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Q: I have hyperhidrosis on my palms, feet and axial area. What can
acupuncture do for me?
A:
First,
there are different types of Hyperhidrosis:
Hyperhidrosis
According to current western medical research,
hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating beyond that needed to regulate normal body
temperature) affects 1 out of every 25 people in the United States
(approximately 12 million people). In the Asian population alone, it affects 1
out of every 5 people. Hyperhidrosis is categorized into two groups: primary and
secondary.
Primary Hyperhidrosis
In primary hyperhidrosis, the cause is likely hereditary in at least 40% of
individuals and involves hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (the
part of the nervous system which controls the sweat glands). Symptoms of
excessive sweating and heat loss occur in the face, underarms, hands, and/or
feet and make them feel clammy, moist, and even wet. These symptoms may occur
spontaneously for brief periods or remain constant throughout the day and night.
While feelings of anxiety, embarrassment, and/or emotional upset can aggravate
the symptoms further, these are not considered to be the root cause. Common
treatments include alternative therapies including acupuncture, and as a last
resort, ETS (Endoscopic Thoracic Surgery) in which the sympathetic nerve is
severed or clamped at the level of T2, and/or T3-T4 of the thoracic spine.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis
In secondary hyperhidrosis, there is generalized excessive body sweating. In
this case, the cause is attributed to long-standing conditions such as chronic
infection or illness (e.g. autoimmune disorders, hyperthyroidism, malignancies).
This condition can often be confirmed through lab tests of thyroid hormone
levels. Secondary hyperhidrosis does not respond well to surgical methods.
What Acupuncture Can Do For You
From a western medical perspective, acupoints placed in
dermatomes (sensory nerves of the skin) can effect changes in the nervous
system. In hyperhidrosis then, needles inserted into acupoints found in the
T2-T4 dermatome areas can be used to temper the over activity of the sympathetic
system (that controls sweat gland function) to reduce sweating and regulate
normal body temperature. Points that are commonly used for stress relief and
relaxation can also lessen the impact of any aggravating factors such as
shyness, anxiety, or emotional turbulence.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the
points used to treat a condition such as hyperhidrosis would be dependent on an
individual person’s accompanying signs and symptoms, overall health, and
lifestyle. This means that not all persons suffering from hyperhidrosis would
necessarily be treated alike. Both local and distal points (away from the area
of concern) may be used with different point combinations to address a
particular person’s condition and general constitution. The primary goals of TCM
and acupuncture would be to regulate excessive sweating by correcting any
energetic balances in the body based on pattern differentiation, and to
harmonize the mind and body so that emotional disturbances do not aggravate the
condition further.
-Fay-Meling von Moltke Pao
Q: For the last 10-12 years, I have experienced a propensity for
urinary tract infections, yeast infections & other vaginal ailments. I am
looking for an answer beyond antibiotics and the other traditional western
treatments for these problems.
A: We
have some great treatments for you. Excellent ways to treat those nasty UTIs
without the use of digestion damaging antibiotics.
We often refer to UTIs as a "lin" syndrome. There are a variety of different
types of lin syndromes, they all suggest a urinary tract difficulty, but not all
of them are your typical bladder infection.
There are some great Chinese herbal decoctions available
for this. Actually, the herbs in these formulas for your typical UTI will make
you pee, but at the same time, they'll kill the infection. In Chinese medical
terms, we usually think of the infection as heat in the Bladder. So, the herbs
clear heat and perform a few other functions as is appropriate to the condition
being treated.
Here's a quick recap of the kinds of urinary difficulties
that we treat:
Lin Syndrome: Painful, burning, frequent, urgent
urination. Ouch.
Gao Lin: Cloudy urination, likely due to a kidney or
ureter (tubes from the kidney to the bladder) infection, the cloudiness is pus
from the infection. Other problems can give rise to cloudy urination too like
proteinuria which is a kidney problem wherein excessive amounts of protein get
into the urine. That's a severe condition that should include Western medical
intervention.
Shi Lin: That means "stone" lin. That's a kidney
stone. We have herbs to break up and even melt the stone. We've got herbs for
gallstones too. They're often times the same herbs, actually.
Xue Lin: That means blood in the urine. Often times
associated with a stone, but not always.
Re Lin: That means heat lin, suggesting an infection
of some sort associated with the urinary difficulty.
Personally, I find one of the most interesting of all the
unique Chinese medical theories to be found in association with bladder
infections.
Organ systems are paired up in Chinese medicine. I've heard
these pairs described as "husband and wife" relationships. The Liver and Gall
Bladder are husband and wife. That pair makes sense. So does the Kidney and
Urinary Bladder as well as the Spleen (Pancreas) and Stomach. The others make
less sense. Lung and Large Intestine, Heart and Small Intestine.
The Small Intestine in Chinese medicine has a unique
function of "separating the pure from the turbid." In a sense, this is the same
as our Western understanding of this organ. It absorbs the pure (nutrition) and
excretes the turbid (fecal matter). Chinese medicine says that the Small
Intestine produces urine as well as fecal matter. So there's a direct
relationship between the Small Intestine and the Urinary Bladder in the body.
Where I'm going with all of this is here: There is a
pathology in Chinese medicine known as Heart Fire. Heart Fire symptoms include:
Insomnia, sores on the tongue, restlessness and a tip of the tongue that is
decidedly redder than the rest of the tongue. Other symptoms of Heart Fire
include an overly dramatic or passionate approach to life. Its fun to have
strong feelings and fully experience the depth of one's humanity. However when
the feelings are too strong, sometimes the problem can be explained as Heart
fire.
So, the Heart fire originates in the Heart, but fire
spreads and because of the husband/wife relationship between the Heart and Small
Intestine, the S.I. also catches on fire. That doesn't have too many of its own
symptoms, until some of that fire starts to pour down into the Urinary Bladder
and then you've got your bladder infection.
A popular formula for Heart Fire leading to Lin syndrome
is: Dao Chi San (in raw herbal form) and Dao Chi Pian (in pill form). Most
Chinese medicine herbalists have access to the ingredients to make up this
formula or you can often find the pills in a Chinese medicine pharmacy.
So, for one with chronic bladder infections, the first
place I go is to the tongue to check to see if the tip is red. Another common
tongue presentation in association with bladder infections would be a thick
greasy, almost cottage cheesy type tongue coating, kind of yellow in color,
especially in the rear of the tongue, toward the throat. This would explain the
bladder infection as a problem of dampness and heat. Damp heat explains many
urogenital infections.
A common sign of damp heat infections is that they tend to
put out a thick yellow exudate that can smell bad. This explains many yeast
infections, bladder infections, and even venereal diseases. This is likely the
best explanation for your propensity toward urogenital issues that are damp and
hot in character.
A popular formula for this condition is called: Ba Zheng
Tang
A popular formula for the Lin syndrome associated with
kidney stones is: Shi Lin Tong or Shi Lin Tong Pian.
Al Stone, L.Ac.
About our Doctors
Fay-Meling von Moltke Pao, DAc, BHSc, Hon.BA, is a
licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Oriental medicine in Toronto,
Ontario. After completing her degree in Biomedical Ethics at the University of
Toronto, she continued her studies and graduated from a four-year degree program
in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine from the Michener Institute of Applied
Health Sciences (recognized by ACAOM). In her practice, Fay-Meling combines
classical and modern acupuncture techniques with herbal medicine, nutrition and
diet therapy, counselling, tuina (Chinese massage therapy), and qigong where
appropriate.
"My aim is to provide patients with an integrative form of
health care that utilizes the best of eastern and western medicine. As such, I
am committed to working closely with other physicians and health care
practitioners involved in an individual's care, and enabling the person's own
healing abilities. I warmly welcome all patients to my clinic."
-Fay-Meling von Moltke Pao
For more information on her practice and Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine please visit her website at:
Acupuncture
Toronto - Acupao - Home
Al Stone, L.Ac.
Beyond Well Being
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicines
Santa Monica, CA.
(310) 264-6668
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