| Professional Edition Volume 1 Issue 4 April 9, 2007 |
Newsletter for Acupuncture Practitioners sponsored by Ashi Research |
Seasonal Eating in Spring
Diet therapy in traditional Chinese medicine is based on the principle that humans are an inherent part of
nature. One way to align with nature is eating according to seasons, for as the natural world fluctuates with
seasonal changes, so do we. Spring is the time for growth and renewal. As it approaches, Chinese diet theory
suggests we should consume foods that help transition into this season:
Leafy green vegetables (chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, bok choi)
Young plants such as asparagus, pea shoots and chives
Sprouted beans and grains (alfalfa, clover, mung bean sprouts, wheat grass)
Flavorful herbs like rosemary, dill, and basil
Light teas: green, rosebud or chrysanthemum
In Chinese medicine, such foods are filled with the energy of spring and particularly useful as we enter this season. Best ways to
prepare these foods are lightly steaming or cooking briefly over high heat, so they retain the most nutrients and are easier to digest.
It also is appropriate during spring to avoid heavy foods, since they tend to bring the body into a sinking, passive, inward-moving state.
Foods to avoid in spring include heavy or fatty meats, greasy or oily foods, and foods high in salt.
For traditional Chinese dietary recommendations suited to your constitution, seek the advice of a qualified practitioner. One great
resource for Chinese diet therapy is Paul Pitchford's "Healing With Whole Foods." There you will find more details about seasonal eating.
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 2007.
Diet therapy in traditional Chinese medicine is based on the principle that humans are an inherent part of
nature. One way to align with nature is eating according to seasons, for as the natural world fluctuates with
seasonal changes, so do we. Spring is the time for growth and renewal. As it approaches, Chinese diet theory
suggests we should consume foods that help transition into this season:
Leafy green vegetables (chard, spinach, kale, mustard greens, bok choi)
Young plants such as asparagus, pea shoots and chives
Sprouted beans and grains (alfalfa, clover, mung bean sprouts, wheat grass)
Flavorful herbs like rosemary, dill, and basil
Light teas: green, rosebud or chrysanthemum
In Chinese medicine, such foods are filled with the energy of spring and particularly useful as we enter this season. Best ways to
prepare these foods are lightly steaming or cooking briefly over high heat, so they retain the most nutrients and are easier to digest.
It also is appropriate during spring to avoid heavy foods, since they tend to bring the body into a sinking, passive, inward-moving state.
Foods to avoid in spring include heavy or fatty meats, greasy or oily foods, and foods high in salt.
For traditional Chinese dietary recommendations suited to your constitution, seek the advice of a qualified practitioner. One great
resource for Chinese diet therapy is Paul Pitchford's "Healing With Whole Foods." There you will find more details about seasonal eating.
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 14, 2007.
A case of hypochondrial pain – letter from Dr. Kathy Castrigno (mtnroseom@cs.com)
“I have a patient who was in an accident 8 months ago that has left him a paraplegic. He has strange
nerve pain in the hypochondrial region which is the area that his level of feeling begins disappearing.
Would any of your products be able to help with this?”
- Kathy Castrigno
Frisco, Colorado
Response from Ashi
Dear Dr. Kathy Castrigno,
Thank you for your inquiry. From your brief description it appears that the patient had a high level spinal cord
injury which has resulted in nerve pain in the hypochondrial region. Nerve pain is a common problem in spinal
cord injury patients. The hypochondiral region is innervated by spinal nerve T6-8. The pain sensation could be
due to the injury of T6-8 nerve at the “Ashi point”, the area where the pain is felt. More often, however, pain in spinal cord injury patients is
due to the injury of T6-8 nerve roots near the spinal cord column. Pain can also be due to the damage of the spinal cord dorsal horn, a
region in the spinal cord grey matter that is involved in sensory integration and transmission. For the latter two conditions, there will be no
obvious trigger point at the area where pain is felt. Ashi Pain relief cream can be used for this pain condition no matter the source.
Ashi Pain relief cream, or other topical pain medicines, should be applied to the spinal column T6-8 nerve root area as well as any local
Ashi points in order to achieve good pain relief. Among the several Ashi Pain relief products, Ashi Pain UW (for women) or Ashi Pain UM
(for men) should be suitable for cases such as this depending on the gender of the patient. We have attached a dermatome graph for your
reference when you apply a topical medicine to this patient. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Ashi Research Team
http://www.ashi-research.com
“I have a patient who was in an accident 8 months ago that has left him a paraplegic. He has strange
nerve pain in the hypochondrial region which is the area that his level of feeling begins disappearing.
Would any of your products be able to help with this?”
- Kathy Castrigno
Frisco, Colorado
Response from Ashi
Dear Dr. Kathy Castrigno,
Thank you for your inquiry. From your brief description it appears that the patient had a high level spinal cord
injury which has resulted in nerve pain in the hypochondrial region. Nerve pain is a common problem in spinal
cord injury patients. The hypochondiral region is innervated by spinal nerve T6-8. The pain sensation could be
due to the injury of T6-8 nerve at the “Ashi point”, the area where the pain is felt. More often, however, pain in spinal cord injury patients is
due to the injury of T6-8 nerve roots near the spinal cord column. Pain can also be due to the damage of the spinal cord dorsal horn, a
region in the spinal cord grey matter that is involved in sensory integration and transmission. For the latter two conditions, there will be no
obvious trigger point at the area where pain is felt. Ashi Pain relief cream can be used for this pain condition no matter the source.
Ashi Pain relief cream, or other topical pain medicines, should be applied to the spinal column T6-8 nerve root area as well as any local
Ashi points in order to achieve good pain relief. Among the several Ashi Pain relief products, Ashi Pain UW (for women) or Ashi Pain UM
(for men) should be suitable for cases such as this depending on the gender of the patient. We have attached a dermatome graph for your
reference when you apply a topical medicine to this patient. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Ashi Research Team
http://www.ashi-research.com
- Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix) is a Chinese herb commonly used to disperse heat and fever. Heat and fever are
often caused by infections from viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens. Do you know which type of fever conditions are
the clinical indications for Chai Hu?
Chai Hu (Bupleurum, Bupleuri Radix), also called thorowax root or hare's ear root, is one of the most commonly
used Chinese herbs. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is used to disperse heat, reduce fever, and improve
yang. One of the most often prescribed Chai Hu-containing formulas is Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Decoction of
Bupleurum). Xiao Chai Hu Tang is prescribed to patients for treating the common cold that is accompanied by
alternating symptoms of chills and fever; malaria; chest pain; prolapse of the anus, uterus, and
other internal organs; and irregular menstruation. Xiao Chai Hu Tang is also used in Chinese
pain, and emotional mood swings.
The use of Chai Hu to disperse heat and fever is effective because it can suppress inflammatory mediators and
inhibit microorganism growth. Research has shown that a number of viruses, including flu, respiratory syncytial, and
herpes can be effectively inhibited by Chai Hu. This herb, therefore, is a good choice for fever caused by viral infections.
In TCM, it is also used to reduce fever caused by malignant tumors. In addition, Chai Hu is used to relieve other “heat”
symptoms such as burning pain due to herpes zoster.
Although some TCM websites claim that Chai Hu can suppress bacterial growth, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. In
fact, research has indicated that Chai Hu has no or only very weak inhibitory effects on most bacteria. The bacteria tested include
staphylococcus aureus, hemolytic streptococcus, bacilli dysenteriae, and typhoid bacillus. None of these bacteria were effectively inhibited
by Chai Hu. Infections from these bacteria often cause high fever as well as other symptoms such as throat and chest pain. Therefore, for
these symptoms when induced by these bacteria, Chai Hu will not be effective because the bacteria can not be suppressed by Chai Hu.
One solution in Chinese herbolism for bacterial infection is to include both Chai Hu and Lian Qiao (Forsythia, Forsythiae Fructus) in
formulas because Lian Qiao has broad anti-bacterial effects and Chai Hu can reduce inflammatory reactions. In addition, an integrative
medical approach can be used by combining antibiotics and Xiao Chai Hu Tang.
Pain complicates depression treatment in elderly
By interfering with normal activities, chronic pain can impede recovery from depression in older adults,
according to findings reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A recent study by Dr. Shahrzad Mavandadi and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania examined the
effects of pain on the response to depression treatment in 524 men, 60 years of age or older, who were seen
at a VA medical center. The researchers assessed the patients' pain severity, the degree to which pain
interfered with work inside and outside the home, and depression symptoms at the beginning of the study and at 3, 6, and 12 months. The
results showed that depression symptoms decreased over time in both treatment groups. However, pain modified the reductions in
symptoms. Patients who reported higher levels of pain severity and more interference with work activity had less improvement in their
depression symptoms. Pain that interfered with activities had a greater effect on depression symptoms, than did pain severity, the team
reports.
These findings, and the fact that pain and depression often occur together in the elderly, suggest that older patients who are being
treated for depression might benefit from routine assessment of pain as well as any other medical conditions that may complicate their
treatment, Mavandadi said in an interview with Reuters Health. "Better assessment and treatment of these conditions may improve
depression...outcomes," she said.
Mavandadi also noted that these findings may be attributed to a number of factors. For example, she suggested that the mere
experience of pain may contribute to greater distress and depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its impact on physical
and psychosocial functioning. Pain can also interfere with "the patients' and providers' ability to manage depression," Mavandadi said.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, February 2007.
By interfering with normal activities, chronic pain can impede recovery from depression in older adults,
according to findings reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A recent study by Dr. Shahrzad Mavandadi and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania examined the
effects of pain on the response to depression treatment in 524 men, 60 years of age or older, who were seen
at a VA medical center. The researchers assessed the patients' pain severity, the degree to which pain
interfered with work inside and outside the home, and depression symptoms at the beginning of the study and at 3, 6, and 12 months. The
results showed that depression symptoms decreased over time in both treatment groups. However, pain modified the reductions in
symptoms. Patients who reported higher levels of pain severity and more interference with work activity had less improvement in their
depression symptoms. Pain that interfered with activities had a greater effect on depression symptoms, than did pain severity, the team
reports.
These findings, and the fact that pain and depression often occur together in the elderly, suggest that older patients who are being
treated for depression might benefit from routine assessment of pain as well as any other medical conditions that may complicate their
treatment, Mavandadi said in an interview with Reuters Health. "Better assessment and treatment of these conditions may improve
depression...outcomes," she said.
Mavandadi also noted that these findings may be attributed to a number of factors. For example, she suggested that the mere
experience of pain may contribute to greater distress and depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its impact on physical
and psychosocial functioning. Pain can also interfere with "the patients' and providers' ability to manage depression," Mavandadi said.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, February 2007.
| Ashi Pain Relief Products New Solution for Practitioners! Click here to order |
- The use of Huang Lian for diabetes
Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis) is a Chinese herb commonly used to relieve heat toxicity, indigestion,
inflammation of intestine, and diarrhea caused by bacterial infection. Recent studies suggest that berberine,
a main ingredient in huang lian, may give a new hope for patients with type II diabetes. Read the article
below to know more about huang lian.
Use Berberine and Get Rid of Diabetes
- By Karen Newton
The quest for an effective and lifelong cure for diabetes is still ongoing. Although there has been significant advancement and
improvement in providing a medicinal solution for the disease, such treatments are still unable to stop diabetes from taking one life after
the other every year.
At the present, the best hope people has is the detection of signs and symptoms of the disease as early as possible in order to
thoroughly manage diabetes while it still hasn't affected much of an individual's health. One such way is by using berberine.
What is Berberine?
With a bright yellow color, berberine can be easily found unlike other herbs. Mostly, it can be obtained through Chinese herbs such as
phellodendron and coptis (Huang Lian). Originally used as a dye, berberine has been discovered to have certain ingredients that may be
effective in treating diabetes. Berberine can be also found in the Japanese plant barberry. Nowadays, berberine is a common ingredient in
herbal medicine used for treating intestinal disorders.
In 1995, a study in China was conducted in order to discover if berberine had curative benefits for diabetes. It was only by fortuitous
circumstances that the researchers have found out that berberine can also cause blood glucose levels to decrease when used to treat
diabetic individuals with diarrhea.
Berberine has also been found by other studies able to help individuals lose weight. Another possible benefit of berberine is the lack of
side effects, although this claim requires further proof. Individuals with Type II Diabetes should be glad to hear this as many of them are
unable to tolerate present treatments for their condition.
Karen Newton is a registered nurse and acclaimed author with over 25 years of health care experience. Karen offers a free Diabetic Tips
Course at http://www.diabeticdietsecrets.com/diabetictips.htm.
CONTENTS
Mrs. Han is an owner of a Chinese Restaurant in Gainesville, Florida. She is now over 70 years old. She had
phlebitis, inflammation of a vein in her right leg, and suffered post-phlebitic syndrome for a number of years.
The main problem with her leg was pain due to severe blood stagnation and heavy cold dampness. In addition,
the leg was restless at bed time, a condition called restless leg. She used Ashi Pain LW for three weeks and got
significant improvement for both pain and restless leg.
Reported by Ashi Research
phlebitis, inflammation of a vein in her right leg, and suffered post-phlebitic syndrome for a number of years.
The main problem with her leg was pain due to severe blood stagnation and heavy cold dampness. In addition,
the leg was restless at bed time, a condition called restless leg. She used Ashi Pain LW for three weeks and got
significant improvement for both pain and restless leg.
Reported by Ashi Research
Chai Hu
Ashi Home | Products and Orders | Contact Us | ©2006 Ashi Research, Inc. All rights reserved.
Baby Bok Choi
Christopher Reeve & his wife
