Ovarian cysts are small fluid-filled sacs that develop in a woman’s ovaries.  Most cysts are harmless, but some may cause problems such as rupturing, bleeding, or pain; and surgery may be required to remove the cyst(s).

In Traditional Chinese Medicine cysts are considered an accumulation of phlegm and/or blood stagnation.  This is predominantly a Yin Pathology where fluid is accumulates due to an overabundance of water and phlegm.  In treating cysts, the main treatment goal is to tonify the kidneys, transform dampness and phlegm and move blood stasis.

Yang energy is required to encourage the break up of cysts.  Yang is the warming and moving aspect of life.  To boost Yang energy and decrease the sinking, heaviness of Yin energy, acupuncture, herbs and dietary therapy are employed.

Acupuncture Therapy

Certain points along the meridians tonify Yang.  There are many ways to do this.  Many treatments are aimed at nourishing the Kidneys especially when the person is susceptible to cold, has back problems, weight gain, phlegm and fatigue.  Others treatments are geared towards raising the Spleen Qi especially if the person has digestive issues, insomnia, bruises easily and feels fatigue.  Additionally, it is important to move blood in order to disperse stagnation.  I often use a heat lamp and castor oil packs on the abdomen to facilitate movement.

Herbal Therapy

Traditional Chinese Herbal formulas are a synergistic interplay of 5-20 herbs.  Some warming herbs include Cinnamon bark and spices such as Tumeric, Cardamom, Cayenne Pepper and Saffron. Some herbs that help eliminate phlegm and dampness include Barley and Orange Peel.

Dietary Therapy

Dietary therapy is an intrinsic element to Traditional Chinese Medicine.  If you are trying to reduce the growth of cysts it is imperative to reduce or eliminate phlegm producing foods such as:

* cheese
* ice cream
* soy
* wheat
* sugar

There are many different types of cysts.  The following list is from the Mayo Clinic:

• Follicular cyst: This type of simple cyst can form when ovulation does not occur or when a mature follicle involutes (collapses on itself).  A follicular cyst usually forms at the time of ovulation and can grow to about 2.3 inches in diameter.  The rupture of this type of cyst can create sharp severe pain on the side of the ovary on which the cyst appears.  This sharp pain occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, during ovulation.

• Corpus luteum cyst: This type of functional ovarian cyst occurs after an egg has been released from a follicle.  After this happens, the follicle becomes what is known as a corpus luteum.  If a pregnancy doesn’t occur, the corpus luteum usually breaks down and disappears.  It may, however, fill with fluid or blood and persist on the ovary.  Usually, this cyst is found on only one side and produces no symptoms.

• Hemorrhagic cyst: This type of functional cyst occurs when bleeding occurs within a cyst.

• Dermoid cyst: This is a type of benign tumor sometimes referred to as mature cystic teratoma.  It is an abnormal cyst that usually affects younger women and may grow to 6 inches in diameter.   A dermoid cyst can contain other types of growths of body tissues such as fat and occasionally bone, hair, and cartilage.

• Endometriomas or endometrioid cysts: Part of the condition known as endometriosis, this type of cyst is formed when endometrial tissue (the lining tissue of the uterus) is present on the ovaries.  It affects women during the reproductive years and may cause chronic pelvic pain associated with menstruation.

• Polycystic-appearing ovary: Polycystic-appearing ovary is diagnosed based on its enlarged size – usually twice that of normal – with small cysts present around the outside of the ovary.

Although Traditional Chinese Medicine is highly effective you need to allow time for the treatments to work.  Even if you see an immediate improvement in energy, sleep, mood, etc. it often takes at least three months of regular treatments to change existing patterns of disharmony.

A recent article in the New York Times explored impurities in a few poor quality herbal supplements that supposedly aid in weight loss and low libido.  We are saddened that these products exist and are giving Chinese herbs a bad reputation.  We would like to reassure our patients that purchasing herbal products and supplements appropriately prescribed by a licensed professional is safe and inocuous.

I think it is sometimes easy to forget that herbs are medicine.  With so many supplements and herbs available over the counter, it is easy to assume that they are natural and thus, harmless.  The Chinese herbal system is beautiful and complex and takes years to understand.  The herbs can be very powerful and potent substances.  They range from something as simple as a Chinese date (Da Zao) or a Goji berry (Gou Qi Zi) to powerful purgatives like Gan Sui (Euphorbia) or Yang tonifying herbs like Fu Zi (prepared Aconite).   Just like Western medicine pharmaceuticals, the herbs are meant to be prescribed for each individual depending on their current symptoms and constitution.  Taken inappropriately, some herbs can be harmful, but those same harmful herbs can heal a difficult condition when prescribed by an experienced practitioner.

Licensed practitioners of Chinese medicine have a Master’s of Science degree and are certified by attending accredited graduate schools for four years in order to learn the complex art of acupuncture and prescribing Chinese herbs.  Just as you wouldn’t trust a small obscure shop with vaguely labeled products to provide your heart disease or diabetes medicine, you shouldn’t buy herbal pills or supplements from them either; especially when they are making claims like easy weight loss or cures for low libido.

We sometimes have patients in our clinic who are wary of taking Chinese herbs because they’ve read articles like the one recently in the NYT.  We are happy to work with you at your comfort level and never push our patients to take herbs, but we want to take a moment to explain the precautions taken by our herbal companies to ensure purity and safety, so you can feel confident and get maximum benefit from your treatments with us.

At The YinOva Center we use herbs from two of the best herbal companies in the world.  Both follow stringent guidelines created by the FDA to ensure the highest quality product.  The herbs are identified, tested and retested using the following scientific techniques: TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography for proper herb species identification), microbial testing for potential harmful pathogens, Gas Chromatography (tests for the presence of over 200 harmful pesticides, herbicides and fungicides), HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, which tests for the correct concentrations of active medicinal ingredients), and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, which tests for heavy metals). Both companies have their own private herb farms, with strict growing conditions and both have their own government regulated and approved laboratories.

To get the most out of your health dollars, you should seek guidance when purchasing vitamin and herbal supplements.   Products sold over the counter can be unregulated and inconsistent with their ingredients when coming from unreliable companies.  We urge you to do a little research to make sure you are getting what you pay for.   We also urge you to obtain Chinese herbal medicine from licensed, experienced practitioners only.   Typically, negative effects from herbs are either due to substances in the supplement that shouldn’t be there (like the pharmaceuticals mentioned in the NYT article) or from untested herbs (containing chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals that are toxic).  In our history as a center we thankfully have never had a negative experience with our herbs.  We give credit to the wonderful herb companies we source and their hard work to keep our herbs pure, yet potent and to our experienced, diligent staff of acupuncturists.

Jan was a 35 year old woman who came to see me because her periods were so heavy that she had been diagnosed with anemia.

Carla was a 45 year old woman whose abdomen protruded so much that her friend had mistakenly thought she was pregnant.

Lauren was a 39 year old woman who was having difficulty conceiving.

All the above names have been changed to protect the privacy of our patients.

What all these women had in common were uterine fibroids which are benign tumors of the uterus which can cause pelvic pain, abdominal swelling, abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility. They are made of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue. They can be located either outside or inside the uterus. They range in size from a pea to a melon, but they are usually between the size of an orange and a grapefruit.

In my practice I see them very regularly which is not surprising as an estimated 20 – 30% of women aged between 35 and 50 suffer from fibroids making them the most common structural abnormality of the uterus. Some women have them and never know but for many women, such as the one’s described above, they do cause problems.

Herbs and acupuncture can help reduce the size of fibroids but in my experience are unlikely to make them magically disappear altogether. With this in mind its important to consult your GYN and use Chinese medicine as an adjunct to what she recommends. That having been said, I have had very good results using Chinese herbal formulas such as Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan to reduce the size and unpleasant side effects of uterine fibroids.

Fibroids grow in response to excess estrogen in the system which means that you need to reduce your exposure to external sources of estrogen and support your liver whose job it is to process estrogen for you. In Chinese medicine fibroids are related to blood stagnation and so promoting the circulation of blood in the pelvic area is recommended. There is often an emotional element to fibroids and it can be helpful to explore and address that. So when developing your self-help regimen you should focus on these areas.

1. Limiting your exposure to eternal estrogens
2. Supporting your liver
3. Moving blood in the pelvic area.
4. Exploring the emotions associated with your fibroids

1. Limiting Your Exposure to Exogenous Estrogens

Controlling how much estrogen you take in is difficult in our estrogen-laden environment. The problem is that chemical estrogens have ways of entering our food and water supply. Agricultural chemicals and pesticides mimic the activity of estrogen, provoking heightened estrogen receptivity on estrogen receptor sites. Urine, contaminated with high levels of residual estrogen from birth control pills, can seep back into water supplies through inadequate sewage treatment procedures. Plastic wrap can leach estrogen-like compounds into our food. Obviously, estrogen replacement therapy at menopause or the contraceptive pill can worsen uterine fibroids due to increased levels of circulating estrogen.

What to do:

• Many women find that adopting a low fat, high fiber, mostly vegetarian diet is helpful.
• If you are overweight, lose a few pounds – excess fat increases the amount of estrogen in your system.
• Avoid hormonally treated meat and dairy
• Eat as much organic produce as you can
• Avoid refined and hydrogenated oils
• Eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflour, kale and brussels sprouts. These contain a phytonutrient called diindolylmethane (DIM) which supports the activity of enzymes that improve estrogen metabolism. Scientific research shows diindolylmethane increases the level of “good” estrogens (2-hydroxyestrogen) while reducing the level of “bad” estrogens (16-hydroxyestrogen).
• Soy and soy products are a controversial issue. Many alternative practitioners suggest that phytoestrogens (from plants) bond with receptor sites in the body and stop the uptake of more harmful xeonestrogen (from chemicals). This theory makes sense intuitively but over the years I have seen enough women whose fibroids have grown under the influence of phytoestrogens in herbs and foods to suggest avoiding these foods especially processed soy products. Flax seeds, which are also phytoestrogens, seem to be much gentler and I have never seen them produce an adverse effect

2. Supporting your liver

One of your liver’s many jobs is to break down estrogens. It has a much harder time doing this if it is detoxifying all the other substances that it is expected to tackle on a daily basis.

What to do:

• Avoid alcohol.
• Avoid coffee.
• To stimulate the liver you can use lemon juice, and put bitter greens such as dandelion greens, endive and raddichio in your salad.
• You can take liver-supporting herbs including dandelion root, milk thistle, burdock, artichoke and turmeric.
• B vitamins also aid the liver and are recommended. They can be added in the form of whole foods (such as lentils, rice bran, and blackstrap molasses) or supplements. Vitamin B6, in particular, enhances the breakdown and removal of estrogen from the body.
• At the YinOva Center we sell a month long herbal detox made by Blessed Herbs which we find to be very helpful as part of a detoxification strategy .
• Flax seed oil improves liver function and although it contains phytoestrogens does not seem to cause the same problems as processed soy products.

3. Moving blood in the pelvic area.

In Chinese medicine impeded blood circulation in the pelvic area over time can lead to denser and denser tissue eventually resulting in fibroids.

What to do:

• Make sure to include omega 3 fatty acids in your diet which prevent abnormal blood clotting. You can do this by eating fatty fish and if you want to learn more about beneficial fats please see my blog entry on the subject.
• Apply a caster oil pack to the lower abdomen during the 5 days before your period and during the period itself. The only exception to this is if you are trying to get pregnant when you should only use the caster oil pack during your period. The pack invigorates the blood and helps the lymphatic system move debris. Apply caster oil to your abdomen, cover the area with plastic wrap them place a heating pack or hot water bottle on top. This should be warm not scalding. If it is too hot place a towel between the hot pack and the plastic wrap. Do this twice a day.
• Regular moderate exercise – helps improve circulation.
• Regular warm baths can be helpful especially if you add essential oils such as frankincense and lavender.
• Regular acupuncture can promote blood flow in the pelvic area and thus help reduce fibroids.

4. Exploring the emotions associated with your fibroids

Over the years I have noticed that women with certain emotional issues are more prone to fibroids. For instance women whose fibroids bleed profusely are often overwhelmed and unable to cope with their workload. Dr. Christiane Northrup says that fibroids represent creativity that was never birthed. She talks about dead-end jobs and relationships, and conflicts about reproduction and motherhood. Although not always the case I have noticed this enough to flag it up with my patients and urge them to address their overwhelming lives and explore areas where they feel unfulfilled.

What to do:

• Learn to meditate
• Take up yoga
• Hire a therapist or life coach and explore the ways in which you feel blocked
• Learn to say NO

For more information about how we can help you with your fibroids please feel free to contact us at The YinOva Center.

Do you suffer from brain fog or a cloudy mind? Are you forgetful and absent minded? Do you sometimes feel detached or unfocused? If you do, you’re not alone. Here at the YinOva Center a lot of our patients tell us that they worry about their brain power and ask if Chinese medicine can help improve focus and memory.

In Chinese medicine the kidney system is related to brain function, so many of the herbs used to improve concentration are also kidney tonics. However Chinese medicine differentiates forgetfulness from a cloudy mind. If you feel foggy and heavy headed your Chinese diagnosis would more likely be related to damp which is a Chinese way of discussing poor fluid metabolism and mucus accumulation.

We use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to treat all sorts of issues related to mental function and because everyone is different we recommend getting a proper Chinese medical diagnosis from an experienced practitioner who is able to prescribe you a formula specially tailored to your circumstances. Most of our YinOva formulas for brain fog are adapted from these formulas.

• Bu Nao Wan (Cerebral Tonic Pills) - is a common formula used for memory problems related to weakness in the kidney system.  Several herbs in the formula such as Wu Wei Zi (Schizandra) and Suan Zao Ren (Zizyphus) have been used for hundreds of years to calm the mind and help with focus.

• Gui Pi Tang (Restore the Spleen Tea) – This is a formula that is commonly given to patients for whom anxiety or over-thinking leads to memory problems.

• Shen Ling Bai Zhu Wan (Ginseng, Poria and Atracylodis Pills) – This is a good choice for people who suffer from cloudy mind due to poor fluid metabolism and damp.

Here is the advice we give our YinOva Patients who want to be more focused

• Drop some bad habits – Smoking, drinking alcohol and taking recreational drugs all affect memory. We’re happy to help you with cravings as you drop your bad habits.

• Acupuncture activates the brain - Studies show that acupuncture can have an effect on brain function. Some of our patients find that a course of 6 treatments is all they need to find their focus.

• Find some fish oil – Omega-3 is found in the brain in the form of DHA and works with a number of enzymes used for coordinating brain mechanisms.

• Hydrate - The brain like the rest of your body is mostly made up of water so dehydration is an often overlooked cause of poor brain function.

• Herbs for a healthy mind – as well as the formulas we discussed above the following herbs can help memory and focus.
  • Ginko Biloba – Over the past decade there have been 125 studies into the effects of ginko and most of them conclude that it increases blood flow to the brain and so improves memory and mental clarity.
  • Salvia – this herb, which is part of the sage family, has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to increase blood flow. Modern research bears this out and according to a 2003 UK study conducted by the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at Northumbria University, young people who received an extract of Salvia essential oil showed improvement in word recall.
  • Acorus - known as Shi Chang Pu in Chinese herbology this herb transforms damp is works well for people suffering from a heavy head and a cloudy mind.
  • Reishi mushrooms are a powerful adaptogen and have been prized for thousands of years throughout Asia for their ability to bring calm and help concentration.

How do you tell when spring has arrived? For some it’s when the birds start singing, or the trees start budding. For others it’s when the crocuses emerge from hibernation and peek through the ground. Here at the YinOva Center in New York City we can tell spring is in the air when our patients come in with red eyes and stuffy noses. Seasonal allergies affect one third of Americans and according to a study published in the September 2004 issue of Allergy Magazine, a combination of Chinese herbs and weekly acupuncture sessions is a useful way of alleviating the symptoms and may help prevent allergies all together.

Allergies happen when your immune system misidentifies something harmless, such as pollen, and mounts a defense against it by becoming inflamed and producing mucus. As practitioners of Chinese medicine we’re taught to diagnose each patient’s allergies individually, looking for a pattern of disharmony that has resulted in symptoms. We start by dividing up the root of the problem from its branch. The branch is the allergy symptom whereas the root is the situation in the body that led to the allergy happening. Once we have a clear picture of a patient’s unique combination of symptoms, we create a treatment plan that is specifically tailored to their situation. At the YinOva Center, this plan usually involves a weekly acupuncture treatment, a daily herbal formula and some diet and lifestyle changes.

Western medicine has several ways of tackling allergy symptoms. Doctors can stop your body’s overreaction by prescribing antihistamines such as Benadryl or drugs that act on the nervous system such as Albuterol. They can address inflammation by giving you cortico-steroids such as Prednisone, and they can relieve sinus pressure by prescribing decongestants such as Sudafed. All of these drugs can address the branch of the problem, the allergy symptoms, however many of them have side effects including drowsiness, fatigue, anxiety and an over-suppression of the immune system. Western medicine can be really helpful and we certainly encourage people to listen to their doctor’s advice, however our patients tell us that they are frustrated because the drugs only work whilst they are taking them and do little to solve the underlying problem.

So what is the underlying problem? Why do some people overreact to everyday irritants? In our practice the most common pattern we see is weak lung and spleen qi. Lung qi is how we describe the function of the entire respiratory tract, including the nasal passages. So weak lung qi refers to a respiratory tract that is under performing. Spleen qi is a way of describing how the digestive system is involved with the metabolism of fluids, so weak spleen qi refers to poor digestive function, which can lead to an overproduction of mucus, which tends to collect in the lungs. This is not the only root diagnosis we see so consulting a trained acupuncturist and herbalist will really help you identify your own unique pattern.

As for the branch, the allergy symptoms themselves, Chinese medicine sees this as related to wind and damp. Wind is Chinese medicine’s way of describing our susceptibility to outside influences such as an allergen and damp describes mucus buildup in the sinuses, the lungs and the digestive tract. A good herbalist will take everything into account and design an herbal formula that addresses all aspects of the allergy from the underlying weakness that made you susceptible to the irritating symptoms such as itchy eyes and runny nose.

For many of our patients, the acupuncture brings immediate relief. By inserting small hair-like needles around the nose and sinuses we are able to stop sneezing and relieve congestion. There are points on the feet that can soothe red, itchy eyes and other points to calm down an overactive immune system.

So what can you do to help yourself? At the YinOva Center we give our patients the following advice.

• A weekly acupuncture treatment from an experienced acupuncturist can help. Try to start before allergy season to treat the root of the allergies before they kick in.

• A specially tailored Chinese herbal formula can address both the root of the allergies in your particular case as well as the specific symptoms that you suffer from.

• If your sinuses are congested, try cutting back on dairy products, which can cause mucus build up in some people.

• Wheat can make inflammation worse, so it’s worth limiting it if you are having an allergy attack.

• Eat foods that are rich in Vitamin C. This is a natural antihistamine and can be found in citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, melon and cabbage.

• Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant that supports the respiratory system. You should increase your intake of beta-carotene by eating yellow and orange fruits, such as mangoes and papayas, orange root vegetables such as carrots and yams and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.

• Low magnesium has been linked to allergies in clinical research. Increase your magnesium by including sunflower seeds, spinach, chard, salmon and sesame seeds in your diet.

• Quercetin is an antioxidant that is high in bioflavonoids. It too has an antihistamine effect and also decreases inflammation. Get more quercetin by eating onions, red grapes, apples (with the skin on), tomatoes and leafy green vegetables.

Today’s Blog is by YinOva massage therapist, Nicole Kruck LMT.

“In the old days we couldn’t just up and run to the doctor for every little ache and pain” my grandma Viola used to say.  “There weren’t hospitals or doctors near enough”.

So what did they do back then? In this day and age when most Americans have access to 24 hour medical care complete with a pharmacy around the corner, most of us would be lost if couldn’t get an expert opinion and packaged prescription.

My grandma Viola was brought up to use the medicines she found in the backyard or in her case along the wagon trail along with fellow travelers. The knowledge of how to use herbs and other plants to treat common illnesses, passed down for generations, is largely lost to us or is considered obsolete as we turn to packaged pharmaceuticals for our aches and pains. Grandma Viola still rubs her sore legs with Tishners mouthwash which main ingredient is arnica and alcohol to release inflammation.

Now…imagine a whole pharmacy in your own backyard, window box, farmers market or local neighborhood park.   Whether you live in a house or an apartment the plants you need can be close by to help you heal. These helping plants, many be sprouting up locally in empty lots, cracks in the ground. Usually they get overlooked, stepped on, sprayed, plucked, or weed wacked because many people don’t know what they can do.

My teachers, teacher Don Elijio Panti was a famous Traditional Healer in Belize . He healed his people with prayers and plants he found in his backyard (the rainforest). Don Elijio would say “you burned down that forest today and the next day you’ll see that man will be knocking at my door looking for a plant to heal his sick child, but it will be gone because he burned down the forest that contained the plant he needed to put up track housing.”

Do you know what some of these powerful “weeds” can do? I live in New York City and some examples of healing plants thriving in unexpected places are -

Plantain which helps heal the bumps, bruises and cuts found gowning through the cracks in every playground in the city and gravel area,

Evening Primrose also found across the street from my apartment in Riverside Park which use when I needed some help balance a hormonal problem I was having,

Echinacea- supports and boots the immune system,

Roses- some types of growing on your balcony can stop bleeding,

Dandelions- support liver function and can be found as easily as a chinese resturant in New York City,

Milk Thistle- counteract the negative effects of radiation and are found in most vacant lots and overgrown park areas.

As a massage therapist for over thirteen years I have treated many different types of injuries and conditions. I have found that treating the body with a holistic approach is the most effective. Massage and acupuncture work in great harmony in this paradigm. However, when adding plants and sometimes other traditional remedies such as castor oil packs, green clay, homeopathy and Epsom salts bath the healing is supported on an even greater level.

A great way to learn about traditional medicine is by asking the elders in your family to share what they used growing up, check out some of the books on herbal medicines, begin to notice some of the plants in your local area and find out more information about them.  Find a local weed walk or class in your area. Talk with your practitioners and get their comments.

An important aspect of traditional medicine is to find out why they work. Note that when you do research to also find out what the contraindications are along with dosage or application.  Traditional medicines may not cure every modern day illness but many remedies may work on a much more holistic level. It is also a wonderful way to preserve a very important piece of family history for generations to come.

Overnight one of my patients “facebooked” me to let me know she’d had her baby – a happy reminder of all the reasons I love my job. Helping couples to conceive is rewarding and interesting work.

When a patient first consults me I ask lots of questions, some of which may seem off-topic, but together they give me a picture of their internal landscape and from there the detective work begins. Sometimes I manage to spot something very simple that may be getting in the way of conceiving and an example of this is a luteal phase defect.

Your luteal phase is the time from ovulation until your period starts. A normal luteal phase should be 14 days which gives a fertilized egg enough time to implant and start to signal to your body that it’s there. A luteal phase lasting less than 12 days is too short for this to happen and the uterine lining begins to slough off before a fertilized egg has had a chance to implant and initiate the hormonal changes necessary to sustain a pregnancy. This is a common endocrine disorder and is present in many of the women I see who are having trouble conceiving. Researchers estimate that more than 1/3 of women who are suffering from early pregnancy loss have a luteal phase disorder.

Another indicator of a luteal phase defect is low progesterone in the second half of the cycle. It’s possible to have a completely normal 14 day luteal phase and still have low progesterone levels which mean that the endometrium can’t develop and function properly and a fertilized egg will have problems implanting and being sustained. A short luteal phase or spotting before your period could be a sign of low progesterone and it is a good idea to contact your doctor for further testing.

In our book Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility Dr. David suggested the following tests for women who think they may be suffering from luteal phase defect.

• Testing serial progesterone levels during a single cycle – 7, 9 and 11 days after ovulation.
• Testing prolactin levels – elevated prolactin can lead to inadequate progesterone
• Testing thyroid function – hypothyroidism can lead to low progesterone
• Checking for polycystic ovarian syndrome – low progesterone levels commonly occur in women with PCOS

If progesterone levels are low your doctor may prescribe supplemental progesterone or a follicle stimulating drug in the follicular phase on the grounds that a strong follicular phase can lead to higher progesterone in the luteal phase.

In Chinese medicine we interpret luteal phase defect as an imbalance of the whole cycle, not just the luteal phase. Western medicine recognizes this too which is why doctors sometimes combine intervention in the luteal phase (progesterone supplementation) with support in the follicular phase (clomid). The luteal phase is governed by yang energy, which develops from yin energy which is dominant in the follicular phase. The transformation of yin to yang happens through the movement of qi and blood at ovulation. An interruption in the flow at any point in the cycle can show up as a luteal phase defect. This is where the detective work comes in and as an acupuncturist I try to identify the root cause of the problem as I make my Chinese diagnosis.

• Too little yin in the first half of the cycle can lead to too little yang in the second half of the cycle. This would be termed yin and/or blood deficiency in Chinese medicine.
• Stagnation at ovulation can affect the hormonal transition and thus the transition of yin to yang. This would be termed qi and/or blood stagnation in Chinese medicine
• Too little yang can affect both the hormone transition at ovulation and the quality of the luteal phase. this would be termed yang and/or qi deficiency in Chinese medicine.

Based on these different diagnoses I adapt my acupuncture treatments and create a specially tailored herbal formula for each patient, which along with any treatment suggested by the patient’s doctor can significantly improve or correct a luteal phase defect.

Often all it takes for conception to occur is bit of detective work combined with Eastern and Western medicine working together to correct a small but significant imbalance. Then before I know it I’m waking up to baby pictures on Facebook and the satisfaction of seeing another patient become a Mom.

Whilst studying Chinese medicine I was introduced to the the idea that our bodies are in tune with nature and that we can and should adapt our behavior in response to nature. At the time this was news to me but over the years I have appreciated the wisdom of taking my cues from the seasons. At the YinOva Center we encourage our patients to celebrate transitions and to acknowledge the effect life’s rhythms have on us. As one season transitions into another it is traditional for acupuncturists to use this time of energetic movement to positively effect our patient’s health and well being.

I love the fall and feel its energy distinctly in my own life. It’s a time where the warming, yang energy of summer dissipates and we transition into the more yin, cooler energy of the fall and winter. Summers being yang are supposed to be frenetic with travel and movement a priority. Winters being yin should be more slow and nourishing.  Autumn is a time of transition when according to Chinese medicine we should begin to slow down and store energy for the winter months ahead. It’s a time to boost the immune system to ward of colds and flu and to switch from cooling summer foods to warming winter ones.

The movement of autumn in Chinese philosophy is downward and this is reflected in the root vegetables that are available at this time. Unlike summer vegetables that get their energy by soaking up the sun’s rays, winter vegetable reach down into the ground to get their sustenance and we in turn are nourished and sustained when we eat them. Also in season are tree fruits such as apples and pears which have used the summer sun to ripen. In Chinese medicine they are said to have stored the energy of the sun and that we benefit from this energy by eating them in the run up to winter.

Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients to help them enjoy the beautiful fall season.

• Carry a sweater with you. People are often still wearing their summer clothes but temperatures fluctuate in the fall and in Chinese medicine it’s important to avoid subjecting yourself to changes in temperature which are considered bad for the immune system. So to avoid an autumn cold dress in layers so that you can wrap up easily if the weather changes.

• Transition from cooling summer salads to warming soups that are rich in root veggies and nourishing meats. Nourishing yourself with warming foods is considered a great way to build up energy for the long winter ahead. Likewise apple pie and baked apples or poached pears contain the energy of summer and we can use them to nourish our bodies as we transition into winter.

• Drink plenty of warm liquids such as green tea. After the humidity of summer, the fall is often dry and dryness in Chinese medicine can weaken yin energy and lead to coughs and allergies.

• Visit your acupuncturist for a series of immune boosting treatments ahead of winter’s cold and flu season and if you are prone to catching colds ask about the formula Jade Windscreen. This herbal combination has been used for hundreds of years in China to ward off viral infections.

“It started with a few extra strands on my hair brush and before I knew it there were patches so thin you could see my scalp” Diana is a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties who was understandably devastated when her hair began to fall out. She had tried a variety of medicines before coming to see us at the YinOva Center on the advice of a friend who had used Chinese medicine successfully to treat alopecia.

More and more women are suffering from hair loss according to the American Academy of Dermatology who estimate that at any given time 30 million women in the USA are affected by alopecia. Certainly at the YinOva Center we are seeing an increasing number of women who are struggling with this issue and seek our help. Chinese medicine has a long history of treating hair loss in both sexes and can often be very helpful both for stopping further hair loss and for supporting regrowth.

In Chinese medicine healthy hair relies on a good flow of qi and blood to nourish the scalp. This flow and be interrupted by either a deficiency of qi and blood or a stagnation of qi and blood either of which can mean that insufficient nourishment reaches the scalp. Blood and qi deficiency are often caused by either poor diet or poor assimilation of nutrients where as qi and blood stagnation is often caused by stress or a hormone imbalance.

Acupuncture can improve the flow of qi and blood in the scalp and can help hair to regrow and Chinese herbs can nourish qi and blood to stop more hair from falling out. At the YinOva Center we usually use both acupuncture and herbs together along with nutritional suggestions and lifestyle changes to help our patients who are suffering from hair loss.

Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients who are suffering from hair loss

• Regular acupuncture can stimulate hair regrowth by encouraging the flow of qi and blood to the scalp.

• Chinese herbs have been used for hundreds of years to stop hair loss. One herb in particular is known for it’s ability to treat alopecia. He shou wu (Polygonium Multiflorum) is included in almost all the formulas we write for women who are losing hair. It is a blood tonic in Chinese medicine. In several studies over 60% of people who had hair loss experienced hair regrowth within 3 months after taking He Shou Wu.

• Make sure you have a broad diet and are not missing out on important nutrients. Omega 3 fatty acids are particularly important for a healthy scalp and can be found in salmon, walnuts, flax seeds or taken as a supplement. Iron deficiency can often contribute to hair loss. At the YinOva Center we are particularly impressed by the iron supplement Floradix which comes in an easy to absorb liquid form. Vitamin B12 is essential to healthy hair and is found in eggs, poultry and meat. If you are a vegetarian it may be helpful to take B12 as a supplement. Biotin is another B vitamin that helps hair to regrow. It’s hard to get enough of it from food so here at the YinOva Center we usually suggest people take it as a supplement.

• A daily scalp massage can help stimulate the scalp to aid with hair regrowth. We usually suggest rubbing the scalp gently for 5 minutes morning and night.

• In 1999 a team of researchers at Aberdeen university discovered that an essential oil blend applied to the scalp can help with hair regrowth.  86 patients were divided into two groups and over a seven-month period one group massaged an essential oil blend onto their scalps daily for two minutes while another group did the same thing with only the carrier oils jojoba and grapeseed. At the end of the study, 19 of the 43 patients in the active group demonstrated significantly improved hair growth while only six of the 41 patients in the control group showed improvement. One man in the active group grew a full head of hair after being completely bald. The recipe used in the study is as follows.
  • atlas cedarwood essential oil – 2 drops
  • thyme essential oil – 2 drops
  • rosemary essential oil – 3 drops
  • lavender essential oil – 3 drops
  • jojoba carrier oil – ½ teaspoon
  • grapeseed carrier oil – 4 teaspoons

Using a small glass jar mix the jojoba and grapeseed oils together first. Then add the essential oils one at a time and place the lid on the jar. Shake the oils together to mix them together.

Years ago doctors used to tell their patients to take extra B vitamins when using oral contraceptives. Like many pieces of medical wisdom this advice has fallen by the wayside and women often don’t know that their birth control pills can be causing vitamin B depletion.

At the YinOva Center we advise all our patients who are taking an oral contraceptive to add a Vitamin B Complex to their daily regimen. Vitamin B6 deficiency, which is very common in women who take the pill, can lead to depression which may be why so many women feel as if the pill affects their mood. Folic acid is another B vitamin which can become depleted which in turn can lead to an increased risk of cervical dysplasia, vascular thrombosis and stroke.

In Chinese medicine the rhythm of a woman’s cycle is important and the birth control pill interrupts this ebb and flow in a way that can cause stagnation and some depletion. For that reason a YinOva herbalist may add some qi and blood tonifying and moving herbs to your diet as well as a Vitamin B complex to offset the side effects of the pill. We understand that birth control pills are very convenient and that for some of you they are a great choice as a contraceptive. However there are some downsides to taking them and more and more frequently we are seeing women who have taken the birth control pill for many years and have recently stopped in order to start a family. Often these patients are surprised to find that their menstrual cycle does not have a regular rhythm without the pill and they come to us for fertility support.

In my opinion the pill has often masked an underlying imbalance in their reproductive system which would have been noticed and resolved if their periods had been allowed to follow a regular rhythm. Couple that with the stagnation and vitamin deficiencies caused by the pill itself and it’s not unusual to meet women who have irregular periods or no periods at all once they stop their oral contraceptive.

I see our role as supporting women in their choices and so I don’t usually ask patients to stop taking the pill. I do like to point out the downsides, however, and if the pill still seems to be a good choice for that particular patient I usually prescribe a mild blood tonic with some moving qualities such as Si Wu Tang and a B Complex often in liquid form for easy absorption.

Today’s blog is written by YinOva acupuncturist Laurel Axen Carroll

I was in my local soup shop yesterday, reading an article in Cookie Magazine about postpartum anxiety, when I realized that I see more women suffering from postpartum anxiety than postpartum depression. The need for women to wear so many hats is definitely taking its toll on our sanity. Women are waiting longer to have babies and requiring more and more assisted reproductive technology. On top of that we are supposed to have thriving careers, perfect bodies and clean homes…how can we do it all?

In Chinese Medicine birthing is considered the biggest drain on a woman’s essence or jing.

Jing is basically your battery reserve of strength for life. Everyone is born with a certain amount at birth and the levels are steadily used to sustain life. Jing essence is exceedingly difficult to replace (some ancients believe that qi gong, meditation and a few supplements like cordyceps can do so).

Jing is drawn steadily from the kidneys to support the aging process and is burned rapidly through stressful events, medications and stimulants that tap the adrenals. It is far better to pull the energy you need from the food you eat and sleep you get than use your reserves.

In order to do everything that you can to preserve Jing traditional culture recommends rising with the sun and sleeping with the setting sun, resting during the menses, avoiding intercourse during the menses and refraining from stimulants.

Postpartum anxiety is a syndrome where the mother is overly anxious and may even suffer from paranoid thoughts or obsessive compulsive behaviors. Some anxious new Mom’s have sleep disorders and physical issues like palpitations or a sense of panic. Many women are stressed about the well-being of the baby and some may even fear that they could harm their baby. If you feel like this and your condition persists for more that two weeks or you have thoughts of harming your baby, you should to speak with your Dr immediately.

From a TCM point of view postpartum women are extremely blood deficient. The body’s blood volume has practically doubled throughout pregnancy to support the fetus; the hair gets luxurious, nails long and strong and little wrinkles disappear. Postpartum is a different story. Childbirth itself is pretty bloody-especially if you have had a C-section. Nursing also depletes the bodies fluid levels. When blood and fluid levels get low there is a phenomenon in Chinese medicine called Liver Blood or/or Heart Blood/Yin Deficiency. This can manifest as disturbed sleep, palpitations, dry mouth, agitation, anxiety, trouble concentrating…

Chinese medicine treats postpartum anxiety really well. There are many classical herbal formulas to address both the root and symptom of postpartum anxiety or if you are concerned about taking herbs and nursing acupuncture alone may be the way to go.

Dietary therapy is helpful as well. I always make sure a woman is taking:

• Fish Oil
• Floradix: veggie iron supplement
• Eating foods that nourish the Kidneys (home to Jing Essence): black beans, fish, black sesame seeds, molasses, seaweed
• Also consider: dandelion and nettles (easily available in tea form) to boost iron and calcium.

We treat a lot of teenagers at the YinOva Center and it makes me so happy that they feel comfortable coming in to see us and are able to use Chinese medicine as a way of taking care of themselves. As a mother I know, first hand, that teenage girls can be sensitive and vulnerable and that their busy schedules and complex social lives can weigh heavily upon their shoulders, making them feel depleted and imbalanced.  Our YinOva teenagers seek our help for a wide range of problems from anxiety to eating disorders and sports injuries to acne.

I remember only too well how self-conscious I was as a teenager and so it’s easy to understand why acne causes such misery. Fortunately help is at hand and we get very good results treating acne with Chinese herbs and acupuncture.

In Chinese medicine acne and other inflammatory skin conditions are seen as being caused by a combination of too much heat and dampness. People are said to need heat or yang for movement and to make transformations in the body but too much heat can lead to a variety of problems including acne.

So how do people get too hot? The cause can be internal or external.

An internal cause can be emotional pressure leading to constraint which in turn can lead to heat (a bit like a pressure cooker that gets tighter and tighter until steam comes out of the top). Teenagers are particularly prone to bottling up their emotions and becoming tight and stressed. Another internal cause can be an excess of some hormones which can be yang and therefore lead to expressions of heat. Another cause, unique to Chinese medicine, is a diagnosis of blood deficiency. This correlates to substandard nutrition in conventional medicine.  Many of the teenagers we see are not eating enough or are eating the wrong foods making them blood deficient. In Chinese medicine the blood is said to transport normal body waste and if it is deficient and thus not able to it’s job, swellings can appear on the skin.

External causes of heat include irritating chemicals on the skin, eating overstimulating foods and too much physical exertion.

So how do people get too damp? Again the cause can be internal or external.

Everybody needs moisture or yin in order to function. Dampness in Chinese medicine is a condition where the body does not metabolize fluids well leading to excessive fluids in the body’s tissues. Microorganisms such as bacteria thrive in these damp conditions leading to pustules and cystic acne. An internal cause would be a weak digestive system that is stressed by irregular eating habits and an external cause of damp may be fatty or greasy foods.

At the YinOva Center we help our patients with acne by using acupuncture to clear inflammation and using Chinese herbs to treat the dampness and heat. Job’s Tears Seeds (Yi Yi Ren), Poria Mushroom (Fu Ling) and Phellodendrin Bark (Huang Bai) clear dampness and Tree Peony Root Bark (Mu Dan Pi), Red Peony Root (Chi Shao), Goldenthread Root (Huang Lian) clear heat. Some of these herbs such as Phellodendrin Bark and Goldenthread root are also known for their anti-bacterial properties. Our acupuncturists combine these herbs with a formula to treat each patient’s specific underlying condition in order to treat their skin.

Results usually take 3 – 6 weeks and are quicker if the patient also makes dietary adjustments.

Are you sick of your pre-natal vitamins? One of our lovely YinOva “Moms-to-be” emailed me with this great suggestion. She has developed a taste for belly-bars from a company called Nutrabella. These tasty snacks are fortified with all the nutrients women need when they are trying to conceive or pregnant. When I looked at them I was impressed to see that not only do the bars contain all the vitamins and minerals you need but also omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to be important to your baby’s development.

The bars come in the following flavors

• Baby Needs Chocolate, Chocolate Toffee Crisp
• Mellow Oat, Oat Graham & Yogurt
• Crunchy Nuts & Berries
• Burstin’ Chocolate, Deep Chocolate Orange

Tell me what you think.

For most of us the New Year is a time to think about the changes we want to make in our lives. Many of us resolve to drop some bad habits or pick up some good ones. Here at The YinOva Center we hear from a lot of people who are trying to give up smoking. We understand that quitting smoking can be really tough and we want to support you in whatever way we can.

So can acupuncture help? The answer according to clinical research is mixed. This study published in the journal Preventative Medicine found that it could. It followed a group of people attempting to quit smoking who received acupuncture twice a week for 3 weeks and compared them to another group of quitters that received no acupuncture. The acupuncture group fared significantly better when compared to the control group. However other research studies such as this one have found that acupuncture was not particularly effective for smoking cessation. If you keep looking at the research you will see many conflicting studies. Some find acupuncture effective and some don’t. How confusing!

Although the studies seem to contradict each other they do reflect our experience here at The YinOva Center. Some of our patients find acupuncture very helpful. They find it takes the edge off their nicotine cravings and gives them the support they need to resist temptation. Other patients enjoy their relaxing treatment but find it isn’t enough to get them to quit. I always tell my patients that when it comes to stopping smoking acupuncture can be supportive but it isn’t a panacea. It can help you with cravings but it won’t replace will power.

So if you’ve made up your mind to stop smoking and want some extra support we’d love to see you here at the YinOva Center. We have found that 2 treatments a week for three weeks seems to work best. We focus on points that calm cravings as well as those that calm anxiety. We also address any symptoms that come up. For example many smokers who quit to protect their lungs are disappointed to find that initially they develop a cough as their lungs expel years of accumulated gunk.

So if acupuncture alone is not the magic bullet, what else can you do?

Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients:-

• We love these people who run a 1/2 day stop smoking course in New York City and all over the world. Founded in the UK they use a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy and hypnosis and have great success rates. They also have an online course that many of our patients have found really helpful.
• From the same people comes a book, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr’s Easyway Method. Both Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres claim to have quit smoking having read the book. One of my patients skimmed through the book standing up in Barnes and Noble and quit there and then!
• In our experience the best way to quit is cold turkey. Patients who try to cut down their cigarette consumption usually find that it creeps up again.
• Quitting to make someone else happy almost never works. You need to find a reason to do this for you. Talk to us and let us help you get in touch with all the reasons why you are worth taking care of.
• Note that cravings last only a few minutes so ignoring them uses less will power than you think. Distract yourself for a couple of minutes and you should feel much better. We asked some of our patients what they did when they were experiencing a craving and here are some of their suggestions. Chew sugar free gum, eat a carrot, light a candle, focus on taking 10 full breaths, wash your hands or have a shower.
• The worst cravings only last a week. Take it one day at a time and know that by the time you have reached day 7 you are over the worst.
• Many of our patients have found that drinking alcohol weakens their resolve. In fact in studies 50% of relapse is related to alcohol use. Its best to avoid situations where you are drinking and other people are smoking, especially for the first few weeks.
• Find ways to calm your mind. Take up yoga, adopt a regular meditation practice, have a reiki treatment or go for a run.
• Don’t skip meals. When you were smoking you may have replaced a meal with a cigarette. It allowed you to avoid the feelings associated with low blood sugar. Now if you miss a meal you may feel irritable and unable to concentrate and your mind may trick you into having a cigarette to make you feel better.
• Convince yourself that there is no excuse for a relapse. Nicotine never makes anything any better so no matter what life throws at you don’t use it as an excuse to start smoking again.
• Acupuncture, whilst not replacing your own will power, can help you manage cravings so feel free to come in and see us for a course of 6 treatments.
• If you do slip up and have a cigarette, simply start again. Don’t beat yourself up or decide it’s impossible. Just get back on track. Many of our patients who have successfully given up smoking made several attempts before they finally quit for good.

Good luck!

Although people often refer to a UTI as a bladder infection, any part of the urinary system, including the kidneys, can become infected. The most common infection, however, is in the bladder and urethra and accounts for 8.3 million doctor visits each year. A UTI is more likely to affect women than men, for anatomical reasons, and at our center we see many women who suffer from repeated chronic urinary tract infections.

The main symptoms of a UTI are a burning sensation when urinating, frequent and urgent urination with a reduced amount of urine, blood in the urine, strong smelling urine or cloudy urine.

A number of factors can predispose you to a UTI. These include:

• Not drinking enough water.
• Certain types of birth control. Specifically using the diaphragm.
• Being sexually active, especially with a new partner.
• A diet high in carbohydrates and low in protein
• A history of kidney stones.
• Any illness that impairs the immune system, such as diabetes.

In western medicine UTI’s are treated with antibiotics. It’s important to consult your doctor about a UTI because an untreated infection can lead to pyelonephritis (a kidney infection) which in turn can damage your kidneys.

In Chinese medicine an acute kidney infection is usually attributed to damp heat. We use the formula Ba Zheng San (Dianthus Formula) which works very well if taken at the first sign of infection. If the UTI is painful I often substitute a formula called Long Dan Xie Gan Tang (Gentiana Combination). Chronic UTI’s can have a number of causes in Chinese medicine but the most common is Kidney Yin Deficiency. For this I use a variation of the formula Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan (Anemarrhena, Phellodendron & Rehmannia Formula).

Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients about treating a UTI

• Consult your doctor if symptoms persist or worsen.
• Take an herbal formula such as those described above at the first sign of a UTI. Ask us for advice when picking the right formula for your condition.
• Come on in for an acupuncture treatment. Acute UTI’s often respond very well to acupuncture and herbs in combination. The most important points we use are Liver 8 which is just above the knee on the inner leg and Spleen 9 which is just below the knee on the inner calf. Both these points are usually tender when someone is suffering from a UTI.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid coffee, tea and alcohol.
• If possible avoid sexual intercourse.
• After sexual intercourse empty your bladder as soon as possible.
• Cranberry juice may have infection-fighting properties. (However, don’t drink cranberry juice if you’re taking the blood-thinning medication warfarin as this can cause bleeding)
• Wear cotton underwear to help air circulate.
• Limit carbohydrates.
• After urinating wipe from front to back to avoid spreading germs from the anus to the urtethra.
• Avoid vaginal deodorants, douches and sexual lubricants.