A Typical Herb Formula Treatment

For example, say you come in for sinus problems. First, we differentially diagnose you. Is it heat, cold, dryness, and/or dampness? What organs are involved? What specifically is going on? Successful treatment starts with accurate diagnosis. If we see that you have a tendency toward 'blood vacuity' (if you have symptoms like tendon problems, muscle spasms, visual floaters, poor memory, dryness, and objective signs like a pale tongue, pale lusterless face, etc.), then we tailor herbal formula to make sure isn't going to worsen that condition.

Then we give you a formula that isn't going to make dryness or heat worse, or increase mucus. The guaifenesin in first example works by drying mucus, and so side effect is that it can dry you too much or increase pre-existing heat in your body. Anxiety can happen when Heart Blood is vacuous. The palpitations can be a symptom of a Heart-system problem.

Chinese Medicine Knows People Are Unique

It's not a radical concept. When you get a denture or a crown from dentist, they first take an impression and then have a lab custom-manufacture one that will fit your unique mouth. Optometrists don't make just one prescription of contacts or glasses; they measure your sight from a number of perspectives, and then order a custom-prescription for you. They have you come back regularly and change your prescription if your vision changes. Even hats come in various sizes or are, at least, adjustable! Oriental medicine is same way. It is an internal medicine which assesses your specific physical, mental, and emotional landscape, and then elegantly, personally balances your extremes

"If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

If all you have is a hammer, a screwdriver, and a wrench, then everything looks like a nail, a screw, or a bolt. Practicing medicine that way is like giving a speech (monologue) when you're in a one-on-one conversation (dialogue). Some doctor's visits are that way. But what if you could look at your patient first, and then custom-design your treatment for them? This is what oriental medicine does. That's how we end up with a custom herbal formula or selection of acupuncture points that might change every week. If you are changing as a result of treatment, then treatment needs to change, too.

If you have asthma, your MD will probably want give you a bronchiodilator and/or corticosteroid, and isn't likely to think about how disease or treatment affects your emotions (although, vice versa, it's become harder and harder to deny that emotions have an effect on or cause illnesses). One of main differences between oriental medicine and biomedicine is that disease categories in biomedicine are sometimes too large. Contrast that to oriental medical disease 'shan kong' which means 'dread,' or 'waiting for other shoe to drop.' To be sure, there are disease and treatment subsets in biomedicine, but not as many, and they are not as well integrated with every other aspect of your life as they are in oriental medicine.

Why, in pharmaceutical medicine, do they use just one active ingredient at a time?

A single synthetic chemical can be patented, and so it is a safer investment for pharmaceutical company than an herb which anyone can grow in their backyard. It's also easier to study a single chemical, and already costs around $350 million just to get one passed by FDA.

You know what you know you can do. You might want to make a list of these things to refer back to when you get frustrated. List your talents, skills, achievements, hobbies, etc.

2. Your Known Limits - Limits are no fun, but if you are honest with yourself, you can find ways around them.

If you know you don't know what's causing your disease, you can at least go find resources to answer your questions (that's why I love world wide web!). The right question will lead you to right answer. If you know you have headaches, migraines, eye pain, redness, insomnia, irritability, frustration, and anger, your questions maybe be: Why do I have these? What causes them? What makes them better or worse? How can I change them?

3. Your Hidden Abilities - These are cool because they reflect untapped potential!

The only way to find out what you are capable of is to try something new. Bouldering has been that way for me. I always loved to climb trees, thought about rock climbing, and never got around to it. Having a climbing partner has made all difference in world. There are many things we should do, even things we want to do, but we find we cannot do them alone. Human beings need human beings.

So, try that new thing you haven't gotten around to. Rent a musical instrument. Get a book. Talk to someone new. Search web. And find someone who's just as excited about it to share it with. You won't know what you can do until you've really tried!

4. Your Hidden Limits - This may be scariest category. Fortunately, we have solutions:

Oriental Medicine is a system of relationships based on thousands of years of clinical experience. An OM doctor can say, "Your red eyes, headaches and anger are related. They are part of a pattern. We have herbal formulas to treat that pattern" The 5 constitutional types (Wood, Earth, Water, Metal, Fire) are one system of relationships. Once we have an idea of your pattern or type, we can give you not just herbs, but also appropriate diet, lifestyle, and exercise advice. For example:

Balancing Wood Type

Exercise: Wood Types do better with aerobic exercise. Running is better than lifting weights. There's nothing wrong with lifting weights, but wood types need to move a lot. They have a lot of energy to burn off, and if they don't do that, it just stagnates and leads to symptoms.

Diet: Wood Types should avoid greasy fried food. And coffee! Sour foods are good for them. Spicy foods could be too hot and moving for them.

Lifestyle: Movement is key with wood types. A healthy wood type is actually a great leader, a good planner. The archetype is General.

Write it down. Thoughts need to move. Sometimes this isn't possible just 'in your head.' You may just be going in circles. Journaling, writing, and self-examination are good ways to get your thoughts in order and moving. You'd be amazed. I am every time I do it. Write down your goals, your priorities, your resentments, your fears. If you know it, you can do something about it. If you can't write it, you don't really know it.

Just do it. Get into action. Do something you know you can achieve. The enemies are impatience and frustration. Don't choose goals that are unreachable; if you do, divide them into pieces you can achieve. If you get frustrated, stop doing what you're doing, and do something else that you can accomplish. Go back to #1, what you know you know, and experience your ability.

Renew your inspiration. Many wood types are naturally creative 'idea-people.' If you don't get a chance to let your ideas flow, you may feel frustrated. For ideas to flow, you must be unblocked, rested, relaxed, and enthusiastic. Self-examination (writing or talking) unblocks you. Get out of your head! Restorative sleep (enough and right kind) is imperative. Learn to relax. Read or listen to inspirational sources for enthusiasm. Seek God with all your heart.