Chinese Pulse Diagnosis – Part 2

Western lab tests are based on biochemical markers. Unfortunately, if all the markers are within the normal range, the blood work is considered normal and the patient should not be experiencing any health problems. If they are, most doctors consider it a psycho-emotional problem and prescribe anti-depressant medications.

Many patients bring me their comprehensive blood test reports that indicate, “All is well” with them. They ask, “If their blood work is normal why do I have this particular problem or why do I feel so poorly?” This happens all the time. Chinese pulse diagnosis evaluates the energetic state of the body. The field of physics tells us that there are basically two types of energy in the universe, which permeate everything: kinetic and potential energy. Kinetic energy is moving energy. Potential energy is stationary or stagnant energy, waiting to be used. These two energetic states are just another aspect of the concept of Yin and Yang. To maintain health Yin and Yang must be balanced, which means the kinetic and potential energies in the body need to be balanced. When they’re not, disease and disorders develop. 8000 years ago, ancient Chinese physicians developed a simple way to diagnose diseases and disorders, without the use of all the elaborate tools of western medicine. The pillar of this diagnostic system is Chinese pulse diagnosis.

At our clinic we have developed a pulse diagnostic system we call the Pulse Matrix©. It is an elaborate system for determining a variety of systemic health imbalances in the body. In the Pulse Matrix© system, there are over 1000 different pulse images, each with its own degree of pathology. The Pulse Matrix© can help patients understand there is another health care paradigm which can clearly determine health problems that are not indicated in typical lab tests.




Read more at The Pulse Matrix

Meridian Harmonics

Vascular Efficiency

The body is a complex system of interconnected organ systems. They are not self-sufficient. They require support from other organs in order to stay healthy. Each organ has its own unique support system. For example, in Chinese medicine, the Lungs are supported by: the Spleen, Bladder, Large Intestine and Liver. When these other organs are strong, healthy and balanced then the Lungs have low volatility and thus very high Vascular Efficiency (VE). High VE leads to protecting the organs/meridians from pathogenic factors, maintains harmonious movement of Qi (energy) & Blood and promotes balanced fluid metabolism in the body. Meridian Harmonics has developed a proprietary non-invasive method for determining individual organ stability, as well as composite meridian volatility. Composite meridian VE is a measure of total body health and ranges from 0-100%. The goal of long term health and wellness is to have a composite meridian VE greater than 60%. An excellent VE goal is 80% or more. A VE of 30% or below is considered a serious condition.

I recently evaluated a patient who had been diagnosed and was undergoing traditional western treatments for a brain tumor. On her initial visit, we used The Pulse Matrix© to determine the entire health state of the body. Her VE was calculated at 16%. This is fairly significant and does not normally appear on traditional western circulation tests. Low VE is related to a considerable imbalance of moving and stagnant energy (Qi, chee) in the body. In her case the stagnant energy is overwhelming the moving energy. An important premise of Chinese medicine is that movement = health and stagnation = disease. The human body was designed to be in a state of movement more than in a state of stagnation. In Chinese medicine tumors are considered conditions where the blood flow is impaired enough to form an unhealthy or diseased mass. This made sense to her.

Another patient who had been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate and was concerned about it developing into cancer. His doctor told him that there was nothing wrong with his circulatory system. However, his VE turned out to be 18%.

It’s easy for patients to see how their VE affects their overall health. It’s much easier to maintain a strong vascular system than one that is significantly impaired. The important thing is to identify it and treat it. High Vascular Efficiency leads to vascular health. It is so important for patients to realize that Chinese medicine, though different from western medicine in many respects, is all about restoring balance and health to the body.

Meridian Harmonics

Managing Symptoms with Food Energetics

How differently would you approach meals and diet if you didn’t have to concern yourself with the western concept of nutrients: carbs, fats, proteins, amino acids, sugar, vitamins and minerals? In Chinese medicine, diet and nutrition is as different from the traditional western nutritional concept as night and day. Most of our patients require dietary modifications, in addition to their acupuncture and herbal treatments, in order to experience significant progress in the treatment of their health problems.

It’s funny how most people say they want to improve their health, but when it comes to changing their diet or lifestyle they think that they can continue doing the same thing and expect to get different results. Someone once said that’s the definition of insanity. Chinese nutrition and dietary therapy is based on matching specific foods to each patient, based on the energetic and constitution of both. In Chinese medicine, the energetic properties of food are actually more important than their western nutritional content.

Most patients, in our modern western society, exhibit many of these symptoms: inflammation, fatigue, stress, burnout, insomnia, acid reflux, headaches, various pain, hypertension, blood sugar abnormalities, cholesterol problems, joint pain, asthma, allergies, abdominal pain, menstrual pain and irregularity, and the like. Though these conditions will respond well to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, patients find it surprising that their progress can be hindered if they fail to adhere to some simple dietary suggestions.

For example, patients who are being treated for pain and also have a weight problem, are advised to avoid or drastically reduce certain foods that aggravate the weight problem, which exacerbates their pain: cold beverages, ice cream, caffeine, sugar, milk, and dairy products, rich or fried foods; as well as red meat and seafood - as they contain high levels of uric acid.

Adequate intake of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, are essential for pain management. Deficiency of these minerals will lead to spasms, cramps, and tense muscles. In Chinese dietary therapy, these nutrients act as muscle relaxants and are best consumed in natural occurring foods: Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy or Chinese cabbage; salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones, shellfish, almonds, Brazil nuts, dried beans, bananas, dried apricots, and avocados, cashews, peas and beans (legumes), seeds, soy products (such as soy flour and tofu), whole grains (such as brown rice and millet), broccoli, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), sweet potatoes, and winter squashes, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bananas, kiwi, and prunes.

The beneficial foods for pain management prevent the accumulation of dampness and phlegm in the body, which stagnates both the flow of energy (Qi) and blood, and increases pain and inflammation. The goal of Food Energetics is to match a patient’s constitution with foods that balance them, energetically.

Meridian Harmonics

Chinese Pulse Diagnosis - Part 1

8000 years ago, ancient Chinese physicians developed a simple way to diagnose diseases and disorders, without the use of all the fancy toys of western medicine. In fact, there are times when the western lab tests fall short when it comes to picking up imbalances that don’t “fit” within the range that the western lab test is designed to reveal. The pillar of diagnostic procedures in Chinese medicine is rooted in pulse diagnosis, which is more than how fast or slow a person’s heart rate is. There are several different methods for deciphering pulse qualities, some ancient, others more modern.

Meridian Harmonics has developed a unique style of pulse diagnosis combining several different methods with some new strategies. We call this the Pulse Matrix ©. Each person has a unique set of pulse qualities that constitute their individual Pulse Matrix ©. One’s Pulse Matrix © can change, but often only varies within a small span along the Pulse Matrix © scale. A persons individual Pulse Matrix © discloses a great deal of information: the underlying pathogenic factors affecting them, the acupuncture meridians and points to use in treatment, the affected organ systems, the correct herbal strategies, vertebral misalignment and the affected endocrine organs, to name a few. Pulse assessment and interpretation only takes a few minutes and leads to more accurate diagnosis and robust treatment strategies.



Read more at The Pulse Matrix

Meridian Harmonics

Exercise Holds Off Aging

Physically active people have cells that look younger on a molecular level than those of couch potatoes, according to research that offers fundamental new insight into how exercise may help stave off aging.

Researchers have found that exercise appears to slow the shriveling of the tips that protect bundles of genes inside cells, perhaps keeping frailty at bay. Being physically active reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases, potentially extending longevity. Researchers examined structures inside cells known as telomeres. They are using telomere length as a marker of biological aging. Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes, the structures that carry genes. Every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter. When telomeres get too short, cells can no longer divide. Scientists believe that aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die - muscles weaken, skin wrinkles, eyesight and hearing fade, organs fail and thinking clouds.

In Chinese medicine, exercise stimulates healthy cellular activity in all the body’s organs. Cardiovascular exercise dramatically increases oxygen levels in the body. Abundant oxygen seems to be the catalyst for a cascade of beneficial physical activities that lead to delayed aging. Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can minimize those deficiencies responsible for premature aging.

Meridian Harmonics

Molecular Basis of Meridians

One of the most puzzling questions in Chinese medicine for 8000 years is that nobody has yet found any trace of meridians, despite the incredible usefulness of meridians in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. A current theory describes meridians as being made up of aligned stable water clusters that have an electric dipole, with a positive charge on one end and a negative charge on the other. Since these stable water clusters are made up of only water molecules, it is impossible to find them among ordinary water in the tissue.

If meridians are made up of water clusters, they will conduct electricity better because water conducts electricity better than ordinary tissues in the human body. Hence, body-surface conductivity is found to be higher on acupoints than on other points of the skin. At our clinic we can confirm this through electro-dermal screening. Therefore, meridians will also act like tubes or channels with water in them. Furthermore, the negative and positive characteristics of stable water clusters agree with the concept of yin and yang.

Since the majority of the mass of a water molecule comprises the element oxygen (oxygen is 16 times heaver than hydrogen), it could be said that oxygen is the determining factor of the state of the meridians. Therefore, when a person’s body lacks sufficient oxygen levels it affects the integrity of the stable water clusters, which, in turn affect the meridian systems and their associated organs. The lack of sufficient oxygen in the body first appears in the blood, which the body uses to supply nutrition and oxygen to every cell in the body. Any lack of nutrition and oxygen in the blood eventually affects the health of the entire body.

Treating acupoints along the course of the acupuncture meridians influences the health of the body and its internal organs. In essence, acupuncture stimulates these stable water clusters to:

1) strongly conduct the body’s own bioelectric current along the course of the meridian
2) strengthens the integrity of these stable water clusters
3) drains pathogenic influences from the meridian and its associated organ
4) boost the health of the internal organs
5) increase blood flow to various regions and tissues along the course of the meridian.

How can we use this information? Stable water clusters are formed from normal water in the body. When a person consumes insufficient amounts of water it affects the formation of adequate stable water clusters, which, in turn, affects the integrity of the meridian system and their associated organs. Also, when a person consumes food, prescription drugs or fluids that dries out the body’s inherent moisture it creates a significant imbalance in the body that can be difficult for the body to compensate for, on it’s own. When this happens it is necessary to intervene with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to restore balance to body.

Meridian Harmonics

Happy New Year – Year of the Yin Earth Ox

2009 is a Yin Earth Ox year. It's going to be a year concentrating on sensitive and earthy things to do with food, patience, finances, support, nurturing and resources. The Ox year is a often conservative year, one of traditions and values, not a year to be too outrageous. A slow but steady year. This Ox year will bring stability and slow growth, so patience and diligence will pay off.

This is a year of harvest, when we reap what we have sown in the past. Take care of your health this coming year. Do not let things slide. Focus on earth themes – rebuilding, reconstruction, health, housing, and agricultural to ensure a sufficient supply of food, and make progress in environment repair.

Earth in general relates to stomach, pancreas, muscles and cells. Health problems related to Earth could be stomach problems, food poisoning, or diarrhea. Disorder in the Earth elements can mean problems with muscles and cells, and can bring obesity, diabetes, or cancer. Diabetes is a sickness caused by insulin disorders produced by the pancreas symbolized by Earth element in Chinese medicine. Diabetes is also caused by imbalances in the Earth element. 2009 will see these health problems in focus in the Ox year.

For health matters this year, pay special attention to these: related to the mouth, lungs, reproductive organs, bladder, kidney and ears. Terminal illnesses such as cancers will rise, being ruled by soggy or damp Earth in Chinese medicine.

Meridian Harmonics

The China Study, Part 3: Growth of Cancer Cells

In T. Colin Campbell’s book, "The China Study”, he discusses the three stages of cancer growth: initiation, promotion and progression. Cancer growth is similar to the growth of seeds planted in the ground. The initiation of cancer begins with specific chemicals or carcinogens that transform or mutate healthy cells into cancer prone cells. This mutation can take as little as a few minutes. Once the mutated cells are formed they are considered to be irreversible. At this point the newly formed mutated cells are ready to grow and multiply. This stage normally occurs over an extended period of time.

Cancer cells require a favorable environment in order to grow. If any favorable environmental factors are lacking then the cancer cells will become dormant. In other words the promotion cycle of cancer cells is reversible, given the proper growth environment is removed. Cancer cell growth and decline is highly sensitive to dietary factors, since dietary characteristics create specific internal environments in the body.

The progression of cancer cells is similar to an overgrowth of weeds in a lawn. The cancer cells migrate away from their point of origin, to invade or infest other regions. This stage is also known as malignancy. Metastasizing cancer is when the cancer cells actually break away from the point of origin and moves to a new location.

The initiation phase begins when enzymes in the body metabolize carcinogens. If the correct enzymes are present, the carcinogens are detoxified and cancer cell initiation never begins. If the correct enzymes are not present then the body’s environment is favorable for cancer development. The determining state of the enzymes is related to proteins consumed in the diet, of which there are many.

Per Dr. Campbell’s research, decreasing protein consumption from 20% to 5% of a persons diet reduces carcinogen mutation of healthy cells to cancer cells by 76%! In fact, cancer precursor cell growth is almost entirely dependent on the amount of protein consumed! Even more surprising the research shows that reducing protein intake reversed high quantity of cancer precursor cells from multiplying! His research concluded that protein consumption is the catalyst or switch to turn cancer cell growth on and off. This is good news!

Unfortunately, the average American consumes 15% (60-70 grams) or more protein per day. Dr. Campbell’s research indicates that cancer growth is switched on when the amount of protein consumed per day is above 10% or 50-60 grams. Even more important, cancer cell growth actually declined on a diet of 5% protein. The most astonishing fact that came from the research was that the protein source does influence the cancer growth results: animal protein is responsible for cancer growth, whereas plant based proteins had no influence on cancer cell proliferation.

One of the most potent cancer promoting animal proteins is casein, found only in cow’s milk and it’s byproducts. So, in this Earth Ox year it would be prudent to focus on eating a diet that is more rooted in the earth.

Meridian Harmonics