Guest guest Posted June 27, 2001 Report Share Posted June 27, 2001 Dear group members: Does anyone have a formula for making moxa cookies? The little flour honey water and herb combination pellets that are used as the base for loose moxa on acupuncture points. I've had a couple clinicians I work with mention that they have a recipe for it but have'nt come through with the goods yet. Was wondering if someone in the group might have dabbled in this area. Best to all Matt Ferguson M.S. L.Ac. _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2002 Report Share Posted September 21, 2002 Dear Victoria, Thank you for your e-mail and further questions regarding neck pain/headache, muscle spasms. I appreciate the time you took on it and I have tried to answer the questions as good as I could. It's hard for me to be on the computer a long time so I have kind of just lumped all the answers to the questions here at the beginning, rather than try to insert them into your e-mail. Hope this isn't too confusing. Your original e-mail follows my LONG answers The pain is CONSTANT. I always have pain on the back right side of my neck and back right side of head and right shoulder. The worst pain is from GB20 point. Besides constant pain, sometimes it gets worse than it's normal constant pain. When I look down or have my head twisted, bent up or down, do muhc on the computer or desk. Then I feel pain in many parts of my head, face, shoulders. Actually, my body is then tight all over. Headaches are always worse on the right side. Yes I do have moderate nausea. I can't stand COLD or WIND on that particular area of my right neck, hot towels or heating pad helps but only temperary. It's strange because everywhere else in my body I am hot and cold makes me better. I am going through menopause so I think that explains the hot flashes. However, growing up I had cold hands and feet but would get red cheeks, heat in my face, nosebleeds etc. I have always had a rapid pulse, but a slightly low body temp. Damp doesn't make any difference. Most of the time I just sit in my chair or lay down or just do light housework. Chicopractor, massage, physical therapy, walking are bad, make me a lot worse - also so do riding in a car, jiggling, shaking, moving, etc. I feel best lying down in bed - it rests the muscles and neck. I lay flat on my back with my neck straight and I have to use a very small homeade pillow. My tongue is a medium pink color, very light (almost none) clear coating. I started my period at 10 - they would last 5-6 days, were pretty regular. I had bad cramps especially before my children. Normal flow - actually not many problems in that areas, except I was more likely to be weak, hypoglycemic symptoms, or faint. I am 50 now and have only had 3 periods in 2 years - I'm pretty much done. Feel great in that area except for hot flashes!!! I did have chronic nervous stomach as a child and just a little now. Feels better when I eat. Problem continues year round - the only thing I've notices is that when spring first starts I always feel a little better for a few weeks. Otherwise cold and wind bother my neck and head and heat bothers the rest of me. I have dry skin, nose, mouth, throat, eyes etc. I have loose stools and go many times a day. I've tried eating more fiber (fruits and vegs) and this problem is worse. No bitter taste in mouth. I have frequent and clear urination. I feel dry and dehydrated however I drink 6 plus glasses of water a day and don't like to drink too much. I feel like I have swollen lymph glands under my throat otherwise I feel DRY. My worst dizziness is from bending my neck down or up, twisint it, walking, riding etc. I get some from getting up fast from a chair or bending down, but not that much, it is mainly from the previous things. I've always had trouble with hypoglycemic type smyptoms. I remember first fainting when I was about 12 yrs. old. I have probably passed out 10 times in my life but felt like it a lot. As you suggested, I rubbed small intestine 3 on my finger - no different yet but it's only been 1 day. The web between big and next tow on my LEFT foot is tender when I did what you said. It was surprisingly tender on both sides of my knees when I rubbed them. I also have under the surface bumps all over the bottoms of my feet. They are sore when I rub the bottoms of my feet. I eat chocolate because it helps with the pain -strange but true. Otherwise, I don't drink coffee, soft drinks or other sugar things. I eat bread, cheese, some vegs/fruit and some meat. What is a good balance diet. I tried eating more rice versus wheat but COOLING wheat agreed with me better for my heat problem and anxiety. For the pain I found large doses of calcium has helped some with the muscle pain. Also it helps me sleep at night. I know there is a lot here, but any suggestions or knowledge would be appreciated. Take Care, Sharon -- >Anyway, I hope it is OK to post a question about myself.It's not only ok, I encourage questions. People are here to learn (self included), and this is one way to do it. I hope the professionals and students on the list will offer their input too. Discussing cases and a lot of people chiming in with input and asking for clarification is the closest thing I can think of to learning in a clinical setting. It's not the same thing, but it can be very helpful in helping people to learn to differenciate patterns.>I have had chronic neck pain and headaches for 20 years.Is the pain constant in intensity, or does it vary? Are the headaches one-sided, worse on one side than the other, or equal on both sides? Is there any nausea? Do changes in weather - in particular cold, heat, dampness, and/or wind make it worse? If the headaches vary in intensity, what things make them worse beside massage? What color is your tongue? What are/ were your periods like? Heavy? Light? Was there any large loss of blood prior to the problem starting? Is the problem worse in one season(s) of the year than in others? Any dryness, constipation, or bitter taste in the mouth? What is urination like? Scanty, dark, and infrequent, or profuse, clear, and frequent? Is there any water retention? Or the opposite, dehydration?>I have had numerous medical treatment and drugs from my physicians during >this time. Also, I have had trouble with dizziness associated with my neck >all through this time but have had constant dizziness all summer when I >move my neck or walk or anything.Do you ever feel like you're going to pass out when you change positions? Like getting up from a chair too quickly or straightening up when you've been bending over.>Anyway I've recently been in again to my doctor, he says my ears are fine, >it must be coming from my neck. I just had another MRI and they found >nothing. Well, when this first started decades ago I remember waking up >one morning with a stiff neck. Anyways, this exact spot seems to be the GB >20 spot. I remember getting a shot of cortisone in that area. It just >never went away.Sometimes when there are problems in the meridians, an acupoint or points will be sore. In my case with my severe headaches, the acupoint Bladder 47 was sore. (My headaches were Wind Cold in the Bladder and Small Intestine meridians against a background of Kidney Yang Deficiency.) Pay particular attention to a meridian whenever one or more or the acupoints of that meridian are sore, reddish in color, numb, tingly, cold, hot, etc. This can be a clue where the problem lies.Headaches that start out in the neck often are due to either problems in the Bladder meridian or problems in the Gall Bladder meridian. Both transverse the back of the neck. (You may want to do a search in the message base for headaches. There was a discussion on this.)>I always have chronic muscle spasms, mainly on my back right side of neck.Whenever there are muscle spasms or tics, suspect Wind. Wind can invade from the outside, or it can arise from within the body. Liver Yang Rising can generate Internal Wind. So can Blood Deficiency. So can Extreme Heat (like in the case of a very high fever) or in cases of Heat or Wind Heat invading from the Exterior and penetrating to the Blood level.>I've done physical therapy, chiropractic (I passed out after a treatment), >exercise and massage makes it worse.This is an important glue that exercise and touch makes the pain worse.>I can't stand anyone to touch me there it is so painful. It goes up the >back of my head on the right side above the GB 20 spot. I also have pain >in every part of my head and face.Fortunately, when using acupuncture or acupressure, acupoints can be used which are not in the area of the pain. Sometimes the effective acupoint won't even be on the meridian which has the problems.>According to your article, it sounds like maybe obstruction of the >gallbladder????? If so, what foods/herbs could I eat or should I not eat >to help correct this????Until you have a more certain diagnosis - which can't be done via email - no herbs or foods can be recommended. At least not in this case. All we can do on a list is give you ideas of things to research further until you can find a trained TCM healer or have gathered enough information to safely make a self-diagnosis. The latter is not recommended, but sometimes, it's the best that a person can do. Many areas still don't have trained TCM healers to consult.>In the book I have by Henry Lu, it seems I have liver yin/yang rising??? >because of headaches, dizzy, etc?Lu is good.Liver Yang Rising is a joint Deficiency/ Excess pattern. What this means is that Liver Yang Rising (the Excess part) never occurs unless Liver Yin is Deficient. There is not enough Liver Yin to "hold down" the Liver Yang. There also are postings in the message base on Liver Yang Rising. It's a common imbalance.Do you have access to an acupoint chart? Acupressure's Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach has some good pictures, diagrams, and instructions. If the local library does not have the book, try the acupressure.com website or some of the other websites with pictures.Try gently pressing or massaging the Small Intestine 3 point. It's in the area of the knuckle beneath the small finger. Try it on the left hand as well as the right hand. See if there is a slight lessening of the headache. Or, if it gets worse.Take the heel of your left foot and press the area on the top of the right foot in the webbing between the bones of the big toe and the toe next to the big toe. This is the area of Liver 3, an important point for subduing Liver Yang. Repeat the procedure with the heel of the right foot on top of the left foot. Does the pain decrease (any), stay the same, get worse?Gall Bladder 43 also subdues Rising Liver Yang. (There should be a picture of this point on the website that has the Gall Bladder article.) Maciocia recommends GB43 (p. 226 of Foundations), but Gach recommends GB 41 for headaches (p. 105 Potent Points). (Gach is general. Actually, volumes can be written on different types of headaches and their different Roots.)Try massaging the inside of the legs in the area of the knees. I hesitate to ask you to do anything that involves bending (because of the dizziness problems). Stop at once any massaging or pressing of any point that makes you feel worse.Hope this helps in the meanwhile.Victoria New DSL Internet Access from SBC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2002 Report Share Posted September 21, 2002 Fri, 20 Sep 2002 22:23:24 -0500 "kurvenal" <kurvenalRe: Digest Number 620Don't overlook the possibility that you might have a bone or bones out of place in your neck. If so, no herbs or foods will resolve the underlying problem. If you don't mind sharing where you are located, perhaps someone can suggest a good practioner for you to see.Jeri Dear Jeri, Thanks for the e-mail. I had an MRI 10 years ago and just had another a week ago. So I would think if I had a bone or disc out of place, it would have showed up on that. It does run in my family though. My sister has had neck surgery (2 discs fused together), another sister has bulged discs, mom has had back surgery. We all have muscle spasms and 2 of them have fibromyalgia. I'm diagnosed with chronic head pain and chronic headaches. Not much help from doctors as far as a cure, only medicines. So hoping to find something to help in , especially through diet therapy. Sharon New DSL Internet Access from SBC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2002 Report Share Posted September 22, 2002 It certainly could be that you don't have any bones out of place. But, Western Medicine does not always find the problem, so it might still be worth your while to keep that idea in mind. I spent a week in the hospital having tests, and went for years to one of the top experts on headaches. Treatment was very unsuccessful, and I had constant migraines. It wasn't until I tried that it was found that I had bones out of place in 3 different places in my neck. I still sometimes have problems with one of those spots, (one of the unfortunate side effects of letting your Great Danes sleep in bed with you <g>), but I can feel when it's out now, and I know that all I need is for the doctor of to put the bones back in place. I don't know how easily others would have found the problem, but the doctor of TCM that I see was a bone specialist, (and doctor of TCM), in China for many years before coming to the US, so he knew what to look for. Your symptoms do sound a lot like mine did, but, of course, that does not mean that we have the same underlying problem. But, it still might be worth keeping that in mind, since Western Medicine failed to find the problem for me, and failed to help me. I know that I am very fortunate that I finally found the right treatments. Jeri - Larry Stockwell Chinese Traditional Medicine Saturday, September 21, 2002 4:16 PM Re: [Chinese Traditional Medicine] Digest Number 627 Fri, 20 Sep 2002 22:23:24 -0500 "kurvenal" <kurvenalRe: Digest Number 620Don't overlook the possibility that you might have a bone or bones out of place in your neck. If so, no herbs or foods will resolve the underlying problem. If you don't mind sharing where you are located, perhaps someone can suggest a good practioner for you to see.Jeri Dear Jeri, Thanks for the e-mail. I had an MRI 10 years ago and just had another a week ago. So I would think if I had a bone or disc out of place, it would have showed up on that. It does run in my family though. My sister has had neck surgery (2 discs fused together), another sister has bulged discs, mom has had back surgery. We all have muscle spasms and 2 of them have fibromyalgia. I'm diagnosed with chronic head pain and chronic headaches. Not much help from doctors as far as a cure, only medicines. So hoping to find something to help in , especially through diet therapy. Sharon New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner Shortcut URL to this page: /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2002 Report Share Posted September 22, 2002 >I eat chocolate because it helps with the pain -strange but true. >Otherwise, I don't drink coffee, soft drinks or other sugar things. I eat >bread, cheese, some vegs/fruit and some meat. What is a good balance diet. > I tried eating more rice versus wheat but COOLING wheat agreed with me >better for my heat problem and anxiety. For the pain I found large doses >of calcium has helped some with the muscle pain. Also it helps me sleep at >night. From a message to Jeri: >I had an MRI 10 years ago and just had another a week ago. So I would >think if I had a bone or disc out of place, it would have showed up on >that. It does run in my family though. My sister has had neck surgery (2 >discs fused together), another sister has bulged discs, mom has had back >surgery. We all have muscle spasms and 2 of them have fibromyalgia. I'm >diagnosed with chronic head pain and chronic headaches. Not much help from >doctors as far as a cure, only medicines. So hoping to find something to >help in , especially through diet therapy. What form of calcium are you taking? Oyster shell? Pure calcium carbonate? Etc? Is the chocolate milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Do you eat any yogurt? With live cultures? Oyster shell is one of the best Ca supplements because it also contains Mg. The body needs both Ca and Mg, and up to a point, each needs the other in order to be absorbed and utilized. After that point is reached, Ca and Mg are in competition with each other. If Ca intake is excessive - like sometimes can happen if pure calcium carbonate is taken, Mg gets excreted. If the person takes too much Mg, too much Ca is excreted. There is a long list of medical symptoms and disorders that magnesium deficiency is implicated in? These include insomnia (not all cases of insomnia), one type of high blood pressure, muscle spasms and tics, and excessive pain (in some cases of excessive pain). (See the work of Mildred Seelig, MD, American College of Nutrition for more details on Mg.) Some experts believe that Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) are the same thing. If the pain predominates, the person gets the FMS diagnosis. If fatigue predominates, the person gets the CFIDS diagnosis. There is an amazing overlap of symptoms between the two, and the last I heard about 85% of people diagnosed with CFIDS also carry the FMS diagnosis. A lot of PWCs (People With CFIDS) are helped by magnesium. (Not all, but many.) One thing I've noticed (haven't seen any studies on this, it's strictly my observation) is that not only do PWCs tend to need more Mg, their genetic relatives also tend to have this need. One of the roles magnesium plays in the body is it enhances the neurotransmitter GABA. NMDA excites neurons to fire; GABA inhibits them from firing. In a well person, the excitatory neurotransmitter NMDA and the inhibitary GABA are more or less in balance, causing neurons to fire enough but not too much. Too much GABA relative to NMDA, and coma results. Too much NMDA relative to GABA, and seizures result. But long before the point of seizures is reached, the person is having problems with " sensory overload " . The patterns in a rug, the smells in a supermarket, etc. can seem overwhleming because the neurons are " firing " too much and not being inhibited. A light touch can feel extremely painful because the neurons are firing too much. (See the work of Paul Cheney, MD, and the CFIDS Association of America.) Obviously, Mg supplementation is not going to take away all pain - just that due to neurons firing too much. But, if Mg deficiency is a problem in your case, the Mg supplementation may be enough to enable someone to massage or adjust your neck if that turns out to be helpful. It also may be enough that you can stand to do acupressure on the GB 20 points. (Don't attempt it until that pain problem is cleared up or at least improved.) Muscles need Mg in order to relax. If muscles stay contracted (tense), this can be very fatiguing as well as painful. Also, chiropractric and osteopathic adjustments and manipulations tend not to last on many PWCs. The reason they don't last (until Mg is supplemented) is that the muscles stay so contracted that in some individuals they can pull the back out of alignment again. The blood tests for Mg levels leave a lot to be desired. The best test is a urinalysis test. (Sorry, don't remember the name of the test.) Sometimes, the oyster shell is not enough, and the person needs the Mg injections. I did. After a few years I got to the point where I no longer needed the shots and could absorb enough Mg from pills. (Still haven't gotten to the point where I can get enough just from diet alone, but some people can. My problems went untreated for so many years.) Malic acid (found in apples) improves absorption of Mg. So does I believe boron. Aluminum interfers with Mg absorption. You don't drink soft drinks, but for readers who do, if you drink pop out of unlined cans, one can get enough Al (even though very slight) that it will interfere with Mg absorption. People with excessive, loose, especially watery bowel movements often have problems with Mg absorption. For example, people with Celiac disease, colitis, etc. If there is not a MD in your area who knows about the urinalysis test and the various roles Mg play in the body, you may want to cautiously introduce more Mg into your diet. Mustard greens are high in Mg. Oyster shell (if you aren't already taking this form of Ca supplement) contain both Ca and Mg in ratios that the body likes. But if the Mg is very low, a person will need a Mg supplement or a Ca-Mg supplement with more Mg than Ca. Some of the best Mg supplements also contain malic acid which helps Mg absorption. If the best that your local MD can do is a blood test for Mg levels, keep in mind that the blood can have enough Mg but the cells may not. This is why the urinalysis test is superior to the blood tests for measuring Mg. If Mg deficiency is a factor in the headaches, the Mg supplementation by itself probably won't totally stop the headaches. The supplementation will reduce the pain some (the part due to the excessive firing of neurons) and hopefully to the point where massage and acupressure can be used on the neck. IF this is a factor in your case. What you're going to be looking for is slight improvement or maybe partial improvement. Healing often has to be done in steps. Figure out what the major factors may be that are preventing other healing from taking place. In this case, the neck and head pain is so great that you can't stand for anyone to touch the area. Also, there may be some absorption problems because of the bowel movements. The reason I asked about yogurt is not only is it a source of calcium, the live cultures often can help the bowel environment. Make sure the yogurt has live cultures. Not all brands do. If anything you try makes you feel worse, stop immediately. Introduce changes one at a time and very slowly. Err on the side of too little rather than too much. If a little is great, more often is not better but worse. Both too much and too little Mg can be fatal. Victoria _______________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2002 Report Share Posted September 22, 2002 Oyster shell is one of the best Ca supplements because it also contains Mg.= .... Great posting !!! However for your information oyster shell only contains trace amounts (one third of a percent) of magnesium. Not enough. This is wh= y Os-cal a nationally known product does not have to list magnesium on the label. There are many new and second generation calcium supplements that now acknowledge the need for both calcium and magnesium in supplements. I do recommend some PX with insomnia to take their calcium and other heavy = minerals (traditionally used to calm shen) in the evening to help with sleep. Michael FYI: the following is an excerpt from a science lesson at: http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1985/7/85.07.02.x.html The body of the oyster is covered with two calcareous valves joined togethe= r by a resilient ligament along a narrow hinge. These two valves make this animal a bivalve.= The shape or a bivalve shell is expressed as a ratio between its height and length or by s= ome other numerical index. Composition of crassostrea virginica shell from Galvestron Bay (presented a= s oxides) calcium—53.6 carbon—42.5 sodium—0.33 magnesium—0.32 silicon—0.17 moisture—0.59 sulfur—0.18 strontium—0.11 The oyster creates its own environment by secreting a shell composed or nin= ety-five percent (95%) of calcium carbonate. The remainder of the shell is made up o= f organic material and trace amounts of manganese, iron, aluminum, sulfate and magnes= ium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2002 Report Share Posted September 23, 2002 " Judy Fitzgerald " <victoria_dragon wrote: > It also may be enough > that you can stand to do acupressure on the GB 20 > points. (Don't attempt it > until that pain problem is cleared up or at least > improved.) I do a type of acupressure based on Jin Shin Jyutsu. It doesn't use pressure, but one just lightly holds points until an energy pulse is felt. Though the system uses only a few of the points, GB 20 is one and I've found that using the principles of JSJ can work well on any of the regular points. There's also a partner point you can hold which is above the middle of the eye in between the hairline and eyebrow (one the opposite side of the GB 20 you're holding. There's a little dip there you can feel. sue New DSL Internet Access from SBC & http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 24, 2002 Report Share Posted September 24, 2002 Chinese Traditional Medicine, suzee <qiuser> wrote: > There's also a > partner point you can hold which is above the middle > of the eye in between the hairline and eyebrow (one > the opposite side of the GB 20 you're holding. There's > a little dip there you can feel. Wrong point.... it's the one just under the cheekbone (about St 3) on the opposite side. If you hold the right GB 20, use the left St 3. sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2003 Report Share Posted May 26, 2003 In a message dated 05/26/2003 3:03:37 AM Pacific Daylight Time, writes: > I will certainly try Genns shop Somewhere along the way I have missed the address for the website for Genns shop, would someone please send it my way. Thanks. I get crystals from Stuart at Sweet Surrender Mine, but I am more than happy to spread my spending around to others. Spent Saturday with friends who have just built a " to die for " rock shop with every piece of equipment around. They have two sphere making machines and the end results are just great. I picked up a great aquamarine for 20.00. Looking forward to Genn's address. Thanks Mercedes Mercedes Rose Herndon Reiki Master/Teacher, Artist, Photographer Designer & Creator of Silk Healing Scarves Owner of " Just for You " Custom Cards Coauthor & Publisher of: " Loving Thoughts for Gentle Hearts; v. 1 - Goals, Dreams & Affirmations " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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