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Dr. Ling Zheng, L. AC.
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To Treat Atopic Eczema with Chinese Herbal Medicine
Treat for Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) with Acupuncture
To Treat for Arthritis with Acupuncture
Acupuncture and Mental Health
Acupuncture Treats Headaches and Migraines
Acupuncture Relieves Menstrual Pain, Study Finds
Acupuncture for Fertility
Acupuncture and Injury Rehabilitation
To Treat for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with
Acupuncture
Acupuncture for Menopause
To Treat for Sciatica with Acupuncture
Acupuncture and Back Pain
To Treat Atopic Eczema with Chinese Herbal
Medicine
Atopic Eczema is a common, chronic, life-altering disease that affects
the skin. Eczema is a general term for several types of inflammation of
the skin (of which atopic dermatitis is the most common). The word
“atopic” refers to a group of diseases where there is a tendency to
develop other allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever. Eczema
comes from the Greek word meaning ‘weeping skin’ and is the most common
skin disease in children. Worldwide eczema affects 12-25% of children.
Of these children, 49-75% will develop eczema before they are 6 months
old and 80-90% before they are 5 years old. About 6 out of 10 children
will continue to have eczema after puberty and 10-15% of adults continue
to suffer from their childhood eczema. About 15 million Americans suffer
from eczema.
Symptoms of Atopic Eczema
Regardless of how minor or severe a person’s eczema is, everyone has the
same basic symptoms – dry skin, sore rashes, and terrible itching.
Scratching and rubbing in response to itching irritates the skin and
leads to the other common symptoms of eczema such as redness of the
skin, swelling, cracking, "weeping" clear fluid, and finally, dryness,
crusting and scaling. Itching is a particular problem during sleep when
conscious control of scratching is lost.
The appearance of the skin that is affected by atopic dermatitis depends
on the amount of scratching and the presence of secondary skin
infections. One other type of lesion common in atopic eczema is
lichenification, which appears when the skin over time becomes thick and
leathery due to repeated damage from scratching and rubbing. It is also
common for individuals with eczema to have a higher incidence of asthma
and hay fever (i.e. allergic rhinitis) with 30% of these patients
presenting with these associated diseases.
According to modern medicine the symptoms of atopic eczema discussed
above are associated with malfunction of the body's immune system and
appear when the body reacts to elements in the environment which would
normally be harmless. Scientists have found that people with atopic
eczema have a low level of a cytokine (a protein) that is essential to
the healthy function of the body's immune system and a high level of
other cytokines that lead to allergic reactions. For example in atopic
dermatitis, the immune system may fight against common house-dust mites
or pollen allergens causing the skin to become red, itchy and inflamed.
In most cases, the severity of this disease fluctuates with sometimes
the disease being worse followed by periods of time when the skin
improves or clears up. In some cases, the itching and redness is so
serious and intense sufferers scratch themselves until they bleed,
increasing the risk of secondary infection. Commonly, eczema can produce
a vicious cycle. Something irritates the child’s skin, making it red and
inflamed and because it itches, the child scratches it. The outer
protective layer of the skin is lost. The affected area is even more
sensitive to irritants, and dries out easily. The child’s skin continues
to be exposed to whatever it was that triggered the initial episode and
the rashes develop. The cycle perpetuates itself.
Several studies suggest that atopic eczema has a more profound effect on
the quality of life than other skin diseases, such as acne and
psoriasis. Children may experience sleep disturbance due to the
“itch-scratch-itch” cycle and lack of confidence due to low self-esteem.
Families of sufferers also experience sleep loss. If eczema runs in the
family, it is more likely to be a lifelong condition. Even so, it is
often worse in the first years of life and therefore is important to
treat at this time.
Is Atopic Eczema a Curable
Disease?
According to a recent
study, more than 50 per cent of eczema sufferers are not satisfied with
their current treatment. There is no cure for this disease in Western
medicine and management of this disease is the only treatment available.
Traditionally in Western medicine eczema has been treated or managed
with moisturizers to rehydrate the skin, topical corticosteroids for
inflammation, oral antihistamines to control the itch, and when there is
infection, antibiotics. Topical corticosteroids have been used for 30
years to treat eczema but they are not an ideal treatment because they
do not produce a cure and they have side effects. The unpredictable
nature of eczema and lack of a good treatment in Western medicine makes
it difficult to manage and some people simply give up on searching for
an effective treatment. What everyone does not know is that Traditional
Chinese Medicine is very effective in the treatment of this disease and
can reduce the discomfort and severity of their eczema. TCM offers a
long-term solution to this chronic disease and because it treats the
root-cause of the disease it can often produce a cure for eczema.
TCM and Atopic Eczema
Chinese medicine has been proven over 2000 years to be effective in
treating various diseases including eczema. Many clinical studies have
been completed on the effectiveness of various Chinese herbal formulas
in the treatment of eczema. Unfortunately, these studies are completed
in China and therefore written in the Chinese language making them not
accessible to modern medical doctors. However, because of the remarkable
success TCM doctors in England were having in the treatment of stubborn
cases of eczema that would not respond to many types of conventional
treatment, various skin doctors started to take notice. Doctors have a
natural antipathy towards anecdotal evidence and so there seemed little
else to do but to set up a proper scientific study in English. Multiple
studies were conducted and reported in British medical journals. All
studies concluded that Chinese herbal medicine was an effective
treatment for atopic eczema and there were no side effects to these
treatments.
One of these research projects (placebo-controlled double-blind trial)
was a one year study2 of 37 children suffering from eczema conducted at
The Hospital for Sick Children, London, England. This study revealed
that Chinese herbal medicine offered an effective treatment particularly
for those children who failed to respond to modern medical treatments.
At the end of the study, 18 (49%) had at least a 90% reduction in the
severity of their atopic eczema after 8 weeks of treatment. Another 5
cases (14%) improved to a lesser degree during the same length of time.
In clinical practice, Chinese medicine is customized to the individual
but for the sake of research, in the above study the treatment had to be
standardized for each patient. To minimize the error introduced by
prescribing identical medicine for all patients, only those cases with a
particular type of eczema according to the Chinese pattern
discrimination were selected for the clinical trial.
Treatment of Atopic Eczema Based on TCM Patterns
In TCM, the symptoms of atopic eczema is divided into three different
patterns or groups of symptoms. The treatment principles are different
for each pattern. The two main patterns described are wet, ‘weeping’
(i.e. damp heat) eczema and dry, scaly eczema. The third pattern
mentioned in TCM literature is called Fetal heat. Note that all forms of
eczema are related to heat/dryness, which emphasizes the
prominent superficial inflamed or red nature of the skin that is so
common in atopic eczema. TCM treatment is based on differentiating
whether the lesions are dry or damp, the stage of the eczema and what
areas are affected.
1) Fetal Heat
This is the earliest presentation of eczema which usually begins on the
face (see Infantile Phase discussed above). This pattern is
similar to the damp-heat pattern discussed below but is differentiated
by its presence in the infantile phase and etiology. The TCM treatment
for this pattern is different than the damp-heat pattern. The symptoms
of this pattern indicating dampness in TCM, include edematous
(swollen) papules, exudative and weeping lesions with secondary crusting
(is usually pronounced) of the skin. Symptoms indicating heat include
red lesions, thirst, pronounced heat during the sleeping, nocturnal
restlessness and crying, constipation or foul smelling diarrhea.
Examination of the tongue and finger vein may also indicate the presence
of dampness and heat in the body. At this stage the intense itching
often causes disturbed sleep. According to TCM, itching (in all three
patterns of eczema) indicates the presence of wind.
The pattern of Fetal Heat in TCM is caused by the individual’s
constitution which is acquired from their parents. Fetal Heat is the TCM
concept that a form of pathological heat can be passed to the child from
the mother in the womb. This pathological heat can manifest as various
diseases when the child is born and atopic dermatitis is one of the most
common. Fetal heat begins as pathological heat in the mother prior to
being passed to the child. This heat may be generated or affected by the
intake of certain foods during pregnancy and/or the general constitution
of the mother. This stage of this disease has also been linked to the
intake of dairy. A study in the journal of Clinical and Experimental
Allergy (2002) indicated that diet during pregnancy influences the fetal
immune system in such a way as to affect the incidence of childhood
atopy. Also, family history of atopic eczema was found to be the
strongest risk factor to develop this disease.. The fact mentioned
earlier that 49-75% of children who develop eczema do so in the first 6
months. In modern medicine, recent studies have shown that if both
parents have eczema or have a history of eczema there is a 80% chance
their child will also have the disease.
The Chinese herbal formulas chosen for this pattern are based on the
treatment principles to clear fetal heat, resolve toxins, disinhibit
dampness and dispel wind (i.e. alleviate itch).
Scratching is an instinctive reaction to itching, and it is particularly
difficult for babies and children to resist the urge to scratch.
Unfortunately, scratching does not stop the itch, but in addition it
also aggravates the skin and makes the condition worse. The skin becomes
sore and inflamed and eventually cracks and bleeds. It may then become
infected. The only effective way to stop a baby or child from scratching
is to stop the itch. Fortunately, Chinese medicine has many herbs in its
pharmacy that are effective for stopping the itch. If you stop the
itch-scratch cycle then your chance of curing this disease increases
immensely. The herbs to stop itching are chosen based on the patients
TCM pattern and their presenting skin disease.
2) Wet Eczema
The wet eczema (or damp-heat pattern) presents with a red rash, which
will develop blisters that eventually burst and weep. Itching is severe.
Erosion of the skin is often apparent and blisters are followed by
yellow scabs and crust formations. Secondary infections are more common
with this pattern. Accompanying symptoms may include a dry mouth with no
great desire for fluids, a hot sensation at night usually with sweating,
a red tongue with a thick yellow fur and a fast slippery pulse. In
comparison to Dry Eczema this pattern tends be more acute and sometimes
is a progression of the first pattern mentioned (Fetal Heat).
The cause of this pattern of atopic eczema is related to digestion
(spleen/stomach in TCM) malfunction leading to damp-heat accumulation causing inflammation of the skin. Diet is important in the
treatment and prevention of atopic eczema. TCM medical theory says that
children’s spleens (i.e. digestion) are inherently immature until they
are at least five or six years of age. The spleen and stomach function
as a unit, and this means that infants and young children do not digest
foods and liquids as efficiently as adults. This is the primary reason
why most children develop eczema before the age of 6 years old and also
why some cases resolve by themselves. The younger the child, the more
immature their digestion is and this is why the first onset of eczema is
in the first 6 months and often coincides with the introduction of
food.
This disease mechanism of damp-heat could be caused by improper
introduction of solid foods or the child has been allowed to eat the
wrong diet. Diet is a huge topic, and readers interested in more
information about children’s diet and general health should purchase Bob
Flaw’s guide for parents from Blue Poppy Press titled “Keeping Your
Child Healthy with Chinese Medicine”. For a general introduction of
Chinese dietary therapy for all ages see his book “The Tao of Healthy
Eating”.
Improper introduction of food includes introducing a particular food to
a child before they are able to digest it, introducing more than one
food at a time and/or not recognizing when the child reacts negatively
(i.e. skin reaction, digestive upset, etc.) to the introduction of a
specific food. If the child is unable to digest the food, the digestion
does not work efficiently and a turbid residue (i.e. dampness)
accumulates within the body. Certain foods are harder to digest than
other foods. For instance, many foods that are considered triggers of
eczema in modern medicine are considered difficult to digest in TCM and
easily lead to dampness in the body. These foods include cow’s
milk, wheat and peanuts.
The wrong diet includes a diet high in sugars and sweets which will
weaken the spleen and cause an accumulation of dampness within the body.
Antibiotics are overused in our society, and are known to easily harm
the digestion and may lead to dampness in the body. If this dampness
lingers and accumulates it will give rise to damp-heat (in the
intestines). Once in the intestines this pathological inflammation or
damp-heat may be passed to various parts of the body (including the
skin) to cause disease (like eczema).
The Chinese herbal formulas chosen for this pattern are based on the
treatment principles to clear heat, disinhibit dampness and dispel wind
(i.e. alleviate itching).
3) Dry Eczema
This pattern presents with dry, ill defined, red flat and raised
lesions, with pronounced scratch marks and possibly bloody scabs. The
amount of redness of the dry type indicates the degree of heat. The
characteristicly dry nature of this type may be more prominent than the
heat aspect and vice versa depending on how the pattern developed.
Compared to the above patterns this disease tends to be more chronic in
nature. Lichenification (thickening of the skin with accentuated skin
creases) is often present at this stage. There is usually a lot of
scaling (especially the scalp) and usually there is a complete absence
of exudation (i.e. weeping). Severe itching that often disturbs the
child’s sleep, pronounced thirst, restlessness, agitation and ‘feeling
of heat’ especially at night (usually with the absence of sweating) are
also common with this pattern and the tongue is red with a dry tongue
coating.
The cause of this pattern is often a progression of the first two
patterns in which the skin has become drier due to prolonged heat.
Moreover, secondary skin changes are present due to prolonged
scratching. This pattern can also be caused by a lack of nourishment to
the skin. The second cause of this pattern in a child is due to a
digestive weakness (i.e. spleen vacuity) giving rise to blood vacuity.
In Chinese medicine, blood is made out of the essence of food and
liquids digested and refined by the spleen. Blood nourishes the skin and
if there is a lack of blood, the skin may become dry, itchy, and scaly.
Therefore, the ‘clear, bland’ diet described in this article is also
important to treat and prevent this pattern of eczema as well.
The Chinese herbal formulas chosen for this pattern are based on what
disease mechanism caused the eczema. The treatment principles could be
to clear heat, cool the blood and dispel wind (i.e. alleviate itching)
or to fortify the spleen and dry dampness, nourish blood and dispel
wind.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is helpful to treat for atopic eczema. Usually, acupuncture
is combined with Chinese herbs as a part of the treatment plan for those
adult patients, for regulating patient’s immunity system, fortifying
spleen, clearing heat, drying dampness, cooling the blood and dispelling
wind. It is helpful to relieve some associated symptoms such as stress
and insomnia.
Conclusion
Atopic Eczema is a common, chronic, life-altering disease that affects
the skin. In most cases of eczema, Western medicine can only temporarily
soothe the irritation with balms, or cortisone, the powerful but
hazardous anti-inflammatory. Possible side effects of repeated or
long-term use of topical corticosteroids include thinning of the skin,
infections, growth suppression (in children), and stretch marks on the
skin. These steroid creams are really only a ‘band aid’ solution to this
chronic problem. Topical steroids sometimes alleviate symptoms, but do
not improve the health of the skin.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is very effective in
the treatment of atopic eczema and can reduce the discomfort and
severity of their eczema. TCM offers a long-term solution to this
chronic disease and because it treats the root-cause of the disease it
can often produce a cure for eczema. The treatment principles are based
on a patient’s TCM pattern.
Treat for Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) with Acupuncture
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Other Conditions
Commonly Treated by Dr. Zheng
- Hot flashes,
menopause, PMS, irregular menstruation
- Stress, depression, anxiety,
insomnia, fatigue
- Hey-fever, sinusitis, asthma,
bronchitis
- Infertility, impotence
- Dizziness, vertigo, Meniere’s disease
- Hypertension, diabetes, obesity
- Stroke, paralysis, Bell’s palsy
- Indigestion, diarrhea, constipation
- Quitting smoking, beauty &
rejuvenation
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