We first met Dr Cheng when my son Matt was 11 years old.  He had not been to school in 4 months because of incapacitating headaches which his neurologists said were from increased pressure in his brain (intracranial pressure). They had been treating him with medications for months but he was only getting worse. We were giving Tylenol and Advil around the clock and not controlling his pain. When the doctors started talking about brain surgery to put a shunt in his brain to drain the fluid, I knew we needed to try something else.

Dr. Cheng started treating him with acupuncture and within 3 treatments he no longer required all the Tylenol and Advil and was pain free. Within a month we took him off all the drugs the other doctors had him on. The neurologists marvelled when they checked his intracranial pressure and it was normal.  Matt is now 15 and thanks to Dr. Cheng , is perfectly healthy and rarely gets headaches at all.

Dr. Cheng made an incredible difference to the quality of Matt’s life.

Matt’s mother Kathy

Posted: April 16th, 2008 under Case Report.
Comments: 2

Tanya Kelloway is a Registered Massage Therapist, having graduated in 2004 from The Foothills College of Massage Therapy. She is also trained in acupressure.

Tanya is passionate about alternative and preventative healthcare.  Right now she is studying at CITCM to become a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

As a healthcare professional and teacher, Tanya loves to show people how they can achieve a state of pro-active health. It is this teaching that is her passion, and her relaxation Couples Massage Workshops are an important way in which she helps people to find healing and well-being.

“I love to teach – to give people control over their own health. People are always amazed to find out that it’s easier than they think, and many of my clients have experienced real improvements to their health”.

Often Tanya finds that some very simple techniques have life-altering affects on her clients’ health, and she is delighted to be able to show them how easy it can be.

 For her massage therapy clients, Tanya uses a combination of massage techniques both relaxation and therapuetic, Western and Eastern styles. She also uses acupressure to help improve the flow of energy (Qi) through the body.  Recently she has added Deep Therapeutic Massage Techniques to her repetoire and is finding it to be very effective.

 Tanya has seen many clients reduce stress and pain in their lives through regular massage sessions and pro-active stretching and strengthening exercises.

Posted: April 15th, 2008 under Massage therapiest.
Comments: none

Unlike any other medical systems, auricular medicine can examine the physical conditions of a person in a very simple, cheap, but precise way. By checking different auricular points, one can get information about the health condition of a person. More importantly, it can also give the history information of the diseases and also predicts the potentials of certain diseases such as diabetes. Other medical systems are either imprecise or complex, expensive, and time consuming.

Auricular Diagnosis is done through the following methods:

1) Inspection
This is a diagnostic method used to observe discoloration, deformity, desquamation, papule, and angioplerosis on the auricle. It is usually used for various acute or chronic diseases and for acute attack of chronic diseases. It is mainly applied to locate or treat the area of disease and for qualitative diagnosis.

2) Tenderness Method
It is a diagnostic method that employs the use of a probe or the detecting pen of an auricular detecting instrument to touch and to feel for tender auricular points, observe the reaction of the patient, and then use the key tender points to diagnose a disease. When a person suffers from an illness, especially for an acute disease or tumor, the phenomena of a lower pain threshold and sensation to pain will appear on the auricular point. This is the basis of the Tenderness Method. This method is applied for diagnosing various acute diseases, painful diseases, determining the nature or differentiating a tumor, and treatment of diseases.

3) Pressing Mark Method
It is a diagnostic method that employs the detecting pen to press the auricle and to observation the pressing mark. When a person is ill, a deformity such as an eminence or swelling will appear on the corresponding point on the auricle. The pressing marks have a difference in depth, coloration and the time of recovery. That is the basis of clinical diagnosis. This method is mainly used for acute and chronic diseases. We also use it to differentiate deficient and excess syndromes.

4) Palpation
This diagnostic method employs the use of touch. A detecting pen is used to touch reactions, such as protrusion, depression, edema or swelling. The point on the auricle will change its form variously along with the occurrence and development of the pathological changes when the person suffers from a disease. For chronic and organic diseases, a permanent mark will remain on the auricle after the disease has been cured.
The Method of Palpation has developed rapidly within the last ten years. It improves the application of the single point, especially the diagnosis and differentiation of one point for multiple diseases. It also enlarges the limits of auricular diagnosis and increases the coincident rate.
The Palpation method is mainly applied for the diagnosis of chronic, organic disease, or the study of a case history of the patient.

5) Auricular Electrical Detection
This is a diagnostic method that measures the auricular cutaneous resistance. Analyzing the auricular points and taking the results can be a reference for diagnosis and as a foundation of point selection. When a person is suffering or has had a disease, the cutaneous resistance of the auricular points which relate to the disease will decrease dramatically. So with an auricular detector, we can measure such change. The information we gathered can be applied for locating areas of concern and qualitative diagnosis. Electrical detection is used for acute and chronic disease, acute attack of chronic disease, tumor, painful disease, and the estimation and judgment of blood pressure. We can increase the coincident rate by using palpation in conjunction with electrical detection.

6) Auricular Electrical Computer Diagnosis
This method employs a computer to measure the resistance of the auricular points and the average resistance of reference auricular points and to calculate these numbers and show percentages which indicate the change of resistance of the auricular points. Then the doctor can make a diagnosis based on the change of a percentage of relevant auricular points and other pertinent information. The application of computer technology may increase the degree of accuracy, exclude the effect of various unstable factors and show the change accurately and numerically. Thus it overcomes the shortcomings of manual diagnosis.

7) Auricular Comprehensive Diagnosis
The multiple diagnostic methods assign diagnostic values according to the stage of the disease. Some are applicable to the diagnosis of acute or painful diseases and some are applicable in the diagnosis of chronic or organic disorders. Through clinical observation, we have found that the main change for acute disease is a decrement of pain threshold and resistance of relevant auricular points. So palpation and electrical detection are usually applied for acute disease. For a chronic disorder, the main change is deformity of relevant auricular points. This is the reason that palpation is always used for chronic disease. So, it is very difficult to analyze and to have an all around judgment of the acute or chronic disorder of the whole body, as well as to make an accurate diagnosis. In order to find out the complete change of auricular positive points, we put forward the comprehensive diagnostic method: first inspection, second palpation, third measurement and listening, fourth differentiation of syndromes. It is a method applying the multiple methods mentioned above.

• First: Inspection. The inspection is also called observation. For the first visit of a patient, it is best to do the auricular inspection first to find out the location of the focus and the stage of the disorder. Then we can make a further judgment according to the findings of palpation and electrical detection.
• Second: Palpation. Tenderness is the main change of acute disease, painful disease and the severe stage of a disorder. A deformity is the main change of chronic and organic disease. Palpation is very important in order to find out special changes of the auricular points.
  Palpation includes four detecting methods:
  1. Tenderness Method
  2. Pressing Mark Method
  3. Finger Feeling Method
  4. Pen (probe) Detecting Method
• Third: Electrical Detecting and Listening. It is a method of detection of the auricle with an auricular electrical detector, which can show the disorder in several ways. Then we analyze the positive reactions. Usually we will finish the palpation, electrical detection and listening at the same time. When examining the auricle with the pen of the auricular electrical detector, we pay attention not only to the numbers and sound but also to the form of the points touched by the detecting pen to see whether there are deformities such as a depression, protrusion, node, cord, or edema. This method is significant for the observation of the change in color and form of those points that tested positive by the number and sound.
• Fourth: Differentiation of Syndromes. It is a comprehensive method of the positive reactions we obtain through the three methods mentioned above, combined with the case history and applying the knowledge of TCM and Western Medicine, then we can make an accurate, differential diagnosis and provide a basis for treatment.

Posted: April 15th, 2008 under Auricular medicine.
Comments: none

Posted: April 14th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

According to auricular medicine, ear is like a upside down fetus which represent our whole body, it has close conection to Qi, blood, meridians of the body, when there is illness, the ears will show positive changes which can help for diagnos and treatment. Rubbing ears can promote Qi and Blood circulation of the whole body, and promote immune system and improve body metablism, if you would like to improve and preserve health, rubbing ears will be a easy and effective thing to do.

Posted: April 12th, 2008 under Auricular medicine.
Comments: none

Fresh Ginger, dose based on enough for cover local area, crashed, add in salt, 1 gram in 10 gram of ginger, put on affected area, once a day, cover with bandaid, 2-3 times can be relieved.

Seniors news paper 1995,11.25

Posted: April 12th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under Qigong.
Comments: 5

Auricular therapy (ear acupuncture) - is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a microsystem, meaning that the entire body is represented on the auricle (or auricula, or pinna - the outer portion of the ear) in a similar fashion to reflexology (zone therapy) and iridology (iridodiagnosis), and that the entire body can be treated by stimulation of the surface of the ear exclusively.

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under Auricular medicine.
Comments: none

   By Dr. Xia Cheng, BodyMind Synergy Health Centre

  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a medical system developed in China between 3000 - 5000 years ago. It has played a important role in promoting and maintaining health for Chinese people and people around the world. TCM is getting more popular because of its effectiveness in treating a broad range of illness; it is free of chemicals, and has no or very minimal side effects.

    There are two distinct characteristics in TCM. First, it holds a holistic concept. This holistic concept refers to emphasizing the holism of our body to the environment, nature and universe, and emphasizing the holism of body, mind, and spirit as well as the systems, organs, tissues, and functions of our body. Second, it has a fundamental treatment concept as treatment is based on differentiation of syndromes. A syndrome is a TCM diagnosis, which comes from an assessment of all information gathered from five diagnostic techniques: inquiry, inspection, listening, smelling and palpation. In this diagnosis process, factors of age, gender, constitution, season, weather, geographical area, as well as emotions, stress, diet, lifestyle and all aspects of symptoms and signs (tongue picture and pulse) of the body are taken into consideration to form a syndrome for a patient. This syndrome is the reflection of the root course of the illness. The treatment strategy is given according to what syndrome it is. Take the common cold as an example. According to TCM, a common cold is due to exogenous pathogenic factors attacking the body surface. It is differentiated as seven syndromes. There are three excessive syndromes that happen more often in people who are healthy with a strong constitution. The other four deficiency syndromes often happen in elderly people, people with chronic illnesses, weak constitution or post-partum. The treatment in each case is very different. This syndrome-based treatment, or treating the root concept, is one of the major differences from conventional medicine, which is a mostly disease or symptom-based treatment.

    TCM has a broad range of applications; it is commonly used for internal, gynaecological, paediatric, dermatological and infectious diseases. Although treatments of particular diseases and for each individual are different, in TCM practice the following are the general principles:

    1) Preventative. For healthy people or people with early signs of illness, TCM practitioners guide people to have a healthy lifestyle, good diet, proper exercise, and good emotions to maintain health and prevent illnesses. For people who are ill, the treatment is not only to restore health, but also to prevent further development of the illness (i.e., to prevent bronchitis when a patient has a cold or flu; to prevent further development of MS, rheumatoid arthritis, bone loss and so on).

    2) Strengthen the body’s vital energy to dispel pathogens. TCM believes if the body has a strong vital energy, pathogens will not be successful in attack. Therefore, strengthening the vital energy to prevent and treat illness is always a principle for promoting and maintaining good health.

    3) Open meridians and stop pain. According to TCM, meridians are the channels in which energy and blood flow smoothly to nourish the body. It’s believed that when pain occurs, there is an obstruction. In other words, the obstruction of energy and blood flow causes pain. Therefore, to remove stasis and unblock the meridians, thus promoting the normal flow of body energy, is a principle for pain syndromes.

    4) Balance Yin and Yang. From the TCM perspective, the balance of Yin and Yang is the reflection of health. Illness happens when there is the loss of the Yin-Yang balance in the body (i.e., hot flushes in menopause are often due to Yin deficiency, which comes from declining levels of estrogens. Intolerance to cold or cold hands and feet, which happens in hypothyroidism, is a Yang deficiency of the body).

    There are two major treatment components in TCM; one is acupuncture and the other is Chinese herbal medicine. Acupuncture regulates the body functions towards a normal (healthy) point. For example, acupuncture promotes the peristalsis of the intestines to relieve constipation, as well it inhibits the peristalsis to stop diarrhea. For a patient who has hypertension, acupuncture decreases blood pressure. However, for a patient with low blood pressure, acupuncture increases it. It is believed that there is a natural healing ability in our bodies, and acupuncture stimulates this process to help the body to recover. With that in mind, acupuncture is beneficial for almost everyone and is used to treat a wide variety of health conditions.

    Chinese herbal medicine includes thousands of herbs. There are about 800 commonly used ones. These herbs are divided into 20 categories, and their functions are described in TCM terminology. Research has showed there are herbs having the following functions: anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antivirus, anti-clotting, and antibacterial. There are also herbs that boost immunity, promote digestion, and so on. The clinical use of Chinese herbs is mostly as combinations or so-call formulas. In a formula, herbs are combined together to strengthen/ broaden an effect or overcome a side effect. A formula is a group of strategically balanced herbs used to achieve the best results with the least amount of side effects. Again, the application of the formula is syndrome-based or addresses the root of the illness.

    Since the application of herbal formulas are syndrome based and the determination of a syndrome has to be done by a person well trained in TCM, if you are considering using Chinese herbal medicine it is recommended to consult with a formally trained TCM practitioner. Although most Chinese herbs do not have same side effects as drugs, self-medication or improper use may cause serious problems.

    TCM is a very unique medical system. In comparing western and Chinese medicine for health care, it’s said, “Western medicine is a fire fighter; Chinese medicine is a housekeeper.” Obviously, Chinese medicine has an important role in the field of health.

    Dr. Xia Cheng, M.D. (China), Ph.D., Registered Acupuncturist, & Chinese Medicine Physician, is the director of BodyMind Synergy Health Centre and Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her major focus is women & children’s health. For more information, visit her website at www.bodymindsynergy.com www.citcm.com  or call 403.520.5258.

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Acupuncture.
Comments: none

Alternative Woman’s Health - A Look at Traditional Chinese Medicine
  

By Dr. Xia Cheng, owner of BodyMind Synergy Health Centre

    When it comes to addressing women’s health, hormone replacement, antibiotics, painkillers and surgery are commonly used in conventional medicine for gynecological treatment. However, if you are interested in an alternative approach, you might consider Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

    TCM (acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine) has a long history of treating women’s diseases. As early as 200 BC, Bian Que was recorded as being the first gynaecologist in Chinese history. For generations, TCM has played a very important role in improving and maintaining women’s health in China and around the world. TCM is rich in knowledge for treating women’s illness, and emphasizes education to prevent disease.

    According to TCM, many women’s health problems are caused by poor diet, emotional disorders, stress, overwork, multiple childbirths and abortion. TCM practitioners will tell you how these factors play a role in gynaecological disorders. Commonly given advice includes avoiding cold food or drinks to prevent menstrual cramps, proper nutrition or herbs after childbirth for faster recovery, or for prevention or treatment of post-partum illnesses such as depression, arthritic pain, prolonged vaginal discharge or prolapse of the uterus. At all times keeping a balanced diet, emotions levelled, and minimizing stress are keys to maintaining health and wellness.

    Menstrual disorders can manifest as abnormally heavy periods, early or delayed periods, prolonged periods, missed periods or menstrual cramping. In TCM, each one may have different causes. For example, heavy periods can be caused by ‘excessive heat’ in the blood, which happens most often in young girls with raging hormones or, in TCM terms, strong body constitutions, people who like to eat hot spicy foods, or people with emotional disorders. It can also happen because of ‘empty heat’ which happens often in pre-menopause or menopause, or because of a deficiency in spleen Qi (energy) after a severe illness, miscarriage, abortion, overworking or other stressful life events. In TCM, the treatment may differ for each individual, however the objective will be the same: regulating and balancing the hormone system to restore a normal period.

    Chinese herbs are used for many disorders of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, as well as abdominal pain, uterine bleeding, edema, and hypertension during pregnancy. Herbs used for pregnancy are safe for both the mother and baby, though you should be aware that there are herbs that are contraindicated in pregnancy. Also, if your pregnancy is healthy, there is no need to take herbs.

    Breast-feeding is very important for the newborn baby. After delivery, if your breasts are congested, tender to touch, release very little milk, or are very soft and lacking lactation, Chinese herbs can help. If you have mastitis (breast infection) and you still wish to breast-feed, there is help from Chinese medicine. There are many Chinese herbs that treat infections that are safe for the baby.

    Some women can get through menopause without any discomfort. However, many women will experience a period of time with the following symptoms: hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, depression, insomnia, fatigue, vaginal dryness, decreased sexual drive, menstrual disorder, memory loss, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. According to TCM theory, all these symptoms are related to ‘kidney deficiency’ because the kidney is the organ from which our primary energy comes. It stores essence that is closely related to our hormone system. It dominates the bones and is in charge of development and reproduction. Therefore, the main treatment for menopause in TCM is to ‘boost the kidney’. Boosting the kidney clears the menopause symptoms and slows down the aging process.

    In TCM theory, the liver ‘stores blood’. The liver is the organ most closely related to our emotions. Good emotional balance comes from the smooth flow of liver Qi, and the normal flow of liver Qi depends on sufficient blood nourishment. New mothers commonly lose blood during and after delivery. Post-partum depression is related to blood deficiency in the body and stagnation of the liver Qi due to lack of nourishment. Therefore, soothing the liver Qi, boosting the blood and boosting Qi to generate blood with acupuncture and Chinese herbs are the general principles of treatment for post-partum depression.

    The formation of cancer in the body is a complicated process. In TCM, it is thought that the major cause is that the body’s vital energy is low; the pathogen has stagnated and blocked the normal flow of energy. Phlegm and blood stagnation lead to the formation of nodules and masses. Therefore, the treatment principle is to boost vital energy, soothe Qi, move blood, and resolve phlegm. According to research, acupuncture and Chinese herbs help to enhance our immune system and improve blood count, boost body energy, stop nausea, promote hair growth, improve appetite and protect the body from radiation injury. Some Chinese herbs also have anti-cancer affects. The application of acupuncture and Chinese herbs depends on the different stages of the cancer and the symptoms of each individual. TCM therapy helps to prevent cancer recurrence as well as to improve or maintain a good quality of life.

    In summary, TCM has been used for all kinds of women’s health problems. However, self-medication or buying herbs over the counter is not recommended. TCM diagnosis and treatments are very individualized and herbs are often used in combinations to enhance their effects and overcome side effects. An assessment by a knowledgeable practitioner is absolutely necessary for a safe and effective treatment.

    Dr. Xia Cheng, M.D. (China), Ph.D., Registered Acupuncturist, & Chinese Medicine Physician, is the director of BodyMind Synergy Health Centre and Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her major focus is women & children’s health. For more information, visit her website at www.bodymindsynergy.com www.citcm.com   or call 403.520.5258.

Posted: April 10th, 2008 under Acupuncture.
Comments: 1