Rosacea is characterized by reddening and flushing of the face, and often accompanies acne, although it can appear on its own. Initially the flushing comes and goes, and at this stage it is easiest to treat, with herbs that “clear Heat” from the face. After some time, the redness is present all the time, without fluctuation. Congested capillaries may be visible on the skin. Severe cases may also present with papules, i.e. red bumps. At this stage, treatment is based on clearing Heat as well as assisting blood circulation in order to clear the congestion. Results with TCM treatment are very good. The milder, fluctuating form of rosacea might be cured in as little as 6 – 8 weeks, whereas the more severe forms, possibly accompanied by acne and pustules, takes from 10 to 16 weeks to treat completely.

Lesions begin with a sebum plug in the follicles of the face, chest or back. Sebum is the oily material supplied by the sebaceous glands, and it provides lubrication and water repellency in the skin. Production of this substance increases in adolescence, probably as a consequence of the activity of androgen, the male sex hormones.

As plugs of sebum become trapped in the follicles, they subsequently become inflamed by production and multiplication of bacteria. This leads to the typical red pustules and papules of common acne. Combinations of blackheads, white heads, painful nodules under the skin and cysts are frequently seen.

SIMPLE TEENAGE ACNE
This is the easiest type of acne to treat with Chinese Herbs. Herbs which clear Heat (i.e redness, inflammation) and Fire Poison (i.e. pus, whiteheads), are used. Results usually come by week 3, and a cure (i.e. 85% reduction of pimples) by week 8 to 10, depending on the severity and duration of each case.

ADULT ACNE
There is often a digestive component to this type. If food is not properly broken down and bowel function is abnormal (i.e. constipation, diarrhea), then toxins are absorbed into the blood stream. Secondarily, excess mucus may be clogging the gastrointestinal tract. The skin may be trying to eliminate all of this build up through painful, big, pustular acne which often erupts on the cheekbones and temples. This is the trajectory of the Stomach meridian. TCM treatment focuses on the digestive dysfunction. Results will be seen by about week 5, with total treatment lasting up to 12 weeks.

HORMONAL ACNE
Many women are familiar with acne outbreaks that flare just before menstruation, or around ovulation. And as many women have observed, such acne tends not to respond to any “cleansing” type of treatment. This is because there is really no accumulated toxin or Fire Poison to speak of, it is rather caused by hormonal fluctuations and imbalances. Chinese herbs with a broad hormone regulating effect are the mainstay of treatment. As such, not only can the acne be cured, but often menstrual pain, PMS and other hormonal manifestations are cured as well.

CYSTIC ACNE
This is the most complicated type of acne, consisting of very large, nodular lesions under the skin, very slow to resolve and likely to cause scarring. TCM considers these to be accumulations of Phlegm, Stagnated Blood and Fire Poison. Treatment is much slower, as it takes time for herbs to break down these tenacious substances. Successful treatment can take 6 months or more, and patience and consistency are vital.

TCM TREATMENT
Chinese Herbs offer the chance of a lasting cure for psoriasis, in most cases. The practitioner will do a TCM diagnosis, in order to assess the severity and subtleties of each individual case. This is the key to success with TCM, the recognition that while 10 patients may all have “plaque psoriasis”, they may show distinct variations in the presentation of their psoriasis. Noting these variations allows the herbal formula to be tailored exactly to the case at hand.

Other differences that need to be accounted for are amount of itch, severity and spread of the plaques, duration and onset of the illness, degree of redness (from pale pink to fire engine to purplish red). Additionally, accompanying and seemingly unrelated symptoms are significant for the TCM diagnosis: general thirst level of the patient, sweating or lack thereof, constipation, history of strep infections, and body type. Once all of these have been assessed, the practitioner is ready to assemble a formula composed of 10 to 16 herbs, each of which is directed at one or another of the above symptoms and signs. The herbs are administered twice daily for a period of weeks or months (treatment outcome).

GUTTATE PSORIASIS
This is an acute, sudden manifestation of psoriasis, characterized by small red lesions, and it often follows strep throat. Forty percent of guttate cases heal on their own within 6 months, while the rest go on to develop into plaque psoriasis. If it is of recent onset, and not superimposed on existing plaque psoriasis, this form is quite easy to treat with TCM. Herbs with broad antibacterial effect are used to clear any remnants of streptoccocal infection, with the addition of the usual repertoir of anti-psoriatic herbs, based on the TCM diagnosis. If guttate psoriasis develops alongside pre existing plaques, treatment will take longer.

PLAQUE PSORIASIS
This is the typical, chronic form of psoriasis, presenting with red, thickened patches, possibly covered with white or yellow scale. It usually covers the knees, elbows, trunk or scalp. It is well treated by TCM especially when it is red, rather than purplish, and has some ebb and flow of its own, i.e. it fluctuates in severity. Fluctuation is generally a good sign, whereas unchanging, fixed and very rooted lesions are always more stubborn and require more time.

PUSTULAR PSORIASIS
There are two kinds: generalized and palmo-plantar. Generalized pustular psoriasis can be a medical emergency due to great inflammation, and is best dealt with in a hospital setting. Unfortunately, however, it is sometimes a side effect of immunosuppressive treatment for plaque psoriasis, a kind of rebound reaction. Palmo-plantar pustular psoriasis shows up on the palms and soles, and is often misdiagnosed by medical doctors (see pictures), despite the fact that it presents with a very unique feature, that of yellow pustules which quickly turn brown. Any skin condition in these areas should be taken to a dermatologist for proper identification. TCM considers this type of psoriasis completely different from the others, treating it as a problem of excess moisture in the skin, whereas classic psoriasis is notoriously dry. Drying, diuretic and anti-inflammatory herbs are prescribed for this condition, with very good effects.

TREATMENT OUTCOME
There are predictable markers of improvement that one can expect once treatment has started:Week 3 to 5: itch, if present, begins to decrease. Scales may loosen and therefore shed more, temporarily. Week 6 to 7: a clear reduction in lesions is visible, such as in redness and size. It is not unusual for lesions to clear from the centre, or as islands of now normal skin in the middle of psoriatic plaques. Week 7 to end: lesions continue to clear, generally not at the same rate all over the body. Purplish lesions tend to enlarge somewhat as they fade. This is normal.

Total treatment time is anywhere from 8 weeks to 6 months or more, depending on the severity and duration of each case. Even in persistent cases, improvement becomes evident within the first few weeks, providing an incentive to stick with the treatment.

Do you have back pain? Do you know someone who has back pain?

You most likely answered yes to at least one of the questions above. The reason is because so many people have back pain that it is impossible to ignore anymore. Back pain is a huge problem in our society causing discomfort, irritation, loss of productivity and a hindrance to a quality of life.

They say that everyone will experience back pain at least once in their life, and that is an under statement. It is more like you will most likely experience back pain throughout your entire life. It is up to you to find ways of relieving your pain.

Pain in the back comes in various shapes and forms, such as dull, achy, sharp, stabbing, fixed, throbbing and can radiate down the legs causing sciatica. For some people the pain is better in the morning, worse in the morning, better with movement, worse with movement, worse with stress and better with heat or better with cold application. With each type of back pain, there is a new face and a different treatment is required to resolve the pain.

The following are some tips and tricks which you can do immediately to help your back pain.

Exercise:
Too much or too little exercise can be causing or affecting your back pain. If you do not exercise or your exercise levels are low, you need to incorporate movement into your life. Start stretching, moving, running, swimming, walking and weight lifting to improve circulation. If you are the opposite and you exercise too much, you will want to cut down on your physical activity, especially if you are sore after exercise.

Nutrition:
Food which can help back pain will again differ depending on the root cause of the back pain. For chronic lower back pain, add black sesame seeds and black beans to the diet. Adding any type of bean is going to benefit the kidneys which are housed in the lower back.

If your back pain is due to stress try adding some of the following; watercress, onion family, mustard greens, turmeric, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, marjoram, cumin, fennel, dill, ginger, black pepper, rosemary, various mints, lemon balm. These foods are pungent and move blocked energy which is causing pain.

Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is an effective modality for relieving back pain. Small sterile needles are placed in the local area and distally to help move blocked energy in the back. Other treatments may include cupping or moxibustion or Chinese herbal medicine. We see the best results with Acupuncture and it has a high success rate. Often massage is combined with treatments if necessary.

Please call us for a free 15 minute consultation to discuss your back pain and how we can help you. This is a no –risk and no obligation offer to get your questions and concerns answered.

Call 647-346-2780 or visit www.traditionalhealingcentre.com

That attitude is the answer to so many little aches and pains we experience on a day to day basis. They are, culturally, so common or we are just so used to them being around that we begin to see them as a normal part of physiology. I have met so many women who believe it is a normal part life to have premenstrual syndrome or painful periods. This is simply not true! Painful periods are representative of underlying pathology. This pathology may not, yet, be medically significant, but it does exist and should be treated, rather than disregarded.

It has become acceptable to go through life with everyday aches and pains, which we just place into the “part of life” category. We believe that aging is automatically accompanied by pain, fatigue and substantial loss of physiological function. I hear statements such as “it sucks being a woman” because we automatically assume that it means we have to spend a week of every month is discomfort for the majority of our adult lives!

We are not meant to live our lives in discomfort! Pain is the body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. Don’t ignore it! We should be aiming to feel vibrant, full of life and pain free for our whole lives! Everyone gets sick from time to time, this is an inevitable part of life. But sensation of illness should be experienced for a relatively, fractionally, small period of time, compared to the rest of our days, which should be spent enjoying our bodies.

So how do we reach this seemingly impossible goal? It’s very simple. Live a life aimed at preventing disease. Follow these suggestions and you will be well on your way.

Eat well

Get enough sleep

Take quiet time for yourself

Minimize toxicity

Moderate your stress levels

Move your body daily through exercise

If you feel pain or discomfort, don’t accept it and definitely don’t mask it with medication! Find natural modalities of treatment such as Chinese Medicine to treat these minor upsets before they become major pathologies.

Make your body and your health your number one priority.

You and only you can make the choice to live your life pain free and feeling well! Make the choice to live the life of a healthful person. It’s momentous in that once you change one area of your life and start to feel well, you will want to live healthfully in all aspects of your life! Life is short, so let’s make sure we feel well enough to enjoy it!

By Michelle Stevenson RDH D.Ac