My Herbal Story—Jin Yin Hua
Jin Yin Hua is the buds of the lonicera flower. The plant has long thin and hollow branches that grow upward. When blooming, it has white flower first, which gradually turns into yellow and finally you see white and yellow color in the same time.
The small, long, thin and hollow branches that grow uoward indicate that this herb has the ability to disperse. The white color can signify the wei level, dampness or pus. While the yellow color indicate…s qi level, blood or heat. Turning from white to yellow is similar to the process of pathogenic heat entering qi level from wei level or from qi level to ying level. And, coexistence of white and yellow color may also suggest coexistence of damp heat or pus and blood. So this herb can clear heat and detixicate, treating both wei level and qi level at the same time, or both qi evel and ying level at the same time. It is also specifically used to treat dysentery in which there is both pus and blood in the stools. As a herb that can clear toxic heat, it also serves as an important herb in treatment of carbuncles, etc.
UTI? Press this point
Urinary tract infection is very common in females. When you start to feel some urgency, pain and increased frequency of urination, mostly you are caught by this disease.
There is a point at the midpoint of the tip of the medial malleolus and the heel. When you have UTI, you can find tenderness at this point. Try to find the most tender side of your feet first, then press this point with your thumbs strongly for about 5 minutes. When the tenderness disappears at the point you press, you can notice great relief or disappearance of the UTI symptoms. Repeat this every day if the symptoms do not totally disappear.
Nourishing Yin and Moistening Blood-the Key to Successfully Treat Chronic Eczema
Eczema is a condition with repeated attacks. Some kids could have bad skin lesion all over the body which causes bad itching and tremendous discomfort in life. Although damp heat is the main contributor to the acute case of eczema, in most cases, however, yin deficiency and blood dryness plays a great role in causing the itching, drying and thickening and peeling of the skin in eczema. In Chinese medicine, this is the manifestation of yin blood deficiency which causes loss of nourishment and moistening of the skin. So nourishing yin and moistening blood should be the main treatment for this stage, Herbs commonly used include Dang Gui, Sheng Di, Xuan Shen, etc.
Dr. Zhu Renkang is the most famous Chinese medicine dermatologist in China. He has a formula called Zi Yin Chu Shi Tang for the chronic case of eczema, The formula is composed of Sheng Di, Xuan Shen, Dan Shenm Dang Gui, Fu Ling, Ze Xie, Di Fu Zi and Che CHuang Zi. In this formula, Sheng Di, Xuan Shen, Dang Gui, Dan Shen function to nourish yin, moisten blood and move blood, while Ze Xie and Fu Ling function to remove the dampness because dampness exists throught the whole course of the disease (it is called Dampness Rash in Chinese medicine), and Di Fu Zi and She Chuang Zi can stop itching,
But to successfully bring a full recovery of this condition, it is also very important to have a light diet, which means patients should be kept away from deep fried, hot spicy food, coffee, dairy products, and so on.
Watch my lecture on Qi Tonic (Ginseng)
Hawthrone fruit is a Chinese herb as well as fruit. In Chinese medicine, this is a herb with two major functions, one is to promote digestion, used to treat indigestion or retained food, especially in Children. Food retention is one of the major underlying cause for a lot of problems in children such as frequent attacks of cold,, asthma, eczema, etc. You …can buy some hawthrone candies in the Asian grocery store for kids to eat It is sore and sweet, and kids love the taste.Hawthrone is also a great herb that can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol. It can help improve blood circulation and treat coronary heart disease, breast cysts, ovary cysts, chronic pelvic inflammation, diabetic renal disease, etc. Eating 4–5 hawthornes everyday can maintain your health and help control the conditions mentioned above
There are two important points for ear problems. These two points are located in the Triple Jiao meridian of hand and the gallbladder meridian of foot respectively. But thete are basicall in the corresponding location.One point is TB 3, which is a point in the depression proximal to the fourth metacarpophalangeal joint on the dorsal side of the… hand between the fourth and the fifth metacarpal bones. One of the major function of this point is to treat earache, tinnitus or deafness.Another point is GB 42, which is posterior to the 4th metatarsophalangeal joint between the 4th and the 5th metatarsal bones, on the medial side of the tendon of extensor digiti minimi. It also functions to treat tinnitus, deafness and earache.If you have ear problems, you can press these points alternately with your finger tip. 2 minutes at each point, twice a day. There are totally four points to be pressed, two on hands and two on feet.
When there is acute ankle sprain, there could be very bad swelling and pain in the ankle part, mostly in the dorso-lateral aspect of the ankle. If you do needles on the swollen part, it cab be very painful and patient may not want the treatment, and it can also be a concern the needling at the local part may cause more pain. So an alternate n…eedling technique seems to be very important.
Actually there are several ways to help ankle sprain without needling in the local area Here is how:1. Needling the opposite side
Find the most tender point of the swollen side, then find the corresponding point in the medical side, insert the needle at
this point with the tip of the needle pointing to the most tender spot on the affected side. Then do manipulations until the sensation of qi is achieved.
2. Needling the wrist
check the dorsal side of the wrist around PC 7 (at the midpoint) until you find a very tender spot there. Then do needle at the tender spot of the wrist until the sensation of gaining qi is achieved. The needle can go subcutaneously toward the elbow or vertically. Sometimes, patient could get very fast relief of the pain and swelling in the ankle with the sprain.
3. Needling Gallbladder meridian
Move your finger along the gallbladder meridian of the affected side, if there is a tender point in the leg, do needles there. If not, needling GB 34 or GB 39. This can help relieve the ankle sprain
In addition, pricking in the swollen part extensively after sterilization. to let out some stagnated blood, then apply Yunnan baiyao powder over the bleeding area, cover it with a gauze. This works well for most patients in relieving the pain and swelling.
Fresh Ginger- Family Use
Fresh ginger is something we have on hand at home. In Chinese medicine, it is a herb with a pungent taste and warm nature. It can be used as a simple formula for some conditions at home.
1. Cold: When you just start to feel you are sick with some kinds of chills and sore throat, you can get 4-5 slices of fresh ginger, out them into a bowel and then a…dd some hot water and a little brown suger and drink them. If you have a little sweating after that, you have a great chance to recover from the cold soon.
2. Stomach pain due to cold: If you beathe in cold air, sometimes you may have gastric spasm or stomach pain. Then you could have fresh ginger in hot water and drink the water to see if it can relieve the pain. If you have other stomach problems, this may not be so applicable.
3. Water retention in stomach: Some people may have the experience that they are so thirsty and then they keep drinking water. But since they drink too much and the stomach can not handle the water, the water retains in the stomach. Very often the more they drink, the more thirsty they are. When this hapens, you can get several ginger slices, chew the ginger and swallow the juice. Sometime they can relieved the water retention in stomach immediately.
Early Graying of Hair — Chinese medicine solution
Hair is called remainder of blood, it is also where the kidney is specially manifested. With the growth of kidney essence, the hair of the human body gradually becomes stronger, and with gradual decline of kidney essence after middle age, hair will start to become gray. So in Chinese medicine change of hair is related to two things, liver blood and kidney essence.
Common conditions of hair includes early graying of hair or excessive loss of hair. They can be from two major things, stress or anxiety that causes over consumption of liver blood or that turns into heat and consume liver blood, which happens mostly in the younger people, and excessive sexual activities, severe diseases, etc. that damage kidney essence.
To prevent early graying of hair, it is very important to keep the liver blood and kidney essence sufficient. A good mood, a more balanced diet, a regular daily life, etc. can all help the hair from turning gray earlier.
If you have already developed early graying of hair, you need to change your lifestyle, and eat more food that can nourish liver blood or kidney essence, such as black sesame, walnut, animal liver, red dates, etc. You can also try a simple formula composed of Shu Di (Radix Rehmanniae) and He Shou Wu to see if you can turn your hair back to what color it is. Of course, it takes a long time, usually half a year, to see the results.
The Most Effective TCM Herbal Formula for Shingles
Usually shingle is considered more caused by liver fire, because it happens mostly along where the liver and gallbladder meridians distribute such as the hyponchondrium, the side of the forehead and scalp and the side of the butt, and the main symptoms include burning pain, restlessness, irritability, etc. So Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is often sugge…sted for oral use of the condition and Liu Shen Wan, etc., is suggested for the external use.
However, in many patients Long Dan Xie Gan Tang does not work so well. From history, the repeated formulas that work the best for this conditions are Gua Lou Hong Hua Tang and Er Wei Ba Du Gao.
1. Er Wei Ba Du Gao is composed of two herbs,, Ming Fan (Alumen) and Xiong Huang (realgar). They are made in power first and then mixed with cold boiled water and applied to the skin lesions in Shingles, usually it just takes 3-5 days to cure the conditions if it is used together with Gua Lou Hong Hua Tang orally.
2. Gua Lou Hong Hua Tang is a very simple formula composed of Gua Lou 30 g, Gan Cao 3g and Hong Hua 15g. In the clinic, you can add Ban Lan Gen 15 g to 30g for the condition. It works better and faster than other traditionall formulas. Usually it takes about 3-5 days to heal shingles.
Shingles is a common condition in the clinic, patients have to suffer a lot from the pain. Acupuncture can help relieve the pain, but herbal treatment plays an important role in the healing process.