Thyroid.

Thyroid supplementation, a’ la Broda Barnes, MD, in his book Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness, and many other authors, must be geared to the adrenal status of the patient: low adrenal, use little thyroid. I always use the cup of coffee rule of thumb. If a patient can drink a pot of coffee before bed and sleep easily, one can give higher doses of thyroid. If the patient sips a cup of coffee and is awake for two days, or is obviously very sensitive to any stimulation, one should start with 1/16^th of a grain of thyroid or less, and increase by 1/16^th grain every few days or week.

A grain of thyroid is an old apothecary measurement that is roughly equivalent to 60 mg. The patient who can stand stimulation can be started with ½ grain and increase to two grains after two to four weeks. Overdose of thyroid, due to insufficient adrenal cortical reserve, causes adrenalin symptoms such as anger, nervousness, fast heart rate and insomnia, and in cardiac patients: angina. But, it can also create more calmness, great energy, improved emotional tolerance and relief of fatigue and fibromyalgia by improving nutrient absorption and mitochondrial status. 

Mitochondria are the energy manufacturing plants of our cells. They make ATP, the body’s energy currency. Each of our 100 trillion or so cells has 1,000 to 4,000 mitochondria. Thyroid increases the size and number of mitochondria. I have used a brand that has less additives and more T₃ (the active thyroid in the human body) than other brands for 36 years. If a patient has high reverse T_{3 (}which blocks regular T₃₎ or other high autoimmune problems, I have to substitute with L-thyroxine (T₄) and/or T_3. I avoid Synthroid, it is not bioidentical and may block L-thyroxine. I also test everything on EAV (ElectroAcupuncture by Vol), which was developed in the late 1930’s in Germany to make sure the dosage and hormone are compatible with the patient. 

Guaifenesin.

Fibromyalgia can arguably be looked at as an energy deficiency syndrome in the musculoskeletal system. Both deficiency and toxicity issues are usually present. R. Paul St. Amand, MD, a UCLA endocrinologist, makes a good case for phosphate retention in the muscles and ligaments as the root cause of fibromyalgia. In his book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia, he recommends increasing dosages of guaifenesin, the cough expectorant, which theoretically removes the phosphates. It has many successful patient responses but requires a diet avoiding salicylates, which involves more than 1,000 different foods and herbs, and inhibits patient compliance with his regimen. Committed patients have had moderate or good success with his program but progress is usually gradual and aggravating, especially early on in the therapy, requiring careful titration of the guaifenesin.

At the risk of forgetting one of the hundreds of things that can cause CFS and/or Fibromyalgia, here are a few of the more common causes that I see. One needs to have an extremely broad outlook on medicine. The causes can range from genetic defects, parasites, heavy metal intoxication, dental pathology, chronic sinus infection, chronic tonsil infection, circulatory damage/sticky blood, coagulation defects, multiple hormonal deficiencies, allergy, psychological issues, grief and loss, inherited weakness, leaky gut, parasites, digestive disturbances, Candida, toxic liver, chronic viruses, Lyme, musculoskeletal issues, autoimmune diseases, immune system weakness, endobiontic (fungi that normally occur in our blood) disturbance, other chronic diseases, chronic pain, surgical stress, acupuncture meridian dysbalances, scars, need for the proper homeopathic remedy (especially for miasms and inherited constitutional weakness),  overwhelming environmental stress in the home or work place, physical or sexual abuse, the standard American diet (SAD), nutritional depletion, amino acid deficiencies, organic acid dysbalance, old injuries impeding full recovery, neurotransmitter deficiencies either stress induced or drug induced, toxicity from pesticides, herbicides, volatile organic hydrocarbons, PCB’s and other industrial waste, plastics, solvents, fire retardants and many more.

Far infrared sauna and sweating therapy is one of the only ways to rid the body of the hundreds of chemical toxins we all carry, according to Sherry Rogers, MD in her excellent book Detoxify or Die. EAV devices such as BioMeridian, Vega, Asyra, LSA/Zyto with LED, Laser Energetic Detoxification, Autonomic Response Therapy/Kinesiology can help to unravel this very complex landscape. Regular laboratory testing is also important to diagnose or confirm diagnoses. Many great labs are deep into this process and are very important to the success in treating chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

References:

1. Barnes, Broda, M.D. Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness. Harper Collins Publisher, 1976.
2. St. Amand, R. Paul, M.D. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. Warner Books, 1999.
3. Rogers, Sherry, M.D. Detoxify or Die. Prestige Publishing, 2002.

For More on this Topic:

Read Part I of the Series

Read Part II of the Series

The latest research into particle physics is proving that everything in our physical world, including the matter that makes up our bodies, is composed of infinitely small particles, vibrating at infinitely high frequencies. The specific frequencies that they vibrate at have everything to do with how our senses interpret that information, and how we (our bodies) interact with it.

Common medical therapies (prescriptions, treatments, etc.) usually lag 20-30 years behind the cutting edge research on the true nature of reality. This includes the theories about how our bodies function and create “health” or “dis-ease.”

What if I told you that technology exists right now that has taken the pursuit of health into alignment with the latest research in particle physics and electro-acupuncture. It does!

This is based on the original work by Reinhard Voll, M.D., a German physician who, in the 1950’s, was one of the first European doctors to realize that he could combine the ancient knowledge of acupuncture meridians with the latest in electronic testing equipment. This information was combined with facts learned from the growing science of lie detector equipment by Dr. Vaughn Cook, an Oriental Medical Doctor, to create this cutting edge technology.

It is not used to diagnose any disease. It is used to find incoherent (out of balance) responses to different digital challenges given to the body via the GSR (galvanic skin response). This is the electrical skin resistance in the palm and fingers of the hand.

Our conscious mind (the “thinking” part) is capable of processing about 2000 bits of information per second…pretty incredible, right. But, at this moment, your subconscious mind is handling about 400,000,000 (400 million!) bits of data per second. This technology enables the doctor to tap into the autonomic or subconscious mechanisms to ask your body what’s going on, and make sense of it all. Yes, it can actually ask your body which supplements or medications it prefers, and which have the best chance of helping it heal before you take anything!

Again, to be clear, this equipment does not diagnose any disease. But, when used by a trained medical practioner, it can be very helpful in finding which organs and/or glands are out of balance, and then determining what substances can be used to restore them to balance.

Recently, a hospital study in China was conducted that showed a correlation of 87 percent between the results of Zyto’s technology and organ/lab diagnosis by a licensed physician.

This exciting new technology is available for use today to better help people attain vibrant and radiant health more easily and efficiently than ever before.

References:

1. Klotter, Jule. Bioenergetic devices and Functional Medicine, Townsend Letter, January 1^st, 2009.

2. www.ZYTO.com

Written By Michael Gerber MD, HMD |

The most frequent chronic complaint is fatigue. Patients never feel right; many can’t get out of bed and are also usually depressed, anxious and suffer from insomnia, poor memory and concentration and frequently dizziness. The origins of chronic fatigue are truly vast. Recently, a 32 year old, four foot ten, 95 pound young woman presented with a history of sexual abuse, loss of both parents, her mother was very stressed during her pregnancy, she was on disability with RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy-referred pains all over the body) fibromyalgia and multiple drug regimen failure; she had asthma, globus hystericus, gastroparesis and gastritis (heart burn). I knew I had my work cut out for me. Building trust with a totally fearful, energy-less girl, with absolutely no self esteem and no money, is an art form. One has to go with their best and least expensive therapy, which also gives gentle results quickly. Incidentally, her globus hystericus (lump in the throat) was immediately and permanently relieved with one treatment of Neural Therapy, using injections of procaine and Spascupreel from Heel, in intradermal wheels (bubbles) in the skin. Likewise, the gastroparesis (very slow empting stomach and digestion) abated with the overall therapy as well.

The History

In addition to an extended regular history and physical, it is also important if your practitioner has learned to do Chinese pulse and facial diagnosis, German iridology, tongue diagnosis, root canal and amalgam evaluation, scar and musculoskeletal dysbalance evaluations. If one shoulder is three inches higher than the other, it tells you something. Dietary history is a big deal. For many patients, it is a game changer to avoid fluoride toothpaste, tap water, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, table salt, milk, frequently gluten, soda, gum, fast food, soy, coffee creamers, non organic everything, stomach acid blockers, statin drugs, cigarettes, microwave ovens, aluminum cooking utensils, excessive alcohol, and so many other environmental toxins. I just started a new patient a couple of months back who looked at me absolutely incredulously when I told her that there were over 300 different neurological  syndromes associated with aspartame (NutraSweet) ingestion, up to multiple sclerosis. She was consuming eight to 10 diet sodas with five Xanax through the day, “just like my mother did”. Her husband was nodding his head through the entire visit, as she had terrific fatigue, anger and little memory.

Low adrenal and thyroid always mean poor metabolism. “When your adrenals are weak, you leak,” is one of my favorite platitudes. Low adrenal hormones cause wasting (loss) of sodium, chloride, and according to some authors, neurotransmitters (brain chemicals controlling mood and memory). Thyroid weakness causes hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) and inability to absorb minerals and proteins. Getting these two organs back on track has an immediate normalizing effect on our miraculous organism.

References:

1. Joseph M Helms, MD. Acupuncture Energetics – A Clinical Approach for Physicians. Medical Acupuncture Publishers. Berkley, California.

2. Peter Dosch, MD . Manual of Neural Therapy according to Huneke (Regulating Therapy with Local Anesthetics. Haug Publishers. Heidelberg, Germany, 1984.

The word star has many connotations. For some, stars are luminous balls of plasma, offering speculation on past, present and future. For others, the star represents their history and faith. To many, a star conveys hope, joy and harmony. We use them as décor, we watch them on TV, and we hang our star-filled flags to honor American humanity. The “star” is brilliant and vibrant, yet elusive; it holds a deeper meaning within.

Similarly, the star anise possesses a myriad of uses. Scientifically known as Illicium verum, star anise means “eight-horn,” or “eight corners,” in Chinese. The fruit is harvested from its small evergreen tree, native to Vietnam and China. Its flavor resembles that of anise and is used in food and medicinal recipes alike. It flavors liquors, baked goods, meats, soups and teas. It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to remedy rheumatism, digestion and cold-stagnation. It is also a popular ingredient in anti-flu drugs.

Whether you use the star symbolically, or to add a touch of warmth to your food and drink, make note of the feelings derived from its use. Pay attention to the vibration it emits, and feel its energy; for there must be a reason behind the star’s historical presence.

The last article looked at the therapeutic importance of vitamin A and cod liver oil. This month, I would like to address other vitamins, minerals and dietary issues that are especially important for children.

Insomnia and Constipation

From infants to toddlers and older children, sleep disorders and slowed down bowel are quite common. Causes are biological, and certainly these problems are aggravated by milk-based and soy-based formulas. We suggest whey-based formulas or goat milk formulas, as they cause fewer incidents of ear infections, mucous formation, colds and constipation. Remember cow’s milk protein, casein and lactalbumin, is four and a half times longer than human mother’s milk protein, and is meant for baby cows. It causes inflammation in the intestines, which gives a leaky gut and lets large proteins enter the blood stream and overwhelm the liver, and eventually the adrenal gland. If your child has purple, puffy areas under the eyes (allergic shiners) or a blue color to the whites of the eyes (liver wind in Chinese medicine), consider allergic reaction to foods, especially milk, sugar and wheat.

If a child is not having several bowel movements per day, one of the very best supplements is liquid calcium and magnesium. Magnesium, of course, is in milk of magnesia and Epsom salts; it is a laxative and calmative. It kills two birds with one stone. Before bedtime, give one tsp to toddlers and two tbsp to older children, for an effective correction to both insomnia and constipation. The liquid we use is a pleasant, mint flavored liquid that is generally well accepted by children. It is also great if the kids get some sugary treats at home or school, and then become hyperactive and irritable; it frequently calms them down in a few minutes. If magnesium supplementation causes diarrhea, simply back down the dose and adjust to the child’s needs. It’s impossible to get enough magnesium from a standard American diet (SAD) without supplementation.

Vitamin C is also great for kids. We give from 250 mg to 1 gram or more per day to children, to help with constipation and treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. We use vitamin C drink, which is a good tasting, lemon, citrus drink and Honeyvite; it has all the major vitamins and minerals, and can be taken in water or fruit juice. Especially when sending kids into the toxic wasteland of schools with other sick kids, toxic cleaning materials, plastics, formaldehyde in the rugs and many other toxins in the child’s learning environment.

Remember, a goat that weighs 150 lbs. makes 13,000 mg of vitamin C every day in its liver. How much vitamin C does a 150 lb human make? NONE. Only primates, guinea pigs, fruit bats and man make no vitamin C. All the other millions of species make their own vitamin C. We all need to supplement vitamin C. We are all suffering from mild scurvy, including our children. Vitamin C is a universal detoxifier and also acts as an antihistamine and laxative. The highest concentration of vitamin C in the human body is in the adrenal gland (stress gland) and secondarily in the brain.

References:

1. Briggs D.Sc.,Ph.D., Michael. Vitamins in Human Biology and Medicine. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton, Florida 1981.
2. Bralley, Ph.D., C.C.N., J.A. and Lord Ph.D, Richard. Laboratory Evaluations in Molecular Medicine. The Institute for Advances in Molecular Medicine 2001.

For more info, contact the Gerber Medical Clinic at (775) 826-1900.

Women’s Wellness Weekend at Granlibakken

Nestled into the hillside above Tahoe City, and bursting with European charm, the scenic 74-acre Granlibakken Conference Center & Lodge (http://www.granlibakken.com) offers a unique venue with all the amenities of larger resorts.

As part of Granlibakken’s commitment to health & wellness, the annual Lake Tahoe Women’s Wellness Weekend–a long standing community event in Tahoe City–will now be hosted by Granlibakken, November 12-13, 2011 (http://www.granlibakken.com/wellness.php). The event fuses Eastern tradition with Western practices to offer a balanced weekend of information, inspiration, activities, food and wine.

Hosting events is Granlibakken’s forte. The schedule for the Women’s Wellness Weekend starts with optional exercise activities including a 5k fun run or a one mile nature walk through the perimeter of Granlibakken’s hillside forest. Breakfast is followed by an opening “jump-start” talk by respected Psychologist Amy Vail. Seminars on Saturday include breast health, environmental health, nutrition, healthy aging and empowering exercise activities (optional).  Choose between Ki Gong, a form of gentle exercise using breathing, posture and meditation:  Restorative Yoga, or a special class ref: Astrology/Health. Lunch is provided and flows into further talks throughout the afternoon. Saturday evening finishes with wine and shopping. Go for a new experience and have your astrological chart read by Robert Ayres (additional charge).

Festivities on Sunday include optional exercise classes of Cross-fit, Pilates and yoga with discussion classes and a health fair. Enjoy breakfast, followed by classes on finances for your future, acupuncture, chiropractic and skin care. The afternoon includes an interactive health fair including gait analysis, makeup artists, body fat testing, skin screenings, mani and pedi stations and much more. Blood lab readings are available and must be signed up for in advance (additional charge). For the adventurous women, attend the Zumba Party Sunday afternoon!

Registration is only $99.00. To register, please visit Granlibakken’s homepage and click “make a reservation.” Click “conference” and use the information: “www” as your login and password.

Grab a girlfriend and stay for $138.50/person double occupancy per person per night (rate includes conference fee).

It was only natural for Granlibakken to bring the Women’s Wellness Weekend to its Resort. As an event center, you’ll find unequaled personal service, latest technology, multi-function meeting space, a full service kitchen, an on-site day spa and seasonal activities.

Make the Women’s Wellness Weekend a retreat and visit the holistic Lighthouse Day Spa (http://lighthousespa.com/granlibakken/granlibakken.php) on property. Try any one of their relaxing body treatments or wellness packages–Blissful Retreat, a 60 minute sinus and head clarifying hot stone massage; Tahoe Sampler, a 30 minute massage, facial and body wrap; Renewal, a 60 minute massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. Holistic packages include Ayurveda health consultations designed to create inner balance by providing insights into diet, herbs, aromatherapy, meditation and breathing techniques.

Along with the day spa, Granlibakken has been the anticipated choice for groups seeking affordable events and unique venues for four to 400 people. The resort boasts a multi-functional retreat center. In particular, medical organization and technology companies have utilized Granlibakken to come up with their next big idea. On-site recreation includes hiking and biking trails, tennis courts, heated outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, and a ropes course for teambuilding, seasonal ski lift and sled hill. The convenient location near Tahoe City offers a plethora of shopping, dining and recreation.

Enjoy Lake Tahoe style and book your spot for the Women’s Wellness Weekend!

For more info, contact Granlibakken Conference Center & Lodge at (530) 581-7307 or (800) 543-3221.

Metformin is an oral drug that came into use in 1994. At that time, there was no mention of its use as a tool to fight cancer. More recently, it was discovered that this drug may effectively combat cancers of the colon, uterus, and prostate. In an amazing study, a group of Swiss researchers found a 56 percent reduction in breast cancer risk in a group of diabetic women who took metformin for more than five years.

Despite most people’s aversion to taking prescription drugs, serious consideration should be given to taking this generic, inexpensive medication that was originally derived from the French lilac. This compound has a long history in botanical medicine. It was “rediscovered” and approved by the FDA as a treatment for type II diabetes in 1994. It quickly became the most widely prescribed drug for that disease.

Beginning around 2002, a series of epidemiological studies revealed a remarkable trend: diabetic patients taking metformin were less likely to die compared to diabetics using other forms of therapy.

By 2005, evidence from large, population-based studies clearly showed that people taking metformin for diabetes were significantly and reliably protected against the increased cancer risk posed by the diabetes itself.

It is a known fact that diabetics are predisposed to a broad range of cancers in the liver, pancreas, colon, breast, uterus, kidney and prostate. Scientists theorized that if ways to reduce chronic blood sugar elevations, and other molecular consequences associated with weight gain were discovered, this would have a powerful impact on interrupting some of the pathways that lead to cancer. It turned out that metformin acts in a multi-targeted fashion, to accomplish precisely those effects.

It has long been recognized that a calorie restriction diet is one of the only “proven” methods of slowing down the aging process and preventing a whole host of chronic diseases, everything from heart disease to cancer, but try getting people to stick to its severe restrictions.

Interestingly, metformin essentially “fools” the body into believing that it is in a calorie restricted state, thereby switching on the same protective mechanisms that arise from calorie restriction itself.

That is not to imply that metformin is a totally benign medication. It is also essential that it only be used under the supervision of a qualified physician.

There is a growing body of evidence showing that metformin acts through multiple pathways to trigger profound cellular changes in every mammalian tissue, activating tumor suppressing mechanisms. This has now been demonstrated to benefit not only those with diabetes but also apparently healthy people.

Due to the multiple ways it works, there is no reason to think that these results won’t, in fact, be generalizable to every human malignancy!

References:

1. Bodmer M, Meier C, Krahenbuhl S, Jick SS, Meier CR, Long-term metformin use is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, Diabetes Care, 2010 June; 33(6):1304-8

2. Li D, Yeung SC, Hassan MM, Konopleva M, Abbruzzese JL, Anti-diabetic therapies affect risk of pancreatic cancer, Gastroenterology, 2009 August; 137(2); 482-8

For more info, contact Reno Integrative Medical Center at (775) 829-1009 or visit online at www.renointegrativemedicalcenter.com

Acupuncture seems to be a popular topic these days. Hollywood stars praising its benefits, Time & Life magazine featuring articles about it, even Veterinarians claiming amazing results treating their furry little friends (no placebo effect there!). As acupuncture becomes more popular here in the West many people are becoming curious about this “mysterious” form of healing from the East. This article briefly addresses some of the most frequent questions that a prospective new patient might have.

What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the “eight branches” of what is known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The other seven branches consist of herbal medicine, diet, Tui Na (massage), qigong (breathwork), tai qi (martial arts), astrology, and feng shui (art of placement). Acupuncture itself is the practice of inserting extremely thin needles into specific points on the body known as acupoints. These acupoints are generally located along energetic pathways on the body known as meridians.

What are meridians?
Meridians are the pathways through which Qi (or energy, for the sake of simplicity) is carried throughout the body. They cover the body from head to toe, front to back, and connect with all the organ systems of the body. This creates a web of pathways that interconnect every aspect of the body.

What is Qi?
Qi, (pronounced chee) in its most basic description, is the energy flowing through the meridian system. From a more holistic point of view it can be thought of as the underlying omnipresent force permeating and animating the universe. The goal of the acupuncturist is to promote the smooth uninhibited flow of Qi through the meridian system. One interesting description of Qi is that it is energy on the verge of becoming matter and matter on the verge of becoming energy. This is a succinct verbal description of the original Chinese character for Qi, which is a pot of rice boiling with steam coming out- the rice symbolizing the matter and steam the energy.

Does it hurt?
Probably the most frequent question asked. Generally the answer is no. The acupuncture needle is a very thin solid needle unlike the hollow hypodermic version. Even under a microscope, these needles are incredibly smooth and uniform. A slight pinch can be felt along with other sensations such as dull ache, itching, tingling, or warmth. Rarely there might be the occasional sharper sensation but this generally fades away in a few seconds.

Does it only work for musculoskeletal pain?
Although this is the most common reason people receive acupuncture it is not the only situation it is helpful for. Acupuncture and more specifically TCM is a comprehensive system of healthcare that has the capability of addressing just about any health issue that may arise – physically and emotionally.

Does Insurance Cover Acupuncture?
Yes, many insurance companies are offering acupuncture benefits now. As it becomes more mainstream, the public is continually requesting this benefit. Insurance companies are beginning to realize that acupuncture is a cost effective form of treatment and seem to be responding to public demand.
One of the most important issues addressed in this article is the understanding that acupuncture is just one aspect of TCM. TCM is an ever evolving and empirically proven system of medicine capable of dealing with most of the ailments that affect our modern society today. It is safe, cost effective, gentle, and can be utilized by everyone from pediatrics to geriatrics and all those in between.

References:

1. www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture
2. Kaptchuk, Ted. The Web That Has No Weaver. Contemporary, Chicago 2000.
3. www.bluepoppypress.com

For more info, contact David Edge, O.M.D at (775) 783-4930 or (775)781-3465

by Marie Harger |

Stuck? Blocked? Imbalanced? Stagnated? It is Dr. Gary Danchak’s job to identify and resolve just such conditions using the Traditional Chinese Medicine of Acupuncture and Herbs. Many people who come into to see Dr. Danchak are experiencing pain and have often tried everything else. The cause of pain (physical or emotional) is stuck, blocked, imbalanced or stagnant chi/qi (energy/vital force). Dr. Danchak regulates the internal functions of the body via various stimuli such as needles, herbs, moxibustion, cupping and electro-acupuncture. When the circulation of chi/qi flows unimpeded there is a balance between the nutritive (yin) and dynamic (yang) aspects of the body, bringing good health and a feeling of serenity.

Dr. Danchak grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Kenyon College (Gambir, Ohio) with a degree in English Literature and a Masters degree in creative writing at the University of Iowa. He taught at the University of Alabama. Later he moved to Chicago and through a girl friend, who was receiving acupuncture for headaches and migraines due to a car accident, had his first acupuncture experience. While enduring a month of back pain from an injury, he experienced quick remission of pain after his first acupuncture treatment. He was so impressed that he quit his job, that he loved, to go in a new direction with the hopes of helping others to experience the relief, healing and peace he had received through acupuncture.

Dr. Danchak moved to New Mexico and attended Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe for 4.5 years. After graduation he moved to Reno, Nevada and started his current practice in 2002.

Dr. Danchak first introduces acupuncture and herbs to a patient by educating them on what acupuncture and herbs are, what they do, and the theory behind Traditional Chinese medicine. Just like the weather changes in the outside world, we all have weather within us that is dynamic and always changing. When imbalances become ingrained and chronic within, the results are pain or symptoms of disease. There are 12 organ systems (6 yin and 6 yang), which influence our internal weather. Eastern Medicine is all encompassing, considering the physical, emotional, mental, environmental and dietary energetics at play in each patient. The primary goal of Eastern Medicine is to get to the root problem and fix it, not just deal with symptoms.

Dr. Danchak does three types of acupuncture, Traditional Chinese, Japanese Kototama and Taiwanese acupuncture; each employs different degrees of needle stimulation. If someone is afraid of needles he will use Japanese Kotatoma because it uses the finest needles and the least manipulation. Traditional Chinese technique uses the thicker, uncoated needles and stronger stimulation, which can sometimes offer quicker results.

Dr. Danchak will examine your tongue and feel your pulses and then run an Electro-Meridian Image (computerized test) showing a printed graph of the energy he feels in your pulses. The graph/pulses show the relative excesses and deficiencies in the main organs in the body. He then considers other factors that work against us all such as, use of drugs (prescription and recreational), genetics, lifestyle, diet (a major factor) and exercise. He actively researches and tracks results of each patient’s herbal formulas and acupuncture point combinations and adjusts them as needed to maximize results. It is a team effort of Dr. Danchak and the patient to identify root causes of imbalance and eliminate them, strengthening the body’s ability to heal itself.

What surprises patients about acupuncture is that, unlike some visits to a Western Medicine doctor’s office, patients feel a deep sense of relaxation after acupuncture, sometimes so deep that they leave the office without their coats and car keys.

Overall benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine are the ability to successfully relieve chronic and acute pain, address dietary issues, and adjust the internal functioning of the body.

Dr. Danchak has the satisfaction of knowing he is a force for something good when he works with a patient. Experience the peace and healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine—Acupuncture and Herbs—with Dr. Gary Danchak and change your inner weather so that it is always a sunny day.

For more info, contact Dr. Gary Danchak OMD at (775) 849-9800.

by Gary Danchak |

There is nothing like breathing 3 hours of recycled air on a crowded plane to focus the mind on the value of immunity. Winter holidays are all about sharing, and share we do.

If you find yourself stuck between two sneezing seatmates without your Zicam (homeopathic nose spray) or your vitamin C, take heart and remember Louis Pasteur’s famous last words: “The germ is nothing, the environment is everything.”

In his 11th hour recant of his famous germ theory, Pasteur realized that if the body’s cellular metabolism and pH is perfectly balanced, it’s simply not susceptible to disease; so a germ doesn’t produce disease any more than a vulture produces roadkill, or rats produce garbage.

In Chinese medicine there are four levels of immunity that must be maintained: wei qi, qi, ying, and xue, all of which are of equal importance. If you do catch a cold or get the flu, having strong qi, ying and xue immunity means you’ll get over it quicker and the symptoms won’t be as bad.

But prevention is clearly the best cure, and that means wei qi, or the exterior protective energy that keeps the surface of the body firm or closed. It is the invisible suit of armor that the well-prepared traveler in this world doesn’t leave home without.

The Su Wen text (c. 400 B.C.) says that “Wind is the spearhead of a thousand diseases,” and is a pathogen in and of itself, but it also can combine with and facilitate the entrance of other pathogens into the body. If the body’s wei qi is weak, wind pathogens enter the body through the skin below the skull on the back of the neck (you feel a slight sore throat, possibly a slight fever) and makes its way toward the Lung (sore throat and fever abate and coughing begins).

If the patient gets to his acupuncturist/herbalist at the first signs of cold or flu—usually a slight sore throat and light-headed feeling–the doctor will needle points on the Lung and Large Intestine meridians in order to “open the exterior” of the body to let the pathogen out and give herbs to expel the pathogen via diaphoresis (induced sweating). Your body eliminates the pathogen and you don’t get sick.

There are six levels of progression of cold pathogen through the body, three yang (exterior) and three yin(interior)—and each level presents with a distinctive tongue and pulse pattern as well as more and more severe symptoms of cold/flu. Your chances of avoiding a cold are always best if you get to your doctor while the pathogen is still in the most exterior level (this is the taiyang stage—the most superficial, skin level of the body).

Opening the exterior and letting the pathogen out may still work while the pathogen is in the next two levels below skin level (the shaoyang and yangming stages) but at the halfway point of its progression from yang to yin level, when it goes from level three to level four, from yangming to taiyin stage (symptoms here include uncontrollable sweating, chills and fever, profuse watery discharge from sinuses and Lung and a pale complexion), the pathogen is too entrenched and can no longer be removed, and the treatment protocol shifts to tonifying (nourishing) the organs through which the pathogen will now travel, thus allowing the body to heal itself more quickly. If you mistakenly open the exterior when the pathogen is more than halfway through its circuit of the organ systems, you only invite more pathogens into an already compromised system.

For those who live in fear of swine flu and ever-stronger, more resistant strains of pathogens, take heart again: Eastern medicine looks at the world through a wide-angle lens, and if you focus its 3,000-year-old rules of theory and practice on today’s patient, it shows us that because we are of this world, nothing in this world can be beyond our strength to withstand. We just need a little tune-up now and again.

References:

1. Young, Dr. Wei-Chieh, Tung’s Acupuncture, Chih-Yuan Books, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005
2. www.neurotalk.psychcentral.com
3. www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/nomonte.php
4. Li, Wei, L.Ac. & Frierman, David, L.Ac. Diseases of the Kidney and Bladder. Blue Poppy Press, Boulder, CO 2006.

For more info, contact Dr. Gary Danchak, OMD at (775) 849-9800.

by David Edge, O.M.D. |

“Foolish the doctor who despises the knowledge acquired by the ancients.” Hippocrates, circa 490 BC

Ah, the experience of a traditional Chinese herb market, jar upon jar of strange looking plant and animal substances. Boxes filled with roots and branches, all coated in a layer of dust and dirt. You experience every conceivable smell, from the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle to the stomach turning scent of dried insects. You proceed to hand your herbal prescription to the 150-year-old looking wise man or woman. They then gather up the mysterious ingredients, wrap them in paper and you are on your way. Go home, boil up the decoction (literally soup), strain the liquid, and prepare yourself for tastes that you did not know existed. Is this traditional Chinese herbal medicine? Well, the answer is both yes and no.

Over the past few thousand years this is how traditional Chinese herbal medicine was administered. There were variations to this of course, but for the most part, this was the method of choice. Most of what is known today about the effects of particular combinations of medicinals in Chinese medicine, known as herbal formulas, is based on using this method of preparation.

All medicinal substances come from the earth and all have the potential for healing if used properly, as well as being harmful if used improperly. One aspect of Chinese herbal medicine that sets it apart from other systems of herbal medicine is a very long history of observing and diligently recording the effects of those herbal formulas on many generations of patients. This results in a very safe form of medicine with few if any negative side effects.

Another differentiating aspect is the method of combining single medicinals into herbal formulas. This has several advantages. The most important one being the addition of medicinals to address a patient’s underlying imbalance, which could actually be the cause of their symptoms. Secondly, it allows the herbalist to address several different symptoms simultaneously. Finally, certain medicinals might counteract the negative effects of another or could possibly enhance their positive effects.

Though decoctions are still used in today’s modern Oriental Medicine clinics, depending on both practitioner and/or patient preference, they are no longer the norm. This is due in large part to modern technology. Today’s herbal manufacturing plants are high tech, state of the art facilities. Patients now have the option of choosing tablets, capsules, powders, alcohol tinctures, or glycerin based tinctures (great for kids). All the major herb companies have their medicinals tested for heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, and follow the Good Manufacturing Products (GMP) guidelines. A growing number of them are even certified organic.

Patients can rest assured knowing that the Chinese herbs they receive from their acupuncturist or herbalist are free from contaminants, and have been prepared as close as possible to the traditional methods used for over a millennia by the Chinese.

References:

1. Bensky, Dan and Barolet, Randall. Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas and Strategies. Eastland Press Inc, Washington 1990.
2. Bensky, Dan and Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica. Eastland Press Inc., Washington 1986.
3. www.gfcherbs.com

For more info, contact David Edge, O.M.D. at (775) 783-4930 or (775) 781-3465.

by Peter Kelder |edited by J.W. Watt | book review by June Milligan |

This book was originally published in 1939. The story behind it is somewhat of a mystery, and this information probably would have faded into the mists of time if these rites had not worked for scores of people here in America. It promises that the five simple poses, called “rites” by the Tibetan monks, will reverse aging.

To start at the beginning, the author says that he met a retired British Army Officer, a Colonel Bradford, who revealed that there was a Buddhist lamasery (monastery) in Tibet where the monks/priests never seemed to grow old. Colonel Bradford had spent his career (early 1900s) on the India/Tibetan border during the time when both Russia and Britain were attempting to gain control over Tibet. That competition was called The Great Game, and since Tibet was guarded by the Himalayas, neither country had much luck influencing or invading Tibet. It was basically a closed country.

During his career Colonel Bradford became fascinated with the possibility of finding the lamasery. After retiring, he wanted to return to Tibet. He told his story to Peter Kelder, then returned to Asia. Four years later, Bradford came back to America but Kelder didn’t recognize him. Kelder knew Bradford was at least 60 years old, but he now looked like a man in his late 30s or early 40s!

Bradford explained that the secret of reversing aging was in doing five different rites each day. These rites supposedly work because they increase the spin of seven vortices in the body. These were never called chakras in Tibet, nor are they all located in the areas of the body traditionally thought to hold chakras. As we age, the spin of these vortices is said to slow down and rotate at different speeds. Causing the body to begin to deteriorate. If the spin can be increased through doing these rites, we begin to feel, act and look younger.

In 1946 Peter Kelder re-published the book with an additional chapter, and today it is thought that only one copy remains. The editor of this 2008 edition of The Eye of Revelation, J.W. Watt, searched for years and finally found a copy in Canada. He then re-issued Peter Kelder’s original authentic 1946 edition.

However, between 1946 and today, other publishers have taken what knowledge they could glean about Kelder’s original book, added and deleted information, and republished the book under the name Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth. In fact two books with that same name have been published. Both of these have dozens of testimonials from people who have tried these rites with very positive results. A video and even a cookbook have been published, but all the basic original information about the rites is in this one little paperback, The Eye of Revelation, including instructions regarding mantras, how to use the word “aum” and how to change your diet to boost the effect of the rites.

After doing the rites for some years J.W. Watt says, “There is something very mysterious about the Ancient Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation: they work—against all odds, they actually work. We don’t know how, we don’t know why, but we truly believe that anyone giving the Rites a fair trial will meet with surprising success.”

For more info, contact June Milligan, specializing in helping people learn how to let go of unproductive thinking (775) 786-9111.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for more than half of all organically caused memory loss and it is the fourth leading cause of death in the aged following heart disease, cancer and stroke.

It is a disorder of the brain, causing damage to brain tissue over a period of time. Alzheimer’s causes a global loss of intellectual abilities, which is severe enough to interfere with daily functioning.

Initial symptoms are subtle; the person may show signs of personality change, memory loss, poor judgment, have less initiative, be unable to learn new things, have mood swings or become easily agitated.

As the disease progresses, the victim gradually develops speech and language problems, movement and coordination difficulties, total confusion and disorientation and will ultimately rely completely on a caregiver for daily functioning.

As a Gerontologist, Administrator and caregiver of a six-bed Alzheimer’s care home, Reiki treatments have proven to be successful. A technique called “Validation therapy” by Naomi Feil is used in combination with Reiki, which provided the best results for eliminating many difficult Alzheimer’s behaviors.

The difficult behaviors successfully reduced and or eliminated using Reiki and Validation therapy were wandering, paranoia and pacing.

In addition the Reiki improved residents lucidity or “moments of clarity” when they received Reiki on a regular basis.

One resident was in the fourth stage of Alzheimer’s and suffered from many symptoms including severe agitation, anxiety and restlessness and would continually pace the floors and grounds of the care home, she could not sit down long enough to even eat her meals. She had lost weight, become frail, malnourished and underweight by the time she had arrived at my care home.

Nurses would follow her around with a straw in a glass full of a supplement drink, trying to get her to drink, which was very difficult and frustrating. Her pacing activity increased until she received Reiki treatments. She then would sit perfectly still while she was fed.

This was a great improvement and provided tremendous help in maintaining her weight and keeping her physical health from declining. Once Alzheimer’s patients’ physical health begins to deteriorate their overall condition generally deteriorates much more rapidly, leaving them at risk of becoming immobilized patients who end up in a convalescent nursing hospitals.

Another resident suffered from wandering, paranoia, and pacing. This patient made numerous daily efforts to leave the care home (with no idea where she was going) but after a month of starting the Reiki and Validation treatment combination, her efforts to leave the care home declined to once a month.

The successful results obtained using Reiki with Alzheimer’s residents led to nutritional and holistic remedies being added to create a whole body, mind and spirit program.

Providing Reiki along with an environment that enables the Alzheimer patient to maintain a higher functioning with diet correction, supplementation and detoxification remedies conducted by a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist has provided great success for these individuals.

References:

1. To read the complete article “Treating Alzheimer’s Disease with Reiki” and more information visit the authors website at www.reikimastertherese.com.

by Gary Danchak |

If you go to a western doctor, the western process of amassing verifiable data begins before you even meet him or her. A nurse will ask you why you’re here, take your temperature and blood pressure, and review your meds. Then the doctor makes his way in, you have a chat, maybe get poked or prodded here or there, then you might be asked for some blood work—to get some “values.”

If you come to an acupuncturist, you’ll likely get a cup of tea while you’re brought up to speed with some of the basics: yin and yang, qi and blood, tongue and pulse. Then he or she will reach out and feel your pulses at the radial arteries, and you will be plugged into a 3,000-year-old energy assessment instrument.

The data the acupuncturist is amassing is coming in through his or her fingertips and is being assessed between the brain and the gut—the acupuncturist may initially indulge in some analysis as he or she tries to decide what patterns of energetic imbalance are being felt. The acupuncturist may not be interested in quantifying (although some of that goes on and is simply a matter of keeping good notes) as much as he or she is interested in determining the relationships of the energy flowing in the 12 organ systems. This is Chinese medicine.

The acupuncture treatment is pretty straightforward after you get a good read on the pulses. Move excess energy from this organ over to that one to tonify its deficiency. If there’s a bottleneck of energy (pain) encourage proper flow (a matter of needle technique and point selection). Balance the energy and you have a healthy patient.
Chinese medicine is based on 3,000 years of observation of how natural forces interact in the world and the assumption that humans are microcosms of the larger world. Western medicine is considerably younger and based on the scientific method, really good with the details, maybe not so much with the big picture.

Have you ever laughed so hard you started to cry? Ask a western doctor why this happens and you may have this image of a scientist in a white coat dicing up brain matter and whirling it around in a centrifuge to determine how much serotonin was in the brain at the point of change. Ask an eastern doctor and he’d say: it’s because the universe will not tolerate absolutes. The t’ai qi symbol tells us that as you approach absolute yang, energy becomes yin, and vice versa. All energy is in constant flux—yang becoming yin, yin becoming yang. A snapshot that stops time only shows a partial truth: “The Tao that can be told of is not the Tao; the Name that can be named is not the constant name.” As Ted Kaptchuk, OMD concludes, “The Tao comes to stand for something that does not deny reason, but always manages to remain just outside its grasp.” This is like an extra dimension.

As Aristotelian thinkers (we who know for a fact that “A” cannot be “not A”), western thought is logical, linear and scientific. Eastern, not so much.

Taoist sage Lao Tzu (600 B.C.) said:
To be bent is to become straight.
To be empty is to be full.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
To have little is to possess.

Looking for common ground between these disparate points of view, I stumbled down a rabbit hole into a description of string theory on Wikipedia, which noted that “string theory is the first candidate for the theory of everything (TOE), a way to describe the known fundamental forces…and matter…in a mathematically complete system.” Apparently the math all works out and explains Everything if you just add seven more dimensions to the paltry three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time that we know about now. By comparison, it’s not so hard to believe that when an acpuncturist puts a needle in your arm they’re contacting and manipulating a stream of qi.

If you look at matter on an atomic level, you have protons and neutrons and electrons whizzing around them, which means that a big boulder on a hill might look like it’s not moving, but it is moving and it is constantly changing, and we can do tests to prove it.

But what value is there to knowing that? Will it make your shoulder stop hurting?

Our bodies appear solid, yet we know that little sub-atomic particles are constantly tearing through us without our awareness (nevermind permission), some no doubt whacking a few electrons out of their orbits—a bit of DNA in your brain, a chunk of carbon in your heart—but most passing through this relatively amorphous construction, our bodies, seemingly without causing much trouble. But who knows? Pathogens lurk on doorknobs and in sneeze clouds. Secondary pathogens caused by improper diet impede the flow of energy and slow healing.

East and West agree that we are energetic beings in constant flux. What better or more direct way to achieve health and harmony than using tiny needles to lever and redirect energy back to a comfortable pattern of flow? And it even works on shoulders.

(This meditation is inspired by my annual re-reading of the seminal “The Web That Has No Weaver” by Ted Kaptchuk, OMD.)

In Chinese thought, all of nature is a dynamic oscillation of the two primal forces of yin and yang: water and fire, cold and hot, dark and light, wet and dry, passive and active, female and male. Out of this simple binary system all of Chinese medicine is spun.

You’ve seen the t’ai chi symbol before: a black fish curled up next to a white fish. The black fish has a white eye and the white fish has a black eye–symbolizing that within yang is the seed of yin, and vice versa. So, within winter is the seed of summer; within rain is the seed of fire. Or, it’s always darkest before the dawn.

No one is more painfully aware of this than an insomniac–bone tired all day but wide awake all night–a monkey chattering in his head, replaying old scripts and drafting new ones, dreading the alarm clock that brings another exhausted slog through another tomorrow.

In Chinese Medicine there are over 50 recognized patterns of energetic imbalance that lead to insomnia. One of these is an imbalance known as “heart and kidney not communicating.” This means that the water (yin) of the kidneys is too weak to reach up and cool the fire (yang) of the heart, so you end up with empty heart fire rising to disturb the mind (palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, “monkey chatter”) in addition to kidney deficient symptoms sinking down (low back pain, weak knees, poor memory, dizziness &/or tinnitus and poor hearing). In order to sleep peacefully, the heart must offer safe housing to the shen (the spirit of the heart), which it certainly can’t do if it’s on fire. Differential diagnosis of this condition reveals a tongue that is red and peeled by heat and a pulse that is thin and rapid (or floating and empty) especially in the kidney and heart positions.

The yin of the heart and kidney can be replenished by herbs and acupuncture, and the imbalance corrected. If the condition is a long-standing one, it will take more adjustments to turn the pattern around, so an herbal formula is essential to reinforce the needle work.

If you’re an insomniac with peripheral pain (e.g. in the neck or knee, elbow or shoulder) chances are your pain won’t go away until you address your root disharmony. Think of how a body that is freezing to death prioritizes energy: it sacrifices circulation to the arms and legs and it shivers the flesh to generate heat–all to keep the organs alive. If your body has an organ imbalance, it’s going to divert every bit of its energy inward to try and fix the root problem, to the exclusion of peripheral aches and pains–and you will be stuck with those nagging aches and pains until you hear what they’re trying to tell you: to get back on the right path, the tao, and regain your natural balance and again flow effortlessly with the forces in the cosmos.

For more info, contact Gary Danchak, OMD specializing in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine at (775) 849-9800.