Goleta Acupuncture Herb Clinic

Immunity and Cancer

     When biologic function of cells has been altered because of carcinogens such as virus, chemicals or radiations, those cells don’t respond to our body’s normal control mechanisms for growth and reproduction, then they can abnormally growth and reproduce and result in cancer. When a cell becomes cancerous after the initiation process caused by carcinogens, our immune system often has chance to destroy it at this stage. But genetic flaw often promote the abnormality to replicates and becomes established as a cancer. At this point, cancer may escape our immune system’s protective surveillance especially if immune cells are not function normally.

 Diet seems play an important role in the development of cancer. According to book <<The China Study>>, Genes do not determine disease on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and nutrition seems important in determining which genes, good or bad, are expressed. 

 Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are standard treatment for cancer, but there are often so many side effects such as hot flush, night sweat, fatigue, nausea or constipation etc., which may be treated more efficiently by Chinese herb medicine. Protecting our body’s healthy cells seems one part of cancer treatment. Chinese medicine always tries to make related organs work together to help regulating body’s immune system, balancing neuroendocrine system. With integrated Western and Chinese medicine, treatments for cancer patients may have much better outcomes.

   The energy flow in human body influences the strength of immunity according to Chinese medicine theory. The Ying Qi (part of the Yin energy) tends to move inward and downward, meanwhile the Wei Qi (part of the Yang energy) tends to move upward and disperse to the surface area. Therefore the Yin and Yang energy flow is easy to be disturbed and lose balance by a mild difference between internal and external environment due to seasonal changes or stressful situations. If that happens, our body’s immunity compromised and we need to find a way to adjust energy flow to tune the Yin and Yang to a new balanced point to enhance immune function.

   Chinese medicine believes that human immunity can be divided into three layers of protection. We say Lungs meridian works as the first line of body’s defensive system while Spleen and Liver meridians are the second line of body’s defense. Lungs meridians are supported by the energy in Spleen and Liver meridian. The energy in Spleen and Liver meridians is supported by Heart and Kidneys meridian, which is considered as the third line of body’s immune system. 

    While our body is fighting something, we may be able to distinguish the different stage of battle basing on different individual’s constitution. First stage seems related to surface or exterior system, which concerns about wind heat or toxic heat pathogenic factors; second stage locates between exterior and interior, which seems have something to do with damp pathogenetic factor or Qi and blood stagnation; third stage lies deep interiorly and seems related to deficiency of Qi, blood, yin and yang energy. We may get the best result when pathogenic factors stay in first or second stage, we may still have a good chance to try our best to harmonize whole organ system to make immunity work more efficiently even if we are fighting something deep in third stage. For more details, please contact Dr. David Yang at 805-683-9200.

Resources of Natural Fresh Food

www.sbfarmersmarket.org

www.traderjoes.com

Resources of Exercise Program

www.recreation.ucsb.edu

Resources of Medical Plant

www.ethnoherbalist.com 

Atherosclerosis and Heart Disease

   Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty materials accumulate under the inner lining of the arterial wall and make it thicker and less elastic. It can affect the arteries of brain, heart, kidneys, other vital organs, arms and legs.

    At early stage of heart disease, we may feel variant extent of discomfort in chest or fatigue, for which we often do not pay close attention. The typical chest pain (tightness and squeezing sensation in chest) or fatiguing pain or heart palpitations may indicate some damage in our heart muscle. Fortunately we still have chances to use our healing power to repair the damage.

    Traditional Chinese medicine differentiates heart diseases in Shaoyin syndrome, which means we try to find the balance in heart and kidney-adrenal meridian system. Kidney-adrenal system includes kidney yin and yang balance, which often refers to hormone balance. With aging process, our hormones are often not balanced so well and that is why heart problems gradually occur when we reach to certain ages. Unbalanced kidney yin and yang energy tends to make liver yang energy lost of control, which makes us not easy to deal with stress efficiently and that is why we noticed mild stress seems easy to give big impact to our heart comparing when we were young. Unbalanced liver yin and yang energy often attacks spleen-pancreas and stomach meridian system, which tends to interfere with our body metabolism and that is why we noticed we are easier to put on some weight since entering into our 40s or 50s. In turn, the overweight seems interfere with hormone balance, which always tends to affect heart and kidney health. It sounds like we are entering into a vicious circle and need a professional help. That is why I am sharing this information with you and like to try my best to help. With integrated Western medicine and Chinese medicine, patients with heart problems may live good quality life for long time. For more details, please contact Dr. David Yang at 805-683-9200.