Ms. Adam (31 y/o) lives in Michigan. She came to my clinic on July 27 for her scleroderma accompanying by her sister and her relatives here. Her sister found me by searching the internet. She saw the testimony of my patient Maria in Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJeu3rReN0), then called me and scheduled the appointment a month ago.
She said she was diagnosed scleroderma earlier this year. The joints of her fingers, feet, elbow and knees were all swelling, worse in the morning. And the fingers become into blue when it is cold. It takes a while for her to walk after sitting because of the stiffness of her knees. It is very difficult for her to swallow and she felt short of breath after eating. And she felt fullness in abdomen. The acid reflux became severe when she laying down, and it made her difficult to sleep during the night. Her doctor prescribe methotrexate for scleroderma, cilostazol to increase the blood flow, and pantoprazol for acid reflux. But they seem no help. The symptoms are very similar with these that Maria described in her testimony. The chest skin of the both patients were hard as a rubber.
I gave her acupuncture that day and also prescribed Chinese herbal medicine. The patient feel the difference right after the acupuncture treatment. She felt that the tightness of her chest became loose and her knees became less pain when she stood up to walk. I told her to take the herbs at least one hour separate the Western drugs.
It was Wednesday. Since she had to fly back to Michigan for her school on Sunday, I suggested her come back on Friday and Saturday. When she came on Friday, she told me that the acid reflux stopped bother her during the night and she felt much less pain of her joints. Her joints swollen disappeared after three acupuncture treatment. On August 3, she send me a text message and said "I am taking your medicine, it is working well".
I told her continue to take the herbal medicine. Best wishes to her.
About Me
- Willow Liu
- Diamond Bar, California, United States
- I am currently an acupuncturist in my own clinc and a holder of diplomas of Oriental Medical Doctor and Chinese Herbology (NCCAOM). I got my B.S. of Chinese Materia Medica, M.S. of Medicine, Ph.D. of Natural Product Medicine in China, then trained as a post-doctoral research scientist in Columbia University in New York. I was a professor of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, an AvH research fellow in Dusseldorf University in Germany, a professor in South California University of Health Science in the U.S., and the editor and author of the book: Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Methods-Identification, Analysis, Bioassay, and Pharmacological and Clinical Studies (In English, contracted with John Wiley & Sons, will be published in January 2011). I enjoy to spent time to explore all aspects related to health and illness and to be challenged with diseases or symptoms that allopathic and other doctors failed to treat or relieve. I like to combine the knowledge of traditional and modern medicine in the treatment. Please drag down for the content!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Friday, January 30, 2015
Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific and Effective?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Infertility woman with lupus becomes pregnant
Monday last week, Cynthia (female, age 42) called me excitedly for a good news: she became pregnant!
Cynthia has married with her husband for 7 years, but never got pregnant although they have been kept trying. In 2010, red spots appeared on her cheek and neck with rash and itchy. She was first diagnosed as allergy, but the treatment did not help and the red spots gradually spread to her chest late last year. She changed the doctor, and finally was diagnosed as lupus by the end of last year. The Rheumatologist prescribed her plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and steroid. She did not want to take steroid because of its side effects. After she took plaquenil, the red spots spread more and she felt more itchy. Therefore, she started to look for alternative treatment, then found me through internet. When she came, she told me that her back head, neck and shoulders were very tight and pain, and the skin below her nailed were also affected.
Lupus is an immune disordered diseases. If it is not well controlled, it will not only gradually affect the vessels, muscles and joints but also impact the functions of nerve and hormone, then internal organs due to spread of inflammation.
In addition to the combined treatment with acupuncture and herbal formula, I also gave her pricking blood therapy when she came for acupuncture treatment twice per week. I told her that my treatment will improve the circulation of Qi and blood, which means to regulate the function of the neuro-endo-immune network. Only with one session of acupuncture, she felt the pain and tightness on head, neck and shoulders were significantly reduced. After few sessions of treatments, she said she felt no more itchy, and the redness was gradually reduced. However, the redness became once worse before her period came. I told her it has been found that levels of female hormones related to the symptom. The symptom became settles down after her period ended. At this time, I added two points to regulate her hormone. After about two months treatment, her skin redness become much less, looks almost normal when she got up in the morning. She told me that her relatives who saw her during Christmas were surprised at her skin improvement when saw her in March.
On April 2, she called me about her pregnancy. She said her husband was tearing after she told him the excited news. She asked me whether need to continue the herbal formula. I told her when become pregnancy, the progesterone becomes higher, thus most pregnant women have much less or no symptoms during their pregnancy, therefore, no need for herbal medicine now. She told me that she did feel very well, almost normal now. But I reminded her to be careful especially during the first trimester of her pregnancy because of her age.
Cynthia has married with her husband for 7 years, but never got pregnant although they have been kept trying. In 2010, red spots appeared on her cheek and neck with rash and itchy. She was first diagnosed as allergy, but the treatment did not help and the red spots gradually spread to her chest late last year. She changed the doctor, and finally was diagnosed as lupus by the end of last year. The Rheumatologist prescribed her plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and steroid. She did not want to take steroid because of its side effects. After she took plaquenil, the red spots spread more and she felt more itchy. Therefore, she started to look for alternative treatment, then found me through internet. When she came, she told me that her back head, neck and shoulders were very tight and pain, and the skin below her nailed were also affected.
Lupus is an immune disordered diseases. If it is not well controlled, it will not only gradually affect the vessels, muscles and joints but also impact the functions of nerve and hormone, then internal organs due to spread of inflammation.
In addition to the combined treatment with acupuncture and herbal formula, I also gave her pricking blood therapy when she came for acupuncture treatment twice per week. I told her that my treatment will improve the circulation of Qi and blood, which means to regulate the function of the neuro-endo-immune network. Only with one session of acupuncture, she felt the pain and tightness on head, neck and shoulders were significantly reduced. After few sessions of treatments, she said she felt no more itchy, and the redness was gradually reduced. However, the redness became once worse before her period came. I told her it has been found that levels of female hormones related to the symptom. The symptom became settles down after her period ended. At this time, I added two points to regulate her hormone. After about two months treatment, her skin redness become much less, looks almost normal when she got up in the morning. She told me that her relatives who saw her during Christmas were surprised at her skin improvement when saw her in March.
On April 2, she called me about her pregnancy. She said her husband was tearing after she told him the excited news. She asked me whether need to continue the herbal formula. I told her when become pregnancy, the progesterone becomes higher, thus most pregnant women have much less or no symptoms during their pregnancy, therefore, no need for herbal medicine now. She told me that she did feel very well, almost normal now. But I reminded her to be careful especially during the first trimester of her pregnancy because of her age.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Acupuncture & Herbs for Stage IV Stomach Cancer (2)
This is a continued story about Acupuncture and Herbs for Stage IV Caner written on Nov. 8.
About two weeks ago, the cancer patient's wife, Maria told me that the Allen's new blood test showed that his carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a tumer marker raised to 30, higher above the normal range (<2.5 ng/ml) , and it was within the normal range before. The patient felt severe pain on his left low back at that time (he did not tell me about the pain before then). The oncologist worried about the further spread of the cancer cells, therefore, ordered the the CT scan for his bone. The exam was scheduled on Nov. 17. I could tell that both the patient and his wife were nervous about this. But the patient told me that the low back pain has been for serval years, started before the cancer been foundt out, but now getting worse because he had been laying on the bed for couple of months due to the chemotherapy.
Based on the significant improved condition of the patient I saw (please read the story on http://willow4health.blogspot.com/2011/11/acupuncture-and-herbs-work.html), I didn't believe the combined treatment of chemotherapy with acupuncture and herbs would make his situation worse. Therefore, I searched the internet for the information of CEA test.
The CEA test measures the amount of the protein of carcinoembryonic antigen that may appear in the blood of some people who have certain kinds of cancers. Patients with more advanced tumors or tumors that have spread throughout the body are more likely to have high CEA values. Therefore, the Oncologist was worried about the further sperad. But when I did more search about the CEA, I found out that on one page of the MedicneNet.com, it says: "Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a temporary rise in CEA due to the death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream".
After seeing the last sentence, I told the patient's wife:" The lift of the CEA marker might be because of the death of cancer cells. The reason I said so is because his back pain is below, rather than right behind the stomach. It might be due to his long time laying on the bed. Let me see whether I can fix his back pain. If the pain is fixed, then it is not caused by the cancer spread for sure". She replied:" I will pray for that."
In the following acupuncture treatmments, I added treatment on the patient's back. When he came on Nov. 19, after 4 times treatment, the patient told me that his pain on the back had been completely gone. He said he had took the CT scan on Nov. 17, but the result has not come out yet. When his wife came back today (Nov. 21) for her scleroderma (I will tell the story about the treatment on her later), she told me that the Oncologist just called her before she left her office and told her that the CT scan showed that the cancer cells in the lymph nodes on the back of Allen's stomach has disseapperd. The oncologist said this is the best gift for Thanksgiving to them.
Praise the lord. I pray the lord to give me and the oncologist wisdom and give the couple confidence to let let us fight the cancers together.
About two weeks ago, the cancer patient's wife, Maria told me that the Allen's new blood test showed that his carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a tumer marker raised to 30, higher above the normal range (<2.5 ng/ml) , and it was within the normal range before. The patient felt severe pain on his left low back at that time (he did not tell me about the pain before then). The oncologist worried about the further spread of the cancer cells, therefore, ordered the the CT scan for his bone. The exam was scheduled on Nov. 17. I could tell that both the patient and his wife were nervous about this. But the patient told me that the low back pain has been for serval years, started before the cancer been foundt out, but now getting worse because he had been laying on the bed for couple of months due to the chemotherapy.
Based on the significant improved condition of the patient I saw (please read the story on http://willow4health.blogspot.com/2011/11/acupuncture-and-herbs-work.html), I didn't believe the combined treatment of chemotherapy with acupuncture and herbs would make his situation worse. Therefore, I searched the internet for the information of CEA test.
The CEA test measures the amount of the protein of carcinoembryonic antigen that may appear in the blood of some people who have certain kinds of cancers. Patients with more advanced tumors or tumors that have spread throughout the body are more likely to have high CEA values. Therefore, the Oncologist was worried about the further sperad. But when I did more search about the CEA, I found out that on one page of the MedicneNet.com, it says: "Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a temporary rise in CEA due to the death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream".
After seeing the last sentence, I told the patient's wife:" The lift of the CEA marker might be because of the death of cancer cells. The reason I said so is because his back pain is below, rather than right behind the stomach. It might be due to his long time laying on the bed. Let me see whether I can fix his back pain. If the pain is fixed, then it is not caused by the cancer spread for sure". She replied:" I will pray for that."
In the following acupuncture treatmments, I added treatment on the patient's back. When he came on Nov. 19, after 4 times treatment, the patient told me that his pain on the back had been completely gone. He said he had took the CT scan on Nov. 17, but the result has not come out yet. When his wife came back today (Nov. 21) for her scleroderma (I will tell the story about the treatment on her later), she told me that the Oncologist just called her before she left her office and told her that the CT scan showed that the cancer cells in the lymph nodes on the back of Allen's stomach has disseapperd. The oncologist said this is the best gift for Thanksgiving to them.
Praise the lord. I pray the lord to give me and the oncologist wisdom and give the couple confidence to let let us fight the cancers together.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Treatmenf of Tinnitus with Acupuncture
Tinnitus is a ringing, swishing, or other type of noise that seems to originate in the ear or head. It was reported that nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this disorder. More information about this diseases such as causes and treatment is available from many website. One of them is http://www.medicinenet.com/tinnitus/article.htm.
The noise that patients complained most in my clinic sounds like Cicada singing. To patient with severe and contineous ringing in the ear, it is not simple nuisance anymore. It may bother his/her sleep and gradually made her under depress. Most of my patients said their ENT specialists could not find out the cause and had no method to treat. Diseases or symptoms of that no structural change of organs and tissues is found by examination are called dysfunctional diseases. I believe that the cause of such diseases or symptoms relates to the poor circulation of capilaries, which supply nutrients and hormones through blood to the nerves that control the function of the impacted organs or tissues. The poor circulation of blood might be due to infectious or non-infectious inflammation depending on individuals.
My personal practice showed that the sooner the treatment begins after the ring onset, the shorter of the treatment needs. Sometime, herbal formula may be needed if the acupuncture treatment result is not significant.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formula are effective to many diseases that medical doctors fail to treat. This is only one example.
The noise that patients complained most in my clinic sounds like Cicada singing. To patient with severe and contineous ringing in the ear, it is not simple nuisance anymore. It may bother his/her sleep and gradually made her under depress. Most of my patients said their ENT specialists could not find out the cause and had no method to treat. Diseases or symptoms of that no structural change of organs and tissues is found by examination are called dysfunctional diseases. I believe that the cause of such diseases or symptoms relates to the poor circulation of capilaries, which supply nutrients and hormones through blood to the nerves that control the function of the impacted organs or tissues. The poor circulation of blood might be due to infectious or non-infectious inflammation depending on individuals.
My personal practice showed that the sooner the treatment begins after the ring onset, the shorter of the treatment needs. Sometime, herbal formula may be needed if the acupuncture treatment result is not significant.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formula are effective to many diseases that medical doctors fail to treat. This is only one example.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Acupuncture and Herbs for Stage IV Stomach Cancer
On Oct. 17, Allen (age 50) came to my clinic accompanied by his wife. He was dignosed as Linitis plastica, a rare stomach cancer at stage IV in late May this year. Because cancer had spread to the lymph node outside of the stomach, the oncologist decided to give him chemotherapy to let the lymph node shrink first before the surgery for stomach. Therefore, he started to having chemotherapy in middle of June. However because the number of his leucocyte (white blood cells) dropped to 1.2 (normal range is 4.0-10.0 THOU/CUMM) due to the side effect of the medicine, the doctor had to stop his chemothrapy after the blood test result came out on Oct. 13. There is no medicine to increase his leucocyte. He said he had been very weak, dizzy, nausea and vomitting, no appetite and energy at all since the chemotherapy began. Therefore, the doctor had to punch a hole through the skin at the left side of his navel for a feeding tube while receving the chemotherapy.
Time is life. The cancer cells might have grown again if the chemotherapy being stopped long due to the too low leucocyte. In this case, his wife, Maria, a nurse working in Kaiser hospital, searched the internet and found me.
I gave him acupucnture and formulated scientific herbal extract, then told him come twice per week. That was on Monday.
When he came back on Oct. 22 (Saturday, 2nd time), he told me that he felt significant difference after the first treatment, and when he went to see the oncologist on Friday (Oct. 21), his doctor checked the blood and the test result showed the leucocyte rasied to 5.0, high enough for chemotherapy, so the treatment started again. And this time, he was able to eat, no nausea and vomiting, therefore, no tube needed anymore.
When he came on Oct. 25 (3rd time), he told me that he ate like a horse now, felt more energetic.
When he came on Oct. 29 (4th time), he brought his blood test taken on Oct. 27, ten days after the acupuncture and herbal treatment. His leucocyte raised to 6.9. He also showed me the data taken from middle August to middle September. The highest of his previous leucocyte nuber was 5.8.
The patient said that the doctor gave him another stronger but more toxic medicne with i.v. every 3rd week. Before the treatment in my clinic, every time after he received the 2nd more toxic medicine, he was always completely knocked down for the following whole week. But while having acupuncture and herbal treatment, he was fine with it now. When his son sent him here with his girl friend, the girl told me that she rarely saw the patient before because he always lain in his room, but now she saw him walked around every time when she visited them.
When the patient came again today, in 22 days after acupuncture and herbal treatment started, his face looks rose pink, much more healthy (it was pale just like a white page). He said to me "I have not felt such good for a long time already, and I wants to do exercise now". I suggested him start doing strech with deep breath at home. He also brought the blood tests taken every week during the past month. In addition to leucocytes, his low red cells are also slowly raising.
The couples are christians. Every time when they came, they thanked the lord for having received treatment in my clinic. Joseph said that he is very confident to fight aginst the cancer now.
Time is life. The cancer cells might have grown again if the chemotherapy being stopped long due to the too low leucocyte. In this case, his wife, Maria, a nurse working in Kaiser hospital, searched the internet and found me.
I gave him acupucnture and formulated scientific herbal extract, then told him come twice per week. That was on Monday.
When he came back on Oct. 22 (Saturday, 2nd time), he told me that he felt significant difference after the first treatment, and when he went to see the oncologist on Friday (Oct. 21), his doctor checked the blood and the test result showed the leucocyte rasied to 5.0, high enough for chemotherapy, so the treatment started again. And this time, he was able to eat, no nausea and vomiting, therefore, no tube needed anymore.
When he came on Oct. 25 (3rd time), he told me that he ate like a horse now, felt more energetic.
When he came on Oct. 29 (4th time), he brought his blood test taken on Oct. 27, ten days after the acupuncture and herbal treatment. His leucocyte raised to 6.9. He also showed me the data taken from middle August to middle September. The highest of his previous leucocyte nuber was 5.8.
The patient said that the doctor gave him another stronger but more toxic medicne with i.v. every 3rd week. Before the treatment in my clinic, every time after he received the 2nd more toxic medicine, he was always completely knocked down for the following whole week. But while having acupuncture and herbal treatment, he was fine with it now. When his son sent him here with his girl friend, the girl told me that she rarely saw the patient before because he always lain in his room, but now she saw him walked around every time when she visited them.
When the patient came again today, in 22 days after acupuncture and herbal treatment started, his face looks rose pink, much more healthy (it was pale just like a white page). He said to me "I have not felt such good for a long time already, and I wants to do exercise now". I suggested him start doing strech with deep breath at home. He also brought the blood tests taken every week during the past month. In addition to leucocytes, his low red cells are also slowly raising.
The couples are christians. Every time when they came, they thanked the lord for having received treatment in my clinic. Joseph said that he is very confident to fight aginst the cancer now.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
A story about treatment for a manager of two medical centers
Carmen R. is a manager of two medical centers in LA area. She came to my clinic for stomach problem on May 2. She told me that started from October last year, she felt spasm and burning on her middle chest. Her doctor diagnosed the problem as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastritis and prescribed protonix for her. She felt little better by taking this drug at the beginning, but the symptom gradually getting worse. She felt pain below the ribs and severe burning when hungry and after eating. She could only eat little each time, otherwise the burning became very severe. She had to eat more times for this reason. Her doctor told her that she should not drink milk and eat apple and many other staffs. The only meat the doctor suggested her was chicken. She had been sick of the only few kinds of foods she could eat every day.
Because of the insufficient nutrient and poor absorption in addition to the suffering, she felt very tired and desperate. She was under depression. She was not sure whether the severe symptoms were caused by the medicine she was taking. She kept asking me with worry: “Can you help me, doctor?”
I suggested her get both acupuncture and herbal formula for the best result. But she wanted to try herbs first. I prescribed scientific herbal extract for her. After taking about ten days, she felt better and had more energy. I prescribed her more herbs for another 15 days. I showed her the list of the possible protonix side effects from the website and suggested her try to gradually drop down protonix because it failed to help her anyway.
When she came back on June 15, she told me that she had stopped taking protonix for 9 days and the symptoms had been improved about 50%, but still felt burning especially when the stomach was empty. I modified the formula and let her take for another 15 days.
She came back on July 18 and told me that she felt much better. I could tell that she was so happy and no more depression. When I asked her to give me a number from 0 to 10 to let me know the percentage of the symptoms improvement. She told me if the severity was 10 before the treatment, it became to 3 now.
She told me that she had suspected that the medicine (protonix) made the symptoms became worse. She said that when she saw patients in the clinics she worked for, she just wanted to tell them don't take these drugs, but she could not do that because of her work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)