Case Study - Depression

OBSERVATIONS

A 14 year old boy comes with his mother to my office. His mother is concerned because her son has been depressed for 3 months. They visited her family before his depression became noticeable. Sometime after returning home, she found her son crying. He started seeing a psychologist which helped until he took Sudafed™ to relieve cold symptoms.1 The depression became worse than before.

During the family visit, the boy was to undergo a fat-reduction procedure on his chest. He and his mother were going to stay with her family while he recovered. While there, he witnessed a family fight. The result of the fight was his mother had to find friends to stay with at once.

Another stressor for the boy is he just moved to a new, bigger school after going to the same school for 8 years.

The boy complained of daily headaches centered at the occipital area. He was fatigued and would vomit clear fluids every morning since the surgery. For the past year, he has been getting shots for his allergies which reduced his asthma. He also has a tendency to develop sore throats.
He was quiet and his mother did most of the talking for him.

His tongue was red, no coating, and his pulse was rapid and superficial. Palpation of his neck, shoulders and chest reveal tenderness and spasm of his muscles.

DIAGNOSIS: Wind Heat Attacking The Lung/Sinus

His Lung function was already compromised, as evidenced by his asthma, allergies, and sore throat. This was compounded by the sense of loss created by the situation with his mother’s family and leaving his old school. Any unresolved or suppressed anger will also turn into sadness and reduce immune (TCM: Lung) function.

His headaches resulted from sinus inflammation. Autumn weather is dry and increases mucus membrane sensitivity resulting in increased mucus secretion. Post nasal drip during the night caused the vomiting in the morning. Allergies (inflammation of the mucus membranes) overwork the immune system leaving him tired and unable to deal with his emotions.

The surgery created more inflammation in the muscles of the chest. The physical and emotional stressors manifest as a heavy sensation and constriction of his chest. Crying is the natural release.

TREATMENT

Treatment included acupuncture, soft tissue manipulation and Chinese herbs.

I needled his chest (R17) and he felt immediate relief. I also massaged his neck, face, scalp, upper back and his arms and hands along the Lung and Large Intestine meridians. This reduced the inflammation, improved lymph flow/drainage and relaxed the chest, neck and back. While treating, I emphasized deep breathing. Even breathing helps him to let go of the emotions he is holding. Deep breathing creates an “internal massage” allowing the intercostals (rib muscles) to fully relax. This improves lung function.

I demonstrated how he can improve his own Lung function with Qi Gong tapping along his Lung and Large Intestine meridians. I instructed him to do this every day; it would enhance his immune system. I am empowering him to take part in his healing and learn to deal with his emotions instead of holding them in.

I also prescribed an herbal formula to alleviate his allergies and reduce the post nasal drip.

OUTCOME
He came back a week later and said he is not vomiting since the visit. He feels less depressed and his chest and upper back are less sore. He didn’t have any headaches this week.

He manages to take the herbal formula only once a day instead of the recommended three times daily.

GOING FORWARD

My objective is to give the boy tools to deal with his depression and any other health issues.

Two percent of preteens and 5% of adolescents suffer from depression.2

The first step is to make him aware of his physical sensations and how he can change them. I encouraged him to use breathing and Qi Gong tapping to create more space in his chest to change his physical and emotional patterns.

Wellness is an active commitment to live a fulfilled life. I am happy I could initiate the healing process for him.

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1 In TCM sadness resides in the lungs (each emotion manifests in different areas of the body). He needed to strengthen his lungs to relieve his symptoms instead of using Sudafed which suppresses his natural lung function.
2 www.about-teen-depression.com/

Do Your Kids Have Healthy Appetites?

As a parent of two young kids who are still growing, I expose them to different foods and healthy choices so they develop good eating habits. Being surrounded by so many artificial colors and additives can make this a challenge.

BusinessWeek writer Cathy Arnst recently posted a story, called "How Mac 'n' Chees Is Like a Cigarette" about hypereating, as explained in The End of Overeating, by Dr. David Kessler, a renowned scientist and former FDA director who set out to figure out the reasons behind the obesity crisis besetting the nation. Arnst writes:

"Two thirds of adults are considered overweight or obese, as is one out of every three children under age 18. Those numbers have been rising steadily since the 1980s, when the average weight took a dramatic spike upwards for all races, age groups and genders. For example, in 1960 women aged 20 to 29 weighed an average of 128 pounds. By 2000 the average weight had jumped to 157.

"Our national weight gain is not, as many people assume, because we are far less active; studies have found little difference in energy expended now than in the 1950s. It is because we are eating far, far more calories than ever before, in the form of soda, junk food, sweets, fat and salt laden meals, and huge portions. We have become addicted to food, and that addiction starts in very early childhood.

"Kessler lays out how sugar, fat and salt stimulates the reward centers of the brain in much the same way as cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs. By eating food that is extremely palatable, we keep wanting more, whether or not we are hungry. Since highly palatable junk food is socially acceptable, and often cheaper than the healthy stuff, we keep going back for more. The food industry knows this better than anyone. Kessler quotes an industry consultant who says that food manufacturers try to hit the “three points of the compass”:

Sugar, fat and salt make a food compelling, said the consultant. They make it indulgent. They make it high in hedonic value, which gives us pleasure. “Do you design food specifically to be highly hedonic,” I asked. “Oh, absolutely,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation. “We try to bring as much of that into the equation as possible.

"... Kessler, who is a pediatrician, says reward-driven eating begins in early childhood, and seems to be starting younger and younger... [and] attributes this breakdown in part to the larger and larger portions served children."

Eating habits are learned and as parents we are our children's first teachers. While buying processed or fast food may seem convenient, the effects can last their lifetime.

There is good news about eating in Los Angeles.

We have many Farmer's Markets, Organic grocers, and health-conscious restaurants to choose from. Websites like Yelp.com show reviews for Health Food stores and organic restaurants in your neighborhood from your neighbors. Your efforts as a parent benefits your child's health and future.

Case Study: Curing Ear Infections

A mother brought her toddler (16-month boy) to my office after a visit to the pediatrician and pharmacist. The pediatrician diagnosed the boy with a virus infection and fluid in his ears and prescribed an antibiotic. The mother didn’t want to give it to her son and asked if there is “anything he can do instead.” She specifically inquired if he was too young to take Chinese herbs.

Would his body respond well? Would it reduce his fever? Could he handle the taste?

The boy had red-rimmed, glassy eyes and a 5-mm canker sore centered on his inner bottom lip. He had a fever of 103(F) the night before, a runny nose with slight yellow discharge and swollen glands behind his ears. He also didn’t defecate for the previous two days.

I prescribed an herbal formula designed to treat common colds and ear infections in children by expelling Pathogenic Factors. I showed the mother how to administer the formula in a tincture that evaporates the alcohol in the formula (mix with a dropper or two of hot water).

When she gave him one dropper of the tincture, he couldn’t get enough. He grabbed her hand asking for more and tried to reach the bottle when she put it in her bag. Evidently, the taste of the formula was not a problem.

In a few minutes his eyes become clear, he started playing and he pooped. By the time she left the office (they were here 15 minutes) her boy looked much more alert and happy and healthy. His body responded well to the formula. Two hours later, she called me to let me know his canker sore had completely cleared and he was “happy and playing.”

This formula has an immediate affect on the body. Administrating it every 2-3 hours will allow the child to get over his cold without the need to take antibiotics. Because it works by enhancing the body’s natural immune response, this can also be used to prevent colds and infections.

Case Study: Swollen Glands

OBSERVATION:

A mother brought her son (3 yrs. 8 mos.) to my office because his glands were swollen. Six weeks prior to the visit, he had a cold that developed into an ear infection and she gave him oral antibiotics. The ear ache went away but his glands stayed swollen.

She said he tires easily and has temper tantrums when he’s tired. In my office he was responsive, curious, and very articulate, with good fine and gross motor skills.

DIAGNOSIS:

The glands are still swollen because not all virus or bacteria left the body, a condition known as Lingering Pathogenic Factor. It was caused in this case by the use of antibiotics thereby (in terms of Chinese medicine) weakening Qi and/or creating phlegm. Phlegm isn’t just the accumulated solidified mucus or sputum found in the respiratory system (lungs & sinus) as described in Western medicine. In TCM, “the concept of Phlegm is very wide-ranging and important…[and] extremely frequent in clinical practice. [It] is at the same time a pathological condition and an aetiological factor.”[1]

One way to understand how Phlegm manifests in the body is to think of the different states of water (gas, liquid, solid). Some common manifestations of phlegm are in the head (foggy feeling, clouded thinking), in the digestive tract (“damp”, bloating) and the lungs (expectorant). In this case, the manifestation of the Phlegm is his swollen glands.

Part of the problem with using antibiotics to treat infections is that bacteria become drug resistant very quickly, and infections tend to easily reoccur.[2] Besides creating drug resistant bacteria, some antibiotics directly injure the immune system by blocking protein synthesis within mitochondria reducing production of White Blood Cells (WBC).[3] When antibiotics inhibit WBC production, the body is slow to return to normalcy (i.e. the glands remain swollen, he’s still tired) and there are lingering symptoms.

TREATMENT:

I used massage to stimulate points along his arms, hands, neck and upper back and chest in order to enhance the Lung function of expelling pathogenic factors and reduce phlegm. The points I focused on were LI4, GB20 to Clear pathogenic wind, Lu5 to clear phlegm from the Lungs, Lu9 to Tonifies the lungs and St36/Ren12 to Tonifies the spleen. His tiredness was the result of Spleen Qi Deficiency caused by the antibiotics.

I taught him how to stimulate his chest points by tapping with his fists like Tarzan. I taught his mother how to massage the other points. I also prescribed Chinese herbs to take at home. Empowering the patient and caregiver increases healing. Illness is no longer something that happens to them but is a process they can manage.

OUTCOME:

I talked with the mother the week after his visit. She said he took the formula (as drops in his drinks) for 3 days and the swelling in his glands went down. His normal color returned and he is easier to handle (because he is not as tired as before). This was I expected.

GOING FORWARD:

To prevent this from becoming a chronic condition, I highly recommend using Chinese herbs instead of antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria. Chinese herbs are available in antibacterial AND antiviral formulas. Chinese herbs are prescribed to enhance normal function of the body and improve your health.

Though antibiotics can occasionally improve some symptoms, especially those caused by inflammation, they possess no direct action to do anything other than kill the bacteria. If the cause is viral, you’re taking a drug you don’t need.

q Antibiotics can’t relieve distress or pain.

q Antibiotics can’t promote drainage.

q Antibiotics can’t repair damage.

q Antibiotics can’t prevent recurrence or any of the other issues commonly encountered in a case of Acute Otitis Media (AOM) – ear infection.

Children who take antibiotics have repeat infections, often causing a prolonged merry-go-round cycle. All common epithelial infections of the nose, throat, ear, lungs, skin, urethra and bladder can successfully be treated with Chinese formulas. In terms of ear infection, antibiotics are not only unnecessary; they are harmful. [4]

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[1] Maciocia, Giovanni. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston, 1989 (ISBN 0-443-03980-1)

[2] “The authors believe the frequent use of antibiotics for common ear infections raises risks that children will harbor drug resistant bacteria during subsequent illness. They point out that children whose previous ear infections were treated with antibiotics have a rate of Apicillin (amoxocillan)-resistant bacteria that is three times higher during subsequent otitis media.” JAMA November 26, 1997; 278(20):1643-1645

[3] “A number of antibiotics (e.g., streptomycin) that act by blocking protein synthesis in bacteria also block protein synthesis within mitochondria and chlorplasts.” http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Endosymbiosis.html

[4] “Pediatric Ear Infections” Fratkin, Jake Paul, OMD L.Ac., NEWS FROM GOLDEN FLOWER, Fall 2004

Knock Out Colds & Coughs

OBSERVATION:
An eight year old boy walked into my office with a severe and persistent, harsh cough. His mom said that his coughing lasts for ½ an hour without stopping. He is fearful and anxious when he can’t inhale and is totally exhausted after the attack. His tongue is purple and pale. His pulse is slow and tight. His face is pale as well.
His mom said he has suffered from chronic cough since he was about 18 months old. He catches colds easily; it usually goes to his Lungs and becomes a low, barky, croupy cough. The cough is also aggravated by hay fever or when he is tired or distressed. He is a sensitive kid and frail in his body.
His mother was offered bronchodilators, steroid sprays and antihistamines as treatment options for him but chose to use Chinese herbs.

DIAGNOSIS:
The acute (immediate) condition is the result of external attack of pathogenic wind-cold. This diagnosis corresponds broadly to attack by viral or bacterial agents in western medicine. He also has a chronic condition: Lung and Kidney Qi deficiency.
While it is tempting to assume “pathogenic wind-heat” when diagnosing children (they tend toward heat because they are more active than adults), if we look at his specific symptoms, we see his pulse is slow and tight (indicates restriction by cold) and the type or quality of his cough also indicates cold. Wind-heat would have been indicated by a sore, painful throat and a rapid and floating pulse which the patient did NOT have.

TREATMENT (ACUTE CONDITION):
The patient was fearful because of the severity of his cough creating additional tension in the pectoral muscles. With his mother in the treatment room, I coached him through his cough so he could relax his chest and use his diaphragm to control his breathing instead. I massaged the points (RN17, UB11, UB13, LI4, LU7) instead of stimulating with needles and prescribed Chinese herbs.
In Chinese medicine the Lungs influence the Defensive Qi (immune system).

If Lung Qi is strong, Defensive Qi will be strong and the person will have good resistance to attack by exterior pathogenic factors. If Lung Qi is weak, the …person will be prone to attack by exterior pathogenic factor.” [1]

The focus of the treatment is to “open the chest” – dispersing wind-cold and remove the blockage caused by the wind-cold attack.

OUTCOME (ACUTE CONDITION):
That night, he felt better. He still had some coughing fits, but they were shorter in duration and less severe. A benefit of his mother observing the treatment was it reduced anxiety for both of them: she could coach him through the cough and remind him how to relax his chest and breath with his diaphragm.
When I saw him the following week, he was over the cold. His mom said he almost doesn’t cough and when he does, it doesn’t last. He is still weak but went back to school after a few days.

TREATMENT (CHRONIC CONDITION):
To treat the chronic condition, the aim is to tonifying (strengthen) the Lungs and the Kidneys as opposed to Dispersing wind-cold like we did in the acute stage. I massaged the points RN17, UB11, UB13, LI4 as in the acute stage, LU9 instead of LU7, added ST36, and prescribed Chinese herbs.
The weakness of his Lungs can be hereditary or due to catching a cold that weakened the Lungs. If a cold has been treated with antibiotics, it can “lock” the cold in the chest and interfere with the Lung Dispersing and Descending functions, so that some pathogenic factor remains in the body and, in the long run, cause Lung Qi deficiency.

OUTCOME (CHRONIC CONDITION):
This boy stayed on the tonifying formula and it was recommended he come once a week to stimulate his Lung function. His mom reports that he almost doesn’t cough, only when he is catching a cold. She is very pleased with the formulas we used because herbs she tried in the past were hard for her boy to take because of the taste. He takes this Chinese formula by himself with no problem

GOING FORWARD:
I recommended he continue treatments to work on his chronic cough. When there is an underlying deficiency (such as with the elderly, children, and adults with compromised immune systems), any mild cold can turn a chronic cough into more severe complications like asthma or pneumonia requiring more medical intervention. It is important to treat the underlying lung deficiency.

References:
[1] Maciocia, Giovanni. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine.
Edinburgh: Churchill Livingston, 1989
ISBN 0-443-03980-1

Summer Hours - Back To School Booster Treatment

Just a friendly reminder: Point-A Place of Wellness is open an extra hour through August.

My clinic hours are:
8:30am - 3:30 pm Monday through Friday

Early Bird appointments start at
7:00 am on Wednesday

Clinic Tuesday's are 15% off for existing patients.
9:00 am - 2:00 pm Tuesday

Now is a great time to give yourself and your children a energy boost with acupuncture. Build your strength and enhance your immune system before the Back-To-School stress take its toll.