Extreme Yin become Yang, just like how the darkest night is just before dawn. In Chinese medicine, this is applied in postpartum care. "When a woman is at her weakest, this is her opportunity to become stronger". This documentary gives a very thorough look at the kind of care new mothers must take after giving birth for a chance to strengthen her constitution.
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Thanks for reading - sorry for this extra long post. And in fine internet tradition, here is a dog-potato. Yes, I googled it and found one :P
I admit without reserve that my background is with herbal medicine. My first master was very well known within the Hurstville Chinese community and was one of the amazing practitioners that makes his diagnoses with pulse and tongue inspection alone. He was the first Chinese practitioner that I've met and I am yet come across anyone as accurate with their diagnoses and formula prescriptions or as generous with imparting their knowledge as he was. I was first his patient and then his student. Most of what I have learnt was not covered in uni (not surprisingly, since Chinese medicine was traditionally an apprenticeship type deal). It was from him that I learnt the important art of diagnosis: being able to recognise patterns of disharmony in an often complicated and sometimes conflicting set of signs and symptoms.
I had weekly consultations along with my mother (and any one else that I was able to drag along), took herbal decoctions every day, and developed a collection of raw herbs very early on in my career. This allowed me to become familiar with herbal medicine. Despite having practiced acupcture in class and at uniclinic, I feel like my relationship with it didn't really kick off until my internship in China. Being in the busy acupuncture department of a government-operated Chinese medicine hospital, I developed point location and needling techniques to sweatshop efficiency. Perhaps some practitioners out there think that this is 'it', but I am personally convinced that these are just the very basics. Hence, I often beef up my acupuncture sessions with a channel massage and cupping routine that I have learnt from another master whose career was based on this practice. It is very effective for many health conditions that involve pain. In a lot of chronic cases, I will teach the patient the routine, as well as any lifestyle observations so that they are able to manage things at home. This also goes for my patients that come to me for internal issues, long term management involves diet therapy and lifestyle observations, as well as exercises that are suitable for their body type. This is my dream: to help bring healing into every day life through conscious living practices.
classic: The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. It makes sense too - external disease are treated via external means (acupuncture) and internal diseases via internal means (herbs), as a general rule.
I cannot begin to explain the complexities involved in acupuncture - it is so much more than just selecting the right points and sticking a needle in it. As it is with herbal medicine, there many things to take be taken into account: the season, the hour, and if it is a woman that is being treated, where she is in the menstrual cycle, the way the needle is being inserted, the order in which the needles go in, their depth, the different kinds of stimulation when the needle is in, the duration that each one of them are left in... The list goes on. Practitioners that only understand dry needling will certainly not be paying attention to those things. But now, back to herbal medicine. You're spending money for a consultation, so you're going to naturally want to make sure you are seeing someone good. Here are some things to pay attention to when you seeing a herbalist: Diagnosis - this is SUPER important. The basic tools of diagnosis is pulse taking and tongue reading. I'm not going to lie here, but pulse diagnosis takes decades of experience (in a busy hospital), and when fully developed, one is able to make accurate diagnoses without the need to ask questions... Which means someone like me will still take a patient's pulse, but will need to ask a whole host of questions in order to come to an accurate diagnosis. If a practitioner is ready to give you herbs after telling them one symptom (e.g. headache, stress, fertility). They're shit. I'm sorry for being harsh, but it's bloody lazy and if they are going to charge you for something that you can do yourself (like reading the back label of a botttle) - then they don't deserve your money! Customisation - another thing that cannot be ignored is the customisation of a formula. We often tell everyone about how Chinese medicine is very individualised and everyone is different, etc etc.. But then a lot of these very same practitioners dish out the same standard formulas to patients left right and centre - what the hell are you guys doing??! I've seen too many patients that were given 'Xiao Yao San' for stress, but it's not for everyone! A lot of them are also yin deficient, and the formula contains warm herbs such as Sheng Jiang (ginger) and Dang Gui (Chinese angelica), herbs that are highly unsuitable for Yin deficiency, not to mention exacerbate damp heat (usually through bad diet), which is also very common. In short: if a practitioner who claims to be a 'herbalist' but doesn't know how to make a custom formula for their patient, they are shit. It's like going to a tailor that is sellling 'off the rack' clothing to their client, who obviously came to them for a custom fit. You know what they are? Bloody charlatans. I know not many patients are willing take raw herbs nowadays, and granules are super expensive (I don't particularly find them to be very effective either), but herbal extracts are also available - I work with Safflower, a great ethical company with high quality, customisable herbal extracts. I encourage practitioners to establish a relationship with them and help them expand their available stock. I am sure this blog entry may bring up some questions about whether my acupuncture sessions would suck because I clearly have more of a background in herbs - I assure you that they don't ;) I will address this in my next entry :) Diuretics (substances that cause your body to lose excess water through urination) these can put your kidneys under stress and is a very temporary solution, because it is fat that you want to lose, and not water (unless you have severe water retention issues, but there are healthier ways to approach this). Long term use can cause the body to become severely dehydrated. Laxatives (substances that induce bowel movements) this is again a very unhealthy solution as it disrupts nutrient absorption, which will weaken the body and can be dangerous if used over long periods of time. The Ideal Way to Approach Weightloss: Chinese herbal medicine - while there are herbs that take 'short cuts' which can achieve the above effects, but the safest, most sustainable approach will be to use formulas that regulate and boost the digestive system, speeding up metabolism. One of the "side effects" of having a more efficient digestive system is that you will be digesting food more quickly, which means that you will get hungrier quicker. It is then your duty to eat right, which leads onto the next point... Diet and eating - one of the myths associated with a 'healthy diet' is that salads are good for you... It isn't. Salads are often raw and refrigerated before eating. While I am not going to dispute its nutritional content, food that is eaten raw and cold compromise the function of the digestive system by creating un-necessary work, using up your body's precious resources to warm the food up before natural metabolic processes can take place. Warm, cooked and easily digestible foods are best, avoiding too much salt and sugar. Another thing to observe is the time in which you eat, so that your body can establish its natural rhythm, preparing stomach acids in anticipation of the next meal in a timely manner for efficient digestion. The way you eat your food should also be considered. Chew small amounts, slowly and completely. This breaks your food down into digestible pieces and coats foods in your saliva which contains enzymes that will assist in the digestive process. Naturally all of this is enhanced with a meal plan that ensures you cover all the right food groups, as an improper diet leads to low energy, meaning less capacity to exercise! I recommend seeing a nutritionist and dietician to consult on this matter - they can put you on the right path with what to include and exclude from your grocery list, as well as giving you tasty recipes that will support your weight loss goals. Exercise - something to note is that men burn more fat when they exercise before eating, women burn more fat after eating. Remember that you don't necessarily have to sweat it out at the gym using all sorts of equipment for it to count - there are many ways to exercise on your own, such as youtube yoga routines (I recommend yin yoga!) or just simply take a nice walk around the neighbourhood. For those that enjoy learning yoga routines in a friendly, sociable environment, find a nice yoga class to join in your area :) Massage and cupping - there is a special meridian massage and cupping technique that helps tighten and tone skin while removing cellulite and reduce stretch marks, providing an inside-out approach to weight loss. So far I am not sure if there are other practitioners that offer this, but I teach these skills through a three week program with tools provided so that my patients are able perform the techniques at home, speeding up results and empowering them to take charge of their own body. For more information, please visit my website.
Why waste something so powerful on something so common and easily dealt with? Centipedes are typically used for strokes, seizures, convulsions and masses/nodules.. So unless you have a massive goitre of some sort.. It's a bit of an overkill. My opinion on a lot of these 'exotic' herbal products.. Un-necessary bullshit products aimed at novelty and consumers that often think: exotic = effective. Poor centipedes are probably feeling pretty shitty for dying such a meaningless death. Also, this post was meant to be herbs in general and I ended up ranting about this. Next post then, eh.
Recreational Cannabis Use and TCM By Joni Renee Zalk, MSc, LAc Many people are drawn to cannabis for its effects physically, mentally and emotionally. Medically, cannabis has some legitimate uses, however the scope of this article is limited to the recreational use of cannabis. The following is distilled from a lecture given by Marco Lam of Boulder, Colo. Cannabis has a lot of side effects and problems with overuse, though most users choose to ignore these problems due to its psychedelic effects. While I am not a fan of the recreational use of any drug, it is not helpful to attack a patient’s choice from the get-go, rather, I must create a context for patients on how cannabis impacts their health. To do that, we must go back to the principles of Chinese medicine. In Chinese medicine, there are the Three Treasures that constitute our life. These are known as Jing, Qi and Shen. The goal of practitioners of the healing arts is to harmonize the Three Treasures. They are generally translated as essence (Jing), vitality (Qi) and spirit (Shen). I agree with everything until we get to this point: Let’s take a look at how cannabis affects the elements of the body. Using cannabis takes Jing and rapidly turns it into Qi and Shen, thus you lose a lot of essence over time, since you’re body is releasing Jing faster than the body can assimilate it. This would be similar to going to college with a large trust fund only to overspend it and find yourself pennyless after a mere two years into your four-year degree. Over spending your allotted Jing makes one understand why people who consume a lot of drugs might look like they are aging faster than is normal. I respectfully disagree. Big assumption to make, since she is unable to back this up with an explanation of ‘how’. It’s easy to say that drugs deplete Jing, as it’s very convenient to do so. Because ‘drugs are soooo bad for you’. Ok so here is my theory: Cannabis strongly soothes liver Qi. Let me elaborate. The liver, in TCM Five Element theory is Wood. And consequently it is associated with personal growth and development, desires, creativity, imagination.. Hey that sounds so familiar, right? Because I am a professional and don’t smoke so I had no idea until I stumbled across wiki’s description of the effects of Cannabis: "...acute effects of cannabis ingestion, such as euphoria and anxiety. Some effects may include a general alteration of conscious perception,euphoria, feelings of well-being, relaxation or stress reduction, increased appreciation of the arts, including humor and music (especially discerning its various components/instruments), joviality,metacognition and introspection, enhanced recollection (episodic memory), increased sensuality, increased awareness of sensation, increased libido,[36] and creativity. Abstract or philosophical thinking, disruption of linear memory andparanoia or anxiety are also typical. This is what you are meant to feel like if you are that peak of health (when your Liver Qi is running unobstructed). However, when it is, Liver Qi becomes stagnated. This give rise to anger, irritation, depression and feel ‘stuck’.. All of these these which go away when under the effect of Cannabis. I hope you see what I am getting at here. I have actually tried it on a few patients that had liver qi issues. I had reports of happiness and a ‘high’ feeling when I gave them a formulation filled with liver soothing herbs and tonics. Which led me to form this theory. If you are a fellow practitioner, please feel free to let me know your thoughts. Wood Disharmony Cannabis users are many times the deepest visionaries of society. They want to be in deep alignment with their spirit and shine bright into the world. The liver is the General and Force of Direction. The impact on liver yang (how?) and where did this come from? She said it impacted on Jing. Now it impacts on liver yang too? Ok. is that in the short term, there is a creativity and expanded visionary process. Longer term, there is a weakened visionary process and inability to take action. When the liver, an emotional organ, gets upset, red eyes, irritability and depression set in. Women have a disruption in menses with worsened PMS symptoms. It is true that soothing Qi continuously can cause Heat. Qi is warm in nature after all. It is therefore very important to balance the yang out with yin. Foods that nourish liver yin will solve that issue. Tomatoes are very good for nourishing liver yin, as well as carrot. Or liver yin tonic herbs made into a tea. Goji berries + Bai shao (Peony root) are highly recommended. Tastes great too. Fire Ablaze In Chinese, the word for “heart” (hsin) is also used to denote “mind.” The Shen resides in the heart, and as one sleeps, blood goes into the heart and calms the Shen. Upon awakening, they feel refreshed. When cannabis goes into fire of the heart (how?), it might seem innocuous at first. While awake, sudden flashes of anger arise and paranoia sets in. Without a strong Shen, one seems “lost” and sleep becomes restless and disturbed with nightmares and heart palpitations. This can happen when liver is already in excess. In the generating cycle, Wood feeds Fire. When Wood is in excess, the fire from the wood can overact on Fire. To combat this, liver yang descending/liver yin herbs can be used to balance this out. In most cases, a combination of both is suitable. Earth Scorched When fire scorches the earth, the yin of earth gets depleted, and the body has similar symptoms of hypoglycaemia; blood sugar drops and the appetite is constantly hungry. If one is not in touch with what nourishes them (meaning that there is no problem if you do), then they will eat random things, and might gain weight. Women will be prone to yeast and bladder infections because of the dampness from accumulated sugars eaten. OK, so basically eat the right stuff and you’ll be fine. So snack on some nourishing fruit, nuts and you’ll be fine. Metal, Too Weak To Cut Cannabis affects the lungs, skin and immunity. Specific symptomology are: the lungs and skin get dry and there will be deep red-hot pimples on the large intestine meridians on the face (around the mouth) and chest/upper back area surrounding the lungs. There is typically a chronic cough with mucus. Long term, there might be asthma/eczema or random staph infections. Regular cannabis smokers have respiratory issues such as lung qi deficiency with a heat (sometimes producing little yellow phlegm nuggets in the mornings). Again, this can easily be balanced out by eating fruits (or drink juices) that are cool in nature, like melon, nashi, pears and apples, Avoid tropical fruit. It’ll keep your metal sharp as. Lung Qi tonics like Huang Qi (Astragalus root) and if you can afford it.. American ginseng is the shit. It tonifies Qi, it nourishes yin, it cools heat. It’s the smoker’s (and drug taker’s) herb. Best tasting in a tea with honey. If you are hardcore like me, you’d buy them in whole roots and chew it in your mouth, letting it gradually dissolve (drinking warm water in between). This latter method allows your body to directly absorb the qi of the herb. It is a little bitter though. You will also find that the herb gives you the benefit of mental alertness too. Win win! Water Depleted By tapping into the water of the kidneys, the Jing is depleted This is something that I contend with. Jing is a very precious resource, yes, but we dont’ deplete it the minute water is being depleted!!! It will be true if you don’t drink and nourish yourself soon after, but your body will tell you by signs of thirst. Water is good enough, but fruit will be best. Or herbs that nourish the lungs. She is being a little overly dramatic here, she needs to have a little smoke. There is fire from the heart meridian and vision from the liver, but not enough energy to produce a result. Long-term users might suffer from lower back achiness, which is a sign that reserves are being tapped heavily. Note. This will happen first. But there are many other things that cause back ache too. If you have a continuous dull ache, that’s another thing entirely. The continuous depletion of the Jing and kidney energy diminishes sex-drive in both men and women. In some cases of over consumption, erectile dysfunction (ED) has been noted in men as early as their twenties. I doubt that is as a result of smoking too much marijuana because people drink when they are thirsty.. Lastly, vaporizers are gaining much momentum, but are just as bad as it takes Jing and uses it the same way that regular cannabis smoke does. I still find them rather drying. (I vaped tea leaves to experiment the other day). Other Issues Cannabis has a cooling effect over time; it stimulates the liver yang in the beginning, but it depletes it in the long run, so the net effect is cooling, which the body counteracts by producing heat. Thus, women who overuse cannabis might find themselves suffering from hot flashes, similar to that of a pre-menopausal woman. A combination of birth control pills and cannabis has created one of the worst female reproductive health issues of all time with a surge of ovarian cysts, fibroids and dysmenorrhea. Additionally, as stated above, the continuous depletion of the Jing, or kidney energy, diminishes sex-drive. If you find yourself attracting a lot of patients who regularly use cannabis, whether inhaled or eaten, you might have a gift for attracting people who are seeking enlightenment and transformation. Cannabis use, especially when used recreationally, can lead directly to that feeling of going inward to seek enlightenment and opening up channels of creativity. Many are addicted to this feeling, and therefore continue to use it, despite the fact that the enlightenment that they felt was only fleetingly attainable, but not sustainable. In order to attain the enlightenment that we seek, we must integrate and assimilate the information more than once to be able to transform, not just access it once or twice artificially. When at the peak of health, many have experienced “highs” practicing yoga, tai qi and meditation, leading to longer-lasting positive insights and energy. In fact, the goal of Transcendental Meditation is enlightenment. The difference between these natural ways to seek enlightenment and recreational drug use is that the latter is the lazy way to find enlightenment because no work was involved, along with the negative side effects from the body trying to re-balance. LAZY WAY!! HA ALL YOU LAZY POT SMOKERS!! No work is involved! I am beginning to fuckin hate this bitch. I was recently told by a patient, “If I don’t smoke weed, then I can’t shut off my brain. I do calculus problems as I’m trying to sleep, and I never get any rest!” This reminds me of all the genius peers I saw from middle school to college who smoked in order to get some peace of mind. The woman above is a chemical engineering student and mother of three. She was forced to stop smoking when she got pregnant with her third child, and came to me for a cure to stop smoking for the sake of her baby. She was a patient even before getting pregnant. I would watch with interest as she would tell me a story, but as the ending got near, her temper would flare: she would raise her voice (volume, tempo and pitch), as she couldn’t control her emotions since her liver fire was out of control. Sometimes she would end shaking and crying, only to move on to another subject almost immediately. As was normal, she would have a reddish hue on her cheeks, and red-hot pimples around her mouth in the large intestine region. I knew she was a regular cannabis user even before she told me. NO. These are NOT signs of a cannabis smoker. Liver fire ablaze is a very common pattern and a lot of it is associated with stress. She is making this muthafuckin’ shit up. For herbs, I recommend formulas to calm the Shen or one to raise GABA. GABA is the neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits panic and anxiety (and quiets the brain). I am a little disappointed that she doesn’t seem to know how to calm Shen through TCM means. No suggestion of herbs, how to balance each disharmony. Nothing of that sort. She just went straight to a supplement product for Shen calming. What about all the other problems that you mentioned? WTF. Are you even a TCM practitioner? Modern day stress has – for many people – causes a deficiency in GABA. Most people do not get better simply by taking GABA which is available over the counter at most health food stores. Formulas with Magnesium, L-Taurine, Valerian and Lithium, will calm the nervous system. As with the patient above, when I gave her a formula to naturally induce her own stores of GABA, she was helped tremendously. As her body was detoxing from cannabis, she would sporadically experience extremely calm moments similar to feeling “stoned.” I have also given these formulas to patients with diagnosed bipolar disorder during their manic phases and patients with extreme anxiety, which also causes a similar feeling that the brain is over-stimulated and cannot power off. Recovering from Each Cannabis Session For all the creative vision cannabis provides, it uses a tremendous amount of resources. We must guard the Jing like the treasure that it is. Encourage your patients to have awareness and consciousness around the usage in order to know how many resources it consumes. It seems innocuous at first, but it takes a toll, and it’s a heavy price to pay. Depending on frequency of consumption, reducing or eliminating cannabis will yield similar results to any type of detox, such as cravings and irritability. Therefore, it is best to help your patients find a ritual during the transition process. For patients that refuse to quit smoking, herbal remedies such as Sha Shen Mai Men Dong will help to protect their yin and kidney organs. Umm.. These herbs are lung yin nourishing herbs.. Not kidney. I guess she never really intended for another TCM practitioner to call her out on her bullshit. This is what pisses me off. People that fuckin study and come out not knowing their shit, but hide behind their degrees, spouting nonsense. And there are people out there publishing their shit too! Fuck me. I am apologising on my industry’s behalf. There are just too many shit people practising in my profession these days. Sigh. Ok sorry, rant over. Bedside Manner Understanding the psychological reasons why someone would want to use cannabis will go a long way in gaining compassion for the patient. There is no harm in kindly asking a patient if the price is worth paying. If the patient feels it is part of their journey, then work with the patient on how to respect the herb (rather than abuse it). Ask instead how to evolve and appreciate the herb for deeper growth. This is actually something that I believe in too, in a way. Some drugs do deplete your Jing and therefore shorten life. The goal is to create an environment of supporting the righteous qi, orzheng qi. Ask them why they are trying to self-medicate and what they are trying to escape or accomplish. The answer might be a little distorted when they’re using drugs. Our struggle as practitioners is trying to figure out how to speak to the being inside of them that wants to get better. After all, it might seem odd (or even wrong) to many people that we choose to use ancient Chinese herbal formulas or homeopathy rather than Western medicine, but it is our right to do so, even if some do not agree with it. Treatment: Liver tonics, and Qi soothing and calming formulas, with additional herbs to rest the shen and nourish the lungs and tonify qi. Lifestyle Observations: Sleep according to the organ clock, which is on or before 11pm, avoid stimulants such as coffee, chilli and sugar in moderation Acupunture/acupressure: Sanyinjiao. It is a point that is perfect for this kind of disharmony. It tonifies the Liver, Spleen and Kidneys. A point I would recommend for most people, except pregnant ladies. Here is a link on further info and how to locate, etc. Press on the point until you feel a deep sensation (you’ll know when you find it) and hold it there for a minute, taking deep breaths. Can TCM recreate this high? Yes. I created this by combining ALOT of liver and kidney yin tonics, as well as liver qi soothing herbs. So far, three patients have reported a high from it. Joni Renee Zalk, MSc, LAc, completed her Master’s degree in Chinese Medicine at Middlesex University in London. Along with a part-time practice, Joni provides business consulting for clinics and offers several seminars on natural childbirth options. You can find her at www.DivineAcupuncture.com. Page from: http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=33013&no_paginate=true&no_b=true
every practitioner $500 a year? On their site, they boast about 'registering 630, 000+ practitioners' and assuming that everyone pays $500 a year, that's at least $315 MILLION in revenue. What is the money used for? Protecting the public from practitioners that can't afford to pay their fees? It just highlights their one real purpose: MONEY to line their fat pockets. They are obviously aware of the challenges that a Chinese medicine practitioner faces, like patients are having to be completely out of pocket unless they have private health cover and Medicare covering GPs performing 'acupuncture' without understanding the underlying theory. To deny any allowances for a struggling practitioner practically screams 'we don't give a shit about practitioners, just give us our money', making our profession one for the privileged.
Most people don't know the difference the quality of the service between an acupuncturist that has learnt the art for years, and a GP's skills learnt from a weekend course. But still, most people will go for the 'shit but free' over 'quality and having to pay'. It takes years for a practitioner to build up their reputation and earn a viable living, often being forced to take on jobs on the side to pay for the following annual fees: - AHPRA registration - Association fees (both of which are legally required) - First aid course - Professional insurance - CPD 'points' (paid seminars! YAY) All of this amounts to over a thousand dollars, whether or not you are earning enough. Most of the other professions are covered by medicare, so they have no problems getting patients, but how is a first year Chinese medicine practitioner supposed to pay for all of that and still be able to afford to cover all the expenses involved in running a business as well as living expenses? This DOES NOT do the public ANY FAVOURS, It forces practitioners into survival mode, often compromising the quality of care over the money that they have earn to make ends meet, such as shortening treatments and making services unaffordable for the average person. I've applied to be part of the reference group for the Chinese Medicine Board which aims to "enhance a common understanding of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme from the differing perspectives of key stakeholders".. I wonder if this post is going to jeopardise my chances? At this point, I'm too pissed off to care. Hey AHPRA, here is what I think of your stupid fees and payment policy: This is a tribute post in honor of a close friend who passed away earlier this year. He was one of the most genuine, kind and generous people that I have ever met. He was a drop of pure water fresh from an untouched spring in the peak of an unknown mountain. He was a talented artist that budded naturally on his own, and a visionary with admirable dreams of creating a world where everyone loved each other unquestionably and without judgement. His soul was too beautiful and innocent for this often ugly and harsh world.
Thank you Niels for giving me the courage to pursue my dreams and teaching me that giving up was not an option. I will not be here without you. I love you, Niels. Rest in peace. Before anyone jumps down my throat crying 'BUT YOU ARE NOT TRAINED TO TREAT ANIMALS!!!' - let me assure you that Chinese medicine is very practical and once the underlying principles are understood, the applications are very much the same, except of course there some differences to consider, such as the anatomy and chemistry, as well as having to rely more on observation as I can't speak Dog. Another thing to take note is of course the crazy prices that vets charge.. Can you imagine how much MORE a vet that practices Chinese medicine will charge? I was ripped off by one such a-hole vet, who supposedly practices Chinese med - don't worry, I'll make a special post just for them later 👍 So anyway, I reference Xie's Veterinary Herbology heavily to ensure that the herbs and the quantities that I use are not going to harm my fur babies, plus I love them, which means no one will give more of a shit about them than I do, so they will be getting the best care from yours truly.
Amongst all the shitty meaningless music about relationships, sex and money, I was very surprised to find a song that is actually about something really matters... Pretty impressed that it was a mainstream artist too. The lyrics pretty much sums up my frustration with negligent GPs that prescribe medications without a second thought for their patients (including my mother's GP, who assured her that taking aspirin long term will have ZERO side effects, and recently, when my very petite friend whose doctor prescribed her Duromine (legal speed) to help her 'lose weight'.. With no explanation of side effects. She almost had a car accident because it affected her concentration! A big personal 'F you' to the GPs who don't gave a stuff to their patients from me 😁) Good on ya for bringing awareness to this, Macklemore!
Lyrics: "Drug Dealer" (with Ryan Lewis) (feat. Ariana DeBoo) [Macklemore:] They said it wasn't a gateway drug My homie was takin' subs and he ain't wake up The whole while, these billionaires, stay caked up Paying out congress so we take their drugs Murderers who will never face the judge And we dancin' to a song about our face goin' numb But I seen homies turn grey, noses draining blood I could've been gone, out 30's, faded in that tub That's Prince, Michael and Whitney, that's Amy, Ledger and Pimp C That's Yams, that's DJ A.M God damn they're making a killing Now it's getting attention cause Sara, Katey and Billy But this shit's been going one from Seattle out to South Philly It just moved out about the city And spread out to the 'burbs Now it's everybody's problem, got a nation on the verge Take Activis off the market, jack the price up on the syrup But Purdue Pharma's 'bout to move that work [Ariana DeBoo:] My drug dealer was a doctor, doctor Had the plug from Big Pharma, Pharma He said that he would heal me, heal me But he only gave me problems, problems My drug dealer was a doctor, doctor Had the plug from Big Pharma, Pharma I think he trying to kill me, kill me He tried to kill me for a dollar, dollar [Macklemore:] And these devil's they keep on talkin' to me They screamin' "open the bottle," I wanna be at peace My hand is gripping that throttle, I'm running out of speed Tryin' close my eyes but I keep sweatin' through these sheets, through these sheets Four horseman, they won't let me forget I wanna forge a prescription, cause doctor I need some more of it When morphine and heroin is more of your a budget I said I'd never use a needle, but sure, fuck it I'm caught up, I'm on one, I'm nauseous No options, exhausted This is not what I started Walkin' carcass, I lost everything I wanted My blinds drawn, too gone to leave this apartment [Ariana DeBoo:] My drug dealer was a doctor, doctor Had the plug from Big Pharma, Pharma He said that he would heal me, heal me But he only gave me problems, problems My drug dealer was a doctor, doctor Had the plug from Big Pharma, Pharma I think he trying to kill me, kill me He tried to kill me for a dollar, dollar [Macklemore:] More, more, more Re-up, re-up Death certificate signed the prenup Ain't no coming back from this percocet Actavis, ambien, adderral, xanax binge Best friends with the thing that's killing me Enemies with my best friend, there's no healing me Refilling these, refilling these They say it's death, death Institutions and DOC's So God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change Courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference And the wisdom to know the difference
mainstream medicine, they need to offer a sustainable solution to their patients.. NOT in the form of nutritional supplements, nor in any magical pill. Simply put.. There are no short cuts to good health. Proper diet, exercise and daily habits is only way to achieve and sustain good health.
Naturally, it will take a very special kind of patient to fully benefit from my services. They will have to be open to learning about their bodies, the hows and whys, so that they understand that the things that they do, the food that they eat, the emotions that they feel can affect their bodies. This way, they can take full responsibility for their health... Which means that they will eventually get to a point where they become self-sufficient through living consciously, as well as learning self-management skills and techniques, eventually no longer needing 'treatments' from me. OK I am sorry, I know I promised a post on another topic, but I feel like I really need to vent my spleen (I know it's a much more appropriate title, but I loved family guy before it went down the slippery slope - but we're not here to talk about that). As a fresh graduate, all passionate and ready to begin my career, I've noticed a few things about other practitioners that really bother me and they are:
Practitioners who don't know their stuff. I am part of many TCM professional groups on facebook and I would often see practitioners asking for advice like 'what points do I needle for xx ailment/xx symptom/xx disease name'. This is not Chinese medicine anymore. This approach is one that many practitioners end up using because TCM diagnosis is such a 'tangle'.. So they go back to the simplified and familiar 'one pill for any headache' approach. 'Just needle xx and xx and presto! Headache gone, next patient. I can't speak enough against this approach, because these practitioners are not offering very much value in a treatment. You can actually pick up any acupuncture book and try all the points that have 'headaches' in their description and give yourself the treatment using acupressure and save your money... Because that's what they are doing anyway! And don't even mention herbs.. The ones that don't know their stuff will not know how to customise your formula and would often prescribe you pre-made fornulas.. Where not all the herbs will apply to your condition. Practitioners who are too full of themselves. This is often in combination with ignorance and smugness (see above). A fellow practitioner recently coined the term 'Master of the Universe', which describes them too bloody well. The scary thing is, a lot of these jerks are very loud (or well-known) in the industry and are often teachers and lecturers. I recently had a run-in with one that claimed they were not practising TCM, but 'five element acupuncture'... And then there are the ones that are downright charlatans, making up stuff for the knowledge gap that they never bothered to fill... And this can sometimes be really basic stuff that I would expect a practitioner to know. And OH MY GOD the show offs.. 'Look what I've fixed, I'm so awesome., Here are the pics' posts. Unless you are genuinely writing up a case so others can learn from it.. .Shut. Up. Keep it on your website FFS. Tight-lipped practitioners who are worried that someone 'might steal their precious family healing secrets' (yes, I said it out loud in that mocking tone as I wrote that) - yeah screw you. I'm not talking about the ones that are choosy about the character of their students, because that, I understand. This is more for the practitioners that don't want to share their knowledge because they are afraid of competition. Well guess what? There's no such thing. The world is huge.. And there are A LOT of people that need healing. Take that with you to the grave, for all the good that it's going to do for the world. You know the phrase "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference"..? Well I may not be able to fix jerky practitioners, I know that I can help fellow TCM practitioners who are are willing to put their stupid pride aside and admit: that they don't know. Be willing and open to learn new things so that you can their diagnosis right.. This has got to be the most essential part of TCM, as it guides treatment. Let's a have a chat. I am not going to lie and say that I can help with any case, but I still have access to my sifu (master).. Don't treat in the dark, know your stuff so you can deliver the best value for your patients. Email me, call me and if I can't help you, then let's go chat to my sifu :) In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), there really isn't such a thing as 'specialisation'. After all, TCM's view of health is balance. When this balance is tipped, we seek to correct this imbalance. In the end, it would be practically impossible to just focus on one part of the system, as one imbalance will tip the balance of something else.
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Other Posts
1. Why I don't specialise
2. What really grinds my gears 3. Dear patients: don't come back! 4. ♫ My Drug Dealer was a Doctor ♪ 5. Yes, I treat my pets! 6. A tribute to my friend Niels 7. AHPRA: pay up or you can't practice 8. Drugs and Chinese medicine - Marijuana 9. Chinese herbal medicine - centipede cough pills 10. Weight loss and Chinese Medicine 11. Characteristics of a Good Chinese Herbalist 12. My Background/Treatments 13. Caring for Older Dogs 14: Chinese Postpartum Care Archives |