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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 Secondary Hyperhidrosis 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. 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.
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