My first encounter with Chinese herbal medicine

[LiberalEsto]

I don't know if anyone else on ASAH is familiar with Chinese herbal medicine. I recently had a first-time encounter with Chinese herbal medicine, and am quite impressed with it.

My left knee was in constant pain during late summer and early fall. I went to an orthopedic surgeon, who diagnosed osteoarthritis, gave me a cortisone shot and a knee brace, and sent me to physical therapy. The knee got worse. I couldn't stand having clothing touch the area where it hurt most, couldn't use the stairs, could barely walk. Wearing the brace was agony. I stopped PT because it wasn't helping at all. Because I have gastric reflux, I can't take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, which are part of the ordinary treatment for this. The orthopedist ordered an MRI which showed osteoarthritis, but said there was nothing more he could do for me.

In desperation, I turned to an acupuncturist who successfully treated me for lower back pain some years ago. She read my pulses, looked at my tongue and asked a few questions. Then she told me I had stagnant blood or something in the kidneys and liver. I could only afford two sessions of acupuncture, but they helped somewhat. She said she was opening energy channels in the liver and kidneys. Then she offered me a bottle of something called Jian Bu Wan, strong stride pill, and told me how to take it. Five pills after breakfast, five more after dinner, a total of 10 a day for 20 days.

It was amazing how well they worked. I looked up all the ingredients online, just to be on the safe side. They included ginger root, tangerine peel, Chinese angelica root and white peony root, along with several Asian plants I didn't recognize. During those 20 days my knee became pain-free and I could walk normally. I could hardly believe it.

After I finished the pills, I wanted to see how the knee was doing without them. It's been about two weeks and there is only a little pain occasionally, usually when I'm in bed, or if a cold wind hits the knee. I just bought another 200-dose bottle of the pills online (the acupuncturist had run out of them), hoping that a second round will take care of the remaining pain and stiffness. The ones the herb company sent me were called Jian Bu Pian but contain the exact same ingredients. Their Jian Bu Wan formula includes tortoise shell, and I couldn't bear to use something that harmed tortoises.

[Mnemosyne]

1. My acupuncturist is wonderful! She also looked at my tongue each time. Helped my pain

tremendously. Brilliant woman, Dr. Tsui, came from China in 1986. She attended to Mao's son for a year, had to get special permission as she was not a communist, but a Christian. Medical doctors there study acupuncture with as much importance as regular medicine.

She doesn't practice medicine here, only acupuncture. She is wonderful and I admire her so much.

[NJCher]

2. 2 examples

A couple experiences:

--a woman I worked with on some social activist projects had had long-running health problems. She went to NYC to a Chinese medical practitioner and for the first time, reported some success.

--a friend was employed by a couple different Chinese companies over a period of around eight years. Technology field. He quit going to American doctors because wherever he worked, they knew or could tell him what to take. And this was just his co-workers, not even a Chinese herbal medical doctor. I recall he was always amazed at how well it worked, and this includes for such mundane things as hangovers.

I'm really amazed at your story, LiberalEsto. That was discouraging to read what the orthopedic surgeon said--and then wonderful to find the success that you did! Fantastic!



Cher

[PADemD]

3. gastric reflux

I used to have gastric reflux. Since I eliminated Carrageenan from my diet, I no longer suffer from GERD. Carrageenan is used as a thickener in foods, so you need to check everything you buy. It's used in nondairy creamers, chocolate milk, cheap ice cream, cocoa mixes, and even some cereals. Here are links for further info:

http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=carrageenan&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US fficial&client=firefox-a&source=hp&channel=np

[Why Syzygy]

4. Good to know!

I'm going to start checking labels for that.

I've cured mine with papaya enzymes. I have to continue to use them, but it's much better than other options.

[PADemD]

5. More info

In a recent statement to the National Organic Standards Board, Dr. Tobacman explained that carrageenan itself and its breakdown product both create dangerous inflammation, a condition that serves as the backbone of more than 100 human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and arteriosclerosis. Inflammation also fuels other life-threatening diseases, including cancer.

http://www.rodale.com/carrageenan

[LiberalEsto]

6. Very interesting

Thank you.
I don't think there's much of it in my diet, but I'll start checking labels.

[love_katz]

7. I have used Chinese Herbal medicine for many years.

I have not been able to do it for that last 9 months, due to a major debacle with an attempted career change earlier this year, which backfired. I was paying out of pocket for it, but can't afford it for now.

However, I always found it much more effective, for my needs, than regular western allopathic medicine.

I went to a clinic where the main doctor who owns it is both a naturopath, and an acupuncturist. She went to China to learn acupuncture and TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine).

I loved the treatments, and found them highly effective. When my finances improve, I will go back to using that kind of medicine again. They seem to have more effective treatments for those of us who are living with chronic (long-term) problems. I also like how Chinese medicine is focused towards creating wellness rather than just treating symptoms.

Good luck and good health to you.