XING ZHANG
ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Chinese Medicine
for
Dermatological Conditions
DERMATOLOGY
Skin conditions affect the quality of a person’s life. For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine has used herbs and acupuncture to treat a variety of maladies from internal health problems to skin disorders, such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, alopecia and others. Many practitioners today continue to apply these methods to treat their patients who prefer a less invasive and non-chemical treatment.
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Traditional Chinese medicine views good health as a balance between the body's internal systems and the environment we live in. Displacement of the balance between energy (Qi), blood, yin and yang result to the development of diseases. The impact of environmental conditions, such as wind, heat, cold, dampness and dryness also contribute to the illness. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine views the mind as a powerful influence on a person's health.
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CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
There are four areas of dermatology where traditional Chinese medicine is applied: Chuang Yong (skin sores,) Pi Fu Ling (skin disorders, such as acnes, eczemas, warts and etc) Gan Men Bing (rectal or anus disorders, such as hemorrhoids,) and Za Bing (other disorders, such as acute abdominal disorders and gangrene.)
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Chinese Herbal medicine uses herbal formulas that have been time tested for hundred of years. For example, the Three Yellow Cleanser (San Huang Xi Ji) treats about 60% of skin disorders, including acne, eczema, dermatitis, rashes, and psoriasis. The formula, which has been in use for many centuries, consists of four cleansing herbs with a "cold property" that clears the internal inflammation, stops itching, and prevents secretions from oozing further. Three of the four herbs used in the formula have a yellow hue, hence the name. The four herbs - Rhubarb (Dai Huang,) Sophora (Ku Shen,) Phellodendron (Huang Bai) and Skullcap (Huang Qin) - were placed under scientific study and were found to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral qualities. Clinical research indicated that Phellodendron (Huang Bai) is very effective in treating eczema.
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ACUPUNCTURE
Aside from the extensive use of Chinese herbs, traditional Chinese medicine also recommends acupuncture as a parallel treatment for skin disorders. Stimulation of acupuncture points increases the production of endorphins and simultaneously activates the immune and endocrine systems. Acupuncture points are specific nerve points that give particular access to the system of energetic meridians, which perform different functions depending on their location.
For skin disorders, acupuncture points are stimulated along the arms, legs and torso. We use fine high-grade surgical steel needles, which are used only once, to stimulate those acupuncture points. The needles may remain in place from 10 minutes to one hour, depending on the desired effect. Heat or electricity may also be applied using three fire needles (heated needles) or wired small alligator clips attached to the needles, which pass a very mild electrical charge from a small battery.
Acupuncture has been documented as an effective therapeutic modality for psoriasis, particularly when western medical management is unsuccessful. Patients using acupuncture and herbal medicine together with dietary and lifestyle modifications will see significant changes to their psoriasis symptoms in 3 to 9 months. Most patients begin to see changes in psoriasis symptoms within 3 months of starting intensive treatments. If acupuncture is used without herbal medicine, symptoms may take significantly longer to resolve, and in some cases of very stubborn psoriasis, there may only be a partial change in symptoms. For a tough skin problem like psoriasis, a multi-part treatment plan is the only way to get lasting results and symptom reduction.
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HOW MANY TREATMENTS ARE NEEDED?
Treating Skin dysfunction takes time as the skin goes through different repair phases. Depending on severity it will take 10-20 treatments
We expect to see symptom reduction within the first month and continued improvement over the course of treatments.
One course of treatment is 10 visits focusing on the acute and corrective phase. As you progress through treatments you should feel improvements where we put you on observational care.
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WHAT ARE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED SKIN CONDITIONS?
We have treated these following conditions with success in our clinic.
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acenes
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eczema
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hives
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rashes
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psoriasis
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shingles