There are a ton of diets out there, from low carb to high-carb, low fat food to the high fat Paleo diet, high protein to food combining or dissociated. No matter which diet you choose, the three ‘highs’ (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol) aren’t getting any lower. In Western medicine, being […]

Alopecia means partial or total loss of hair. It occurs on the whole body but is most troublesome and noticeable on the scalp, which propels sufferers to seek treatment. In order to understand the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment of this condition, it helps to define some of the terms. This article will focus on […]

Eczema is a many headed beast. Some cases are textbook-clear and relatively easy to treat, while others fall between types, present paradoxically, or engage in shape shifting deception.  Successful treatment of these conditions resembles a chess game, with the practitioner trying to stay a step ahead and to eventually checkmate the wiley opponent. Fortunately, in […]

With the baby boom generation heading into its late 60s, many people are starting to suffer from stiff and aching joints. Big business certainly knows about us. All you have to do is look at the shelves of a pharmacy to see the myriad pain relief medications available. Why has this happened to us, and […]

Allergic asthma has become an epidemic in Westernized countries, showing dramatic increases over the last few decades. In Ontario, according to a 2010 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, asthma incidence increased by over 70% between 1996 and 2005. The study called for more effective strategies to deal with this great public health […]

Ulcerative colitis, known as kui-jie in Chinese, is considered incurable by conventional western medicine. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine views this chronic disease as curable over time, with the proper use of herbal medicines and dietary therapy. The onset of ulcerative colitis is often on the left side of the abdomen, and then gradually extends to […]

Are you looking at your hands with disgust You hate them now and hide them you must But mama, there’s no shame in hands so worn Because of all they’ve touched since you were born (From Our Mama’s Hands by Marcella L. True) Few things hurt as much as the broken skin of our hands! […]

The 44th annual meeting of the American Burn Association was held in Seattle, WA, on April 24 to 26, 2012. Thousands of burn and plastic surgery professionals from more than 20 countries attended to exchange academic and technical advances in the fields of burn treatment and plastic surgery. As the president of North American International […]

Modern science tells us that in order to live well, we must have a strong heart. In allopathic medicine this means that the heart has to be robust, it has to pump oxygen-rich blood to the cells, and it has to ensure the circulation of nutrients. But people are made up of more than blood […]

Fertility support has become an important area of medical practice, as people in modern societies increasingly delay childbearing into their 30s and 40s, only to find it can be much more difficult to conceive at this age. Over the last few years, several studies have shown acupuncture to be of benefit, especially when administered in […]

Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema or allergic dermatitis, is one of the most common skin diseases of modern, affluent societies. This eczema is often associated with other allergic conditions such as hay fever, nut and food allergies, and asthma. Severe atopic dermatitis is a stubborn variant which  deviates from the usual presentation and […]

"What should I eat?" That is the question I am asked most often by skin patients in my Traditional Chinese Medicine practice. They ask it in a tone of despair and frustration, because they have already been avoiding various foods on the advice of health writers, bloggers, nutritionists and naturopaths, and yet their skin condition […]

Colitis can be referred to as an inflammation of the colon. This condition can have many different causes, including: acute and chronic inflammation; inflammatory disorders such as Crohn’s Disease; food poisoning; or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Symptoms of colitis include abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, bloody stools, diarrhea, fever, gas and mucus. As colitis worsens, steroids […]

Clostridium difficile, or c. difficile, is an aggressive bacteria which causes intestinal infections and colitis in patients treated with antibiotics, often in a hospital setting. The infection causes symptoms such as extreme watery diarrhea with blood, intestinal cramping and urgency, abdominal tenderness, fever, and progressive weakness and weight loss. As it is, this infection tends […]

No matter your age, numerous herbal super-tonics can help you fight the aging process – and transform your skin, complexion, hair, nails, and overall glow. Typically, Western anti-aging approaches focus on wrinkles and other aging signs that are already present. But Chinese herbs are used to help your body’s self-healing capacity correct the conditions that […]

If you’ve never had (or even heard of) fibromyalgia, consider yourself very lucky! Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a nasty, pernicious disease that predominantly targets women 20 to 50 years old. It causes a lot of suffering and, until recently, was often ignored and misunderstood by mainstream medicine. The problem for anyone suffering from FMS is […]