Herbal Medicine
294 Tempered by Fire, Responding to Covid with Chinese Medicine • Daniel Altschuler
Amidst the chaos of contagion and windstorm of viral woes, Chinese medicine offers ancient remedies, and beyond that, perspectives to guide us through the turmoil.
In this conversation with Daniel Altschuler, we delve into the Covid19 pandemic's tumultuous past and the challenges of the present. We discuss its parallels to the 2003 SARS epidemic, the long-term issues with some viruses, questions surrounding the vaccine, and the multifaceted approaches of East Asian medicine in treating these wind viruses.
282 Five Gentleman of Flavor, Taste & Nature • L Stiteler, B Bernadsky, S Feeney, F Griffo, A Ellis
Today’s conversation is one borne out of synchronicity. What was scheduled to be a 3-person panel discussion with Simon Feeney, Loren Stiteler, and Boris Bernadsky turned out to be a ‘party’ as Andy Ellis and Frank Griffo joined us. The outcome was a lively exchange that covered diverse topics around herbs. We mulled over the flavor-based nature of herbalism, the shortcomings of our education system, the variability of herbs, and the processing/preparation of Chinese herbs
274 Panel on Wei Qi, Ann Cecil-Sterman, Laurie Ayres & Zhongxian Wu
I recently got to thinking about Wei qi, especially as we are moving into the dark of the year in the northern hemisphere, and I realized that I hear discussions about wei qi, and how we should attend to it, or nourish it. Often enough, perhaps too often, we equate wei qi with the immune system. And think about strength, rather than balance. What’s more, the commonly used formulas that are famous for ‘stabilizing or strengthening the exterior” are frequently prescribed without any kind of actual differential diagnosis. Concerns about effectiveness and maybe even safety naturally arise.
268 Men's Health • Lisa Lapwing
Chinese medicine is a godsend for women's health. There are plenty of resources for us to tap into, and our medicine is great at addressing the challenges women face through their reproductive years and beyond. But what about the other half of the population? Well, not so much.
Men's health is often shrouded in invisible inequality. Some of it is cultural, men seek medical attention less frequently than women. Generally speaking, men aren’t as proactive in seeking to resolve health concerns, we pride ourselves on toughing through problems.
I would have thought that there would be more in our East Asian medicine toolkit for treating men’s reproductive or sexual issues, But if you look, you will not that much. It’s a bare storehouse compared to the treasure house of medicine and methods we have for women’s health.
247 Menopause, the transformative gateway of connection • Kath Berry
Change is inevitable. Our lives are a series of transitions. Winter blooms into spring. Weekends slow down to Mondays. Puberty arrives and rearranges our psyche, feelings, and sense of self. And for half the population, menopause occurs. Change is constant in life. It’s always swirling around us, pulling us into its wake, and some changes are more transformative than others.
236 Understanding Western Medicine Through the Lens of Chinese Medicine • Dr Wen Hua-Bing
Dr. Wen received his medical degree from the prestigious Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) in 1987 and graduated with highest honors. This earned him direct entry into the graduate program in Integrated Clinical Medicine where he was...
235 Reflections on Practice and Business • Cara Frank
Whether you're a young or seasoned practitioner, opening your own Chinese medicine practice is an exciting , daunting and worthwhile challenge. There's a lot that goes into being a practitioner—beyond the medicine part of it. You have to learn how...
Qiological Audio Journal, Winter 2021 • QAJ003
Welcome to the third edition of the Qiological Audio Journal. The audio journal is a collection of interviews, discussions, clinical cases that help to illuminate the classics, book reviews, some business acumen and practical clinical skills to...
225 The Pernicious Influence of Depressive Heat • Rob Helmer
The fundamentals root our practice. The basics that we learn in the beginning not only never go away, but deepen with experience. This is why regardless of lineage or method, Chinese medicine practitioners can communicate with each other as we...
219 Historical Context, Breaking Down Dogma, and Learning from Crisis Moments • Allen Tsuar
There are many schools of thought, methods both ancient and modern, practices based on lineage and those idiosyncratically synthetic. It is easy to think that what you understand is correct, and all too often medicine is practiced with a bit of an...