women younger than 25 typically respond very quickly to acupuncture and herbs, while women in their 30’s and 40’s may need to be a bit more patient. This is because the time frame of progress is usually based on how long one’s symptoms have been present. The longer they have been there, the longer treatment tends to take. Even in worst case scenarios (long-term and severe symptoms), I still expect that the woman’s overall health should improve greatly within 2 months of weekly treatment.

Both PMS and cramping are generally attributed to an underlying liver imbalance that is based on qi (energy) and blood stagnation. The liver is responsible for balanced circulation throughout the body; cramping pain and PMS are signs that the blood has congealed and qi has become stuck. The primary cause of liver qi and blood stagnation is emotional in nature and is specifically related to the suppression of anger and frustration. When you feel stuck in your life and your creative resources are thwarted, the natural byproducts are anger and frustration. The continued attachment to these emotions makes us feel stuck on all levels. Thus, the body will mirror to us this stagnation by impairing the circulation of qi and blood through the liver meridian. This, in turn, causes pain, mood swings, and further emotional upset.

Liver blood stagnation that causes cramping can also be caused by abuse at the onset of menses. Whether it is sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, such external reinforcements can easily cause our blood circulation to shut down as a protective mechanism against the injurious circumstance. In my practice, many women with severe and prolonged cramping have confided in me that they were once abused. When I tell them that their menstrual imbalances are probably related to this, many of them intuitively recognize this as true, which is the first step in initiating the healing process.

Many women have resigned themselves to simply putting up with these uncomfortable symptoms every month. They simply think that this is normal and that there is no treatment available for it. When I tell women that acupuncture and herbs work very well, many do not believe me until they start to see miraculous changes in their cycles. They no longer feel like the world is ending and they are no longer doubled over in pain for 3 days; How could this be? Well, this is actually one of the easier conditions to treat since acupuncture excels at moving stuck qi and blood. Needles disperse energy and promote circulation. That is their primary function. By harmonizing the flow of qi in the liver meridian, order is restored the woman’s body and mind. Along with acupuncture, here are a few herbs and supplements that I recommend. It is always best to pursue natural treatments under the guidance of a skilled practitioner. With that said, consider the following:

Chinese Herbs

• Xiao Yao Wan: Also called Free and Easy Wanderer, this is the quintessential gynecological formula in Chinese herbal medicine and one of the most popular herbal formulas throughout history. This formula combines a variety of herbs that regulate liver qi and strengthen the spleen. Therefore, it is good for PMS, mild to moderate cramping, mood swings, fatigue, and bloating during menses.
• Jia Wei Xiao Yao Wan: This is Free and Easy Wanderer Plus, which adds to heat-clearing herbs to the original formula. This makes it suitable for more severe symptoms of irritability, headaches, cramping, and possibly elevated body temperature.
• Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang: This formula promotes the circulation of liver blood and warms the lower abdominal organs, which makes it suitable for more severe cramping that is alleviated by the application of heat.
• Crampbark Plus: This is a formula by Health Concerns that combines a variety of blood moving herbs for menstrual cramps and irregularity.
• Women’s Chamber: This is a variation of a Chinese herbal formula called gui zhi fu ling wan that is used for fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, and cramping. This formula moves liver blood, warms the uterus, and dissipates phlegm accumulations (cysts and fibroids).

Nutritional Supplements

• Krill Oil: This is an essential fatty acid complex that is rich in phospholipids which makes it ideal for female health. If krill oil isn’t available or is too expensive, take a standard fish oil, starting at 3,000mg daily. Essential fatty acids are excellent for stabilizing the mood, reducing inflammation and pain, and aiding in the regulation of estrogen and progesterone (especially krill oil).
• Phosphatidyl Choline: This is a phospholipid that has been shown to help in balancing estrogen and progesterone. It has a positive effect of PMS and cramping.
• Antioxidant Complex: Taking a high quality antioxidant ensures that you are getting adequate vitamins and mineral for healthy blood and hormonal balance. Vitamins B12 and folic acid are commonly deficient in women and can lead to blood imbalances from the perspective of Chinese medicine.
• 5 htp: This is a natural precursor to serotonin that is helpful for stabilizing moods and reducing cravings. It is also useful for fatigue and poor sleep.
• Calcium: 1000-1336 mg/day has been proven to improve mood and reduce water retention.
• Magnesium: deficiency is strongly implicated as a causative factor in PMS (use 360mg 3x/day)
• Vitamin E: 100-400 IU/day has been clinically shown to reduce PMS symptoms
• Vitamin B6: promotes healthy levels of neurotransmitters and endorphins for emotional stability

Nutritional Recommendations

Nutritional therapy can go a long way toward healing PMS and cramping. The standard American diet is certainly enough to create a host of problems for female health, including hormonal imbalances, various side effects of holding excess weight, low serotonin levels, and poor metabolism. Here are a few basic tips to consider if you want to use food to heal yourself:

• Avoid refined sugar: Refined products in general should be avoided in order to heal PMS and cramping. Sugar in particular is harmful for all systems of the body.
• Switch to eating an organic whole foods diet: Eating organic means that the food is free from added hormones and other synthetic agents. This one step should profoundly benefit your health.
• Drink a lot of water.
• Avoid coffee: Coffee is one of the main inputs into fibrocystic conditions. It is an irritant to the colon and liver and can cause blood stagnation over time. Switch to green tea if you need the caffeine.

Lastly, make sure you get plenty of exercise. This is an important consideration for healing ourselves in general. Try to get at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Find ways to manage your stress level. Yoga and meditation are incredibly helpful for this purpose (along with many others). Hopefully after reading this brief article, you feel more encouraged that there are steps you can take for PMS and cramping that you might not have known about. Don’t forget, it is common that natural therapies take time, as they have a cumulative effect over a few weeks. Be consistent and accurate in your treatment (which is difficult without some professional guidance) and you should make vast improvements.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a commonly misunderstood condition that currently affects around 5 million Americans. Acupuncture, along with a variety of natural treatment approaches, can often offer profound benefit to people diagnosed with PTSD or share a similar constellation of symptoms.

Acupuncture can treat PTSD by harmonizing the underlying energetic imbalances that cause the condition. In acupuncture theory, PTSD is treated as a state of shock that must be cleared out of one ’s nervous system and body. Shock can linger long after the triggering event occurred, often for several years. There are a number of acupuncture treatment strategies that effectively take someone out of a state of shock. This is accomplished by clearing the underlying energetic imbalance that is causing the shock to persist. Another important factor is to stabilize the pulse, as almost all patients in shock exhibit unstable pulses that show continuous deviation in rate, rhythm, intensity, or amplitude.

Acupuncture works by regulating the flow of Qi or life force in the body. In the case of PTSD, there is often what is called a Qi wild condition, in which one’s life force/vital energy have become chaotic, disturbed, or grossly inconsistent. Acupuncture is a powerful way to settle such energetic disturbances and return the body and mind to a state of balance and peace.

Chinese herbs can also offer a deep level of support in treating PTSD. The herbal formulas yunnan paiyao and sheng mai san are a first line of defense in clearing shock and trauma, as the are primarily indicated to stabilize the pulse. These formulas are typically taken for one month, at which time noticeable changes are often detected in pattern of the PTSD. After this initial course of treatment, there are a variety of other herbal formulas that can be chosen from depending on the patient’s unique needs. Listed here are a few examples:

• Calm Spirit by Health Concerns: Used for anxiety, stress, irritability, emotional fluctuations, and worry
• Peaceful Spirit by Golden Flower: Same indications as Calm Spirit
• Bupleurum and Dragon Bone: Helps with chronic anger issues, nervous tension, addictions, and bipolar tendencies
• Tian Wan Bu xin Dan: Useful for restless sleep, irritability, sadness, excessive stress

Along with Chinese herbs, it is also important to implement the following nutritional strategies:

• Eliminate caffeine, refined sugar, and alcohol
• Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables every day
• Drink 8 glasses water daily
• Supplement with phosphatidyl serine, B complex, fish and flax oil

Many of my patients who have had PTSD have also benefited from a technique called EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. This is considered an emotional form of acupuncture that involves tapping on specific acupuncture points while specific phrases are repeated. This is a powerful technique to recondition the nervous system and reroute the neural patterning that perpetuates trauma. It is simple to learn and easy to implement into one’s life. Many people find that this simple technique offers much more immediate benefit than medications or therapy. Watch the video on EFT available on this website for more information.

Meditation, yoga, and a variety of deep breathing exercises can also be extremely helpful, especially if they are practiced on a daily basis.

PTSD can be a debilitating and difficult condition to treat. This is why I recommend a combination of therapies. Acupuncture, herbs, EFT, meditation, and nutrition offer a tremendous collection of resources that can substantially reduce or eliminate many of the symptoms of PTSD.

Treatment for most patients is once a week for 4-6 visits, at which time we will assess for progress. Many patients find it helpful to commit to more long-term care for this condition.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have proven to be effective for many people who suffer from sciatica. This condition, which is characterized by nervy and gnawing pain that radiates from the low back down one or both legs, can be debilitating and frustrating. Many patients have tried conventional therapies such as pain medications, physical therapy, and chiropractic but still struggle with the condition.

In acupuncture theory, pain is believed to be due to stuck energy and blood in the body. It is always a result of impeded circulation, which can lead to inflammation or degeneration. In the case of sciatica, the gall bladder meridian is typically in need of energetic balancing. This meridian runs from the piriformus muscle in the buttocks down the lateral side of the legs, which is the pathway of the sciatic nerve. Qi stagnation (stuck energy) occurs in this meridian due to suppressed anger and stress. Because of this, a common dynamic amongst sciatica patients is that they tend to hold onto anger or express it inappropriately.

Acupuncture is a gentle treatment that is intended to be very relaxing, restorative and balancing. As the primary goal is to regulate the flow of Qi in the gall bladder meridian, one often notices that their entire sense of health is boosted from the treatment: physically, emotionally, and mentally. Most of my sciatic patients come for treatment 1-2 times per week for 4 weeks, at which time we assess for progress. The treatment plan depends upon the severity of the pain and how long it has been there.

Chinese herbal medicine can also play an important role in treating this condition. The following herbal formulas have all been proven to be useful in the treatment of sciatica:

du huo ji sheng tang: One of the main formulas for treating pain and spasm from the waist down

you gui wan: A kidney tonic formula that treats low back pain due to internal cold and deficiency

channel flow: A formula by Health Concerns that treats pain anywhere in the body

yao tong pian: One of the main formulas for all kinds of low back pain

Other people have found the following supplements to be helpful for sciatica:

• bromelain: anti-inflammatory enzyme
• fish oil: (3,000 mg daily)
• 5 HTP: (a natural precursor to serotonin; many people with chronic pain are serotonin deficient)

There are also specific yoga posture that are helpful for both prevention and for active flare ups. These poses are best learned from a yoga instructor, as it is fairly easy to exacerbate this condition with stretching.

With the right combination of therapies, sciatica typically responds very well to treatment. I recommend combining acupuncture with Chinese herbs for a few weeks and possibly adding some targeted stretches. This should go a long way in your recovery from this painful condition.

Many people turn to acupuncture when they want to quit smoking. This is because acupuncture can be a gentle and effective way to reduce cravings, detoxify the lungs, and stabilize one’s emotions as they are quitting. Is it a magic bullet? Usually not. The patient has to be ready to quit. They have to be willing to shift to the identity of being a non-smoker. This often means giving up activities/rituals that promoted the smoking habit, such as going out to bars, drinking the morning cup of coffee, or looking forward to the smoke break at the office. Sometimes it is also important to step back from others who continue to smoke.

Acupuncture has enjoyed a long history of helping people with a variety of addictive behaviors. To this end, people have turned to acupuncture for alcoholism, drug abuse, food cravings, and even other addictions such as gambling, sex, or shopping. Acupuncture works by balancing the flow of Qi in the body and mind. In acupuncture theory, addictions are due to a number of potential imbalances in the way that energy flows through the body. In particular, people who exhibit highly addictive behavior tend to have problems in their heart Qi, which is due to a history of emotional or sexual abuse or a betrayal of trust. As their core emotional response to life is based on a sense that life isn’t safe, they turn to external solutions to provide a sense of comfort and security.

Every addiction offers something up front that it eventually takes away down the road. In the case of cigarettes, the smoker is filled with an immediate sense of fire and fullness that often compensates for inner feelings of chronic dissatisfaction and emptiness. After a period of time, the smoker cannot access an innate feeling of being OK without smoking. So, there is more to nicotene than the physical craving. Many smokers are trying to fill a void in their lives through cigarettes that has rather deep psychological and/or spiritual undertones.

On a biochemical level, addictions to substances such as cigarettes create an imbalance in the way that serotonin and dopamine is regulated in the brain. The addict needs a constant fix of the substance in order to keep a relative balance in their neurotransmitter levels. When the substance is removed, then serotonin levels plummet which causes irritability, fatigue, anxiety, or depression. Acupuncture has been clinically shown to regulate these vital brain chemicals without causing unwanted side effects.

Most the of the patients I have seen to quit smoking come in 2 times per week for 3 weeks and take Chinese herbs throughout the process. Included here are a list of my favorite herbal formulas and supplements to help one through the withdrawal period:

• Bupleurum D: A formula by Golden Flower based on the classic formula bupleurum and dragon bone. This combination of herbs is well suited to helping people through a variety of addictions. It is a first line of defense for smoking. It soothes irritability, reduces cravings, and stabilizes the emotions.
• Crave Arrest: A combination of nutraceuticals by Designs For Health that has been shown to help up to 50% of people who have used it to quit smoking.
• 5HTP: Keeps serotonin levels balanced which helps with mood, cravings, and general well being.
• Calm Spirit: A formula by Health Concerns that helps with excessive anxiety, stress, and emotional disturbance.

Along with acupuncture, herbs, and supplements I also recommend a technique called EFT which stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. This is considered to be an emotional form of acupuncture that involves tapping on specific acupuncture points while repeating specific phrases to oneself. This technique breaks the neural patterning that perpetuates addictions. It can be a miracle for people who have struggled to quit smoking. It is easy to learn and can be useful in a variety of ways.

Meditation can also be a profound resource for people trying to quit. Mindfulness exercises help with developing space around the cravings and observing them in a neutral state of awareness. This helps to take a lot of the momentum out of the energy of addiction. It gives one a deep inner resource to draw upon when difficulties arise. Go to http://www.mindfulnesscd.net for more information.

Most of us can attest to the fact that stress is reaching epidemic proportions in modern society. Balancing work, family, health, money, etc. is a challenge that many of us feel ill equipped to face. Eighty percent of the doctor visits in our country are stress related. Our quality of life and health is largely determined by how we adapt and relate to daily stressors. Excessive stress not only takes its toll on our bodies, but strips the joy out of life and suppresses our creative instincts. Without physical health, joy, and creativity, life is scarcely worth living. Dissolving stress is certainly possible, but takes a commitment to making lifestyle choices that create balance throughout our lives. Here are a few ancient techniques for eliminating stress, increasing energy, and creating emotional balance. These are some of the most powerful tools we have for achieving optimal health and preventing future disease.

Meditation
Practiced for thousands of years in many Asian cultures, meditation has long been recognized as one of the most powerful tools we have for cultivating peace of mind and balance. Numerous studies have proven the incredibly positive effect that meditation has on stress reduction. There are literally hundreds of meditation techniques taught around the world. For beginners, the most helpful approach is to start with basic mindfulness techniques that develop both relaxation and alertness. Once a basic ground of awareness has been stabilized, then more advanced meditation practices can be undertaken. Meditation is a practice that helps us identify with stillness and silence. It cultivates intuition and surrender. It can deeply help just about anybody, but is truly a miraculous practice for reducing stress and anxiety. If you want help getting started, click here to get some information on guided meditation CD, Meditation: Mindfulness Practice for Beginners.

Yoga
This ancient practice has also been utilized by millions of people throughout history. Yoga is typically considered a form of meditation that involves putting the body into a variety of poses in combination with deep breathing to induce mental clarity, increased energy, and physical strength and flexibility. The healing benefits of yoga have been repeatedly documented by a variety of clinical studies. There are many forms of yoga and it is best to experiment to determine which form feels the most helpful for your needs. I highly recommend combining yoga with sitting meditation, as they work synergistically to induce deep states of relaxation.

Acupuncture
One of the pillars of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been practiced for at least 2,500 years. Perhaps one of the last truly holistic forms of healthcare remaining on the planet, acupuncture works with the Qi (life force ) of the body in order to induce a variety of therapeutic effects. The safety and efficacy of this practice are well documented which accounts for its incredible surge in popularity in the Western world. Acupuncture is considered one of the most powerful treatment options for stress reduction. Only seek acupuncture treatment from licensed acupuncturists ( as opposed to chiropractors or MD’s who practice acupuncture).

Herbal medicine
There are a variety of both Chinese and Western herbal formulas that have been clinically proven to reduce stress and create emotional balance. Herbs are much less concentrated than pharmaceuticals, which is why they have far less side effects (but can still be as effective). If you are interested in this treatment option, many acupuncturists can skillfully prescribe herbal formulas. This is recommended over buying herbs over the counter with little knowledge of their intended usage.

Nutrition
Eating a diet high in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and low glycemic carbohydrates can go a long way toward healing stress. The standard American diet (high in processed foods, saturated fat, sugar, and transfats) has been linked to anxiety, depression, and increased stress in numerous studies. Change your diet to an organic, whole foods approach and both your body and mind will reward you beyond measure. Poor adaptability to stress is often a sign that our brains are starving for nutrients that we aren’t getting from our standard American diets.

Making these lifestyle changes may not be easy in the initial phases. It is often helpful to seek out the support of a health care practitioner to guide you through these transitions. Once you start feeling the enormous payoff of making such changes, there truly is no turning back. Your stress will dissolve, your weight will decrease, and your energy will skyrocket, not to mention the preventative measures you are taking for heart health. Isn’t that enough to warrant making a few changes?

Approximately 70 million Americans are overweight. 34% of our country is obese, which means that one is over 20 pounds his or her optimal weight. The vast majority of overweight people have been on a variety of diets and regimens. It is quite common to experience initial success on diets. Unfortunately, the good results are usually temporary and eventually spiral into the same or a higher weight than we were at prior to the diet. This cycle can continue through life, which leaves many people feeling disempowered, cynical, and depressed about their ability to maintain an optimal weight. In my practice, I have helped many people lose weight and keep it off. This is because I educate my patients that they are NEVER to diet again. Instead, what they need to do is find a healthy way to eat that truly works for them and then stick with it as long as they live.

The problem with dieting is that we think it’s OK to revert to the way we were eating after the diet is over. Dieting implies a short period of time in which we use will power to shed weight, only to return to our old ways sooner or later. At the end of the diet we usually say, ‘phew, I’m glad that’s over!’ This mindset is undoubtedly a form of self-sabotage. As our bodies become accustomed to losing weight and eating different foods on the diet, they easily go into a state of shock once the old foods are reintroduced. Our metabolism will eventually shut down altogether if we abuse ourselves by repeatedly gaining and losing large amounts of weight.

I also tell my patients that there simply is no magic bullet for losing weight. There is no pill that will effortlessly make the weight melt off. Having a healthy body takes work; there is no way around that. The key is to have a healthy relationship with ourselves so we can make changes that are not based on will power. We have to learn how to enjoy taking care of ourselves. We have to find the balance between immediate gratification and harsh discipline. This means that we are proactive about our health; we aren’t using food to beat ourselves up or to take away the pain in our lives. Instead, our food choices reflect a very strong commitment that we have made to ourselves to heal our bodies and minds with nutrition. Every one of us is entitled to this relationship with food and it is definitely possible. We can actually enjoy the hard work it takes to live well.

The truth is that we will never have the body we want until we are educated about making the right choices with food, healing the underlying emotional imbalances that make us crave unhealthy foods, and generally make a commitment to achieving optimal health. Let’s take a look at each of these in closer detail:

Making the right choices with food
This means becoming informed about nutrition. There has to be a basic understanding of the effects of various foods on our health if we are to use food as medicine. (And that is what we are getting at, using food to heal ourselves rather than as poison). Our knowledge of food must go beyond, ‘eat your fruits and vegetables.’ Here are a few basic guidelines for getting your on track with your food choices. This advice is simple to follow and will drastically change your food choices:

• Eat organic foods– If you aren’t already doing so, start shopping at your local health food store for the majority of your daily meals. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but you have to look at this as an investment in your health. 95% of the foods that you buy over the counter at regular grocery stores have no nutritional value whatsoever. Instead, many conventional foods are pumped with additives, refined sugar, herbicides and pesticides, genetically modified ingredients, transfats, and hormones. Do you really want these kinds of things in your body? Shopping at your health food store will drastically reduce your intake of these unhelpful additives. Organic foods have much more nutritional value.
• Try to eat mostly whole foods– Eat foods in their natural state. Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, chicken, grains, etc. are all examples of whole foods.
• Reduce your intake of refined sugar and carbohydrates— These are the foods that will make the weight pile on. Muffins, pasta, cereal, white rice, candy, soda, bread, bagels, etc. are the culprits in weight gain and water retention.
• Drink 6-9 glasses of filtered water daily– Hunger pangs are often a sign of dehydration. Reach for water before you reach for food.
• Eat a big breakfast and a small dinner. Eat whole food snacks every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

Healing Our Emotions and Food Cravings
Food is definitely a drug for many of us. To make it worse, it is a socially accepted drug, which means that it seems OK because everyone around us is indulging, so why shouldn’t we? We are surrounded by images of food all around us. The marketing gurus for major food corporations are masters at making us feel deprived if we don’t indulge our desires for immediate gratification. Many of us are overweight because we use food to fill an emotional void. Our deeper needs in life are not being satisfied and we don’t know how to nourish ourselves appropriately. Healing our relationship with food is often dependent upon our ability to satisfy ourselves in our work and relationships, Many people turn to food when their sexual life is either non-existent or dissatisfying. When we are engaged with our lives and know how to handle the various stresses that come with adult responsibilities, then we will not turn to food compulsively. We will discuss how to go about healing ourselves in these ways in a bit.

Making a Commitment to Optimal Health
Most of us are conditioned into believing that other things in life are more of a priority than our health. We only make our health a priority when we experience symptoms that alert us to the fact that something is wrong. Committing to optimal health means that our health becomes one of the top priorities in our lives right NOW, even if we feel fine. This means taking the time to eat nutritious foods, exercise, and keep stress at bay with techniques such as meditation or yoga. When we make this commitment and truly live by it, our weight will naturally be more balanced. This commitment is can only be genuine if we deeply respect and value ourselves.

Achieving optimal health and a balanced weight entails having the same relationship with exercise as we do with food. Both nutrition and exercise must be key elements to our daily lifestyle. I recommend exercising 20 minutes a day, 5 days per week for those of you just starting out. Just as there is a way to eat that is both healthy and enjoyable, there is also a way to exercise that we can commit to for the long-term. Your main strategy should be to experiment with all forms of exercise until you find something you really like. This doesn’t mean that it will be easy, but it certainly can be enjoyable. If we don’t have a basic enjoyment for exercise, then the only way to get through it is by using will power, which will run out sooner or later. Many people find that exercising in community is much better for them than exercising alone. I prefer tennis and yoga. I have been doing both for years and I know that they will be in my life forever, simply because I love both of them. Everybody loves something, you just have to find what it is and do it regularly.

Herbs and Supplements
Like I said, there are no magic bullets for weight loss. There are, however, very helpful adjuncts to weight loss that can certainly speed the process along. Below are a few products I use in my practice (these can only be purchased through licensed professionals):

• Bojenmi Tea: Chinese slimming tea that has a variety of herbs that strengthen digestion and quicken the metabolism.
• Shen Chu 16 and Alisma 16: These are herbal formulas by 7 Forests that are often used in combination to strengthen digestion, reduce water retention, and optimize metabolism.
• Lotus Leaf Tablets: Also by 7 Forests, this is a strong herbal formula for weight loss.
• EndoTrim: Made by Designs for Health, combines a variety of antioxidants and extracts to help convert fat into muscle and stabilize the blood sugar.
• Crave Arrest: Also by Designs for Health, this product is excellent for sugar and carbohydrate cravings.
• 5 htp: A natural precursor to serotonin, 5 htp is used for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and carbohydrate cravings.
• There are also many acupuncture points and protocols that reduce cravings, stimulate metabolism, reduce water retention, and optimize digestion.

In my 10-week program, Having Health Now, I typically recommend to my patients that they make it a goal to lose 1-3 pounds per week as they transition to a whole foods diet, increased exercise, and the combination of acupuncture, herbs, and supplements. This may not seem like a lot compared to crash dieting, but it certainly is a more balanced approach. It may take 1-2 years to lose all the weight you’d like, but the odds are that you will keep it off if you do it in a gradual and balanced way. My goal is to give you the tools to lose weight so you can use them forever. This is not a diet; it is living and being healthy forever.