At this time of year so many of us seem to be sniffling. The common cold is a viral infection that affects the nose and throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a cold so symptoms vary a bit. It takes about 7-10 days to recover from a cold but in our experience combining the wisdom of eastern and western medicine can speed the process up considerably.
This is the season when many of us eat and drink a little too much. With that in mind I thought I’d share a useful Chinese herbal formula for a condition known in Chinese medicine as food stagnation. This is another way of describing indigestion from over-indulging in rich foods. The formula is known as Bao He Wan or Preserve Harmony Pills.
Last week I cut myself whilst cooking Sunday lunch and reached for a Chinese powder called Yunnan Baiyao which stops bleeding when sprinkled on a cut. This reminded me to share with you some natural non-toxic Chinese herbal medicines that make a great addition to your first aid kit. All of these products are available in Chinatown and some are stocked in health food stores. We also stock most of these at The YinOva Center so feel free to ask for some if you’re visiting us.
Yunnan Baiyao (Sometimes also spelled Yunnan Paiyao)
Yunnan Baiyao is an herbal combination that works instantly to stop bleeding. It comes in powder form to sprinkle on a cut or in capsule form to be taken internally. It is rightly very famous in China because it works so well and it’s formula is a closely guarded secret. We know that it is an entirely natural product, made of herbs and that the main ingredients are Panax Notogensing and Rhizoma Dioscoreae. Legend has it that the mixture is made up by thirteen separate teams, none of whom have any knowledge of the herbs the other teams are mixing. The individual mixed components are then combined by a further team, who have no knowledge of what is in them. The formula is so closely guarded that only one copy of it exists, locked for safety and security in the safe of the General commanding the Chinese armed forces!
The Chinese army carry it to treat gun shot wounds but I use it for kitchen accidents. If you open a tub of powder you’ll find a little red pill under the lid. This should only be taken in cases of extreme shock. The powder itself can be sprinkled on a cut, mixed with water and rubbed into a wound or mixed with alcohol (vodka works well) and rubbed on a bruise. The capsules are to be taken internally and should only be used under the supervision of your acupuncturist. We use them for a variety of conditions from stopping excessive menstrual bleeding to helping our patients recover quickly after surgery. Whilst its safe to use the external powder if you’re pregnant, you should not take the internal capsules.
As many of you have pointed out to me morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer because in real life a wave of nausea or vomiting can strike pregnant women at any time of the day or night. Between 60% and 80% of pregnant women experience some nausea and vomiting although for most women this dissipates by the end of the first trimester. Just under 2% of women suffer from a more severe version of morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarium, which causes vomiting so severe that it leads to weight loss and dehydration. This kind of severe morning sickness may even warrant a stay in the hospital and treatment with IVF fluids and anti-emetic medications. Continue reading…
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and so we have been focusing on this disease here at The YinOva Blog. Last week I wrote about breast cancer prevention and the week before I wrote about a new study that shows how helpful acupuncture can be to women who are undergoing breast cancer treatment. I thought it was about time you heard from a patient so I asked Suzanne Murphy Davison to write about her experiences. It has been my privilege to play a small role in Suzanne’s journey. She is an inspirational woman and I have watched her grow in response to the challenges life has thrown at her. I am so, so proud of her and thrilled to introduce her to you. It is my hope that she will continue to share what she has learned with the YinOva community. She has much to teach us. Here in her own words is her story.
Well, hello to you all!! My name is Suzanne, and as Jill mentioned in a previous blog I am a patient at the YinOva Center and five year survivor of breast cancer. I represent a demographic that is, unfortunately, becoming much more common – a young, pre-menopausal woman diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 32 at the time of my diagnosis… and a week away from my wedding! You can imagine how shocking it was to hear I had breast cancer, but I was even more stunned to find that I had a fairly advanced case of it. Continue reading…
Whenever I talk about breast cancer prevention I am very conscious of my patients who are currently dealing with this illness. I want to avoid making them feel as if they did something wrong. Too often cancer patients beat themselves up for things they did and things they wished they’d done. I don’t want to add to that burden. To a certain extent these things are random. We have all known couch potatoes who have eaten nothing but junk food and lived into their 90′s.
However there is plenty of evidence that a healthy lifestyle can really reduce your breast cancer risk and so today I want to talk to you about what you can do to help yourself. My interest in this is a personal one. My mother died of breast cancer when she was in her 50′s and so it is in her memory that I take care of myself and help my patients to live as healthily as possible. Continue reading…
Website by Britt+Barton