CHA

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

My name is (Andrea Beth is my full first name). I'm in

Cottonwood, about 1/2 hour outside Sedona, Arizona. Beautiful place with a once

Native American land-then ranch land, now expensive-suburbs-and

retirement-communities history. I'm in my second year of practice here, having

relocated from San Diego, where I practiced for 2 years after graduation from

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine there.

 

My background is pretty varied, with my first degree in Environmental Science

and Land Use Planning, but prior to that I studied art and textile design. I

never got to work as an environmentalist - poor timing had my graduation with my

bachelor's just as the government was requiring all cities to have master

planners with a master's degrees and 5 years' experience. My interest in the

environment is deep, stemming from watching the wildflowers ( " weeds " ) grow and

bugs hatch in Long Island, New York where I grew up and learned the medicinal

uses of my native neighborhood plants..

 

From Environmental Science I went to work as assistant editor for a small

newspaper group in southern New Jersey, then in printing, then I was diagnosed

with fibromyalgia. I spent a number of years being lightly functional while

trying to regain my health. During this time I started working in synagogues,

as an administrator in one and as a teacher and tutor in another. I also

apprenticed with the cantor I taught with, and applied to school to study to

become a rabbi, with an interest in pastoral care.

 

In my early diagnosed fibromyalgia years (I was symptomatic 17 years before my

diagnosis), I was developed panic and anxiety disorder. To my amazement, a

Chinese herbal formula cured me of that problem forever, after only 1 month of

use. This was part of my inspiration to study .

 

Since I was not interested in being a congregational " pulpit " rabbi, I was not

accepted into rabbinic school. Two years of prayer and meditation about what to

do and where to go, brought me a voice in prayer one day that said, " go to San

Diego and study acupuncture " . So I did, as much for the experience of seeing

what the quality of my life would be like if I followed guidance, as for many

other reasons. I absolutely loved studying this medicine. More than anything,

however, I learned that I love being a student much more than working, even

though I love what I do.

 

I entered school with a primary interest in herbal medicine, and came out

practicing acupuncture almost exclusively. I was daunted by the huge array of

herbal formularies which each had their own unique modification and name for the

traditional formulas I had learned in school. Slowly I began to integrate

herbal medicine into my practice, and I love this best, because of the clarity

of diagnosis which it demands - acupuncture is much more forgiving. The

companies I work with the most are Kan, Health Concerns, and Mayway - I am just

beginning to incorporate some of Giovanni Maciocia's, Chinese Modular Solutions,

Evergreen, and Blue Poppy's formulas. My practice is too small to carry a bulk

pharmacy, and I live in a community where the Asian population is very tiny, so

I don't use raw herbs, even though I miss them. I got to manage the herb

pharmacy at school for a couple of years, and I was always amazed at the qi in

the medicinals.

 

One herbal question that comes up for me occasionally is how soon a patient

should see results with herbal formulas. I'm talking about those taking herbs

for chronic conditions. I don't know if I get impatient, or concerned that I

don't have the best formula, but I keep expecting to see results more quickly

than I do. I also acknowledge this may be unrealistic - many of my patients are

elderly, in their 70's and 80's, with little " juice " .

 

As I have a need to constantly reinvent myself in order to keep interested in

life, I am always looking at different ways I can use my training and licenses.

Some ideas I am considering include high-end intensive health retreats, high-end

health consultations, and informational websites. Still having fibromyalgia, I

need to be mindful of my energy commitments and I consider these avenues as ways

to increase my income without seeing 40-50 patients a day. Today, I believe I'd

like to be more of a health consultant than a practitioner. And the Jewish

spiritual path still calls me - I am currently looking into study programs for

Rabbinic Pastorship, Spiritual Directorship, and Jewish Shamanism. And I still

sing and write my own songs, sing in synagogues, and hope to record cds in the

coming years.

 

Blessings,

Traditional Oriental Medicine

753 N. Main Street, Suite C-1

Cottonwood, AZ 86326

(928) 274-1373

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Well, this is a little bit difficult. I'm not sure what Todd said nor the

context it was said. I'll

just speak off the top of my head for myself and how I see CHA.

First, I think getting advice on-line, for herbs or any kind of medicine is

usually less than

satisfying all around. I don't think CHA is necessarily a collection of patient

problems and

answers. I also don't think we are " gentleman scholar doctors " who are not also

involved in

the day to day treatment of patients. We certainly aren't that concerned with

the business

of acupuncture.

 

So, in regard to case studies and patients, I'll steer down the middle (hey, I

AM the

moderate-ator) I'm not sure it's a matter of not looking at one patient and and

his or her

cure. But it is how these cases take us further with the medicine. (Research, if

you will) For

example, in the cancer question I had about my student it wasn't so much about

the right

herbs but about the perception of cancer and its treatment. And from there we

spun off.

Which I think is what I intended although I had no idea where it would go.

 

 

 

Andrea, does this make sense?

 

doug

 

 

, <

wrote:

>

> Hi Doug,

>

> Thank you for your " letter from the Moderator " . I'd like to offer a

personal reply

explaining why I haven't been posting lately, because perhaps this also applies

to others.

For me, it has nothing to do with being too busy - quite the contrary, my

practice is just

coming out of its winter dormancy period. Rather, my absence has to do with

recent

clarifications from Todd in the past couple of months or so as to his intention

for this list

being primarily research oriented and in the interests of education and

furthering the

profession along those lines. I got the distinct idea, perhaps mistakenly so,

that case

studies and queries for help with patients were afield from the goals and

intents of this

list, and so I stopped writing in, because those are the conversations I have

more need to

participate in. Maybe I am not the only practitioner or student to have

received this

impression, and if so, that may account largely for the recent quiet on the CHA

list.

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

[Guest guest]

(BTW... what I meant we don't seem to be that concerned with the Business

aspects of how to

run our practices. ) " We certainly aren't that concerned with the business

> of acupuncture. "

>

 

doug

[Guest guest]

Hi CHA,

 

My name is Guy Sedan. I graduated two years ago from Medi-Cine school of

complementary medicine in Tel Aviv.

I live and practice TCM in Jerusalem, Israel. Apart from starting my own

clinic, I have also started working a year ago in the Israeli Psycho- trauma

center, were I treat PTSD patients with TCM. In the center I offer Chinese

Medicine as an adjunctive therapy for patients who are mainly treated by

psycho-therapy. With my very limited experience , I have found that when I

succeeded to diagnose correctly , the herbal treatments give a better

clinical result than my acupuncture treatments.

 

As a young practitioner , I benefit a lot from discussing case studies. As

it was mentioned in previous posts, Westerner practitioners are lacking in

diagnosis and understanding the pathomechanisms of disease . What better

opportunity we have to improve these skills than in a group like this?

 

I enjoyed all posts and learned the most the posts that came from the more

experienced practitioners who were willing to share their experience or

correct invalid diagnostics prested in case studies .

I know that we learn the most from the patients we treat and from books ,

but having this group is a valuable resource for beginner practitioners.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to ask about resources (books,

clinics in China/West) that deal with the treatment of PTSD patients with

Chinese medicine. I already have 'Chinese Medical Psychiatry " from Blue

Poppy.

 

Thanks,

Guy

 

 

 

 

2007/2/19, :

>

> (BTW... what I meant we don't seem to be that concerned with the

> Business aspects of how to

> run our practices. ) " We certainly aren't that concerned with the business

>

> > of acupuncture. "

> >

>

> doug

>

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug,

 

I think your reply does make sense, and it seems to mirror the organic process

of the more recent dialogues I've witnessed. However, rather than seeing where

our " cases take us futher with the medicine " ... I'm more interested in seeing

where the medicine will take my patients! I think the concept of further

developing the medicine is a master level discussion, and while I appreciate

being able to listen in on the conversation, I think I will still be a

beginning-level practitioner for a while yet. Sometimes I feel I'm sneaking up

on intermediate-level, but it's still around the corner. I'm okay with learning

from the sidelines.

 

Blessings,

Andrea Beth

 

wrote:

Well, this is a little bit difficult. I'm not sure what Todd said nor

the context it was said. I'll

just speak off the top of my head for myself and how I see CHA.

First, I think getting advice on-line, for herbs or any kind of medicine is

usually less than

satisfying all around. I don't think CHA is necessarily a collection of patient

problems and

answers. I also don't think we are " gentleman scholar doctors " who are not also

involved in

the day to day treatment of patients. We certainly aren't that concerned with

the business

of acupuncture.

 

So, in regard to case studies and patients, I'll steer down the middle (hey, I

AM the

moderate-ator) I'm not sure it's a matter of not looking at one patient and and

his or her

cure. But it is how these cases take us further with the medicine. (Research, if

you will) For

example, in the cancer question I had about my student it wasn't so much about

the right

herbs but about the perception of cancer and its treatment. And from there we

spun off.

Which I think is what I intended although I had no idea where it would go.

 

Andrea, does this make sense?

 

doug

 

-

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

My name is Cynthia Splies. I am a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist

practicing in Ventura, CA. I enjoy using both western and Chinese herbs and am

currently working on tincturing Chinese herbs. My husband Noah is a

chiropractor and we work in our clinic together. I am working part-time as I

have a busy young family of 4 children. I have been blessed to have studied

herbs with Cathy McNease, Amanda McQuade Crawford, and Michael Tierra. I learn

so much from reading the posts on this forum and hope to post more in the

future. Thanks everyone and Green Tidings!