MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'chinese'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:52:15 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174612&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchinese-study-compares-flu-treatments-prescription-drug-vs-herbal-remedy%2F2011.08.29 During the early days of the 2009 H1N1 influenza A pandemic, the popular herbal formula maxingshigan–yinqiaosan was used widely by TCM practitioners to reduce symptoms. (It’s hard to pronounce and spell, so I’ll refer to it as M-Y.) A new study was done to test whether M-Y worked and to compare it to the prescription drug oseltamivir. It showed that M-Y did not work for the purpose it was being used for: it did not reduce symptoms, although it did reduce the duration of one sign, fever, allowing researchers to claim they had proved that it works as well as oseltamivir. “Oseltamivir Compared With the Chinese Traditional Therapy: Maxingshigan–Yinqiaosan in the Treatment of H1N1 Influenza” by Wang et al. was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine earlier this month. The stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174612 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:51 +0100 5174612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159028&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4704%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Duniversity-of-westminster-shuts-down-naturopathy-nutritional-therapy-but-keeps-acupuncture-and-herbal-medicine There’s been no official announcement, but four more of Westminster’s courses in junk medicine have quietly closed. For entry in 2011 they offer University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture (B343) 3FT Hon BSc Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture with Foundation (B341) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Complementary Medicine (B255) 3FT Hon BSc Complementary Medicine (B301) 4FT Hon MHSci Complementary Medicine: Naturopathy (B391) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine (B342) 3FT Hon BSc Herbal Medicine with Foundation Year (B340) 4FT/5FT Hon BSc/MSci Nutritional Therapy (B400) 3FT Hon BSc   But for entry in 2012 University of Westminster (W50) qualification Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture&... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159028 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:43:52 +0100 5159028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159029&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4683%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dprofessor-geoffrey-petts-of-the-university-of-westminster-says-they-are-not-teaching-pseudo-science-the-facts-show-this-is-not-true Jump to follow-up On 23rd May 2008 a letter was sent to the vice-chancellor of the University of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts Dear Professor Petts   You may be aware an article by Zoe Corbyn, published in Times Higher Education 24 April 2008, with the title Experts criticise ‘pseudo-scientific’ complementary medicine degrees.   The subtitle of the article was Vice-chancellors should re-examine courses, say campaigners.  In the light of that, we wondered whether you had anything to add to the comments made by David Peters in todays THE.  We are preparing a response to that, and it seems fair to ask your view before we proceed. (In order to save you time, copies of the two articles are attached.)   As an expert on... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159029 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:37:57 +0100 5159029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069657&cid=t_103117_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-in-the-classroom%2Fadd-adhd-diet-ad-chinese-medicine.php Education, knowledge not remedies, fancy titles, etc. cures disease. The quickest cure is knowledge. Basic info to bring you up tp speed. 1. The body is not one structure and function but many that work together, for better (health) or worse (disease). You cannot cure one part (mind) and expect to be successful without curing all the parts (diet, digestion, elimination, respiration, etc.).   2. All disease progresses in stages. Stage 1 is always cause. Thought precedes action. Stage 1 for most skin diseases is poor diet. Poor diet tends to weaken (2) digestion, (3) elimination, (4) blood, (5) circulation, (6) organ disease, etc.  Most ADD ‘ diseases’  are stage 4 or higher. They generally start with poor diet. Stage 1. Poor diet: Long-term high protein, fat and starch and l... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069657 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5069657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028736&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FITiqFYWdXZY%2F As many of you might have guessed, the new issue of Chinese Medicine Quarterly is coming out on July 20.  We are just putting the finishing touches on it now, and I’ve never been so excited about Deepest Health as I am now.  Our first issue was good – full of discussion on the nature of Classical Chinese medicine & some interesting perspectives on what it means to practice our medicine in the contemporary world.  But, like all first tries, there were things we could have done better and we were eager to see what we could do with another try. I can tell you that everything you mentioned that you liked about the first issue has been retained and amplified, and we’ve eliminated most of the first-timer mistakes that kept me up nights!  It doesn’t mean it’s... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028736 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:19:12 +0100 5028736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028737&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FMbGbHfpPlZA%2F There are a few concepts in Chinese medicine that always inspire animated discussion.  One of those topics, often the subject of debate and confusion, is that of spirit.  I deliberately use the English word here simply because it is the presence of so many different concepts (Shen, Ling, Hun, Po, etc) that relate to the English word “spirit.”  In fact, that creates part of the mystery and interest – at least among English speakers. For my part, I’ve gone through various phases in my quest to learn about spirit in the context of Chinese medicine.  I’ve sometimes avoided the thing entirely, opting instead to focus on simpler ideas.  To be frank, it has seemed to me that people focus a little too much on spirit, and not enough on other things!  Sometimes, I... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028737 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:00:51 +0100 5028737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159034&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4439%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dacupuncturists-show-that-acupuncture-doesnt-work-but-conclude-the-opposite-journal-fails Conclusion The addition of 12 sessions of five-element acupuncture to usual care resulted in improved health status and wellbeing that was sustained for 12 months. How on earth did the authors manage to reach a conclusion like that? The first thing to note is that many of the authors are people who make their living largely from sticking needles in people, or advocating alternative medicine. The authors are Charlotte Paterson, Rod S Taylor, Peter Griffiths, Nicky Britten, Sue Rugg, Jackie Bridges, Bruce McCallum and Gerad Kite, on behalf of the CACTUS study team. The senior author, Gerad Kite MAc , is principal of the London Institute of Five-Element Acupuncture London. The first author, Charlotte Paterson, is a well known advocate of acupuncture. as is Nicky Britten. The conflict... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159034 Tue, 31 May 2011 15:12:26 +0100 5159034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872164&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F26%2Fsexual-chemistry-and-keeping-your-relationship-alive%2F Our partner, YourTango.com, recently completed a scientific survey of over 20,000 people with their partner sites, MSN’s lifestyle website Glo.com and Chemistry.com, on sexual chemistry and what keeps a relationship alive and growing. The effort was overseen by a leading biological anthropologist and relationship expert, Dr. Helen Fisher, who also analyzed the results. Some of their findings might just surprise you, including the finding that 90 percent of men and women believe that dwindling attraction in a relationship can be rekindled. Their findings are detailed below. Did you know? The Truth About Sexual Chemistry (Video) The New Age Of Relationships: Sex, Love And Attraction In 2011 (An interview with Helen Fisher) Survey: 90% Of Americans Believe Attraction Can Be Rekindled... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872164 Thu, 26 May 2011 16:34:38 +0100 4872164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847956&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finsect-killing-fungus-may-provide-basis-for-new-multiple-sclerosis-treatment%2F2011.05.20 A very well-written review of an orally-active drug for multiple sclerosis has just appeared in the April 25th issue of the Journal of Natural Products, a joint publication of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy. The review, Fingolimod (FTY720): A Recently Approved Multiple Sclerosis Drug Based on a Fungal Secondary Metabolite, is co-authored by Cherilyn R. Strader, Cedric J. Pearce, and Nicholas H. Oberlies. In the interest of full disclosure, the latter two gentlemen are research collaborators of mine from Mycosynthetix, Inc. (Hillsborough, NC) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. My esteemed colleague and senior author, Dr. Oberlies, modestly deflected my request to blog about the publication of this review. So, I am instead writing thi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847956 Fri, 20 May 2011 18:00:24 +0100 4847956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709248&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F13%2Fthe-power-of-re-framing-or-would-a-ranunculus-by-another-name-be-as-beautiful%2F The other night, it was my turn to host my children’s literature reading group — I’m now in three of these groups! Partly because I am in three of the groups, I keep the bar low, so I served take-out Chinese food and store-bought cookies, as I always do. But I did resolve to take the trouble to buy flowers for the table (though I must confess, I didn’t even go to a proper florist’s shop, but went to the deli around the corner from my house — lower the bar). When I want to get the flowers, I was thrilled to see that one of my very favorite flowers was available. I hadn’t even known the name of this flower until a few years ago, and I’ve always been sorry that it has such an unlovely name: ranunculus. I was moved to post this observation on Twi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709248 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:36:25 +0100 4709248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615268&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FL2yg6G550yA%2F Here in Portland, we have some rare early spring sunshine, which makes me even happier to announce the birth of something new – Chinese Medicine Quarterly has its first issue up and ready to purchase. It has been quite a process, as new things always are, but we think that you will be pleased with the result.   In this issue, you will find articles addressing – in an accessible and enjoyable style – topics of interest to students and practitioners of Chinese medicine.  You’ll also notice that the issue is beautiful – most people feel somehow calmer and more excited about Chinese medicine after reading it.  I think that’s got a lot to do with the skill of our designer, Elizabeth Wolf.  She’s fantastic – and a Chinese medicine student t... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615268 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 16:44:19 +0100 4615268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4577934&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F12%2Ftoo-many-options-try-closing-some-doors%2F I have become increasingly aware that one of the stumbling blocks to my recovery from depression is my inability to make decisions, and my disdain for closing options. And yet closing doors is good for your sanity. Even in writing this post, I have saved the word file in five stages, so that if the material I cut out in version one seems important later on, I can go to file A and retrieve it. The horror of losing a precious sentence in penning this thing! My grieving over each decision — i.e. letting go of the options I didn’t pick — is precisely why I loathe grocery shopping and every other kind of shopping. Especially in America when you get to choose between eight kinds of apples: Washington local, organic, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Red Delicious, yada yada yada. I get over... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4577934 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:54:57 +0100 4577934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545076&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FbsPNSkaHSPA%2F Today, I’d like to start getting you all excited about something we’re releasing here in a couple of weeks.  Ready? One of the things that I’ve noticed, as a student and new practitioner, is the relative lack of industry publications in Chinese medicine. We have several decent scholarly journals (Chinese Medicine Times, the Lantern), and I expect their number to grow.  These publications are wonderful to have and the mark of a maturing profession.  They have high standards and tend to be very content-heavy with an academic/educational feel. Outside of the journals, we in the Chinese medicine profession have essentially only Acupuncture Today. While I respect what they do at Acupuncture Today, many folks have commented that the articles don’t quite satisfy their u... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545076 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:00:03 +0100 4545076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489687&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4117 Jump to follow-up The long-awaited government decision concerning statutory regulation of herbalists, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture came out today. Get the Department of Health (DH) report [pdf] It is not good news. They have opted for statutory regulation by the Health Professions Council (HPC). This is much what was recommended by the disgraceful Pittilo report, about which I wrote a commentary in the Times, and here, A very bad report: gamma minus for the vice-chancellor, and here. The DH report is merely an analysis of responses to the consultation, but the MHRA says "The Health Professions Council (HPC) has now been asked to establish a statutory register for practitioners supplying unlicensed herbal medicines. The proposal is, following cre... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489687 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:04:09 +0100 4489687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450302&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4066 The Science Museum is a wonderful place. As a child it seemed magical. So all the more disappointing to find that it houses an exhibition that promotes quackery. The exhibition is uncritical and sometimes downright dangerous.  It does not teach you anything about science, it teaches anti-science and uncritical thinking. It was not originally like this. Most of the objects in the exhibition were originally part of Henry Wellcome’s Wellcome Museum of Medical History, based at 183 Euston Road. It was moved on permanent loan to the Science Museum in 1977 where it was known as The Wellcome Museum of the History of Medicine. > Recently the Wellcome-Trust sponsored exhibition was the subject of a blog post at Purely a figment of your imagination, written by Alex D... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450302 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:06:50 +0100 4450302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441993&cid=t_103117_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fevery-complaint-is-gift-dr-malpanis.html Most doctors get put off by patients who complain and most doctors will either ignore these patients – or fire them ! While I’d rather have smiling and happy patients as well , I also believe that every complaint is a gift – it’s a chance to learn and improve. In fact, we actively encourage our patients to provide us with feedback – and both compliments and complaints are welcome . Compliments give us a high and tell us we are doing a good job. Complaints remind us that we can do better !As a doctor, I am focused on providing high quality medical care to my patients. However, I also run a clinic, and I may not see some basic problems ( which are easy to fix) unless someone takes the trouble to point them out to me !Most patients are quite reluctant to complain to their doctor. Fo... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441993 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:03:00 +0100 4441993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4438932&cid=t_103117_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D2024 LET’S ALL MATE LIKE RABBITS THIS YEAR 29 year old Alessandra Ambrosio – says “Happy Chinese New Year” – Brazilian Victoria Secret Supermodel Style!  She has two really big ears. We are 3 days into the Year of the Metal Rabbit! The rabbit’s peaceful nature combines with the noble, protective metal element to usher in a gentle phase governed by diplomacy. These Rabbits are very ambitious and can be quite crafty in their dealings with others. They throw themselves and their emotions into everything they do, making them intense lovers and immerse themselves into projects…both business and personal. This Chinese New Year will allow more time for family pursuits. Spending time with your nearest and dearest will take precedence over work and romantic love.... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4438932 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 00:47:26 +0100 4438932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318355&cid=t_103117_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fsetting-out.html Bei Dao To TT, on his 24th birthdayIn the watch store called The StarsTwelve celestial hours chimeAlong the clouds’ unending pathTwenty four mountains spin aroundMigrating birds set out from youThe earth is covered with written signsWaves turn the pages, wind reads aloudRoots’ meaning is drawn out by treesWith song a music box protectsThe juniormost of all the godsQuerulous teapot teaches howTo know the taste of wind and stormReality is another dreamThe air is full of banknote kitesFire’s ice and thunder’s shockThe chessboard kingdom sets its trapsThe gravely ill disseminateAll the rumors of the ageBut only those who guard the nightWill breach the lines of dawn’s defenseShadows clear up, rainbows pushThe swinging doors when seasons changeIn the watch store called The StarsT... Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318355 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:08:00 +0100 4318355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285202&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchinese-bloodletting-forbidden-in-california%2F2010.12.23 In November 2010, the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) finally decided to act responsibly and forbid the prevalent practice of Chinese bloodletting by licensed acupuncturists. The practice became a concern for the DCA when allegations of unsanitary bloodletting at a California (CA) acupuncture school surfaced. The incident allegedly occurred during a “doctoral” course for licensed practitioners. The instructor was reportedly demonstrating advanced needling and bloodletting techniques. During the process, he took an arrow-like lancing instrument that is called a “three-edged needle” (三棱针), sharpened it with sandpaper, cleaned it with alcohol, and then asked a student-volunteer to roll a towel around his neck. The instructor then cleaned the student’s temporal ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285202 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:17 +0100 4285202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214318&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FUrdwfDQsBQc%2F One of the most important reasons Chinese herbal medicine is different than the majority of Western herbal medicine because of its intentionally constructed formulas of multiple herbs.  Where herbs are abstracted from their formulas and extracted to reveal their constituent components, the results are usually disappointing.  I have personally found the most success with formulas when I seek (and manage) to fully appreciate the structure of a formula.  This, unfortunately, is not very often a simple task. The way most students learn about formula structure is twofold.  First, students learn herbal combinations and interpret all formulas based on the combinations they contain.  Second, if they’re diligent, they learn some version of Jun, Chen, Zuo, Shi (Emperor, Minister, Assistan... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214318 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:48:57 +0100 4214318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190305&cid=t_103117_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D876 WHERE’S THE BEEF? Erection Failure Is a Disaster! But, there are some natural ways to help prevent this conversation, and perhaps might allow a guy to use those handy blue Viagra Pills only as backup.  A recent study suggests that pomegranate juice might be a healthy way to improve erectile dysfunction. The purple-reddish colored fruit has more anti-oxidants than red wine, green tea or blueberries, and is thought to have excellent anti-aging properties, with benefits for everything from wrinkle- free glowing skin to better heart and circulatory health. Nearly half of  men (47%) who drank a glass of pomegranate juice a day reported they got better erections and had better sex.  Drinking concentrated POM liquid decreases a chemical reactant in the blood called carbonyl malondi... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190305 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:12:22 +0100 4190305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167972&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3675 Jump to follow-up The mainstream media eventually catch up with bloggers. BBC1 TV (Wales) produced an excellent TV programme that exposed the enormous degree validation scam run by the University of Wales. It also exposed the uselessness of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Both these things have been written about repeatedly here for some years. It was good to see them getting wider publicity. Watch the video of the BBC programme, "Week In Week Out – University Challenged." “The programme examines how pop stars and evangelical Christians are running colleges offering courses validated by the University of Wales.” (I make a brief appearance, talking about validation of degrees in Chinese Medicine). In October 2008 I posted Another worthless validation: the Un... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167972 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:45:22 +0100 4167972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139236&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhigh-cholesterol-and-red-yeast-rice-supplements%2F2010.11.05 People are always on the search for “natural” ways to stay healthy and reduce cholesterol. Chinese red yeast rice supplements have been touted as a natural, safer way to lower cholesterol compared to statin medications. The yeast that grows on a particular type of rice contains a family of substances called monocolins, which lower cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol production in the liver in the same manner as prescription statin drugs. Some studies have shown as much as a 15 percent drop in cholesterol. All of this sounds good until you dig a little deeper. Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that different brands of red yeast rice supplements have dramatic variation in le... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139236 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4139236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105767&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F21646324%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ENeuroPolitics-Chinese-Professor-Ad.htm It’s not common for mainstream media to analyze ads from a neuromarketing standpoint, but Adam Hanft at Salon does just that for the fascinating “Chinese professor” ad. Sponsored by a group called Citizens Against Government Waste, the ad illustrates one possible result of over-spending by government in an environment where deficits are financed by borrowing [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesHire Happy People!More Senses, Higher SalesAbout Face by Dan Hill (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105767 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:21:58 +0100 4105767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065487&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FV2VPyAe9jl4%2F It’s not a great time in my life. By the ancient Chinese way of thinking, Autumn is the Metal season, the season of Dryness, the season when that which lives withers, fades, falls, and disappears from sight. The green trees briefly are arrayed in the splendor of gold and red, the cool crisp winds causing the leaves to rustle like the robes of the Heavenly Emperor as He passes by. Yang is retreating, its presence in the world decreasing, the liveliness of the Ten Thousand Things changing to a final gathering and preparation for the Winter. The long sleep comes, when (as the Greeks saw it) Persephone will reside in the Underworld and Demeter in her grief will turn her face from the Earth, leaving all that lives buried in frost and snow to survive as best it can. Autumn is the season ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065487 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:42:26 +0100 4065487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013141&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYzCYLVhN_Vg%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe House is expected to vote today on a bill that would allow U.S. companies to petition the Commerce Department for protective tariffs against imports from countries with “misaligned currencies.” Everybody knows the bill is aimed squarely at China. Advocates of the legislation say it is about jobs, and they are partly right. The bill is about saving the jobs of incumbent lawmakers who are desperate to appear tough on China trade, which they blame for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs. As my colleague Dan Ikenson and I have argued at length, in blog posts, op-eds, and longer studies, A stronger Chinese currency will not put a major dent in our large bilateral trade deficit with China, certainly not any time in the near future. The bilateral deficit with China and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013141 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:04 +0100 4013141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994127&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FfTud5G8UyI0%2F Discussion With Heiner Fruehauf   Parasites and Possession Tags: Gu syndrome, herbology, Chinese medicine, Acupuncture Related articles Thoughts from the Front Line (9) The Life-giving Sword: version 2.0 (0) Strategy in Chinese Medicine: Timing and Momentum, pt. 3 (2) (Source: Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine) Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994127 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:58:52 +0100 3994127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946591&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FzSEivdcpd6o%2F There’s this message board that I spend a lot of time on. It’s a board dedicated to helping players of a particular Real-time Strategy Game (aka an RTS) get better. On it a very high ranked player has the following quote as part of his signature: “On your PC, the units seem to perform quite poorly. I think there might be something nearby the PC that is causing this problem for you. You may need a mirror to find out what it is.” In my practice I have an intake form that I use given to me by my friend and elder brother in Chinese Medicine, Ross Rosen. On it there are a group of questions that you won’t find in your typical SOAP notes. One question is particularly poignant: “How are you a problem to yourself/others?” The more time I spend trying to wo... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946591 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:15:43 +0100 3946591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3938421&cid=t_103117_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FncOsKc_7GXs%2F Many parents, health care professionals, and educators agree that there is a pressing need to develop effective treatments for ADHD to complement or substitute for traditional medication and behavior therapy approaches. This is because such treatments do not work for everyone, important difficulties often remain even when these treatments are effective, and evidence for the long-term benefits of these treatments remains less compelling than one would like. In addition, in the case of medication treatment, some individuals experience intolerable side effects and many have concerns about taking ADHD medication for an extended period. One alternative approach to treating ADHD has relied on the use of Compound Herbal Preparations (CHP) derived from traditional Chinese medicine. Practitioners o... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3938421 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:05:56 +0100 3938421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911707&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3385 Systems biology is all the rage, No surprise then, to see the University of Westminster advertising a job for a systems biologist in the The Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences. Well, no surprise there -until you read the small print. Much has been wriiten here about the University of Westminster, which remains the biggest provider of junk sciencne degrees in the UK, despite having closed two of them. Senior Lecturer in Systems Biology University of Westminster – Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences, School of Life Sciences Cavendish Site Salary £37,886 – £50,751 (Inc. LWA) The Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences wishes to appoint a Senior Lecturer in Systems Biology. The post-holder will teach on the undergraduate and pos... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911707 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:52:20 +0100 3911707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858270&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FZz7sGh3b4pk%2F Recently I found myself “eavesdropping” on an online conversation between two professors at NCNM, namely Roger Batchelor and Ed Neal, on the subject of the Pericardium in the Classics. What came out of it was more than a little enlightening and inspired me to talk about the Pericardium a bit this week.   The essential point of the discussion was as follows: what we call Pericardium in the modern Chinese medicine disciplines is referred to as (quoting Ed’s translation here) “Mai vessel of the heart encircling luo vessel (network), following the hand (upper) Jue Yin six confirmation terrain, relating to the function whose (domain of responsibility) is the heart.” Usually this is shortened to Xin Bao, or Heart Wrapper or Heart Encirclement. Usually this is assumed to eq... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858270 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:18:50 +0100 3858270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3822963&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F04%2Finternet-addiction-depression-and-chinese-teens%2F An interesting new study was published earlier this week about “Internet addiction.” Unlike many previous studies on this hypothesized disorder, this one actually took measurements at two different points in time to try and tease out the possibility that “Internet addiction” can cause mental health problems, like depression or anxiety. Can we show that simply using the Internet causes depression? Researchers set to find out on Chinese teens. Psychologist Lawrence Lam and his colleague studied 1,041 Chinese teens, mostly ages 13 to 16, who had no signs of depression at the onset of the study. Some of the group, however, had moderate to severe pathological use of the Internet (64 of the subjects). The researchers then assessed all 1,041 teens for depression, anxiety ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822963 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:32:42 +0100 3822963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798679&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FawtymodYNBs%2F I’m going to do something a little different this week and write something a bit more personal this week, something a bit more, well, extemporaneous. I’ve been working on being sick for the last couple of weeks and of course the day it comes to a head is the day I have an article that needs writing. So, I’m going to aim for a little less polish and a little more from the hip this time, and my apologies if it’s not the most pristine bit of prose you’ve ever read because, well, I’m a bit under the weather. It’s likely to be more questions than answers today, but for some reason I felt that rather than pontificating I needed to show the other side a bit. Here we go.   A collection of thoughts about being in practice.   1. It’s hard being a nat... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798679 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:06:33 +0100 3798679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780403&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fthe-old-man-and-his-horse%2F A few people lately have reminded me of the Chinese parable “The Old Man and His Horse.” You’ve probably heard it. I publish it here not to say that all your problems are actually blessings. But what can often seem like a misfortune can turn into a very good thing. I’ve seen this happen lately and it gives me hope that there’s more lemonade ahead for me. The Old Man and his Horse (a.k.a. Sai Weng Shi Ma) Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before — such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This ho... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780403 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:52:35 +0100 3780403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772487&cid=t_103117_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F21%2Fhealthy-chinese-food-is-possible%2F Is it possible to have healthy Chinese food? Just because you see a couple broccoli bits in that dish does not mean it’s healthy. In fact, Chinese takeout is among the worst offenders of the healthy eating guidelines; saturated fat and salt are through the roof with some dishes. Case in point: an order of General Tso’s Chicken can set you back 1,600 calories, 3150 mg sodium (exceeds 2100 mg per day limit) and 59 grams of fat (11 grams saturated – heart clogging kind – about a day’s worth). But don’t fret just yet, maybe you can have your fortune cookie and eat it too. Watch this video to learn how you can have healthy Chinese takeout. Try some of these healthy chinese recipes: Oriental Grilled Turkey Tenderloin Asian Chopped Salad Sesame Peanut Noodles Pork Stir-Fry with ... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772487 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:52:10 +0100 3772487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764185&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F18%2Fare-you-spiritual-or-psychotic%2F In his bestselling book, “Strong at the Broken Places,” Richard Cohen profiles, among five persons living with chronic illness, mental health advocate Larry Fricks. He writes: Larry had been to hell and back and now his spirit soared. “Religion is for people who fear hell,” Larry told me. “Spirituality is for those who have been there.” Life to Larry is not about a church but belief in the human spirit. “Richard, that spirit is why I get up each day.” For him, doctors did not understand this dimension. “Psychiatry tried to beat it out of me, to convince me this was just a symptom of my disease, a psychiatric disorder” “And that was not the whole story?” “No. Even in sickness, I see a spiritual realm that to me is... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764185 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:09:59 +0100 3764185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753944&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FfrIUnkRRHj0%2F After posting an earlier post discussing the first of my five maxims, a request came up to present the rest of them. Never one to shy from a good request, today I’d like to present Reynolds’ Second Maxim, which is “Don’t hear horses and think zebras” which could also be phrased “Thou shalt not overcomplicate!” “This will be the seventh time we have destroyed Zion…” I remember going to the movies to see “The Matrix Reloaded” during the course of which a neat and tidy story which everyone was familiar with was exploded into about a million little subplots and alternate storylines with a new cast of characters that became hard to keep track of and events and motivations that didn’t make a great deal of sense. That a... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753944 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:24:04 +0100 3753944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733181&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FbBG8PXmqLTM%2F Let’s conclude this series on strategy in Chinese medicine with our final two points.   Treating Erratically Martin Luther once said that Mankind is like a drunkard who upon falling off his horse on one side overcompensates and promptly falls off the other side. In Chinese medicine, the opposite of sticking with the same protocol no matter the situation is constantly changing what you’re doing. Now, I want to draw an important distinction here. The speed with which you have to make adjustments will depend on many factors, especially the modality being used. The very nature of acupuncture is such that you’re both creating and reacting to changes in the patient’s energy field, which by its nature is subtle. This just naturally leads to treatments in most cases being ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733181 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:42:21 +0100 3733181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729927&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F06%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-july-6-2010%2F How was your 4th of July? Did you have your hamburger and eat your hotdog too? Well, Independence Day was mild for me this year. Just a mix of work, board games and Chinese food. The only fireworks I experienced were the ones I heard outside my front door. But I think that’s what I appreciate most about 4th of July — our ability to be free. Free to choose how we spend not just holidays, but time, our thoughts and in general, our lives. In addition to our site here, other places like Oprah.com have asked users to declare things like their psychological independence and reader independence, respectively. For the 4th, I’m declaring my right to choose how to spend my days. This means less pressure to do what everyone else is doing, releasing obligation to participate in activ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729927 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:21:49 +0100 3729927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726681&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F2_QN_YuShfc%2F Conclusion of the Pungent + Sweet = Yang Qi experiment) Part 4 (Beginning of the Sweet + Sour = Fluids experiment).  You’re on part 5, the conclusion of the Sweet + Sour = Fluids experiment, right now! Flavors Experience This section contains the experiences felt during the ingestion of each herb and pairings. Calibration Herbs The calibration process was to know the intimate experience of the herbs from a personal perspective and have a knowing that converged in a way that the authors of the Tang Ye Jing had.  Therefore, much of this is poetic serving a pivot role for the further experiences. This is a rehashing from the first experiement. Dang Shen The simple act of sipping this herb allowed for relaxation to pour through my entire body. Hints of warm milk were hidden in this a... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726681 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:14:21 +0100 3726681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3724421&cid=t_103117_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fsnake-oil-snake-oil%2F Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from the Chinese water snake Enhydris chinensis. Although it is still sold in traditional Chinese pharmacies as a legitimate remedy for pain and inflammation, especially in rheumatoid arthritis and other joint conditions, in the United States the term snake oil is used to denote a product that is misleading, worthless, or fraudulent. Despite this perjorative use of the term snake oil, studies show that the substance likely has real physiological and medicinal benefits. Snake oil from the Chinese water snake contains 20% of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which is the highest concentration found in nature (in contrast, salmon oil contains about 16-18% EPA.) EPA is one of the precursor molecules found in the prostaglandin pathway and is highl... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3724421 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:31:18 +0100 3724421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706787&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FTDSQnSjxfaI%2F You will remember not too long ago when Mitesh, a student at NCNM, released some very interesting information about an experiment he was doing concerning the flavors of Chinese herbs, their combinations, and their impact on human physiology.  Well, he completed a continuation of the project for this latest term project and has consented to let me share his findings with all of you. I want to apologize for the formatting – I’m actually on vacation and have limited time to put this together.  Sometimes, copying and pasting from other programs (like Microsoft Word) can be pretty tricky.  Hopefully, it will still be readable. I’ll also have another student project to share sometime soon.  It’s one student’s multi-disciplinary exploration of the energetics of C... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706787 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:00:23 +0100 3706787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690974&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FB6cDgBsZyCI%2F The past two weeks we’ve been discussing timing as it pertains to acupuncture and herbology. Let’s now tackle momentum. As you may recall, the quote we have been referencing from the Art of War is this: “When a falcon strike breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing. When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of momentum.” What Sun Zi is talking about here is the accomplishing of something difficult, moving mountains as it were. In Chinese medicine this can be compared to dealing with difficult and intractable cases, the likes of which unfortunately are rapidly increasing in number here in the U.S. These cases are often created by incorrect or ineffectual treatment of a condition that is made orders of magnitude more complicated by the failed treatmen... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690974 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:39:47 +0100 3690974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676776&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2Fhkn-THf-BKM%2F In theory, I would be releasing my latest column about Western philosophy and Chinese medicine right about now.  However, because of vacations and a recent illness, that is going to have to wait.  In it’s place, until I feel ready to release something, I will release a series of posts on Chinese philosophy – specifically the Hexagrams of the Yijing. As most of you know, in school at NCNM we are grounded in Chinese symbolism and cosmology before anything else.  We use the organ clock as a way to organize our thinking about these symbols – which helps us develop an incredibly rich picture of the human body and the world in which we all live. A friend has been asking me to do a post about the hexagrams for a while, and I’ve been putting her off (sorry, Yael).  I do... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676776 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:25:25 +0100 3676776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671886&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F8WVahpWo_Tc%2F   Last week we began by exploring the concept of timing in acupuncture. This week we’ll move on to herbs. Timing in Herbology Timing is equally important in herbology, as knowing where in the system the disease currently is will dictate what formula you prescribe and what modifications have to be made (I discuss this in an upcoming free PDF entitled “Beginners Guide to Acute Respiratory Disease”). For this, the Six Conformation model used by Zhang Zhongjing (called the Six Channel Model in TCM) is without question the most powerful tool we have at our disposal, telling us where the disharmony is, what its nature is, and what principles are required to fix it.  This applies in acute as well as chronic cases. For example – If the problem is diagnosed as a Cold inva... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671886 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:33:04 +0100 3671886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662801&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2Fchinesemedicine%2Ffiles.me.com%2Fericbenjamingrey%2Fgyphb3.mp3 Another aspect to the more advanced Chinese herb learning method that I teach is diving into the huge amount of information concerning where herbs grow up.  Using the metaphor of the growth and development of a human being, it is undeniable that where we grow up influences the people we end up becoming.  The same is true of Chinese herbs! I was going to write out this article, but I just couldn’t manage to sit in front of the computer, typing.  So, I made a podcast instead.  Enjoy it!  Inside, I talk about why I love the herb method I teach, why location matters when it comes to Chinese herbs, and I do a very small bit of application with one of your friends and mine, Chenpi – aurantium – citrus peel. If you are having trouble playing the podcast in your browser wind... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662801 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:14:30 +0100 3662801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644885&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FBI9oTIC2MlQ%2F This week I’d like to introduce a vital concept from the world of Classical Chinese military strategy, namely that of timing and momentum.  In the Chinese military classic The Art of War, Sun Zi states: “When a falcon strike breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing. When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of momentum.” In everything we do, whether using acupuncture, herbs, tui na, or even speaking with a patient, following this concept is what allows us to accomplish great things on behalf of our patients, while not following it will lead to frustration and lack of results. Let’s break this into two subjects and cover them individually. Timing In the current culture of TCM, the evidence-based protocol is king. A hypothetical example: &#822... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644885 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:55:57 +0100 3644885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644886&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FtmRzfBbYKgE%2F Quite some time ago, before the changes that are currently sweeping Deepest Health, I promised that I would discuss an “herb learning method” and eventually develop it into a course of some kind.  Well, those wheels are turning again.  You can already get a basic report about the first stages of the method by signing up for our newsletter. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll unpack some more advanced pieces of the method – including some application.  We’re getting closer to the point where I can release a fuller version of the method. First, I want to refresh your memory with some basic background material.  I think about herbs in a similar way as I think about people.  They have names, faces, general personalities.  They have families, friends, favori... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644886 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:17:56 +0100 3644886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641152&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhHdOBR_78Hc%2F by G. Michael Reynolds, DOM If there’s one lesson that everyone learns very quickly once they start treating, it’s that modern patients have complex conditions that don’t readily fit into any of the ready-made boxes we have formed for them, whether from a Classical or TCM standpoint. Patients usually have multiple ailments all stacked on top of each other like a messy garage. Like said messy garage, some things are new, some things have been there a long time, some things no one knows where they came from, and sometimes there are even animals and insects hiding out. All of this is what you have on your plate the second a patient comes into your clinic, sits in front of you and says “my shoulder hurts” (the ubiquitous ailment). We’re all familiar with tha... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641152 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:37 +0100 3641152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635916&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhHdOBR_78Hc%2F by G. Michael Reynolds, DOM If there’s one lesson that everyone learns very quickly once they start treating, it’s that modern patients have complex conditions that don’t readily fit into any of the ready-made boxes we have formed for them, whether from a Classical or TCM standpoint. Patients usually have multiple ailments all stacked on top of each other like a messy garage. Like said messy garage, some things are new, some things have been there a long time, some things no one knows where they came from, and sometimes there are even animals and insects hiding out. All of this is what you have on your plate the second a patient comes into your clinic, sits in front of you and says “my shoulder hurts” (the ubiquitous ailment). We’re all familiar with tha... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635916 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:37 +0100 3635916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629758&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FFbSoXJesHM8%2F         Greetings Deepest Health readers. My name is G. Michael Reynolds, DOM and this is, officially, my maiden voyage on DH. As you may have heard, I’ve recently joined forces with Eric so that with our combined efforts we might be able to accomplish significantly more than we could going it alone. I am the author of the soon-to-be-retired Chinese medicine blog The Life-giving Sword which will be absorbed into DH as a weekly column by the same name, still written by yours truly. My column is scheduled to appear here on Wednesdays with a shorter blog post likely to appear on Mondays for now. I’ll get to what sorts of things I’ll be talking about in a minute.   First, let’s talk about the name. The Life-giving Sword is actually the name of a book on philosophy... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629758 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:22:00 +0100 3629758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629759&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FEeOiY-hfJhk%2F This is the first post in what will be a repeating feature (column) at Deepest Health, written by yours truly, Eric Grey.  For now, we’ll call the column “Chinese medicine and Western philosophy” because I can’t think of anything better.  An improved name will come to me in a dream, I hope.  The idea is to release the column weekly. As I’ve discussed before, my first academic love is Philosophy.  I was trained in a mostly analytic Western philosophy tradition at Oregon State University.  I completed most of the work for my Masters in Applied Ethics at the same institution.  As an undergraduate, I didn’t focus very much and I do have some regrets about how seriously I took the opportunities that lay before me.  Ultimately, the same goes for my grad... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629759 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:55:51 +0100 3629759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603711&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FuS6eEvlmP4I%2F Just a quick post to let you know about some changes on the site.  I’ll be updating you with a few more short posts in the coming days, and probably intermittently for several months.  Just showing you around the new digs! I’ve done something that I was a bit frightened to do - I actually put some of my thoughts down on (electronic) paper and packaged it up for public consumption.  That may sound funny – obviously I do that all the time in blog entries.  But, there’s something very DIFFERENT about doing it as a PDF – something that someone can easily take away, share, and read in 20 years (!) if they so choose. I’ve made this report free – with one caveat.  I want folks to sign up for our new, free Chinese medicine focused newsletter. To get t... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603711 Thu, 27 May 2010 01:30:55 +0100 3603711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560232&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmassive-medical-blogosphere-in-china%2F2010.05.13 In the medical blogosphere, we talk a lot about medical community sites such as Sermo.com, Ozmosis.com or Doctors.net.uk and we always mention these as huge communities. While Sermo has over 110,000 physician members, the Chinese dxy.cn has over 1.4 million professionals on its site. It has a blog, a conference site, a pharmacy channel, biomedical business information platform, it covers more than a 100 specialties, and offers thousands of jobs. I tried to translate the mission statement with Google Translate: Lilac Garden Biomedical Science and Technology Network ( DXY.CN ) was established in July 23, 2000, and since its inception has been committed for the majority of medical professionals to provide a specialized life science platform. With professionalism and strong accumulation and th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560232 Thu, 13 May 2010 15:30:14 +0100 3560232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545503&cid=t_103117_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fis-is-possible-to-improve-ovarian.html Image via WikipediaI had just advised a young woman who had oopause ( poor ovarian reserve) to try empirical therapy, with DHEA, wheat germ , yoga and acupuncture , before we started her IVF treatment. She wanted to know the rationale behind my advise. " Doctor, on one hand you are saying that I have poor ovarian reserve, which means that I only have few eggs left in my ovaries. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and I cannot make any new eggs any more. In that case, how will taking all these medicines help me to grow more eggs during my IVF cycle ? "This was my reply." Yes, it is true that we cannot make you grow new eggs. Your ovary contains all the eggs you will ever have. These eggs are in a resting phase, and are contained in primordial follicles. Each month some of ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545503 Sat, 08 May 2010 12:38:00 +0100 3545503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511649&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FBFKDSjZgr4Q%2F Here is the remainder of the Song dynasty travelogue about Fuzi, translated by Heiner Fruehauf. I hope you have enjoyed this exclusive translation.  You might want to pop over to the Classical Pearls Facebook page to discuss this article, and Fuzi in general.  I’ll see you there, or in the comments on this post. Click here if you would like to read the first part of the travelogue. —   The quality of the harvested root is entirely dependent on the care that has been taken in the process of cultivating the crop. Rich people always get the highest quality product, while poor people can rarely afford the highest grade. Sometimes the crop is harvested during the 7th month, yielding a product referred to as “Early Water” (Zaoshui), the roots of which are too small to fit snug... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511649 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0100 3511649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3505023&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FFKEGy5-U48M%2F Conclusions It would appear that there was no convergence of experience with my second baseline when testing either the Sweet and Sour combination herbs or the Sweet and Pungent herbs. However, the combination of the two calibration herbs seemed to lend itself to the stated experience in the Neijing. I can therefore make a preliminary statement that Sweet and Salty settle the Shen for a meditative experience. Whereas Sweet and Bitter may have something do with cleaning and settling the blood. I am concerned that I may have misinterpreted the Tang Ye Jing flavors assignments, where I switched Salty and Bitter columns. This may not be a big error other than flipping the converged experience of calibration herbs from Sweet and Salty to Sweet and Bitter. But I would like to either confirm this... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3505023 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:00:36 +0100 3505023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490749&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FYdPac0M5OPI%2F The responses are in, tabulated, and have been considered.  Over the last several days, I’ve pondered those responses as well as my own thoughts, and believe I’ve got the rough outline of a very exciting path forward for Deepest Health. I want to share some of the survey results with you. On the Internet, sometimes everything can become a bit disembodied.  One of the most interesting things for me in the survey was getting a sense for the real people behind the comments and emails.  While it doesn’t compare to meeting you all in person, it does require considerably less time in an airplane. Look for a post tomorrow announcing the winner of the contest! – Demographics – Respondents were overwhelmingly from the US, with a smattering from other countries.  Th... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490749 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:00:14 +0100 3490749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482994&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2Fltk8v-rs50A%2F Here’s the second section of Mitesh’s paper, a continuation of last weeks’ post on the topic.  This is more set-up and mostly covers information about the herbs he used, including the Blue Poppy translations of each herb as described in the Shennong Bencao Jing.  He also explains the reasoning behind some of his herb choices, sometimes citing scholar and clinician Heiner Fruehauf. PS:  I will announce the results of the Deepest Health Reader Survey shortly, and have just contacted the winner of the Living Meridian Acupuncture Charts.  If I get permission from that person, I will divulge their name.  Thanks everyone for your time and input! Herb Selection and Essential Information Note on references : The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing version used was the Blue Poppy translat... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482994 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:02:26 +0100 3482994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460167&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2923 There is something very offensive about the idea that a ‘bachelor of science’ degree can be awarded by a university, as a prize for memorising gobbledygook. Once the contents of the ‘degrees’ has been exposed to public ridicule, many universities have stopped doing it. All (or nearly all) of these pseudo-degrees have closed at the University of Salford, the University of Central Lancashire, Robert Gordon University, the University of Buckingham, and even at the University of Westminster (the worst offender), one course has closed (with rumours of more to follow). I’ve already written about the course in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of Salford (Chinese medicine -acupuncture gobbledygook revealed) and at the University of Westminster: see... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460167 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:51:20 +0100 3460167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440745&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Ffight-your-allergies-au-naturel%2F Spring allergies blow. This may be one of the loveliest times of year, but let’s face it – some of us are just plain miserable. Stuffy nose, dry cough, itchy eyes – your face feels like a punching bag. Sound familiar? Instead of spending your paycheck on over-the-counter meds, check out these natural remedies courtesy of The Huffington Post that may actually let you enjoy smelling the flowers this season. Eat This When you feel a flare-up coming on, avoid foods that build up mucus like raw and cold foods  (sushi), dairy products (ice cream), corn (even corn syrup), simple sugars, grains (wheat, rye, or barley), boozing, and smoking. Instead, try whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice. Many fruits contain bromelain, a natural antihistamine, so eat pineapples, papayas, cra... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440745 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:34:28 +0100 3440745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403862&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7qokWFmTTM0%2F By Chris Moody Too bad no one saw this coming: Social Security is now in the red. Now that the health care bill is law, you should know exactly how it’s going to affect you, your premiums, and your coverage over the next few years. Here’s a helpful breakdown. As the health care overhaul crosses home plate, global warming legislation steps up to bat. Appreciate this: Chinese currency rise will have a negligible effect on the trade deficit. For more, read the whole paper. Podcast:  “A Plea for Divided Government” featuring John Samples, author of the forthcoming book The Struggle to Limit Government. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403862 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:43:18 +0100 3403862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403868&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIF4mb5ideWY%2F By Daniel IkensonOrganized labor’s trade “think tank” in Washington, the Economic Policy Institute, claims that currency manipulation is a major cause of the U.S. trade deficit with China, which (along with other unfair trade practices) accounted for 2.4 million American job losses between 2001 and 2008. EPI has been making similar claims for years, getting lots of media attention for its hyperbole, and providing smoke bombs for charlatan politicians to hurl into the discussion to obscure the public’s understanding of trade.   For starters, as conveyed in this new paper, I am skeptical about the relationship between currency undervaluation and the trade account. EPI’s methodology (to use the term loosely) is not to be taken seriously, though, because it deri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403868 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:20:41 +0100 3403868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339692&cid=t_103117_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fwhat-i-learned-from-my-failed-icsi.html This is a guest post from a patient, who is now a good friend !My first ICSI attempt failed. The first day after hearing this I was very disappointed and down. But the next day, I felt this strange sense of peace and happiness. I realized that I have learned so much from this experience, I am very grateful for that. Firstly, I am really proud of myself, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I could be so emotionally and physically resilient. Secondly, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for everything I have, my family, my health and so many other blessings that I tend to take for granted. Life is fragile and it is important to be aware and thankful for all our blessings, every minute, every single day. Thirdly, I am much more compassionate than before and feel a strong inner desire to b... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339692 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:40:00 +0100 3339692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269792&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F5B4VcFtTpfk%2F I have a feeling I’m going to get in trouble for my teaching. It’s not that I’m that revolutionary, or that I really even know that much more than my students. It’s just that my fundamental orientation towards the universe is to be always, always asking questions. I don’t always need to let those questions come out of my mouth (undergrad philosophy students, take notice!) but they are always in there. In particular, I tend to question fundamentals. Fundamentals, here, are those basic concepts that act as building blocks for entire edifices of knowledge. Fundamentals, here, are also those things that people most often tend to take for granted.   It’s just the philosopher in me, some might say. But, I could just have easily learned the habit in m... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269792 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:29:52 +0100 3269792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236136&cid=t_103117_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FNA_hhK8oXXY%2F Reports in the NY Times and elsewhere point to the rise of Chinese language instruction in our schools, against the backdrop of the demise of language learning in general. People justify this rush to Chinese by referring to the growth of the Chinese economy. The US government has declared Chinese a “critical language.” How realistic is this Chinese boom, and will it last? Here is a reality check. 1) Chinese will probably not help your kid get a job. Chinese is being touted as the language of the future, given the growth of the Chinese economy. Some predict that a knowledge of Chinese will be big advantage in the job markets of the future. It is worthwhile remembering that Chinese is the language of business in only one country, China. Relatively few American kids are going to b... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236136 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:33:22 +0100 3236136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171888&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGR6RfZoeMQk%2F By Julian SanchezYesterday’s bombshell announcement that Google is prepared to pull out of China rather than continuing to cooperate with government Web censorship was precipitated by a series of attacks on Google servers seeking information about the accounts of Chinese dissidents.  One thing that leaped out at me from the announcement was the claim that the breach “was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.” That piqued my interest because it’s precisely the kind of information that law enforcement is able to obtain via court order, and I was hard-pressed to think of other reasons they’d have segregated access to user account and header information.  And as M... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171888 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:58:41 +0100 3171888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3146106&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FT7J3FGQGKLQ%2F As a first-year student, I was so blown away by everything I was learning in school for Chinese Medicine, I couldn’t keep my mind straight. I was being rearranged, challenged on every level. I really couldn’t have blogged about the questions I was having if I tried. During my second year, things were less windswept but busier – that was my strongest blogging year during my tenure at NCNM. My third and fourth years were *much* busier in terms of work at school, work outside of school – the blogging clip declined. Also, while I was more able to formulate relevant questions, I was less likely to actually pose them. Why? Part bravado, part fear, part exhaustion. Bravado might be the wrong word, let me explain. Learning something new, especially something as new as Chine... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3146106 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:27:58 +0100 3146106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3124630&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FI7sezYinDdY%2F Many practitioners and proprietors of herbal pharmacies are under the mistaken impression that the purchase, storage and prescription of Mahuang (Ephedra) is illegal. It isn’t. I guess I could just keep this post short like that, because it’s really all that needs to be said, but let’s be a little more verbose – shall we? I was reminded about this issue by a student at NCNM, my friend Tim Rudowsky. He’s an enterprising fellow, always researching, and apparently this issue piqued his interest. See, at the NCNM school pharmacy, students are unable to use Mahuang. Students and professors who have a strong preference for Classical formulas often lament this fact. It’s an issue of particular concern during this time of the year in the cold, wet, windy Columbi... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3124630 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:52 +0100 3124630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071218&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F09%2Fchristmas-lights-addiction-2009%2F Five years ago, I covered something called Christmas lighting addiction in our then-fledgling newsletter. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek, because I’m not a big believer of most addictive behaviors. Christmas lights? I mean, c’mon… But as I guess with anything in life, you can go overboard with decorating your house in Christmas lights. Adorning one’s tree (and eventually one’s house) as a holiday tradition dates back to the early 20th century, when Christmas lights were invented as a safer alternative to the use of candles (which, when knocked over or bumped, had the unintended effect of turning one’s Christmas tree into a blazing demonstration of how quickly fire can engulf a house). Over the years, Christmas lights migrated from our trees to our houses ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071218 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:54:10 +0100 3071218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044885&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F80bdOWzU1ZI%2F Hey everyone, Well, the winter holidays are upon us here in the Northern hemisphere. For those of you in school, that means you’ve probably got some free time coming up. Why not use some of that to get going on the honorable project of learning to read classical texts of Chinese medicine? Sounds like fun to me. I wrote recently about a special deal for Deepest Health readers on a bundle of two books – Richard Goodman’s Classical Chinese Medicine Texts. These are great books for learners, ideally set up to take complete newbies through the steps of picking up critical language skills. As I mentioned in my previous post, I will be heading up an online study group around the texts. We will work through a Google Group and have weekly “assignments” and discussions,... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044885 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:11:21 +0100 3044885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3030011&cid=t_103117_131_f&fid=34994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnxp.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fgwas-population-structure-and-han.php In this study, we examined population substructures in a diverse set of over 1700 Han Chinese samples collected from 26 regions across China, each genotyped at ∼160K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our results showed that the Han Chinese population is intricately substructured, with the main observed clusters corresponding roughly to northern Han, central Han, and southern Han. However, simulated case-control studies showed that genetic differentiation among these clusters, although very small (FST = 0.0002 ∼0.0009), is sufficient to lead to an inflated rate of false-positive results even when the sample size is moderate. The top two SNPs with the greatest frequency differences between the northern Han and southern Han clusters (FST > 0.06) were found in the FADS2 gene, which a... Gene Expression blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3030011 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:47:00 +0100 3030011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984923&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FFk9RJAXyiKc%2F I have to admit to some weirdness around the concept of “constitution.” This is absolutely unfounded, I have no clinical or theoretical information to back up my feeling. I think I’ve just seen this concept be misused. Once you get an idea in your head that a patient is a “Chaihu person,” or a “Bladder CF,” or a “Shaoyang patient,” it seems to be a little difficult to think outside that box. It offends my desire to meet the patient where they are without preconceptions. Now, don’t get me wrong, I realize that this is part of what WE DO in Chinese medicine in particular and natural medicine in general. We look at the gestalt of the patient, and we make a helpful generalization about their condition and the treatment that is likely ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984923 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:41 +0100 2984923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2971986&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FMqs-9W2MXxw%2F I’ve been a little slow out of the gate with this one, folks, and I’m sorry about that. Richard Goodman, author of the excellent Classical Chinese Medical Texts: Learning to Read the Classics of Chinese Medicine Vol I has released Volume II of the series! I have to say that I have never encountered a clearer, more enriching text about Chinese language anywhere. For those of us who don’t have easy access to someone to teach us classical Chinese in person, this text is a great resource. Even if you are already learning Chinese (modern or classical) you will find tremendous benefit in the book.    As I’ve discussed in many places, I believe that learning to read the Classical texts of Chinese medicine is one of the most important, and least appreciated, skill... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2971986 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:41:32 +0100 2971986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958820&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5KNuU1KCKMk%2F Nien Cheng, author of best-seller Life and Death in Shanghai and one of the greatest Chinese voices of humanity to have opposed communism, passed away in Washington yesterday. To read her account of the cruelty and madness of the Cultural Revolution, during which she was imprisoned for six-and-a-half years and her daughter killed, is to come away inspired by Nien Cheng’s sheer strength of character and the dignity and power of the individual even in the face of totalitarianism. Her refusal to accept dogmas, her deep understanding and love of Chinese culture and history, her capacity for self-reflection, the way in which she used her learning and sharp wit to confront her oppressors and expose their incoherent views, and her ability to survive persecution—all was truly a triumph of the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958820 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:37:57 +0100 2958820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958822&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_5LP2zHfIxY%2F Based on my regular reading on education, but not China specifically, I know that the world’s most populous nation has had a lot of trouble finding jobs for its throngs of recent college graduates. I wrote a bit about that yesterday, pointing out that the important higher education lesson from China is that pumping out more college grads is meaningless if they don’t have skills that are in demand. Well, thanks to a very helpful Cato@Liberty reader who actually lives in China (and wishes to remain anonymous) I now have a much better idea just how important that lesson is. He directed me to this Asia Times article that includes, among many fascinating tidbits, this startling revelation: An explosive report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Sept... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958822 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:21:56 +0100 2958822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958984&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FwYtxQ25lvgI%2F Today, on a walk I was taught an important lesson by some late migrating geese. In the late summer and autumn, we get a whole lot of geese flying overhead in my neighborhood. We live pretty close to a couple of wildlife refuges, one being specifically devoted to waterfowl. In general, in Portland, the autumn is always accompanied by the resonant, melodic sound of Canadian geese fleeing Canada. It’s one of those things that is commonplace, yet never seems to lose its magic. I’ve noticed a lot of things in Autumn are like that – the leaves turning, the miracle of the harvest, the start of formal schooling and so on. Anyway, today I had one of those magic moments – fog bank just rolled in, walking on a hill in clear view of the setting full moon and the rising sun refl... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958984 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:51:45 +0100 2958984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916064&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fbad-breath-can-end-space-dream%2F If you’re a Chinese astronaut and you have bad breath, you can say good-bye to your dream of going into space. They also don’t want you if you have body odor or a runny nose. The administrators say that this would make life too uncomfortable for the other astronauts in the cabin. Other astronaut hopefuls were eliminated if they had scars. The experts said that the scar tissue could burst open in extreme conditions of space. I wonder if that’s true and if astronauts from other countries have the same restriction. And what kind of scar? I know very few people who don’t have any scar at all, the most common one being at the bottom of the chin. You know, the kind you get when you trip and fall flat on your face when you’re a kid. Not to mention all the forehead sc... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916064 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:44:28 +0100 2916064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912347&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FwaBOjeTXNr0%2F So, I didn’t write much about using the faculty of sight in learning Chinese herbs. That’s mostly because I’m doing other research about it, particularly around the doctrine of signatures and I’d prefer to write more when I have more to say. I’m already retooling my NCNM class for next year based on what I’ve learned. Let it suffice to say for now that, in class, we enjoyed ourselves working with our eyes. Overall, one of the most interesting things I learned is that many have resistance many people have to just sitting with something and looking at it. Maybe it’s because so many cultures find it rude to stare? I don’t think the plants care. Anyway… Many people seem to believe that what they see at first glance is as much as there is to... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912347 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:38:56 +0100 2912347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912193&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2351 Conclusion I was told by the Univerity of Kingston that “The course is one which the University has validated and continues to be subject to the University’s quality assurance procedures, such as internal subject reviews, annual monitoring and external examining” The only conclusion to be drawn from this is that “quality arrurance procedures” work about as well in universities as they did in the case of baby Peter. No doubt they were introduced with worthy aims. But in practice they occupy vast amounts of time for armies of bureaucrats, and because the brain does not need to be engaged they end up endorsing utter nonsenes. The system is broken. Resistance is futile.  You can see a lot of the stuff here It is hard to keep secrets in the internet age. Thanks ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912193 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:15:26 +0100 2912193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899138&cid=t_103117_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4O5T4s3NGrw%2F We were in Chinatown on Saturday, where we often eat Vietnamese food, but since I was about to go on a restricted diet for a couple of days I got to pick, and I was craving Cantonese. It was a tough decision, because a Vietnamese restaurant was a lot more likely to have some grilled chicken-on-a-stick that Alex would eat. But homestyle Chinese favorites were calling, so we went to China Village, an ordinary but great place on Baxter Street. Since we’ve been forcing Alex to taste things at home, it wasn’t that hard to get him to try some crispy dumpling skin — and he liked it! He ate quite a few pieces. We moved onto an order of fried rice (diced pork not a hit) and and chicken with broccoli (sliced chicken fairly successful),  chicken lo mein (sliced chicken a bigger hit). S... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899138 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:25:56 +0100 2899138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890857&cid=t_103117_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F4O5T4s3NGrw%2F We were in Chinatown on Saturday, where we often eat Vietnamese food, but since I was about to go on a restricted diet for a couple of days I got to pick, and I was craving Cantonese. It was a tough decision, because a Vietnamese restaurant was a lot more likely to have some grilled chicken-on-a-stick that Alex would eat. But homestyle Chinese favorites were calling, so we went to China Village, an ordinary but great place on Baxter Street. Since we’ve been forcing Alex to taste things at home, it wasn’t that hard to get him to try some crispy dumpling skin — and he liked it! He ate quite a few pieces. We moved onto an order of fried rice (diced pork not a hit) and and chicken with broccoli (sliced chicken fairly successful),  chicken lo mein (sliced chicken a bigger hit). S... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890857 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:25:56 +0100 2890857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890648&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2329 Two weeks left to stop the Department of Health making a fool of itself. Email your response to tne Pittilo consultation to this email address HRDListening@dh.gsi.gov.uk I’ve had permission to post a submission that has been sent to the Pittilo consultation. The whole document can be downloaded here. I have removed the name of the author. It is written by the person who has made some excellent contributions to this blog under the pseudonym "Allo V Psycho". The document is a model of clarity, and it ends with constructive suggestions for forms of regulation that will, unlike the Pittilo proposals, really protect patients Here is the summary. The full document explains each point in detail. Executive Summary Statutory regulation lends prestige, but needs to be balanced ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890648 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:37:04 +0100 2890648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875993&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7967 A Cochrane review suggests that some Chinese herbal medicines may help to prevent diabetes (together with lifestyle changes) but more research is needed The researchers considered data from 16 clinical trials including 1,391 people who received 15 different herbal formulations. According to their findings, combining herbal medicines with lifestyle changes is twice as effective as lifestyle changes alone at normalising patients’ blood sugar levels. Those given the herbal formulations were less likely to develop full blown diabetes during the study period. Trials included in the review lasted from one month to two years. No adverse effects were reported in any of the trials. “Our results suggest that some Chinese herbal medicines can help to prevent diabetes, but we really need ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875993 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2875993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857412&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2310 More boring politics, but it matters.  The two main recommendations of this Pittilo report are that Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine should be subject to statutory regulation by the Health Professions Council Entry to the register should normally be through a Bachelor degree with Honours For the background on this appalling report, see earlier posts. A very bad report: gamma minus for the vice-chancellor The Times (blame subeditor for the horrid title), and some follow up on the Times piece The Health Professions Council breaks its own rules: the result is nonsense Chinese medicine -acupuncture gobbledygook revealed Consultation opens on the Pittilo report: help stop the Department of Health making a fool of itself  Why degrees in Chinese med... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857412 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:23:19 +0100 2857412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855549&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjbYnKBEot9k%2F China’s rise from an isolated state-controlled economy in 1949 to the world’s third largest economy with a vibrant nonstate sector is something to celebrate on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Under Deng Xiaoping, China’s transition from plan to market began in earnest in December 1978. For more than 30 years now, China has gradually removed barriers to a market system and increased opportunities for voluntary exchanges. Special economic zones, the end of communal farming, the rise of township and village enterprises, and the massive increase in foreign trade have enabled millions of people to lift themselves out of abject poverty. Economic freedom has increased personal freedom, but the Chinese Communist Party has no intention of giving up it... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855549 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:09:29 +0100 2855549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803861&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7893 Physician’s First Watch reports Chinese Herb Appears Better Than Standard Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) extract offers better symptom relief than sulfasalazine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, reports Annals of Internal Medicine. (TwHF — also known as “thunder god vine” or “lei gong teng” — is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory conditions.) U.S. researchers randomized some 120 adults with active rheumatoid arthritis to receive the extract (180 mg) or sulfasalazine (2 g) daily for 24 weeks. Participants were allowed to use stable prednisone dosing (up to 7.5 mg/day) but not disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In intent-to-treat analyses, significantly more patients assigned to TwHF v... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803861 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2803861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788501&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7xZSeeBOV4c%2F From the quiet shadows of the White House, at around 10 pm on Friday night, came word that President Obama will impose prohibitive duties of 35% on imports of Chinese tires. Well, we at Cato and elsewhere have warned repeatedly of the dangerous consequences of this outcome (June 18, July 24, August 13, September 9, September 11). Former Cato colleague and coauthor Scott Lincicome has an excellent analysis on the ramifications right here. The good news is that we now have clarity about where the president stands on trade. The bad news is that his stance reflects his isolationist primary election campaign rhetoric and not the post-election messages of avoiding protectionism and repairing the damage done to America’s international credibility by unilateralist Bush administration policie... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788501 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:35:01 +0100 2788501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774744&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F9LOov05R20Q%2F I’m busily working on my next post on the relational method of learning Chinese herbs. I’ll get it out as soon as possible. However, as I’ve been working on this series, something else has been unfolding. I thought I would share it with all of you – my version of shouting it from the rooftops! I was hired to teach a class at NCNM – Herbs lab! The Herbs lab accompanies the single herbs and combinations class. In times past, a variety of formats have been used. I, of course, plan to bring the relational method into play as well as using all the skills I have learned (and will learn) from the incomparable Willem Larsen and Evan Gardner to co-create a community of engaged, rooted learner-teachers. I’m really, really excited. It’s the class I always wan... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774744 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:35:22 +0100 2774744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772581&cid=t_103117_113_f&fid=34603&url=http%3A%2F%2Fginasmith.typepad.com%2Fgina_on_gina%2F2009%2F09%2Fancient-chinese-proverb.html "The swiftest horse can't overtake a word once spoken." Ancient Chinese Proverb. (Source: I'm Gina Smith) I'm Gina Smith blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772581 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:06:54 +0100 2772581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757755&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2131 This report outlines areas of potential consensus to guide research funders, researchers, commissioners and complementary practitioners in developing and applying a robust evidence base for complementary practice.” As happens so often, there is implicit in this sentence the assumption that if you spend enough money evidence will emerge. That is precisely contrary to the experence in the USA where spending a billion dollars produced nothing beyond showing that a lot of things we already thought didn’t work were indeed ineffective. And inevitably, and tragically, NICE’s biggest mistake is invoked. “It is noteworthy that the evidence is now sufficiently robust for NICE to include acupuncture as a treatment for low back pain.” [p ] Did the advisory group not read... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757755 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:33:41 +0100 2757755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757951&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FvFZwiZuZGXQ%2F In my last article, I mentioned my idea that the best way to learn Chinese herbs is through what I’m calling the “relational method.” Before we can dive headlong into the process I am describing, we need to prepare some ground. Today, I want to talk a little about learning in general, relationship styles and relationships skills. My motivation for doing this is twofold. First, I really believe that an astonishing number of people looking to learn aren’t really sure how they do that best. Yes, folks, there is more than one way to take in information. The way you learned in grade school is NOT necessarily the best one. Second, the nature of my developing theories on teaching and learning are deeply interwoven with the relational method of learning Chinese herbs. I thi... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757951 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:51:27 +0100 2757951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744176&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FAOdydrHXZNM%2F I’ve been working on developing some courses I want to teach. I plan to teach them online, via an extension of Deepest Health, but also some using the Gift Economy model at my clinic – Watershed Community Wellness. Some of these courses will be geared toward Chinese medicine students and practitioners who are having a difficult time resonating with herbs, or already resonate and want to go deeper. I’ve worked hard over these last few years to deepen my own relationship with herbs, so I’ve tried pretty much every technique one could dream of – in some ways, this suits me ideally to teach classes about the topic. However, it’s been a while since I’ve taught formally. The last time I taught was in the context of academic Philosophy, quite some time ag... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744176 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:54:11 +0100 2744176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734159&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FD3vMPBNw14w%2F At our new clinic, Watershed Community Wellness, we will be hosting and teaching a number of classes and other gatherings. Brandt Stickley, renown pulse teacher and Gift Economy visionary is currently teaching classes in Contemporary Pulse Diagnosis, for example. We will be offering free classes for patients about herbal formula preparation, eating in alignment with the seasons, Qigong healing, self massage and much more. We also hope to become a hub for co-teaching and sharing experiences for Chinese medicine and massage practitioners and students concerning a wide variety of topics from cosmology to website creation to moving beyond the Community Acupuncture model. Today, I’m happy to announce a new class offering of interest to anyone who would like to understand the basics of Cla... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734159 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:08:41 +0100 2734159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2725098&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FwQM1W9Qy2SU%2F Interestingly, I believe that I was the first person to create a Wikipedia page about Classical Chinese Medicine. Since then, it has been rewritten, co-opted and sometimes even just erased! Currently, the Wikipedia community is discussing what to do with the article (which now contains almost nothing of my original write-up) and it would be great if Deepest Health readers could go join the fray. The neutrality of the article is being disputed, it is said there are factual errors within it and some have even suggested it should just be merged into the “Traditional Chinese Medicine” page! For my part, I think one of the commenters over on the talk page makes a good point. We should just have a “Chinese Medicine” page that then talks about the standardization process u... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2725098 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:54:50 +0100 2725098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719838&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FdR7W0mhImwU%2F You know how it’s sometimes quite a pain to input Chinese on your computer? Well, I do. I use a program called QIM that works pretty well, but I’ve always longed for a better solution. Well, my friends, Apple has done it again. Without buying a tablet PC, without installing any weird software, for $29 bucks (my upgrade fee) sometime this September, I’ve got the solution. But it’s cooler than I could have imagined. (Click the image to “embiggen”) That’s right – by using the already completely awesome multi-trackpad on the Macbook I already love more than is entirely necessary I will now be able to (at least TRY) to draw characters. I can see this really opening up my character writing ability. Only time will tell how great it truly is. For in... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719838 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:33:52 +0100 2719838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712232&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FnwsiM9j1eyc%2F I want to try something new. Many of my readers have asked me to do more discussion of the Classical texts. I have been hesitant because my command of Chinese is not great and the available translations are mostly disappointing (if my teachers are to be believed). However, my need to dive into them continuously and do whatever I am able to with them is becoming more important. My thought is that the web of readers (some of you being accomplished translators) will catch any egregious errors… hopefully… Actually, therein lies the articulation of a problem. I have been taught about Classical texts using two main methods. The first method is more rigorously scholarly and does demand an ever developing Chinese language ability. This method is very useful for getting practical inform... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712232 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:00:45 +0100 2712232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2699753&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FKD2qH0RJ79A%2F Here are the last few paragraphs of my thesis in Chinese medicine for my MSOM degree at National College of Natural Medicine. As you can probably tell, I did not go as far with any of my research topics as I would have liked. I saw it mainly as a way to learn what resources existed, and sketch a general outline of where I would like to go with my investigations. I have to be frank, I haven’t yet taken the time to explore these topics much more deeply – I’ve been trying to rejuvenate myself from the rigors of school while also opening the clinic and writing more on this blog. However, I have all of the resources amassed and lots of brainstorms and outlines ready to be further explored. I’ll definitely share my ongoing investigations with Deepest Health readers. &#821... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2699753 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:12:00 +0100 2699753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695497&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FUjtaw8zyV0Y%2F This article is already ridiculously long. However, let it suffice to say that I found many documents I had downloaded from the internet or scanned from books at the library – all pertaining to this formula or one of its variants. Again, as I further uncover, digitize, clarify and organize my vast library of data not only will I have the great experience of reengaging with that material but I will make it easier to access and more accessible to the AI of Devonthink. Thanks for reading! Related posts:Why Chinese herbal formula science is the most advanced medicine out thereHow Devonthink is blowing my mind and rekindling my love for Chinese Medicine (Part 1/2)Questions for the ancients Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Deepest Health: Explori... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695497 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:59:33 +0100 2695497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688658&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2043 Conclusion This selection of slides shows that much of the stuff taught in degrees in herbal medicine poses a real danger to public safety and to public health. Pittilo’s idea that imposing this sort of miseducation will help safety is obviously and dangerously wrong. The Department of Health must reject the Pittilo recommendations on those grounds. Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688658 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:24:29 +0100 2688658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678683&cid=t_103117_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F07%2Fdsm-v-update-and-transparency%2F Discussion: Is the Risk Syndrome for Psychosis Risky Business?”, this describes in detail the proposal for a new disorder called “Risk Syndrome for Psychosis.” You can access the proposed criteria for the disorder, including the text discussing characteristics, associated features, differential diagnosis, etc…. So far, there are 23 comments posted, constituting a rigorous debate about the pros and cons of the proposal. Whether or not 23 comments constitutes a “rigorous debate” anywhere, I’d point out of the seven work group members featured at the top of this article, only two of them bothered to engage in this live discussion. What’s that say about their interests in engaging in actual, legitimate scholarly discussion? (On a side note, if y... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678683 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:42:50 +0100 2678683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678749&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FkyiHYH8dTU4%2F When reading my copy of the latest Qi-unity report from the national organization (AAAOM) I was surprised to see the words “Classical Chinese Medicine.” To be frank, the AAAOM has never shown much interest in such things, as far as I have seen. The report indicated that a new program is being created at PCOM that is Classical in orientation. It seems that Jeffrey Yuen, who is often noted for his Daoist lineage, is joining the faculty. Ostensibly, it is Yuen who will be overseeing or ushering in this new curriculum. On the PCOM website, they say, “This is a great chance for students to study two respected systems of Chinese medicine.” said Gina Lepore, Campus Director of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine’s New York campus. “Students do not have to cho... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678749 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:56:07 +0100 2678749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670962&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F7yVJz1-C864%2F I’m continuing to be neck deep in business planning. Today we finalized a bunch of copy for our website, came closer to opening a business bank account, got a bunch of things finalized with the lawyer, and had our first “official” meeting as a LLC (hilarious – board meeting with two people at the kitchen table). I’m going to start getting all of these steps together and all the tips and tricks I came up with to give as a free PDF to folks on Deepest Health someday soon. That is, when things calm down a bit. Hopefully, soon, I’ll get some time to actually get back into learning the MEDICINE. :) I’d like to let Portland-area Chinese medicine enthusiasts (and folks with plenty of frequent flier miles) know about some fantastic opportunities coming yo... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670962 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:19:52 +0100 2670962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2670815&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2007 Conclusion Recent events show that the halcyon days for alternative medicine are over. When the Pittilo report first appeared, it was greeted with derision in the media. For example, in The Times Alice Miles wrote “This week came the publication of the Report to Ministers from the Department of Health Steering Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional Medicine Systems Practised in the UK. Otherwise known as twaddle.” In the Independent, Dominic Lawson wrote So now we will have degrees in quackery. What, really, is the difference between acupuncture and psychic surgery? People will no doubt continue to use it and that is their right and their responsibility. But if the government w... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2670815 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:45:35 +0100 2670815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667563&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2Fq_UPIGEt2Aw%2F Hey folks, I’m still trying to settle on the right publishing schedule. I’m going to let weekends be pretty loose, publishing sometimes but not others. I’m also going to move the topics around a bit to be more conducive to writing great articles for you folks. When I settle on the right schedule, I’ll create icons for each – then you’ll know I’m serious. :) For now, I’m going to move the heaviest topic (Herbs and Acupuncture) deeper into the week. We’ll see how I can shift things around. For now – please enjoy this handpicked list of my Top 8 favorite articles on Deepest Health having to do primarily with herbs and acupuncture. One of my earliest articles, about an herb I don’t even use – Mu Zei, horsetail. It’s... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667563 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:46:56 +0100 2667563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657780&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FRamD5Buo3Kw%2F I’m positively buried in a ton of unbelievably exciting business work, all of which will be coming out in a series of posts sometime in the not-too-distant future. When I’m not working on that stuff, I’m hiding from the brutal heatwave that is currently crouching over my fair city, Portland. However, I’ve found some time to engage in a rather lively conversation in the comments on my recent post about a post on another blog concerning the Lingshu and the superior physician. This discussion, and a conversation I’ve been in with a close friend for the last year, has me thinking about the future of Chinese medicine. It should be noted that, as an American, I’m almost certainly talking about the American profession of Chinese medicine – as different pl... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657780 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:15:30 +0100 2657780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2649155&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FPXcJj3kZY-M%2F It’s a scorcher here in Portland – a place known for its cool, wet climate. We’re in the middle of a heatwave that’s bringing us three consecutive triple digit days. I spent most of yesterday having fantastic business meetings at my clinic, Watershed Community Wellness. I also had a great time setting up the medicinary. As I was putting the herbs in their places, I remembered a recent reader question about how to find decent Chinese herbs. I have been researching and purchasing Chinese herbs since the beginning of my third year in school. Most herb companies will allow you to create student accounts. This was a fantastic opportunity for me, because I was able to sample the quality of various companies’ herbs, think about pricing and what I really wanted to car... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2649155 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:36:11 +0100 2649155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645274&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkgYKgPAAuI0%2F It’s not just Americans worried about the flood of dollars from the Fed.  The Chinese and now the Malaysians also are wondering if they should keep dealing in greenbacks. Reports the Wall Street Journal: Malaysia’s prime minister said China and his country are considering conducting their trade in Chinese yuan and Malaysian ringgit, joining a growing number of nations thinking of phasing out the dollar. “We can consider whether we can use local currencies to facilitate trade financing between our two countries,” Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told reporters at a briefing Wednesday after meeting with China’s premier, Wen Jiabao. “What worries us is that the [U.S.] deficit is being financed by printing more money,” Mr. Najib said. &#8220... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645274 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:33:07 +0100 2645274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2639642&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FxJkj4uozkyQ%2F Breaking from my stated editorial calendar a little bit – I will most likely put the Awareness posts during the week so they get more exposure. Saturdays are traditionally pretty light as far as blog readership goes, so I’ll leave my weekends a little looser. Today, I’d like to ask a question. Someday, I’ll make it a poll. Do you adhere to a specific school or approach of Chinese medicine? By that, I mean do you tend to practice following the guidelines of a particular school, tradition or teacher and seldom depart from that? The “no” vote indicates that you are more or less eclectic – taking from various traditions (Wen Bing, Shang Han, modern TCM, Worsley, etc) as they suit the situation at hand. I think the question itself is likely to generate ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2639642 Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:07:49 +0100 2639642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2639720&cid=t_103117_149_f&fid=35784&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheChemBlog%2F%7E3%2F60OZFtT7TOk%2F I had typed out a long and depressing soliloquy on how hard it is to be me when I decided I needed to vent on another issue that has been affecting my life:  toothpaste. While I could talk for hours on toothpaste, I need to urgently address one important fact about the substance here:  it is important that you use it so you don’t gas me the f. out of the room.  They say Mao Zedong never brushed his teeth – this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I’ve had to deal with and it sucks.  Most of the time, the offender is Chinese and I generally like him or her.  In my old lab, the Chinese grad student that never brushed her teeth was always the kind recipient of chewing gum.  In my new and larger lab, I don’t have nearly enough chewing gum.  For instance, I ca... The Chem Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2639720 Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:40:58 +0100 2639720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634390&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1950 Acupuncture has been in the news since, in a moment of madness, NICE gave it some credence, Some people still seem to think that acupuncture is somehow more respectable than, say, homeopathy and crystal healing. If you think that, read Barker Bausell’s book ot Trick or Treatment. It is now absolutely clear that ‘real’ acupuncture is indistinguishable from sham, whether the sham control uses retractable needles, or real needles in the ‘wrong’ places. There has been no clear demonstration of long-lived benefits in any condition, and it is likely that it is no more than a theatrical placebo. In particular, the indistinguishability of ‘real’ and sham acupuncture shows, beyond reasonable doubt that all the stuff about “energy flow in meridians&#8... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634390 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:15:35 +0100 2634390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630249&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FHYhbIKUWyrY%2F I promised I would release portions of my thesis (written for my degree in Classical Chinese Medicine) online.  Reading through it, I realize that most of you are likely to be mostly uninterested in the first three chapters.   In those chapters, I write a brief history of the concept of pseudoscience through time, elucidating any concepts that I find to be particularly relevant.  If you’re really interested, and aren’t going to irritate me with non-stop philosophical quibbling (yes, I’m talking to you, and you know what I mean), I’ll send you the first three rousing chapters. This last chapter is where most of the heavy lifting is done, and I didn’t work on it nearly as much as I wanted to.  I just didn’t have time.  I hope by posting it here, I&#82... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630249 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:23:37 +0100 2630249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2621918&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F666%2F0%2F3tgeq4.mp3 On this inaugural day of the New Era here at Deepest Health, I would like to offer something long overdue.  You may remember a particularly engaging podcast interview series with Arnaud Versluys PhD, LAc who practices here in Portland, OR but teaches Chinese herbal medicine all over the world.  He has recently created the Institute for Classics in East Asian Medicine (ICEAM) which I hope to be working with for the rest of my days.  If you haven’t already, I recommend you sign up for and participate in his forum, and check out his upcoming class offerings. In case you lost the links: The first part of the Arnaud Versluys interview The second part of the Arnaud Versluys interview And now, without further delay – listen to the final portion.  It is a shorter section, focused o... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2621918 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:49:32 +0100 2621918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2616779&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FInfZ9kLP3m4%2F Hey everyone, Well – it’s safe to say that Eric Grey is back on the Chinese medicine blogging scene. I know you’re all breathing a huge sigh of relief. I’ve received a lot of input over the last weeks from students, practitioners and friends who helped me to understand what Deepest Health needs. Most of the ideas I put forward in the last post will be employed. I will be making changes gradually, and all of them are meant to improve the functionality of the site in ways that I think all of you will find to be both helpful and exciting! The new editorial calendar will proceed as follows: Mondays : The practice : Information pertaining to the practice of Chinese medicine as it is for me – acupuncture (including moxibustion and allied arts) and Chinese herbal fo... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2616779 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:26:33 +0100 2616779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613856&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 Jump to follow-up .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008,... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613856 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2613856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610924&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008, UCLAN announced an in... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610924 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2610924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598176&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F2zi4YM3IR68%2F Several weeks ago, I wrote about the need for a new paradigm, one that integrates Eastern inductive and Western reductive methodology so that efficacy can truly be measured in alternative medicine trials. In that post, which was part of the DWIHC Comparative Effectiveness Research Series, I argued that Western researchers continue to try to squeeze a square peg into a round hole, and in doing so, ignore the subjective element that is an inherent part of the fabric that we call Eastern medicine. This past week, I ran across a study in Menopause that not only supports this contention but also challenges us to more closely examine the limitations of current investigations into alternative therapies. ACUFLASH (the Acupuncture on Hot Flashes among Menopausal Women Study) was a randomized, contr... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598176 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:07:48 +0100 2598176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588343&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FHeFAdWkiqvg%2F Edit (8:14am) : Forgot the editorial calendar!  Sorry! It should be no surprise to any of you that I think blogging is a valuable activity for those of us in the field of Chinese medicine.  I’ve fielded a couple of questions in the last week from Chinese medicine students and practitioners interested in starting their own blogs.  They are wondering, mostly, what the benefits and drawbacks of blogging are for most people, but CM professionals in particular.  Seemed to be likely fodder for a blog post. Personal Development For me, blogging has been productive of a tremendous amount of personal growth.  Forcing myself to put my nascent, fragile ideas out into the universe has required some amount of courage (and, possibly hubris) and has helped me to reshape those ideas into someth... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588343 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:04:08 +0100 2588343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576866&cid=t_103117_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2Fc6mgX5TiMNw%2Fchina-sets-rules-for-online-health.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576866 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:21:00 +0100 2576866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556084&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6rQKd6uQKIk%2F Washington’s willingness to toss security guarantees about the globe like party favors has encouraged other nations to do little for their own defense.  From the European, Japanese, and South Korean standpoint, why spend more when the Americans will take care of you? But it looks like Australia takes a different view, and is willing to do more to defend itself and its region.  Reports the Daily Telegraph: The latest defence White Paper recommends buying 100 advanced F-35 jet fighters and 12 powerful submarines equipped with cruise missiles, a capability which no other country in the region is believed to possess. The “potential instability” caused by the emergence of China and India as major world powers was cited as the most pressing reason for this military build-up. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556084 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:34:39 +0100 2556084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464287&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2F-k7oX_A_tjY%2F So, I passed my thesis defense! I have a few revisions to make - when I’m done with those and have final approval I will (a) breathe a big sigh of relief, (b) begin posting portions of my thesis for discussion on the blog.  As I see the topic, particularly of the last half of the document, being the ground for the next decade or two of my intellectual work - it seems prudent to discuss it with as many people as possible.  How else am I going to get good ideas?  ;) The thesis process was a good one, overall. I know that most Chinese medicine students don’t have to produce something like a thesis - opting instead to do a final project or something of that nature.  If you would have asked me six months ago what I thought about our writing a thesis, I would have given you a pre... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464287 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:50:11 +0100 2464287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452376&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDjeLG1BJwXk%2F After 20 years China has made substantial economic progress, but the ghosts of Tiananmen are restless and will continue to be so until the Goddess of Liberty is restored. The Chinese Communist Party’s “Human Rights Action Plan” (2009–10) addresses several human rights abuses, but it fails to establish a well-defined boundary between the individual and the state that protects rights to life, liberty, and property. Until China limits the power of the CCP and allows people to exercise their natural rights, there will be corruption, and the goal of “social harmony” will be elusive. The lesson of Tiananmen is that the principle of nonintervention (wu wei) is superior to the heavy hand of the state as a way to bring about true harmony. More on the Tiananmen Square massacre below. (So... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452376 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:27:49 +0100 2452376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452389&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFJQ8Fkf3NDQ%2F GM’s restructuring under Chapter 11 includes plans to sell off the Hummer, Saab, and Saturn brands. Well, just one day after GM’s bankruptcy filing, a Chinese firm has come forward with a $500 million offer to purchase Hummer. The prospective buyer is Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co Ltd, a manufacturing company in western China, which hopes to become an automaker. Not only is the Hummer offer the first bid for a GM asset in bankruptcy, but the bidder is foreign. Not only is the bidder foreign, but Chinese. And not only is the bidder Chinese, but the Hummer was first developed by the U.S. military. Thus, this is certain to be characterized as a national security matter, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will have to review the proposal.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452389 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:23:14 +0100 2452389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442173&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FQjkdjOfOZjo%2F Now, if you know anything about Google search and “long tail” search results, you’ll know that the title of this blog post is going to get me some very interesting visitors.  That being said, I want to give a shout out to all of YOU, my stalwart readers who have stuck with me through ups and downs, through thick and thin, through Yin and Yang, through boom and bust.  I know, I know, the content has been slow in coming.  You miss me, and I miss you!  But, the user base has actually GROWN and that is very heartening.  People want to hear more! I have just about four weeks left of school at NCNM.  Two of those weeks are substantial (one more board exam, my thesis defense, a couple of projects) and two are going to be really tough to sit through.  :)  We have lots of ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442173 Thu, 28 May 2009 14:01:16 +0100 2442173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389668&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnFHK8W_2SR8%2F From Will Saletan at Slate: the tricky thing about official intervention is that once the state gets its foot in the door, you don’t necessarily get to dictate what it can and can’t do. He’s talking about how “For the usual incoherent combination of lefty reasons—not enough private discrimination in working conditions, too much private discrimination in family values–” he ”felt the urge to support regulation of the [surrogate motherhood] industry,” but then he read about Chinese police kicking in doors and forcing surrogate mothers to abort their babies, and realized that wasn’t “the kind of policing liberals have in mind when they call for tighter regulation of the fertility industry.” But the lesson is broader, of cours... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389668 Tue, 05 May 2009 12:35:12 +0100 2389668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365006&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1372 Jump to follow-up It seems that bits of good news don’t come singly. First honours degrees in acupuncture vanish, Now a big chain of shops selling Chinese herbs and acupuncture has gone into administration. It seems that, at last, people are getting fed up with being conned out of their hard-earned money Herbmedic Barking A local [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365006 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:37:52 +0100 2365006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353967&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FLP9Kf_Yz8RI%2F Engaging in the program I set out a couple of weeks ago hasn’t been much of a problem.  Finding the extra moments to use for writing to the blog has been more of a challenge.  :) I have altered the program in a couple of important ways, however.  It just hasn’t worked for me to limit the formulas to those I indicated at the outset.  Instead, I find myself naturally gravitating to working with 3-5 formulas each week as I work with patients.  Given that I’m not taking the Chinese herbs portion of my NCCAOM board exam until the summer, I’m okay with not doing a rigorous and systematic review of formulas in the next 12 10 weeks. The Bladder and Kidney channels have gone alright.  To be entirely honest, it’s been hard to get back into the kind of basic, point... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353967 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:45:49 +0100 2353967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347979&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhaving-hard-time-with-chinese-medicine.html It has always amused me that a certain sort of patient will throw their hands up in horror if a doctor suggests some 1% Hydrocortisone ointment for their patch of dry itchy skin and then rush off to the back door of the local Chinese takeaway where an elderly Chinese gentleman charges them £10 for a plastic bag full of Trill. Infuse in hot water for half an hour and the resulting potion cures all ills. It must cure everything because it is Chinese and it must be safe because it is "natural".Do you have trouble pushing rope uphill? Have some Jia Yi Jian.It is a ‘100% natural solution, which can be taken regularly, without the harmful side effects and risks often caused by similar western remedies’.Sounds plausible. But what exactly is in "Jia Yi Jian"?The unlicensed product ‘Jia Yi J... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347979 Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:34:00 +0100 2347979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2308084&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1329 In March 2007 I wrote a piece in Nature on Science degrees without the science.  At that time there were five “BSc” degrees in homeopathy. A couple of weeks ago I checked the UCAS site for start in 2009, and found there was only one full “BSc (hons)” left and that was at Westminster University. Today [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2308084 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:12:35 +0100 2308084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2321570&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FhK6Wsppumv0%2F Well, it’s finally come to this - the final quarter of my formal institutional training in Classical Chinese Medicine. Wow.  I mean, really, wow.  There are quite a few of you out there who are in the same boat I am - looking graduation in the face.  It’s exciting, yes, but it’s also a little hard on the nerves.  In my case, I have a number of personal and professional obligations criss-crossing through my schedule.  They all have to be satisfied if I am going to end my NCNM career with a bang.  I spent several hours today thinking about how best to approach the sheer cliff that is my next twelve weeks. Along with my normal class obligations, my Student Government (SGA) duties, my family life and my thesis writing (and a whole lot more I won’t list here) - I h... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2321570 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:33:48 +0100 2321570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414825&cid=t_103117_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1329 In March 2007 I wrote a piece in Nature on Science degrees without the science.  At that time there were five “BSc” degrees in homeopathy. A couple of weeks ago I checked the UCAS site for start in 2009, and found there was only one full “BSc (hons)” left and that was at Westminster University. Today I checked again and NOW THERE ARE NONE. A phone call to the University of Westminster tonight confirmed that they have suspended entry to their BSc (Hons) homeopathy degree. They say that they have done so because of “poor recruitment”.   It was a purely financial decision.  Nothing to do with embarrasment.  Gratifying though it is that recruits for the course are vanishing, that statement is actually pretty appalling   It ... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414825 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:10:06 +0100 2414825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2294604&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F583%2F0%2Ffugkfc.mp3 Hello everyone, I have big plans for the Deepest Health podcast.  I really enjoyed doing my clinical updates, but they proved a little too time intensive for my current workload.  In the future, I’ll be providing all kinds of information in audio format.  Despite this planned diversification, let it be known that I enjoy doing interviews more than I enjoy doing any other kind of podcast.  Perhaps it’s the nascent journalist within me? When I contacted Mark Silver, founder of the Heart of Business and Portland local, I was hoping to entice him to come and speak to students at NCNM.  I succeeded in that, with the additional bonus that he was kind enough to offer to do a podcast interview with me for Deepest Health!  Score!  After a few fits and starts, we managed to make o... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2294604 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:34:45 +0100 2294604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414826&cid=t_103117_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1284 The Health Professions Council (HPC) is yet another regulatory quango. The HPC’s strapline is “Working with health professionals to protect the public” At present the HPC regulates; Arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers and speech & language therapists. These are thirteen very respectable jobs. With the possible exception of art therapists, nobody would doubt for a moment that they are scientific jobs, based on evidence. Dietitians, for example, are the real experts on nutrition (in contrast to “nutritional therapists” and the like, who are part of... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414826 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:18:12 +0100 2414826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285187&cid=t_103117_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fmiscellany-or-dead-animals-chinese.html I'm such a Mishnah nerd. Starting a new tractate gives me a rush. And I've never really learned Zevachim before. (Look, Zevachim 1:2 isn't paralleled in the Tosefta at all?!)*Verizon FIOS didn't mean much to me until Celeste figured out that we now have Chinese TV. 很不錯！*What are the factors associated with racial differences in myocardial infarction outcomes? They have more to do with baseline cardiac risk and hospital factors than with treatment received. So disparities - as we all thought, I guess? - are pretty far upstream. To put it crudely but not inaccurately: African-Americans are poorer, and their hearts are sicker, even before the first troponins are drawn. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285187 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:39:00 +0100 2285187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284354&cid=t_103117_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnUWKJAZJB8g%2F Congratulations to Yang Zili, a Chinese advocate for political pluralism and human rights who has been set free after serving eight years in prison. As I noted in the Fall 2007 edition of Cato’s Letter, Yang was an admirer of the libertarian thinker F. A. Hayek and described himself as a political liberal. A computer engineer by trade, Yang quickly recognized the power of the internet to spread ideas, founding a website, the “Garden of Ideas” (www.lib.126.com), where he forcefully condemned communism and argued for democratic reforms. “I am a liberal,” he wrote, “and what I care about are human rights, freedom and democracy.” Yang also participated in a discussion group called the New Youth Society, where he discussed the potential for political reform in China with young ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284354 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:58:59 +0100 2284354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259850&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F583%2F0%2Fdeepesthealthpodcast13.mp3 Hello everyone, I have big plans for the Deepest Health podcast.  I really enjoyed doing my clinical updates, but they proved a little too time intensive for my current workload.  In the future, I’ll be providing all kinds of information in audio format.  Despite this planned diversification, let it be known that I enjoy doing interviews more than I enjoy doing any other kind of podcast.  Perhaps it’s the nascent journalist within me? When I contacted Mark Silver, founder of the Heart of Business and Portland local, I was hoping to entice him to come and speak to students at NCNM.  I succeeded in that, with the additional bonus that he was kind enough to offer to do a podcast interview with me for Deepest Health!  Score!  After a few fits and starts, we managed to make o... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259850 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:27:28 +0100 2259850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259851&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FnaU0fQqqKGI%2F Some of you know that I am the student body President over at National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM).  When I started my term, we created a survey to ask the students what they would most like us to do with our time and (their) money in the 2008-2009 school year.  One of the top responses was, “Bring us speakers we care about!”  We set about constructing a speaker series that began with Patch Adams (amazing, more on that another time) and will wrap up with Craig Mitchell in May. Anyway, we have two lectures coming up pretty quickly.  I’d like to talk briefly about both during the week.  Today, I’d like to announce that Heiner Fruehauf, founding professor of the Classical Chinese Medicine program at NCNM, will be speaking this Thursday from 4-6pm on the NCN... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259851 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:33:39 +0100 2259851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2236544&cid=t_103117_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F03%2Fjohnsoncreekflooding.mp3 So, you may remember all this talk about the Awareness project.  The idea was (and is, though evolved now) that we wanted to bring all of our senses to bear IN THE WORLD as people nourished by particular types of practices to really live what the Classics tell us about.  This in turn would be productive of particular kinds of character traits that would, in turn, inform our medical practice and so on.  A kind of evolutionary development watered at the deepest level by taking seriously the Classical literature - particularly that of our spiritual traditions and our medical traditions. Something like that. Anyway - you might have thought we forgot.  We didn’t.  It just needed some time to come to maturity.  It’s still doing that… coming to maturity.  It takes time. ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2236544 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:03:01 +0100 2236544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182626&cid=t_103117_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Febm-and-bbm.html As an IVF specialist, I often need to give bad news to patients. A particularly frustrating problem is telling patients with poor ovarian reserve that they have a poor chance of getting pregnant. This condition is called oopause; and many of these patients need donor eggs in order to achieve a pregnancy.However, it can be hard to come to terms with this, and many will search for options and alternatives as to what they can do to improve their ovarian response. There is a lot of anecdotal information about what other women with high FSH levels have done to have a baby with their own eggs, including options such as alternative medicine, such as herbs, acupuncture and yoga. In fact, there are many Bulletin Boards, Forums and websites put up by patients, which discuss these options.I encourage... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182626 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:42:00 +0100 2182626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125749&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D885 Congratulations to the vice-chancellor of the University of Salford, Michael Harloe. Times Higher Education announced on 15th January 2009 Salford to shut complementary medicine BSc. “The University of Salford is to stop offering undergraduate degrees in acupuncture and complementary medicine because they are no longer considered “a sound academic fit”.” This is the first time that [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125749 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:52:36 +0100 2125749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074310&cid=t_103117_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FyxCBntHJlxs%2F So you know how we made sure to have a very lowkey Thanksgiving and also to keep things real simple and understated for Charlie’s birthday, a holiday involving days off from school and an event that has been known to cause Charlie some serious consternation? In 2008, both of these days passed well and quietly for us, largely because we strove to make them Super No Big Deal in the biggest way. So you think I’d have applied the same tried and true formula to Christmas and New Year’s. Granted, since we take a 3000 mile airplane trip from New Jersey to California, and (as we traveled on Christmas Eve day, due to Charlie’s having his last day of school on December 23rd) no sooner had we landed and gotten to my parents’ house then we all got into a rented minivan an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074310 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:07:40 +0100 2074310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061067&cid=t_103117_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYuQqRDrcXHw%2F So, you’re reaching for the eggnog or another piece of gingerbread and Great Uncle W says to you, “Now what is all this I hear about autism and vaccines?” Or, some friendly step-relatives happens to end up next to you while the Christmas carol sheets are being handed out and, just as you’re trying to sneak out of the chair to sit by your child who already has his hands over your ears while your musician second cousin starts playing something from Jersey Boys on the piano to expressions of delight, said step-relative says, with a concerned smile, “Does he have this thing called sensitive-processor disorder too? A friend says her nephew has it.” Now don’t get me wrong. After the initial incredulity that Charlie “had” something, my extende... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061067 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:26:30 +0100 2061067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2056508&cid=t_103117_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D645 Herbal medicine is, unlike homeopathy, not ridiculous, It is merely Pharmacology, as practised up to circa 1900.  Whereas good trials have now shown acupuncture to be sham and homeopathy to be a placebo, there has been very little good research on herbs. Most herbalism could fairly be described giving to sick patients an unknown dose [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2056508 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:13:45 +0100 2056508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1999140&cid=t_103117_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FXiM59l6LYbM%2F Actually, that title should read, “It’s just like I thought it would be,” as said by Jim. It was Saturday night and we were having dinner at a restaurant on Mott Street, in Chinatown in New York. We’d avoided the whole Black Friday business/madness and decided also to avoid the crowds going to see the Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza near Radio City Music Hall. We’d spent the day around home, with a late breakfast and midday nap for Charlie, and then a bike ride. And then, we drove to Jersey City and took the PATH train into the World Trade Center site—there’s construction going on all the time and you can see some of it—-and then walked past City Hall and into Chinatown. Charlie had said no to any snacks, even after an hour-long bike ride... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1999140 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:38:57 +0100 1999140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1970978&cid=t_103117_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fborders-are-closed-to-chinese-mild.html CHINESE DAIRY PRODUCTS DETAINEDCandy, snacks, bakery products, pet food and other Chinese products that contain milk will now be detained at the border until tests prove that they are not contaminated. There is concern about such products being contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine.  Visit my Nov. 3, blog for more on this subject.  Melamine was found in infant formula in September and has sickened more than 50,000 infants in China and killed at least four. Melamine contamination has now broadened.  It has now been found in milk, eggs and fish feed. Several products sold in specialty products sold in Asian stores have been recalled. They include a nondairy creamer and Mr. Brown brands of tea and instant coffee, yogurt, frozen desserts, biscuits, chocolates, and cookies.  Chines... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1970978 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:19:00 +0100 1970978