The resources below address common conditions from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Topics include:
All of the Bob Flaws books mentioned below include information on Chinese dietary therapy, exercise, deep relaxation, acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese self-massage, magnet therapy, and Chinese herbs.
Note that the links below will open in a second browser window.
Headaches
Curing Headaches Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Bob FlawsThere are many different types of headaches. They vary in location (front, back, temples), severity, and frequency, among other things. Often a headache can be identified by the energy along which the pain is located (for example, Bladder channel headaches between the eyes). Holding points in the feet that are on the same channel can often bring rapid relief.There is no one treatment for headaches, since different types of headaches will require a different course of treatment. This illustrates one of the strengths of Chinese Medicine: Rather than treat the symptom attached to the label “headache,” it attempts to identify and treat the total pattern — something that will be unique for each individual.Many people experience a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their headaches once the underlying pattern has been identified and their energy brought back into balance.
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Women’s Health
Better Breast Health Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Honora Lee Wolfe and Bob FlawsThis book discusses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast diseases from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Included are a number of self-care remedies, such as self-massage, magnet therapy, moxibustion, aromatherapy, medicine plasters and liniments, and herbal teas. Many of the lifestyle changes recommended for the prevention of breast diseases are already familiar to us. But understanding why these changes will be effective, from the point of view of Chinese medicine, can provide the motivation we need to maintain these changes in our lives.
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Managing Menopause Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Honora Lee WolfeMenopause is regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a healthy, homeostatic mechanism. That outlook sets a very positive tone for this book. Topics include: the basic gynecological theories of Chinese medicine with regard to menopause; medical explanations of the major menopausal signs and symptoms; self-help measures to ease or prevent discomfort during the menopausal transition; alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy; and preventing osteoporosis by strengthening your bones naturally.
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Medical Qigong for Understanding, Preventing, and Treating Breast Disease
by Dr. Jerry Alan JohnsonJerry Alan Johnson is recognized in both China and the West as a leading authority on Medical Qigong Therapy. He is the Executive Director and founder of the International Institute of Medical Qigong in Pacific Grove, CA, a school that has several branches in the San Jose area. He’s also the Dean of Medical Qigong Science at Five Branches (an acupuncture school) in Santa Cruz.Among his many areas of expertise are the application of medical qigong to emotional trauma, the treatment of tumors and cancer, and the healing power of sound. These come together in his video on treating breast cancer. Using movements, postures, visualizations, sounds, and affirmations, the goal of these practices is to break up and eliminate the energy blockage at the root of breast disease. Many of the practices are designed to release emotions that have been stored in the body over a lifetime.The video combines educational material with demonstrations of qigong practices. By design, the video can be used for both prevention and treatment of breast disease, but I feel its strength is on the treatment side. The practices require dedication and a considerable daily time commitment over a three-month period.There’s one segment of the tape I recommend as excellent preventive therapy — the one that demonstrates the use of acupressure points (Point Therapy Treatment). If you develop the habit of applying pressure to these points on a daily basis — when you wake up in the morning or when you’re falling asleep at night – you’ll create a good physical and emotional foundation for breast health.
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Allergies
Curing Hay Fever Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Bob FlawsFrom the author’s introduction: “For many years, I myself suffered from allergic rhinitis, both seasonal and to animal dander, and from asthma. Since learning Chinese medicine and living by its precepts, I have not had an episode of asthma in many years and do not even own any asthma medication. I do not have hay fever, and I can even be around cats without feeling that dreaded itching in my eyes and constriction in my lungs.”Chinese medicine has helped me learn what was at the root of my allergies and how to correct especially my diet in order to eliminate my allergies’ fundamental causes. … If you follow the advice [this book] contains, I believe that you too will experience fewer and less severe allergic attacks and that your general level of health and well-being will definitely improve.”
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Arthritis
Curing Arthritis Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Douglas Frank and Bob FlawsIn Chinese medicine, rheumatic diseases, including all types of arthritis, are considered “bi zheng” or impediment conditions. An impediment is a blockage or obstruction that results in pain. What’s blocked is the flow of chi and blood. This can happen either because something is interfering with the flow or because there is not enough chi and blood to maintain a smooth flow. Acupressure, herbs, and massage can help restore the flow of chi and blood and alleviate the pain.
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Chinese Medicine Balls
Chinese Medicine Balls provide excellent exercise for the joints of the hands. You can purchase a set for $5 at Easy Food Company on Castro Street in Mountain View (at the corner of Dana, across from the former Printers Inc).
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Insomnia
| Curing Insomnia Naturally with Chinese Medicine
by Bob Flaws
The body goes through a daily cycle in which chi, produced from food and air, rises during the daylight hours and sinks downward at night. If chi is unable to move downward into or remain in the lower body at night, we will have insomnia.Chinese medicine has an explanation for why babies sleep so much, why we tire more easily after age 35, why remedies for insomnia slow down the aging process, and why women experience insomnia in connection with menstrual cycles, childbirth, and menopause.To alleviate insomnia, Chinese medicine first identifies the underlying pattern — usually a matter of excess or deficiency in one or more of the organ systems — and then treats the pattern. The information here on diet, exercise, and relaxation is useful for treating oneself.
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Osteoporosis
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Bone Loading, The new way to prevent and combat the thinning bones of osteoporosis
by Ariel Simkin and Judith Ayalon
The authors argue that it’s not simply bearing weight that strengthens bones. The “load” or weight on the bone should be diverse, slightly unusual, and should be applied swiftly and repetitively. The evidence for this is based on a small study (fourteen women) performed in Jerusalem.The book contains instructions for a series of exercises that create what the author’s call “bone loading.” If you’re well motivated, you can learn the exercises from this book and practice them. The author’s emphasize that the exercises need to become a permanent habit in order to maintain bone density. If you’re interested in joining a weekly class to practice these exercises, send me an email. I’m very interested in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and would consider forming a class.
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The Woman’s Book of Yoga & Health, a lifelong guide to wellness
by Linda Sparrowe with yoga sequences by Patricia Walden
This is a large format book, with many photos and an attractive layout, published by Shambhala. Part One contains three yoga sequences — essential, energizing, and restorative. The remaining parts of the book deal with life stages (adolescence, childbirth, menopause) and specific issues (headaches, back aches, digestion, the immune system). There is a chapter devoted to osteoporosis. If you already have some yoga experience with a teacher, you will find this book a useful reference and valuable source of information.
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Back Pain
Back Pain: Chinese Qigong for Healing & Prevention
by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming
Back pain can be alleviated with acupressure and Tui Na, but ideally one should work on the root cause of the pain, otherwise it will simply reoccur. This book contains a helpful sequence of Qigong movements to prevent and relieve back pain. Qigong is effective for back pain because it reestablishes a strong, smooth flow of chi through the affected area. When the flow of chi and blood is increased, physical damage to the area can be repaired.
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Skin Brushing
| The skin is the largest organ of the body, and its primary purpose is to help us eliminate wastes. Under normal circumstances, the skin eliminates two pounds of waste each day (that’s eight sticks of butter).Dry brushing is a skin care technique that assists the skin in waste removal. Using a natural bristle brush, you stroke the legs, arms, and torso, always moving in the direction of the lower abdomen. Brush the armpits (a lymph gland drainage site) before the arms and the inner thigh before doing the legs.Dry brushing before an aerobic workout will open the pores and allow the sweat to remove more debris. Or make a habit of dry brushing before you take a shower — it takes only a few minutes and feels great.In addition to stimulating the skin and activating the pores to remove more waste, brushing has other benefits. It stimulates hormone function, stimulates the nervous system, contributes to better muscle tone and better distribution of fat deposits, and stimulates blood circulation in the underlying organs, connective tissues, and the lymphatic system.Skin brushing is especially valuable as we age. Aging skin does not shed its outer layer of dead cells as efficiently as younger skin. The build-up of this outer skin layer accounts for the thick, dry, “leathery” look of older skin (along with too much sun exposure). Skin brushing exfoliates this layer. It also stimulates the sweat and oil glands, providing more moisture for older skin.Before you decide to buy a brush, sample what’s available by brushing your arm. It should feel as satisfying and comfortable as scratching an itch. If it feels worse than wearing a hair shirt, this is not for you.
Whole Foods carries natural bristle dry brushes. I recommend one with a removable handle, so you can hold it comfortably in your hand, then add the handle to reach your mid-back.
(Note: Since skin brushing promotes the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system, cancer patients should consult their oncologist before considering skin brushing.)
Here are a few websites that discuss skin brushing:
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Early Morning Stretch
Here’s a series of stretches you can do under the covers before leaving your nice warm bed (especially welcome in colder months). These are all done lying on your back.
- Start with a few pelvic tilts — flatten the small of your back into the bed, then arch your back (raising your stomach).
- Pull your bent right knee towards your chest (leave your left leg long). Alternate sides. If you can reach, hold your foot.
- Bend both knees and pull them towards the chest. You can place your forearms behind your knees and hold one wrist with the other hand. This is a good stretch for the low back.
- Extend your arms to the sides (bend your elbows if necessary), let your bent knees fall to one side, and turn your head to the other side. Alternate sides.
- Stretch your right arm up overhead and your right leg down and away. Alternate sides. This stretch is especially good for the torso, so it’s OK to bend your elbow if you don’t have enough room over your head. Luxuriate in this one.
Check with your body each day to see how many stretches you feel like doing. Always be gentle – never stretch to the point of pain.
Because these stretches improve the flow of energy in the back and spine, they not only benefit the immediate area you’re stretching, but affect the entire body.
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