TCM doctors have a unique application that demonstrates the power of nourishing the blood. They use herbs to nourish the hair roots and treat alopecia (hair loss). At our clinic we have seen several women and a few men restore hair loss using herbs over the course of six months to a year or more. TAM doctors differentiate conditions and the appropriate herbal treatment by determining what is causing the hair loss. If the hair is simply falling out it is more of an inflammatory condition, and should be treated as such. If the hair is fragile and breaks off, it is more of a deficiency condition that requires nourishment.

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Nutrition is the foundation of all herbal medicine treatments, and specific nutritional advice should be included in all treatment plans. Herbs themselves are simply specialized food sources. Studies of nutrition clearly demonstrate a direct causal relationship between diet and health. Sensible, healthy dietary habits can help prevent disease. By the same token, poor dietary choices can contribute to the deterioration of general health and lead to many diseases.

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Optic neuropathy is often the first sign of multiple sclerosis (MS). Two follow-up studies showed a greater than 40% development of MS after 8 years. (Ghezzi et al,, 1999, Druschky et al., 1999). There is also a strong nutritional correlation. An epidemic neuropathy broke out in Cuba in 1991, and an analysis of showed that those affected had a broad range of specific dietary deficiencies, including a sugar intake exceeding 15% of total caloric intake, alcohol consumption, low intake of protein, fats and micronutrients (Gay et al., 1995).

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ccording to Nai-shing's reading of the ancient Chinese writings, Qi was originally defined as a nutrient steam that was absorbed from the digestion of foods (like steam off a cooking pot) and distributed to organs and nerves through invisible tubes called acupuncture channels. Far from being a purely "made-up" philosphy, it was based upon the fact that people who practice meditation and breathing arts can feel the flow of this energy. Because most physiologists study only neural pathways and hormone receptor reactions, and most do not meditate, little attention has been paid to the difficult to measure or subtle energy flow systems in the human body.

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I have found the herb devil's claw root (Harpagophytum procumbens) helpful in many cases of arthritis with inflammation and pain, taken either by itself or as part of a combination formula, about 2 grams twice a day as a crude powder, or 60 drops of tincture 3 times per day. Boswellia gum is also very effective. Both of these are free of the side effects caused by many NSAIDS because they do not cause bleeding.

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As with osteoarthritis, the first step in treating these problems is to ensure that all digestive processes are working properly. As people pass the age of 60, the digestive system weakens, resulting in reduced absorption of nutrients. Herbs from the digestive group can help combat this problem. In addition to improving absorption, it is also necessary to supplement the diet directly with easy-to-absorb nutrients.

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Dryness is often the first sign of a skin disorder. The softness and luster of the skin depends upon the proper function and healthy of the outermost layer, the epidermis. Drinking enough water is a given, of course. Beyond this, regular oil massage helps maintain this layer of the skin. In India, I met an 85-year-old Ayurvedic doctor whose skin was like a child’s, thanks to daily oil massage. TAM doctors use medicated herbal oils extensively and very effectively to treat skin diseases.

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Gingivitis describes an inflammatory condition of the gums, wherein the gums become swollen, spongy and have the tendency to bleed. Eventually pockets form in the gums, where bacteria can live in peace and exude acids that eat away at the bone, eventually causing the teeth to loosen. The number one best way to avoid this problem is regular dental care, careful flossing and brushing. It is very helpful to drink tea, which contains high levels of tannins. Various dental cleaning devices, electric toothbrushes and water pics can also be of great benefit

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Premenstrual syndrome is the constellation of symptoms that appear in the days prior to the onset of a menstrual period.  Symptoms include anxiety, irritability, fatigue, depression, headache, breast pain, abdominal bloating, and fluid retention.  Numerous hormonal changes have been implicated in PMS.  Depending on the predominant symptoms, researchers have subdivided the condition into four general types: anxiety, food craving, depression and fluid retention.  This system of classification makes it much easier to prescribe herbs, as it divides the condition in a way similar to herbal energetics.

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Progressive hearing loss leading to deafness is one of the four most prevalent chronic conditions in the elderly. Until the last decade little attention was paid to studying causative factors related to nutrition and blood parameters. Immunological and autoimmune mechanisms are at work in some cases, so good diagnosis is essential. With children, exposure to the excessive noises of modern life can damage hearing.

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Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by dry, scaly and inflamed elevated areas (papules and plaques) of various sizes. It affects up to 2% of all people in the United States.  Psoriasis often follows a pattern of relapse and remission.  It can vary from a few small patches to an almost complete covering of the skin.  Naturopathic physicians observe that incomplete protein digestion, poor liver function, bowel toxemia and increased blood endotoxin levels in the development of psoriasis

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My clinical experience with patients who are attempting to stop smoking indicated that most are unable to succeed for whatever reasons. My personal feeling is that it simply requires sheer will power for the first month, forcing yourself to not smoke as though your life depended upon it, which it does

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Myopia or near-sightedness is defined as seeing better at close ranges than at a distance. This is because the eye is longer than normal, or the cornea is more curved than normal. This causes light coming from distant images to focus in front of the retina instead of on it. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is when vision is better at a distance than close up. Farsighted individuals have a short eye or a flatter cornea that doesn't bend light enough, so the image focuses behind the retina. Glasses, contact lenses, and now refractive surgery can correct these problems. However, there still may be a role for natural medicine. Such simple things as the "gazing at the moon" exercise Ayurvedic doctors prescribe can help improve vision.

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Inflammation is one of the body’s primary mechanisms for removing metabolic byproducts, debris and foreign agents. It enables the body to remove damaged cells, neutralize toxins, and fight bacteria, fungi and viruses. We have already discussed inflammation in the section on the liver, and we will discuss it here from a slightly different angle

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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a slow, progressive deterioration of the retina that results in diminished vision as it progresses. It is often hereditary. The rods that govern peripheral vision are first affected, and peripheral vision gradually deteriorates as time passes and the condition worsens. Night vision also worsens. The pigment degenerates in a way that can be seen by ophthalmologists, until gradually the optic nerve disc changes appearance, and finally central vision is affected

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Many patients benefit from dietary elimination of cow's milk products, wheat, oats, barley, rye, and grains containing the proteins gluten and gliadin. As in most inflammatory diseases, fish and flaxseed oils are often used to treat CTDs. Long-term use of borage oil has also been shown to benefit rheumatoid arthritis patients (Zurrier, 1996). The combination of boths oils together has been reported effective by numerous practitioners (reported in Bland, 2000).

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To construct a formula for treating sciatica, always use herbs that help relieve external spasm, such as kava root, valerian root and millettia stem. Also very useful is magnesium. Western-trained herbalists and TAM doctors both use lobelia (L. pyramidalis) to treat sciatica, and this is the strongest treatment in my experience. TCM doctors note that the combination of white peony root and licorice root in high doses for a short period of time is also useful for relieving the associated spasms.

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I developed a list of six diets that address the most common energetic imbalances seen in the clinic. It is based upon the common TCM and TAM diagnostic concepts of heat, cold, dampness, dryness and wind. If you figure out the major causative factor(s) in an illness, you can easily prescribe a diet that will help overcome the problem. A simple example--if you have stomach inflammation, you would not eat a chili pepper, and if your digestion is weak and sluggish, you would not want to eat a heavy steak.

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The group of tonics called Fu Zheng are used by TCM doctors specifically for this purpose. Many of the herbs in these formulas are chosen primarily from the traditional category of Qi tonics. Qi tonics strengthen the digestion, restore energy, generate fluids and build the blood.

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I remember one particularly instructive case early in my apprenticeship with my wife Nai-shing. We saw a gentleman who had suffered from vertigo for more than a decade and gotten no relief from Western medicine. Nai-shing diagnosed him with the Chinese syndrome called Liver Wind.

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