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Fertility Education
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Succeed Stories for Fertility
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| Succeed Stories for Fertility _ Click Here |
Infertility Treatment with Chinese Medicine and Diet
Have you been trying without success to get pregnant? Have you been unable to carry a pregnancy to term? Would you like
to get pregnant naturally? Would you like to optimize your chances of getting pregnant using assisted reproductive technologies
(ART)? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you may want to consider acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The enhancement of fertility has been at the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 5,000 years.
But first of all, NO such formular is good for everybody. Individual
diagnosis is highly recommended.
Q. How does acupuncture improve fertility?
A. Acupuncture causes a reduction of stress hormones and a release of endorphins
that produce a profound state of relaxation. Research has shown that women with elevated stress levels have significantly
lower pregnancy rates. Regular acupuncture treatments result in the correction of the body's neuro-endocrinological activity
resulting in hormonal regulation and balance. The insertion of needles in specific acupoints in the body increases ovarian
and uterine blood flow. This increased flow stimulates ovulation and enhances growth of the uterine lining. Acupuncture supports
implantation and growth of the embryo during the very crucial initial stages of fetal development.
Q. How does herbal therapy improve fertility?
A. Herbs work to nourish and strengthen the body; assimilation of critical nutrients
supports a healthy pregnancy. The quality of ovarian eggs and the thickness of the uterine lining are dependent on adequate
nutrition. When present in the reproductive area, inflammation creates yet another obstacle to fertility, so acupuncturists
prescribe specific herbs to reduce inflammation. Lastly, other select herbs are effectively used to regulate and balance hormone
levels.
Q. Is Traditional Chinese Medicine helpful in combination with ART and IVF?
A. For women who partake in Traditional Chinese Medicine while undergoing assisted
reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), acupuncture and herbs are used to increase the chances of
a successful pregnancy. Fertility is supported by stimulating ovulation, regulating hormones and regulating the menstrual
cycle. Traditional Chinese Medicine provides invaluable support for women by helping to return the body to a state of optimum
balance.
Q. Are there TCM benefits for men?
A. Traditional Chinese Medicine is commonly used to increase and improve the quality,
motility and quantity of sperm. Since male infertility accounts for over 40% of infertility issues in couples, male partners
are encouraged to partake in regular treatments to address potential sperm issues. Strengthening the male partner increases
the odds of pregnancy.
Acupuncture and Fertility |
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 By John Lally, Lic.Ac.TCM, Clin.Ac. (Beijing, China)
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine offer an effective, time-tested approach to enhancing fertility and treating
infertility. In fact, acupuncture has been used successfully for infertility treatment for thousands of years.
Acupuncture
and Chinese medicine can be used in combination with conventional reproductive medical care or as a primary treatment approach.
Acupuncture can be effective for women taking fertility drugs or reproductive technology techniques (such as IVF or IUI).
Acupuncture
and traditional Chinese medicine can also be effective as a stand-alone approach to treat infertility for those not undergoing
conventional medical treatment. Acupuncture helps to regulate hormonal activity, thus regulating menstruation, ovulation,
and pregnancy.
A recent study from the British Medical Journal found that among women who received acupuncture and IVF,
the pregnancy rates were 65% higher and the rates of live births were nearly twice as high than among women who received IVF
with sham acupuncture or no acupuncture.
Acupuncture helps to reduce stress and decrease the hypersympathetic nervous
system response. Studies have shown that high stress levels decrease the likelihood of conceiving. Acupuncture has been shown
to stimulate chemical changes within the uterine lining, thickening the endometrium, and preparing the uterus for implantation.
In
men, acupuncture can improve sperm motility, volume and concentration as well as increase libido. From the perspective of
Chinese medicine, optimum fertility enhancement would involve a course of treatments with the aim of nourishing the Kidney
Essence and regulating the menstrual cycle as well as clearing any pathogens that may be interfering with the natural process
of conception.
Acupuncture a Brief History
Acupuncture and moxabustion have been used in the
Far East to restore, promote, and maintain good health for over 5000 years. The first acupuncture needles were made from stone,
and then later from bronze, gold and silver. The first known medical account of acupuncture was The Yellow Emperor's Classic
of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen), which dates from around 300 BC.
Acupuncture is rooted in the Daoist philosophy of change, growth, balance, and harmony. The Yellow Emperor's Classic outlines
the principles of natural law and the phases of life - yin and yang, the five elements, the organ system and the meridian
network along which the vital acupuncture points are located. These records also contain details of pathology and physiology,
which some 2,000 years later provide the theoretical foundation for acupuncture today.
Although acupuncture is used
far more extensively in China than in the West, the last few decades have seen huge growth in people seeking the benefits
of this safe and highly effective treatment.
How Acupuncture Works
The ancient Chinese believed that there is a universal life energy, called
Chi, present in all things ranging from infinitely tiny molecules to living breathing human beings.
This Chi is said
to circulate throughout the body along specific pathways or meridians. As long as this energy flows freely throughout the
meridians, health is maintained, but once the flow of energy is blocked, the homeostatic system is disrupted resulting in
pain or illness.
Visualize if you will, rivers that flood and cause disasters or an electrical grid short-circuiting
that causes blackouts etc. This is what happens to our somatic and spiritual landscapes when our Chi is not flowing harmoniously.
The insertion of needles into specific points on these “channels” allows for the manipulation and harmonization
of ones Chi, which results in improved health, and thus, increased fertility. |
Choosing colors to alter perception
The colours you wear can influence
how clients perceive you and how you perceive yourself. They affect your mood and reveal personality traits. For instance
bright colours make you feel happier and convey a positive attitude, so soloists who want to lighten up, should brighten up!
Once you know their different qualities, choosing colours to alter perception becomes easy.
White
Traditionally symbolises innocence
and purity and is often considered a summer colour. It clears away old thoughts, stimulates new growth and opens up new ideas.
When wearing white, people are often described as looking fresh or crisp. White is light, neutral and goes with everything.
However if you have warm-toned skin, choose off-white clothing as white is considered a cool colour.
Purple
Implies royalty, dignity and spirituality.
It is also associated with wealth, luxury and elegance. It's a balancing colour. Wear purple when you feel stressed or sad
as it promotes peace and restfulness. Purple is calming to look at and be around. It is said to stimulate intuition and creativity.
Green
Calms your emotions and helps with
relaxation. Performers and people waiting to appear on TV sit in ‘green rooms’ to calm their nerves. Green is
a refreshing colour and symbolises nature and fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative and implies wealth.
Blue
Blue is known as the executive
colour. Blue enhances wisdom and stimulates self-awareness, so wear it when you are discussing important issues. Dark blue
says you are a person who knows who you are and where you are going. Blue stimulates the mind but can be seen as a cold colour.
It is also the colour of the sky and the ocean and is one of the most popular colours.
Red
Red says success. Wear red to express
power and stand out in a crowd. A person who wears red is not afraid of showing a strong image. Red is stimulating and romantic.
Red boosts physical energy and helps overcome negative thinking and feelings of rejection. Since it is an extreme colour,
red clothing might not be helpful in negotiations or confrontations.
Yellow
Yellow is an excellent colour to
wear when you're feeling down. Yellow stimulates your desires, promotes positivity and prevents depression. It is a welcoming
colour and good for communicating, so wear it when you want to sell yourself and your skills. It is cheery, optimistic and
an attention getter. Although eye catching, it is a difficult colour for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if
overused.
Orange
Orange promotes spontaneity and warmth. Orange is bold and cheerful and improves social behaviour. If you need
some added motivation and fun wear orange; it's said to be an anti-depressant. It's a colour that is lively and active, helping
to exude a dynamic or extroverted personality.
Brown
Brown is solid and reliable. It
is the colour of earth. People who wear a lot of brown are natural, casual, reliable and genuine and often Mother Earth types.
Brown is a warm colour and is said to promote restfulness and tranquillity. Brown can also be seen as a dull colour, very
safe and conservative. To offset boring brown, wear with an accent colour like orange or turquoise.
Black
Black is a colour of authority
and power. Always popular in fashion, it is stylish, timeless, elegant and slimming. Totally black outfits can sometimes be
overpowering or make the wearer seem aloof. If you want to evoke mystery or you're not in the mood to talk, wear black. Black
keeps you hidden and distances people. To be more approachable, wear a different coloured shirt or top with an all black suit.
How do you respond to different
colours? What about your clients? Why not experiment with choosing colours to alter perception.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are beneficial for a wide range of disease and ailments. Such as asthma, pleurisy,
bronchitis, flu, virus, acne, eczema, psoriasis, shingles, nausea, ulcer, bowel, stomach, blood pressure, cholesterol, anxiety,
depression, insomnia, migraine headache, tic, body numbness, post-stroke syndrome, tremors, PMT, cystitis, menopause, ovarian
cysts, morning sick, allergies, hay fever, diabetes, thyroid, sinus, ear infection, tinnitus, arthritis, tennis elbow, carpal
tunnel syndrome, sports injuries and all kinds of skin disorders.
However, one dose not needs a special illness to be treated. The strength of Traditional Chinese Medicine is its ability
to bring the body into balance, boosting the immune system and preventing diseases whilst promoting a feeling of good health
for people of all ages.
Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Laser therapy, Cupping, Moxa, Massage, Infrared, Guasha, Health Consultation,
Children <12yo discount, Health fund rebates available.
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Living with Osteoprosis
helpful exercises
increase calcium in your diet
preventing injuries and falls
pain control
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Nice To Know:
Use this checklist to address problems in your home that could cause you to fall and injure yourself.
Home Entrance:
* Walkways should be level, with cracks repaired.
* Lawn equipment and toys should be put away.
* Water hoses should be coiled or placed next to house.
* Doormats should be flat on the ground with no turned-up edges.
* Any steps leading into the home should be easy to see, and at the proper height.
* Adequate porch and outside lighting are essential.
Living Room:
* All electrical cords should be placed next to the wall or behind furniture.
* You should be able to walk through the room without being obstructed by furniture.
* Rugs should be flat on floor, anchored down, or have nonskid mats under them.
* Avoid all waxes or floor shines that may cause slippery floors.
Bedroom:
* Keep bedspread or dust ruffle at least one inch off the floor to avoid tripping.
* Bed should be kept away from the wall for easy access when changing linens.
* Electrical and telephone cords should be placed behind furniture.
* Shoes should be organized in a shoebag hanging in the closet.
* All accessories should be at easy-to-reach level and organized on shelves.
* The room should be well-lit.
Bathroom:
* Use flat, nonskid rug on the floor to avoid slipping.
* Use nonskid bathmat in tub or shower.
* Install an easy-to-reach shelf in tub or shower bath products and soaps.
* Use liquid soaps to avoid slipping on bars.
* Keep the bathroom well-lit.
* Buy a nightlight for the bathroom and keep it on.
* Store the medicines you use most frequently on the lower shelf in your cabinet.
* Install grab bars in shower and by toilet.
Kitchen:
* Place a nonskid mat by sink.
* Smooth any rough edges that could cause you to trip.
* Avoid floor wax and shine products.
* Keep rarely-used items on the top shelves.
* Pots and pans should be stored where you can easily reach them.
* Stack plastic and glass items on lower shelves.
* Store items you use daily, such as plates, bowls, glasses, and pans, at waist-to-eye level. This will help you avoid
straining when you reach for them.
* Kitchen table and chairs should be well-balanced.
Other Tips for Fall Prevention:
* Go slow - falls may occur when you hurry.
* Think before moving - carelessness adds to the risk of injury.
* Don't hesitate to adjust or fix anything in your environment that you think could lead to a fall.
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* Geographic Tongue with your Diagestive System
Many people had been diagnosed a "Geographic Tongue" from their doctor, but no treatment offerred. In Chinese
Medicine, tongue diagnosis is one of their tradition to understanding patient's internal environment. These often associated
to the person's diagestive system. Springwood Wellness Centre is hosting a free health talk evening by our Chinese Medicine
practitioner/Acupuncturist Min Wu on ..... You are invited to this information night. Please take this oppotunity to look
for cure for your diagestive complains. Bookings, call 3808 6633.
Speaker: Min Wu (30 ~ 60 minute)
* Abdomenal palpation -- The first hand information.
The theory of Yin Yang
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The philosophical origins of Chinese medicine have grown out of the tenets
of Daoism (also known as Taoism). Daoism bases much of its thinking on observing the natural world and manner in which it
operates, so it is no surprise to find that the Chinese medical system draws extensively on natural metaphors.
The direct meanings of yin and yang in Chinese are bright and dark sides
of an object. Chinese philosophy uses yin and yang to represent a wider range of opposite properties in the universe: cold
and hot, slow and fast, still and moving, masculine and feminine, lower and upper, etc. In general, anything that is moving,
ascending, bright, progressing, hyperactive, including functional disease of the body, pertains to yang. The characteristics
of stillness, descending, darkness, degeneration, hypo-activity, including organic disease, pertain to yin.
The function of yin and yang is guided by the law of unity of the opposites.
In other words, yin and yang are in conflict but at the same time mutually dependent. The nature of yin and yang is relative,
with neither being able to exist in isolation. Without "cold" there would be no "hot"; without "moving" there would be no
"still"; without "dark", there would be no "light". The most illustrative example of yin-yang interdependence is the interrelationship
between substance and function. Only with ample substance can the human body function in a healthy way; and only when the
functional processes are in good condition, can the essential substances be appropriately refreshed.
The opposites in all objects and phenomena are in constant motion and
change: The gain, growth and advance of the one mean the loss, decline and retreat of the other. For example, day is yang
and night is yin, but morning is understood as being yang within yang, afternoon is yin within yang, evening before midnight
is yin within yin and the time after midnight is yang within yin. The seed (Yin) grows into the plan (Yang), which itself
dies back to the earth (Yin). This takes place within the changes of the seasons. Winter (Yin) transforms through the Spring
into Summer (Yang), which in turn transforms through Autumn into Winter again. Because natural phenomena are balanced in the
constant flux of alternating yin and yang, the change and transformation of yin-yang has been taken as a universal law.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that human life is a physiological
process in constant motion and change. Under normal conditions, the waxing and waning of yin and yang are kept within certain
bounds, reflecting a dynamic equilibrium of the physiological processes. When the balance is broken, disease occurs. Typical
cases of disease-related imbalance include excess of yin, excess of yang, deficiency of yin, and deficiency of yang.
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Controlling Crohn’s Disease and Colitis with TCM | |
 By Ban B. Wong, L.Ac.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is often believed to be an autoimmune disorder
that causes inflammation and/or ulceration of the digestive tract. Genetics, race, diet and the immune system can all play
a role in IBD, but the exact cause is still unknown.
There are two major types of IBD: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis. Crohn’s disease affects deeper layers of the intestinal wall, often forming ulcers in the lowest part of the
small intestine and the large intestine, while ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining of the large intestine, usually
the left side of the colon and the rectum.
Crohn’s disease begins slowly with abdominal pain, loss of appetite,
weight loss and anemia. Sometimes there may also be episodes of bloody diarrhea. An acute condition of the disease can cause
fever and severe abdominal pain with intestinal obstruction. In comparison to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis has
symptoms of constipation or the urge to defecate with little stools or passage of blood or mucus in the stools. These symptoms
may last a few to several months before lower abdominal pain develops with diarrhea. Like Crohn’s disease, the patient
can also develop symptoms of fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, and fever. Long-term dependence on powerful Western drugs
to treat IBD can leave the patient with debilitating side effects and surgical removal of the colon can make bowel movement
even more difficult. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer less invasive methods to control IBD.
TCM Approaches
to Managing IBD
In TCM, the goal to helping IBD is to balance the immune system and harmonize the intestinal energy.
Acupuncture, Qi-gong and Chinese herbs can help strengthen the immune system by balancing the flow of energy within the abdomen.
Moreover, TCM can help relieve the stress that can exacerbate the flare-ups of IBD. Some IBD research done in China has found
that herbs like gingko biloba, licorice, aloe vera, cinnamon and angelica appear to have anti-inflammatory and soothing effects
on the intestinal walls. Furthermore, from my experience in working with IBD patients, I found that customizing Chinese herbs
for patients could better help relieve spasm, ulceration, and inflammation since the symptoms of IBD vary according to the
extent and duration of the disease.
If you already have IBD, be cautious of following factors that can cause flare-ups:
I also recommend the following for IBD patients:
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Eat a diet high in protein and vitamins, but low in fat and fiber
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Take vitamin supplements, especially the B vitamins
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Keep hydrated with warm drinks, soups, fresh vegetable and fruit juices
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Eat small portions of well-cooked food throughout the day
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Avoid sweets like cakes, candies and ice cream
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Avoid alcohol, coffee and cold drinks |
A Look at Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture for Thyroid Disease
by Mary J. Shomon
Dr. Patrick Purdue, Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Physician. Dr. Purdue is a graduate of the Florida Institute
of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He completed an eighteen month postgraduate program in Traditional Chinese Medicine gynecology,
and regularly attends over 80 hours of continuing education yearly. His practice focuses on women's health, gastrointestinal
conditions and autoimmune diseases.
According to Dr. Purdue -- some keypoints about Traditional Chinese Medicine and in particular its role of for thyroid
conditions:
* Re. The yin/yang concept: Yin, represented by the dark field in the yin/yang symbol, equates in medicine to body fluids
such as blood, and to the actual structure of the body itself. Yang, represented by the white field in the yin/yang symbol,
equates to function and movement.
* The other important idea in TCM is the concept of "qi" (pronounced "chee" - often interpreted as
“energy”). There is a famous statement about pain in TCM which reads, "If there is pain there is
no free flow. If there is free flow there is no pain."
* The goal, through the use of dietary modification, medicinal formulas or acupuncture, is to remove the obstacles so
that qi and blood flow smoothly, or so that function is restored. This is the "return to balance."
* Diseases in TCM are thought to be the result of extremes, or overabundance, of the "six qi," and the "seven
affects." The six qi are wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness and fire. The seven affects are joy, anger, anxiety,
thought, sorrow, fear, and fright. So the idea here is that excessive amounts of any of the above can create a problem in
one or more organ systems in the body and eventually lead to disease.
* To diagnose imbalances information used to determine a diagnosis is gathered through the "four examinations."
These are inspection, smelling and listening, inquiry, and palpation.
* Once information from the four examinations is gathered, a pattern diagnosis is developed.
* The major contribution of TCM is its way of thinking about a case, the whole thinking process, not herbs and acupuncture.
* If one wishes to use some of the common "immune-boosting" Chinese herbs, patients should not experiment with
these medicinals on themselves, particularly in autoimmune conditions, and should seek the skills of a TCM practitioner who
knows how to work these formulas.
Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Acupuncture:
Let the Energy Flow
The Natural Therapies & Natural Health Expo is coming to a city near you in 2008. The Natural Therapies & Natural Health Expo's
provides natural health solutions and offers a unique opportunity to experience the diversity of products and services available.
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