TCM and Lymphedema

Lymphedema, is the longer name for what what most people call edema!

(Including me)..

The difference usually being that edema can be a term for acute and general swelling, that can be present for a variety of reason, musculoskeletal trauma, or allergic reaction for example.

Lymphedema on the other hand, is a chronic condition that could have been initiated by a variety of reasons, and continues to stay present due to the lymphatic system, and its related systems, failing to properly cycle, re-distribute, and re-cycle the lymphatic fluid. Without treatment or proper attention, it can continue to progress and lead to a whole slew of issues. Luckily, there is much we can do!

For starters, you can visit Renu Health and Wellness if you are in Calgary, and book in with one of the practitioners who are highly trained, and specialize in treating lymphedema! I have been employed and working there for the past two plus years, and I can speak to the skills and kindness of the RMTs! If you are not in Calgary, start looking around for specialists in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, it is likely there are some not too far from you.

For seconds, TCM has been treating edema and lymphedema from many sources for as long as it has been around. Ill let you know a bit about it below, but as within all conditions, it will involve differentiating the source of the edema, and treating the patient with acupuncture, herbal medicine, and massage techniques, as well as providing home care and lifestyle suggestions.

In TCM, we consider edema, and lymphedema to be categorized into two branching types; Yin, and Yang.

Yang edema is generally more acute, or is the type that can be located on the head/face/upper body more so than the lower. The skin of the swollen area tends to be brighter as well, with an almost glow, and taut-ness to the skin.

Yin edema, tends to be the opposite! Generally more chronic, and starting on the feet or ankles, with the most severe swelling being below the waist.

Though these are pretty major differences, either situation can lead to the other if not taken care of, so regardless we need to differentiate further.

There are 6 main categories that edema/lyphedema will tend to fall into. A TCM Doctor will differentiate by asking all sorts of questions, and should be able to omit some of the categories by just using simple observation methods right off the bat.

Some of these categories will not make much sense without some understanding of terms in TCM, so I will provide some general symptoms that may be present alongside. The most confusing of which will be "Dampness", or "Damp heat". For the purpose of understanding, we can consider the swelling, or pooling of lymphatic fluid, to be a collection of "Dampness".

Yang - Wind (+Water) Invasion	-Starts on eyelids, spreads to extremities -Chills/fever -Sore and painful extremities Tongue - thin white coating Pulse - slippery and floating -can feature HEAT also, red/swollen achy throat Tongue - red
Yang -Damp Toxin	-Starts in/on eyelids, spreads to rest of body -difficult urination -Dermal ulceration -Aversion to wind -Fever Tongue - thin and yellow coat Pulse - Slippery and rapid
Yang -Dampness invasion	-Chronic -Edema of the whole body -Scanty urination -Heavy sensation in whole body -Epigastic fullness -Poor appetite -Nausea Tongue - White and greasy coat Pulse - Deep and slow
Yang -Damp heat obstruction	-Edema of whole body -Chest and epigastic Fullness -Thirst with no desire to drink -Irritability -Deep yellow and scanty urine -Foul smelling bowel movements
Yin -Spleen yang deficiency	-Chronic edema primarily in the lower extrem. -Pitting -Epigastric and stomach fullness -Poor/absent appetite -Loose stool -Lusterless complexion -Fatigue -Cold extremities -Scanty urination Tongue - Pale, swollen, white greasy coat Pulse - deep and slow/weak, slippery
Yin -Kidney yang deficiency	-Puffy face and body -Pitting edema below lumbar region -Palpitations -Shortness of breath -Cold extremities -Intolerance to cold -Fatigue -Pale or grey, lusterless complexion Tongue - Pale enlarged, white coat Pulse - Deep, weak, or thin slippery

So! As we can see, this syndrome has been quite differentiated within TCM.

Each of these scenarios can be corrected by the application of acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, and adjustments to activities of daily life and habits.. including diet!

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix without consequence. But fortunately, there are many people that can provide guidance!

As a note, and what is especially evident from real life practice.. Is that it is very rare for a person to fit exactly into one box. Most of the time, a patient can have some symptoms from several categories, and it is up to the Doctor to differentiate, and treat accordingly.

We are trained to find both the root of the issue, and identify the branch symptoms, and to decide which is of the most import to work on.

With a quick search, I was able to find supporting evidence within many case studies available. Showing promise and improvements when used as an adjunct therapy, check that out if you want!

As with any scenario, I will probably never suggest for TCM to be the sole therapy. I believe in a holistic approach for any scenario, and would suggest adding TCM to your treatment protocol, as well as referring a patient to other practitioners that can provide assistance.

I would be happy to answer any questions that may come up, as well as offer advice as to where to go next!

Pharma/Med side effects, TCM explanation!

This is an interesting one! To me anyway..

So, we can't deny that many Western Med Pharmaceutical drugs/medications are well worth their weight in gold, as well as life saving, and i am grateful.......

We also cannot deny that for the past century at least, they have been overprescribed, with the rubric used for diagnosing being made wider.. AKA the goal posts have been moved, over and over. ADD/ADHD are really good examples. Hypo/Hyperthyroidism as well.

Maybe more on that another time..

So when it comes to the side effects.. drowsy, constipated, vision loss, muscular wasting, DEATH.. lol.. not funny though..

It is wildly well known that western drugs have side effects. Sometimes two people on the same drug will have the same side effect, sometimes they will have vastly different side effects, and sometimes they will have none! (Thankfully)..

TCM can tell us why.. AND why is it silly to treat patients this way..

When a patient sees a western doctor, they are diagnosed by their symptoms, as well as evidence found in scans or lab work numbers. They are given a diagnosis, and then the doctor decides which is the right drug for them, picked from the available catalogue, under the heading of the diagnosis.

The drug will take away (often just mask) the problem, but then the side effects may come up.. DONT WORRY.. there is another drug for this issue ;) (ew).

So we can't deny that a properly selected drug will work to mitigate, or get rid of the issue. All good.

But then the side effects!

TCM works differently. It works HOLISTICALLY.. Which has become a buzzword and nearly meaningless in the cultural zeitgeist. But to me, it means when i am treating and diagnosing an issue, i need to take into account EVERY aspect of this persons health, and compare it to how and why this situation is working.

So... Like the western doctor, a TCM doc will ask your main issue, your chief complaint, and often we will have a shared understanding in western terms.. Lets say "Headache".

This is just the beginning, not the end as is so often the case in western medicine. After learning the patient is suffering from headaches, we need to then find out the how and why this is happening.. And the when.. AND WHERE!

What part of your head? What time of day? What makes it better or worse? When did it start?

All obvious, and all should be asked by a western doc too..

But diving deeper..

-How is your emotional self these day? Any prevailing emotions, or emotions that are not available?

-Are you craving any foods? Are you feeling strong thirst? Do you prefer hot or cold?

-Do you have aches and pains in your joints or muscles? Which ones? What makes it feel better...... etc etc etc..

These questions will help us build a picture of the whole system, and how it is interacting to result in the headache, and allow us to differentiate the headache and what type it is!

Headache due to - wind cold, wind heat, wind damp, liver yang rising, qi and blood deficiency, phlegm obstruction, blood stasis......

If we treat all the patients with the same herbs, or drugs, then of course they will react differently outside of the main symptom hopefully clearing up!

They have all arrived at the symptom of headache by vastly different means!

As is most if TCM, the concepts and practices are all very much common sense!

So what do we do...... well.. one day here in the west, TCM principles will be realized, and work ALONGSIDE western med. This is the way. Unfortunately, Health Canada is a terrible organization, who does not have our best interests at heart. Harsh thing to say, but it sure seems to be true. Ill refrain from this rant as long as possible..

But for now, we can use TCM to limit, and to mitigate the side effects of medications that are being used, and to great affect!

So, to sum this up. If we treat everyone the same, they will all have different reactions.

That's about it!

What the heck is Chinese Medicine? (TCM)

I often get asked by massage clients or otherwise, so i will address it a little here!

(Was also prompted by my dear fiance when i told her i made another ai post)

Basically..

#1 - TCM is a method of treating disease, imbalance, or illness in the body.

#2 - TCM is a compilation of mainly three methods of treatment

#3 - TCM is an ART.. Thats not A.R.T.. i mean its an art form, and a practice..

Ill expand on each of these points shortly

But to start, TCM, or traditional Chinese Medicine, has been the chief method of medical treatment and intervention in China for literally thousands of years!

Exactly how it is practiced now? No. Definitely not.

But/and, we have some classical texts that can be dated, and we still study these books in school as they are foundational to our methodology.

One in particular is called the "Huang Di Nei Jing", or translated into something like "The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor".

We had a whole class dedicated to this book, and i am near certain this will be a required class in TCM training for maybe ever more.

This book was written around 2,200 years ago.. Which is crazy!

And much of what we still practice, and how we practice, was layed out for the first time in this book.

I'll not get into the content of the book now, i just wanted to share this as a fact of the matter.

In the western and modern world, we value the scientific process over basically anything when it comes to health or understanding the universe...

How is 2200+ years of observation and trial and error for scientific process? Compared to western healthcare, its not even a comparison in my opinion..

As a note, i don't say that because i think TCM > Western med always. I say that because TCM deserves to be respected in the way that western medicine does, so it can serve our overall wellness and we can thrive more than we currently are.

So TCM has been around a long time, and was the main method of treating any illness, disease, or imbalance in the body. So we can truly say that TCM is a good helper in any situation. I say helper, because i believe that people heal themselves, with help from outside.. more on that another time.

So #1 - TCM is a method of treating disease, imbalance, or illness in the body.

i think this is self evident, but ill explain how TCM views these concepts as it can be helpful.

Everybody, and each of our selves and bodies, are in a certain state of balance or imbalance. If we stay up for 30 hours, we are usually quite tired. This is an imbalance, and sleep is the answer. Sleeping will bring the body back to a state of balance. This is basically how we can understand TCM.

Each thing we do, stay up late, drink coffee, eat 30 hot wings, eat a bucket of ice cream, call a friend, attend a funeral, exercise, over exercise.. affects our overall balance.

"Every action, has an equal or opposite reaction" (or an action in general).

Our body is a system of systems that all affect each other. In western terms the brain sends and receives signals, but without the heart pumping blood, the brain cannot function, and vice-versa.

TCM has a system of metaphors and energy systems that all balance, and depend upon another. When one is out, it can cause changes in the others, and then changes in our wellness.

A system that is balanced, is energized, digests well, eliminates with comfort and ease, is not swept away by their emotions, has good brain and body function, is not in pain.... etc..

TCM is a system of simple concepts, that all stack upon each other and create the diverse and complicated differences in us all! Ill not get too deep into these concepts now.

-To sum this up, TCM uses its three main tools to bring the body back into balance.

#2 - TCM is a compilation of mainly three methods of treatment;

method number A - Acupuncture

method number B - Herbal/Natural Medicinals

method number C - Tui Na/ Acupressure Massage

-Each of these methods are tools that we use to affect the bodies systems, and encourage the body back into a more harmonious balance! Simple enough!

Maybe to note.. The needles are generally as thin as a hair! And most of the time there is very little sensation when inserted.. It can be a hurdle to get over, i took quite a while to get comfortable with others needling me (control), so i get the hesitation.

Luckily, acupressure/Tui na/TCM massage, can be just as effective as using needles! So don't let fear dissuade you!

The last and most important thing a TCM practitioner should do, is to educate the patient. We mostly know the things that we are doing that are leading to our imbalances, but some things can be subtle, or are not yet widely known!

The best thing anyone can do for their health, is to look critically at their habits, and decide if they are serving them fully!

#3 - TCM is an ART.. Thats not A.R.T.. i mean its an art form, and a practice..

This i think, is the most important part of TCM for students and practitioners to understand. More on this later..

This is not that necessary for patients to understand, but it can be helpful when seeing different practitioners, or needing to find another after the retirement of a favorite.

What i want to say here, is that the practice of TCM can look very different depending on who is doing the practice!

No two people paint the same way, draw the same way, dance the same way.. hopefully you get it.. im sure you do..

Being synthesized from the cultural phenomena of China, TCM has changed it function and form over the thousands of years, and such a wide and vast country has proven to have wide and vast systems of belief and practice.

This has led to a great many types of procedures, and ways of using tools.

For example, when we insert a needle, we are to do so with a certain intention. This intention can be enhanced with a different physical manipulation technique.

Maybe the needle is inserted very quickly, or very slowly.. Or maybe the needle is inserted to intended depth, and then withdrawn to half depth, and then inserted back into the full depth.

Each technique is valid, as long as it resonates with the practitioner and patient.

This hints at part of the mysticism involved in this medicine, and something i will get into a different time :)

This is all to say, that each practitioner will have their own techniques and preferences for practice, so when someone says "what is TCM?", i must answer;

It depends who you ask!

<3