Women's Health

Yvonne Lau of Mayway Herbs talks with Dr. Gabriella Heinsheimer, MD and Dr. Mary Lynn Morales, L.Ac. about the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic. Learn how their amazing volunteers have treated thousands of low-income women with cancer in the San Francisco Bay Area by providing acupuncture, nutrition education, massage, yoga and more.

Western studies have confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture for fertility outcomes. For over 20 years, Rachel Blunk, L.Ac., has worked with reproductive endocrinologists to help improve fertility outcomes for patients. In this article, Rachel discusses 2 cases where she used acupuncture and herbs for queer couples using IVF for successful implantation.

More than 200 million people worldwide suffer from osteoporosis - a skeletal disorder characterized as loss of bone mass. Learn how traditional Chinese medicine can support this condition along with herbal formulas to support bone density health.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a very common part of many people’s menstrual cycles, but what does it mean when PMS is so severe that it's negatively impacting someone's life? Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS, which affects a small percentage of people who menstruate and is characterized by extreme mood shifts that are significant enough to interfere with and impact daily life and relationships. PMS and PMDD share most symptoms, but there are some differentiating qualities of presentation that help us to distinguish PMDD from PMS.

Raven Lang, L.Ac., O.M.D. incorporates her midwifery and traditional medicine (both American and Asian) into her discussion of the Fourth Month of gestation. She discusses ancient writings and how our ancestors recognized the fetus, and she explains how the fourth month is supported by the Shao Yang of the Hand.

The classic writings I quote are taken from the Zhubing Yuanhuo Lun, the Mawangdui, and Sun Si Miao. They will offer you the ability to contemplate the first three of the ten lunar months of pregnancy, interpreted and practiced by the leading physicians of that time. In studying the ancients on their thoughts regarding pregnancy, we must realize that these teachings came from the astute observations and witnessing of nature in all its glory and violence. The lessons the ancients learned originated from watching the power and influence of the moon, sun and stars, the weather, seasons, elements, the sowing, cultivating, and harvesting of crops, the language of plants and animals, and bottom line, the interdependence of all these factors as they affect everything on earth.

Known for its extraordinary characteristics for obstetrics and gynecology, Si Wu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) is discussed and its benefits for blood deficiency, blood stasis, and irregular menstruation.

Self-healing principles are about making small changes consistently, keeping promises we make for ourselves, learning to set clear boundaries, and healing our relationship with food. The key here is small bites - these aren’t promises like hitting the gym every day; it’s small promises like making the bed every day and something we can surely follow through on. The act of doing it helps to rewire the brain and invite the Yi back to the center again because we are no longer denying our own needs.

Yu Dai Wan supports the female reproductive system, at once clearing and tonifying to protect and balance vaginal flora and fauna. In traditional Chinese medicine normal vaginal discharge is produced, stored and secreted by the Kidneys, transformed and distributed by the Spleen, secured by the Ren Mai, and controlled by the Dai Mai. Occasional excessive vaginal discharge is classed as “Dai Xia Bing,” which roughly means “issue below the belt or below the Dai Mai.” Yu Dai Wan strongly drains excess damp-heat, while at the same time nourishing the Blood and protecting the Spleen, in order to bring about lasting change.

Fertility and women’s health is a very popular specialty for many acupuncturists and herbalists. Success stories permeate medical journals, mom groups and amongst the general public, giving hope to those who wish to become pregnant and have had difficulty in the past. The truth of the matter, however, is that not every patient has this success story, not every patient gets pregnant, not every IVF round is a success and not every pregnancy will carry to term. Support in the process of shock, loss and grief can be profound within the spectrum of Chinese medicine.

This article is an excerpt from Master Tung’s Magic Points: The Clinician’s Best Friend, soon to be published by Susan Johnson and Eric Renaud. The topic of fertility treatment is more pertinent than ever, as young adults today are finding it increasingly difficult to conceive due to the effects of long-term stress, lack of sleep, EMF exposure, environmental toxins, and so many other reasons that create hormonal disruption and imbalance. This article discusses points and formulas used for infertility and discusses a case study of a man and woman and their successful pregnancy.

For 31 years, the Oakland-based nonprofit has provided free access to compassionate, integrative care for thousands of San Francisco Bay Area low-income women with cancer. Inspired by the vision of Ms. Charlotte Maxwell, a progressive public health advocate who recognized the importance of combining complementary therapies with conventional cancer treatment. Read more about CMC and how you can help.

Endometriosis affects 10% of people who menstruate every year, and that’s just the people who get a formal diagnosis. Endometriosis a very painful menstrual condition in which the uterine lining (endometrium) grows and bleeds outside the uterus in “adjacent pelvic organs such as ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic ligaments, vagina, sigmoid colon, rectum, ureters or bladder.” In rare cases, it may be found outside of the pelvic area. The causes of endometriosis are still unknown and it is a condition that may be experienced by any menstruating person, regardless of gender expression. In this article, we discuss endometriosis from a Chinese medicine perspective and discuss methods for TCM treatment.

Bone loss, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is mainly caused by insufficient Kidney Qi, with symptoms such as weak back, difficulty in standing for a long time, weakness of lower extremities, dark complexion, and dry teeth. Chinese medicine believes that bone health relies on the fullness of Kidney Qi, which nourishes the bone marrow. As such, tonifying Kidney Qi and Kidney Essence is vital to minimizing the progression of osteoporosis. This soup nourishes Yin and replenishes Yang, strengthens muscles and bones, and strengthens the waist and knees.

Raven Lang shares a story about a patient of mine with hyperemesis. I share this story to point out that there are times when a practitioner must realize the limits to what can be done with TCM treatments and that, at those times, it is necessary and prudent to quickly ask for additional help.