Women's Health

Self-healing principles are about making small changes consistently, keeping promises we make for ourselves, learning to set clear boundaries, and healing our relationship with food. The key here is small bites - these aren’t promises like hitting the gym every day; it’s small promises like making the bed every day and something we can surely follow through on. The act of doing it helps to rewire the brain and invite the Yi back to the center again because we are no longer denying our own needs.

Western studies have confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture for fertility outcomes. For over 20 years, Rachel Blunk, L.Ac., has worked with reproductive endocrinologists to help improve fertility outcomes for patients. In this article, Rachel discusses 2 cases where she used acupuncture and herbs for queer couples using IVF for successful implantation.

Yu Dai Wan supports the female reproductive system, at once clearing and tonifying to protect and balance vaginal flora and fauna. In traditional Chinese medicine normal vaginal discharge is produced, stored and secreted by the Kidneys, transformed and distributed by the Spleen, secured by the Ren Mai, and controlled by the Dai Mai. Occasional excessive vaginal discharge is classed as “Dai Xia Bing,” which roughly means “issue below the belt or below the Dai Mai.” Yu Dai Wan strongly drains excess damp-heat, while at the same time nourishing the Blood and protecting the Spleen, in order to bring about lasting change.

Fertility and women’s health is a very popular specialty for many acupuncturists and herbalists. Success stories permeate medical journals, mom groups and amongst the general public, giving hope to those who wish to become pregnant and have had difficulty in the past. The truth of the matter, however, is that not every patient has this success story, not every patient gets pregnant, not every IVF round is a success and not every pregnancy will carry to term. Support in the process of shock, loss and grief can be profound within the spectrum of Chinese medicine.

This article is an excerpt from Master Tung’s Magic Points: The Clinician’s Best Friend, soon to be published by Susan Johnson and Eric Renaud. The topic of fertility treatment is more pertinent than ever, as young adults today are finding it increasingly difficult to conceive due to the effects of long-term stress, lack of sleep, EMF exposure, environmental toxins, and so many other reasons that create hormonal disruption and imbalance. This article discusses points and formulas used for infertility and discusses a case study of a man and woman and their successful pregnancy.

For 31 years, the Oakland-based nonprofit has provided free access to compassionate, integrative care for thousands of San Francisco Bay Area low-income women with cancer. Inspired by the vision of Ms. Charlotte Maxwell, a progressive public health advocate who recognized the importance of combining complementary therapies with conventional cancer treatment. Read more about CMC and how you can help.

Endometriosis affects 10% of people who menstruate every year, and that’s just the people who get a formal diagnosis. Endometriosis a very painful menstrual condition in which the uterine lining (endometrium) grows and bleeds outside the uterus in “adjacent pelvic organs such as ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic ligaments, vagina, sigmoid colon, rectum, ureters or bladder.” In rare cases, it may be found outside of the pelvic area. The causes of endometriosis are still unknown and it is a condition that may be experienced by any menstruating person, regardless of gender expression. In this article, we discuss endometriosis from a Chinese medicine perspective and discuss methods for TCM treatment.

Bone loss, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is mainly caused by insufficient Kidney Qi, with symptoms such as weak back, difficulty in standing for a long time, weakness of lower extremities, dark complexion, and dry teeth. Chinese medicine believes that bone health relies on the fullness of Kidney Qi, which nourishes the bone marrow. As such, tonifying Kidney Qi and Kidney Essence is vital to minimizing the progression of osteoporosis. This soup nourishes Yin and replenishes Yang, strengthens muscles and bones, and strengthens the waist and knees.

Raven Lang shares a story about a patient of mine with hyperemesis. I share this story to point out that there are times when a practitioner must realize the limits to what can be done with TCM treatments and that, at those times, it is necessary and prudent to quickly ask for additional help.

As some women experience minimal or no perimenopausal discomfort, what causes the symptoms that can be so debilitating to others? According to TCM, the main causes for discomfort all the way from perimenopause through menopause and postmenopause include overwork, excessive sexual activity or too many childbirths, chronic illness, irregular diet, and excessive worrying or other emotional stress. According to traditional Chinese medicine there are three large categories of issues that can result in difficulty with the perimenopausal hormonal shift.

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (CMC), the Oakland, CA-based nonprofit women’s clinic, is celebrating 30 years of providing free access to compassionate integrative care, including acupuncture, herbs, body work, homeopathy, guided imagery, and nutrition education, for low-income women with cancer in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the reopened clinic welcomes clients anxiously seeking 1-on-1 services in a nurturing environment, the safety of all concerned is of utmost importance. We are so excited to return and greatly appreciate your support of our mission in providing the highest opportunity for improved health outcomes and quality of life for low-income women impacted by cancer and complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Menopause is the phase in a woman’s life during which she transitions from a reproductive to a non-reproductive stage. Literally, the word is used to indicate the permanent cessation of menstruation. Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45-55 and the period of transition typically spans 2-5 years. Hot flashes and other symptoms associated with this transition can last for many years more. Zhi Bai Di Huang Tang is an excellent formula for many cases as explained in this article.

For practitioners of Chinese medicine, the black interior and paradoxical white feathered exterior represent and mirror the consolidation of Yin and Yang. Thus, the black-skinned silkie chicken is considered especially valuable medicinally and nutritionally. In Chinese dietary therapy all black foods are considered to be very helpful for treating Kidney disharmonies and the Blood, because black is the color associated with water and with the Kidneys in the five phases/wu xing.

We're sharing a delicious and time-honored family recipe. It contains nutrients derived from pork and black chicken, as well as tonifying herbs to promote a woman’s optimal health during pregnancy.

The classic writings I quote are taken from the Zhubing Yuanhuo Lun, the Mawangdui, and Sun Si Miao. They will offer you the ability to contemplate the first three of the ten lunar months of pregnancy, interpreted and practiced by the leading physicians of that time. In studying the ancients on their thoughts regarding pregnancy, we must realize that these teachings came from the astute observations and witnessing of nature in all its glory and violence. The lessons the ancients learned originated from watching the power and influence of the moon, sun and stars, the weather, seasons, elements, the sowing, cultivating, and harvesting of crops, the language of plants and animals, and bottom line, the interdependence of all these factors as they affect everything on earth.