Frequently asked questions and answers from Dr. Martin.

Eye Floaters
Anxiety
Trouble Sleeping
Insurance
Acupuncture Skeptic
IVF and Fertility and Chinese Medicine
Teenage Acne
Chemotherapy
Allergies
Miscarriage
Skin Growths, Moles, Etc.
Sore Gums
Dog Eats Homeopathic Remedies
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Low Bone Density
Hep C Treatment
Toe Fungus
Doing a Perfect Diet
Hypothyroid
Perimenopause
Getting Off Sugar, Salt and Soda
Changing Doctors
How Many Homeopathic Pills?
Baby and Homeopathy – New Patient Questions
Low Back Pain
Using Creams or Ointments verses Using Homeopathy
Antibiotics or Homeopathics

If you do not find an answer to your question below, Click here to “Ask Dr. Martin”

Eye Floaters

Q: What is the cause and how do you treat Eye Floaters?

A: A: In Chinese medicine we don’t diagnose the same as you do in Western medicine. Each person, irregardless of the symptoms would be treated differently, and needs to be assessed for their unique imbalance that brought on the symptoms.

So I can’t really say which points and herbs I’d use. Although these are symptoms I treat in my patients. According to Chinese medicine, there is usually involved some type of Liver Stagnation and Kidney Yin Deficiency as a root cause. But not in every individual.

Also, this is a problem that is treated with homeopathic medicine very often, and very successfully as well!

In regards to whether there might be a connection with a side effect from some medications, in particular ADD meds, I have not seen this correlation. But some Western pharmaceutical medications do cause toxicity in the kidneys or liver, and if this were in fact the case, it might explain the causal relationship in Chinese medicine with the kidney and liver meridians.

Anxiety

Q: How do I handle it when I have so much anxiety, I don’t know what to do with myself?

A: Nothing is as fixed as you might think. Most of our symptoms DO have both a physical and emotional components, even if you are not always aware of them, or they are subconscious and below the surface. The body and mind cannot be separated. In general, it’s good to learn to “contain” your anxiety and not let it overtake you.

It’s a discipline of learning to feel your feelings, and realize they are neither your enemy nor anything to fear. They are feelings. That is all anxiety is. Just another body sensation and feeling. You are choosing to label it as “bad”. Learn to sit with it, and label it as “background sound.”

On their own, there is no good/bad associated with anxiety. Just a different assortment of feelings and thoughts that try and trick you into thinking something bad is happening because of your childhood history and the “stories” you have learned to accept.

Certainly some urgent physical symptoms need to be acted on immediately, like going to the emergency room.

But most other feelings and sensations are only passing and will subside in a few minutes, a few hours, in a week or so, or when the situation causing the anxiety has passed.

Learn to break your anxiety feeling down into its component part and physical sensations. Sit with them. They will pass.

There are also great supplements and amino acids and herbs we can use to control anxiety and to lesson it’s frequency while you work on getting the situation under control that is causing it. Also, physical exercise and eating to keep your blood sugar stable is very important when dealing with anxiety.

Some of the supplements you can try are large doses of Calcium and Magnesium, 5-HTP, Tryptophan, Theanine, Rehmania 6 Chinese herbs, Relora, Rhodiola, Kava Kava and many others. I have great formulas in the office we can use to help you deal with anxiety.

But it’s important that you also learn to exercise more, and to feel your feelings without having to label them as bad.

Once on a plane trip, I became extremely anxious while seating in the plane. I was exhausted and, on the final leg of a trip to Asia, and I had not eaten. My blood sugar was diving, I felt like I was going to die, and my heart was racing very fast.

I had with me both natural supplements, which I could have taken, and also a tranquilizer my MD had given me for emergency situations. But instead, I decided to just close my eyes, explore my feelings from the inside, and go more deeply into my physical sensations.

By going inside and feeling my feelings, instead of running from them, I became aware of the emotional components of what was triggering the anxiety, and slowly after about an hour, it passed.

Going through this experience allowed me to understand and gain insight into what the Buddhists call “monkey mind.” Once on a two-week silent meditation retreat, I had a similar experience. After the first day of retreat, I felt I just had to escape immediately. I paced up and down, trying to get the courage to tell the meditation instructor, I was sorry, but I had to leave, at least for an hour or so. But I decided instead, to go into the meditation hall, join in the group meditation, and just observe my thoughts and anxious physical sensations. After a half day, my panic passed, and I was able to relax and enjoy the silence of the retreat.

Our anxiety usually has old “tapes” and “voices” associated with it, which try and convince us of their reality and truth. They try and convince us that we need to do something right away. But in reality, unless there is a real situation that is threatening you, it will usually pass. And the more times you are able to get through it without letting it overpower you, the easier it is the next time and the next time to not give it your power; to not listen to these negative old “voices” in our mind.

Lastly, I briefly mentioned blood sugar and eating earlier. But diet is a major component in reducing anxiety. Making sure you eat at regular intervals and don’t let your blood sugar drop is very important in controlling anxiety. For many people, it’s important to eat protein rich foods every three hours. If you are not sure of the best diet for you, just ask me and we can discuss it and work out something that fits your metabolic and Chinese body type.

Some of the homeopathic remedies that often work for anxiety are the following:

*Argentum nitricum – anxiety with desire for sweets; anxiety with depression; headaches; performance anxiety; divorce; emotional upset; obsessional – phobic thinking wiht compulsive avoidances; superstition; exhaustion from heat; indigestion.
*Ignatia – anxiety or insomnia from grief, loss, exciting news or sad news, like loss of a loved one
*Mag phos – muscle spasms, tension, neck and shoulder or lower back pain with anxiety; body feels very tense
*Kali phos – nerves are on edge; nervous headache, weakness following stress; diarrhea from nerves; Dread of some upcoming event
*Sepia – anxiety and weakness before the menses; severe PMS; feeling better after exercising; irritable and wants to be alone, yet often anxious after pushing others away
*Lycopodium – anxiety and anger combined or alternating; flatulent, bloating, gas and digestive problems; thinks they are always right; afraid to be alone; insecurity around the opposite sex; potency problems.
*Silica – weakness and fear with withdrawal; lack of self confidence in sexuality and fear of failure
*Arsenicum alb – very nervous about health; selfish; very organized and wants everything in it’s place or gets very anxious; lots of fears and worries; anxiety is worse at about midnight; inflexibility with tendency to deny problems; likes to look outwardly normal and confident despite inner turmoil.
*Gelsemium – Anxiety for future events; nervous diarrhea; this person does best with peace and quiet; does not want to be disturbed; works well for anticipatory anxiety with diarrhea and fear of being able to do it; lacks inner grit or courage.

(A great book on this subject is: The Homeopathic Treatment of Emotional Illness: A Self-Help Guide to Remedies Which Can Restore Calm and Happiness by Dr. Trevor Smith, Thorsons Pub.)

Trouble Sleeping

Q: I am having trouble sleeping, and the items you gave me are not working as fast as I was hoping. Also, I had to take my traditional sleep aid some nights. What do you suggest?

A: Please experiment with the 3 natural items you have for sleep. Try only one, or a combination of 2 or all three. What is going on is this: your adrenals have you on fight or flight. So when you take something to relax you, it actually hypes you, indirectly, by increasing your serotonin.

Increasing your serotonin signals your adrenals that you can relax, so they kick in when people have exhausted adrenals. It’s an odd oppositional effect.

We need to get your adrenal glands to relax, over time, so that they won’t kick on at bedtime. My experience with this situation is that it WILL resolve, but sometimes not immediately. Please take the melatonine item with the GABA about 1 hour before bed.
Then at bedtime try 1 Tryptophan.
Also take a hot bath with Lavender.
Try doing nothing that is exciting for an hour before bed which may kick on the Adrenals.
I may need to give you other things to add to the mixture: 5HTP, small amounts of melatonin (.05 instead of your 2 -5 mg). I have about 10 natural things for sleep.
I chose the ones I thought would be the quickest, but we might have to play with it to find the right combination. Beer could affect it, because your liver is “stagnant” and by taking anything that stimulates the liver, such as alcohol, this could stiumlate the liver. And the liver is involved in keeping you awake, based on Chinese Medical Theory (TCM).
If you need to use the traditional western medication you are used to taking, that is ok, cuz in the long run, you won’t have to depend on it. Also, it would be good if you could jot down your diet so I can see what you eat for a week, to determine if blood sugar may be involved. If blood sugar quickly goes either up or down, depending on diet, this will also keep a person from being able to sleep.

Q: I am having trouble sleeping, and the items you gave me are not working as fast as I was hoping. Also, I had to take my traditional sleep aid some nights. What do you suggest?

A: Please experiment with the 3 natural items you have for sleep. Try only one, or a combination of 2 or all three. What is going on is this: your adrenals have you on fight or flight. So when you take something to relax you, it actually hypes you, indirectly, by increasing your serotonin. Increasing your serotonin signals your adrenals that you can relax, so they kick in when people have exhausted adrenals. It’s an odd oppositional effect. We need to get your adrenal glands to relax, over time, so that they won’t kick on at bedtime. My experience with this situation is that it WILL resolve, but sometimes not immediately. Please take the melatonin item with the GABA about 1 hour before bed. Then at bedtime try 1 Tryptophan. Also take a hot bath with Lavender. Try doing nothing that is exciting for an hour before bed which may kick on the Adrenals. I may need to give you other things to add to the mixture: 5HTP, small amounts of melatonin (.05 instead of your 2 -5 mg). I have about 10 natural things for sleep. I chose the ones I thought would be the quickest, but we might have to play with it to find the right combination. Beer could affect it, because your liver is “stagnant” and by taking anything that stimulates the liver, such as alcohol, this could stiumlate the liver. And the liver is involved in keeping you awake, based on Chinese Medical Theory (TCM). If you need to use the traditional western medication you are used to taking, that is ok, cuz in the long run, you won’t have to depend on it. Also, it would be good if you could jot down your diet so I can see what you eat for a week, to determine if blood sugar may be involved. If blood sugar quickly goes either up or down, depending on diet, this will also keep a person from being able to sleep.

Insurance

Q: I have Blue Cross Point-of-Service. How do I get a referral to see you? Do I ask my doctor? Are you covered by Blue Cross?

A: I am both a Blue Cross PPO and HMO Provider. It depends on your individual policy what your coverage is for acupuncture. The best thing is to call your agent and ask, or check on line. I am also an ASH Provider. Some Blue Cross HMO’s contract with ASH for acupuncture. But each policy is different.

You won’t need a referral from your doctor to see me. If your policy covers acupuncture, then you just come in and we bill it under my acupuncture license. Acupuncturist’s in the State of California are considered primary care and so don’t need a referral.

If your insurance is from out of state your coverage might be more complicated. If you want either Homeopathic, Nutritional advice or Chinese Herbal consultation, those are not covered by health insurance and will be out of pocket.

Treatment is usually faster if you are getting homeopathic or Chinese herbs, and we look at your diet in addition to the acupuncture. But that is up to you.

Many of my patients only get acupuncture. And some only get homeopathic or nutrition. This is up to each individual.

If you look at my website, under the Services button, you will see a complete description of all these services and your options.

Q: I have Blue Cross Point-of-Service. How do I get a referral to see you? Do I ask my doctor? Are you covered by Blue Cross?

A: I am both a Blue Cross PPO and HMO Provider. It depends on your individual policy what your coverage is for acupuncture.The best thing is to call your agent and ask, or check on line. I am also an ASH Provider. Some Blue Cross HMO’s contract with ASH for acupuncture. But each policy is different. You won’t need a referral from your doctor to see me. If your policy covers acupuncture, then you just come in and we bill it under my acupuncture license. Acupuncturist’s in the State of California are considered primary care and so don’t need a referral. If your insurance is from out of state your coverage might be more complicated. If you want either Homeopathic, Nutritional advice or Chinese Herbal consultation, those are not covered by health insurance and will be out of pocket. Treatment is usually faster if you are getting homeopathic or Chinese herbs, and we look at your diet in addition to the acupuncture. But that is up to you. Many of my patients only get acupuncture. And some only get homeopathic or nutrition. This is up to each individual. If you look at my website, under the Services button, you will see a complete description of all these services and your options.

Acupuncture Skeptic

Q: How do You convince someone to try acupuncture who is a skeptic?

A: Many people are now becoming more and more aware that acupuncture may in fact be more successful at balancing as yet immeasurable aspects of human physiology, much as “emotional intelligence” is now thought of as just as important as the traditionally measured IQ test, but hard to measure. Right brain aspects, the more traditionally feminine aspects, to healing and health may not as yet experience mainstream medical acceptance, because we don’t have, as yet, instruments sensitive enough to measure all the subtle changes in the brain and endocrine system.

Most people who have a sensitivity to their own, subjective energy, mostly women, in our culture, tend to benefit more from acupuncture and the other energetic healing arts. Most likely because they are tuned in enough to their body to “feel” the changes before and after a treatment. Whether we can as yet measure these differences in subjective shifts, the shift and change nonetheless does exist, as i can testify by my own state before and after a treatment and the many testimonials from my patients.

Acupuncture is not for everyone, but for those who chose it, I believe it’s effects speak for themselves. For those who are not drawn to acupuncture, I advise they do not bother to try it.

IVF and Fertility and Chinese Medicine

Q: I am 42 years old,and going for ivf next month,do you think your treatment can help?

A: Yes – definitely – research shows the two together work great and many fertility experts now have their patients routinely get acupuncture and Chinese herbs and homeopathy.

Changing Doctors

Q: I”m thinking of changing from the homeopath I’ve been seeing for many years to come and be treated with you instead. I’ve read over your website and I like the way you treat your patients. I also read your article about termination with your practitioner. But I would like to start treatment with you before I talk to my current homeopath. What would you suggest?

A: Try first to be sure it’s the right decision. It’s one of the most important decisions to make in your healing path. In any event, irregardless of what you are feeling and decide: It’s usually best to discuss first with your existing practitioner, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE, as they may have ideas about you AND YOUR TREATMENT that have not been shared yet, and mutual, candid and honest sharing between the two of you can sometimes cause a breakthrough in treatment that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

Hypothyroid

Q: Do you have a method for detecting hypothyroidism and treating it? I was listenting to something on the radio and found out this is a common problem. Now I wonder if that might be why I feel so tired. I will hopefully see you tomorrow for acupuncture and you can suggest what I can do going forward for more energy.

A: The first thing to do is to have a thorough blood test which evaluates your blood chemistry and also your complete blood thyroid readings. There are many different thyroid blood tests so it is important you have them all. I can prescribe the blood work to get, but to be certain it will be covered by your insurance company, it’s best to have it done by your Medical Doctor or Endocrinologist. This will also give us the opportunity to work with your Medical Doctor, to devise the most comprehensive approach possible.
Second you need to check your overall body basil temperature. I have two different methods for this. When you are in the office I can give you the forms you will need to monitor your basil temperature.
Then your Medical Doctor and I will put together the information from your basil test and your blood tests to make a thorough diagnosis.
Once we know for certain what the problem is, we can use either herbs, acupuncture, and homeopathy to cure the problem. I prefer to use all three methods. Some people also will want to take medications prescribed for them by their Medical Doctor or Endocrinologist. In this case, we can choose herbs or homeopathics and acupuncture treatments that will complement what your Medical Doctor has prescribed.
It’s important that you have your thyroid gland monitored every 3 to 6 months, depending on what your Medical Doctor tells you, so that we can modify the treatment as you get better and better.

Multiple Chemical Sensitives

Q: Do smell sensitivities mean anything as far as Traditional Chinese Medicine is concerned?
I would guess that the symptom of smell sensitivity would be an important symptom in homeopathy.
My partner with MF has been sensitive to smells for years. Not only perfumes and aftershave, but also pesticides and petroleum exhausts from vehicles and gas furnaces, etc. It has been called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Thank goodness for the increasing awareness about scents and the efforts to make public events scent-free.

A: In Chinese medicine it’s considered a Kidney Chi deficiency. This in turn weakens the lungs, which causes the sensitivities. In homoepathy it depends on the particular sensitivity, which homeopathic remedy is indicated.

Doing a Perfect Diet

Q: I’m having a lot of trouble with the diet you recommended I try. What should I do?

A: Please try not to be so perfect in your eating.
Be moderate.
I only gave you an ideal, or outline.
You don’t have to actually do that 100% of the time.
Maybe try the macro diet 50% of the time.
Don’t do it so perfect.
Just add in chicken or meat or the blood type diet.
Mix and match.
Find what works best for you.
If a diet causes anxiety and stress, then it is the wrong diet for you.
This, as is all life, a process.
We are stuck in our physical body – a blessing and a curse. It will never work the way we want. We always will have some problems with our body not working right.
But with time and patience, over time, it will get better and better as we chip away our past life karma and our emotional scripts and our genetic predispositions and our environmental sensitiviites and our lifes full of trauma.

Bone Density Low and Nodules on the Lungs

Q: I did a LPT open MRI and there are these things that came up and I was wondering if they could be treated homeopathically or herbally?
1. Bone Density score of -4.8
2. Small lateral plueral base nodule in the right mid lung.

A: Everything is treatable homeopathically, the same as everything will be better using Kaballa. (I answer this way, because I know your religion is the Kaballa.) Holistic medicine, including homeopathy and herbal medicine is a way of life, that if followed brings better health emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally. The longer and more consistently one is treated using homeopathy, without stopping, the better ones overall life — same as Kaballa. Bone density as well as nodules can be treated. You will need to go for follow-ups every 6 months to see how the treatment is working, and I would like your MD’s approval before we begin treatment, because I need to know the possible severity of the nodule. Is is also important to remember that if you choose holistic treatment, it is still advisable in most cases to continue your Western treatments at the same time. It is not either/or. Rather, both can be used together, as a teamwork approach to better health.

Teenage Acne

Q: Can homeopathy help get rid of teenage acne – my daughter 16 has had it for 3 years and nothing is working! thanks.

A: First of all, I think you probably are using the term “homeopathy” to mean “natural medicine”. Homeopathy is only one type of natural medicine. Other types include Chinese herbs, acupuncture, nutritional and dietary changes, and supplements. In general, for teenage acne, you will be most successful if you invest time and energy using all 5 types of treatments.
Homeopathic medicine will always help any problem! If you stick with it, it will help. Acne has to do with hormone imbalances and dietary problems. Homeopathy will help with both.
But also to be considered are dietary changes, and supplements. The diet will have to be individualized, based on the persons individual constitution. We will decide this when we meet. The supplements will be determined based on blood, saliva and urine testing.
Chinese herbs will also supplement the program, and be targeted for detox, strengthening the digestive system and balancing hormones.

Skin Growth, Moles, Etc.

Q: I keep getting skin growths. the MD’s say its sun exposure from early childhood what do you know from homeopathic and Chinese side of things. Is my diet off? If so can you send a alkaline diet?
Thanks much
J.R.

A: Hi J.R.
It’s good to hear from you. The answer to your question has 5 parts:

1. Spiritual/Energetic connection: The body/mind is always trying to throw imbalances off and out. The skin pays the price. In other words, any skin tags, moles, warts, or other unwanted growths are the body’s defensive mechanism, trying to stay balanced out, much like any psychological neurosis being a compensation for a deeper imbalance. If a person does a lot of inner work, as you do, the body will constantly be compensating by throwing the imbalances to the surface.
2. Homeopathic Theory: Homeopathic constitutional treatment is the best way to rid the body of unwanted skin growths. The procedure is to sit down and do an initial consult and then every 4-8 weeks assess the progress. Over a period of 2 years, there would be major shifts and changes that occur, as with any serious energetic discipline.
3. Acupuncture: Acupuncture would detoxify the liver and gall bladder. The liver is in charge of unwanted growths, throwing the toxicity out onto the surface. Instead of growthing lumps inside the body, it’s considered positive that the body throws them outwards. This means the chi is strong.
4. Nutrition – I lke your theory about the alkaline/acid situation. The way to test it is through a urine test. You can go to any pharmacy and get a urine test kit, and do it at home. If in fact you are too alkaline or acidic, you can adjust it through diet. I recommend the Acid/Alkaline book by Michio Kushi.
5. Chinese Herbal Options: Chinese herbs can be used to detox the liver.
6. Diet: The diet low in fats and refined carbohydrates is the easiest for the liver to break down and will cause the least toxicity.

Hope this all helps.

Chemotherapy

Q: Do you treat for side effects of chemotherapy and liver detox between treatments?

A: Yes, definitely! There are specific homeopathic remedies and herbal formulas to help with the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. And Acupuncture works great for nausea, vomiting, and to detoxify.

Allergies

Q: I was wondering if you could recommend to me a place to get an allergy test? Something that won’t cost an arm and a leg since I will have to pay out of pocket? Thanks!

A: I don’t usually recommend allergy tests. They tend to have a lot of inaccuracies and be very expensive. I usually advise an elimination diet, where you eliminate all suspected, or most commonly thought of foods that may be causing an allergy for 2 months. See how you feel, then slowly rotate back in one food at a time.

Sore Gums

Q: Do you know any remedies for sore gums?

A: Hydrastis Tincture – 10 drops in a little water – use as gargle for sore throat and also sore gums – slushing it around in the mouth.

Dog Eats Homeopathic Remedies

Q: We had a false alarm this morning that my 2 year old had gotten into a bottle of drosera and our nanny didn’t know how much she had taken. It turned out that she hadn’t actually been able to get any out. However, this begs the question….if she had gotten into it, can it hurt her? And what would I do if she had, say, eaten a bottle of drosera?

A: I cannot believe that about every other week I receive this same question from concerned, and anxious, dog owners. I have never seen any effects one way or the other from an animal taking a homoepathic remedy. In general, if the remedy is not the right one for the animal, there is no effect. The same as for people

How Many Pills?

Q: How many pills makes a dose of a homeopathic remedy. The bottles usually say either 3 or 5 pills, and sometimes the homeopathic bottles don’t say.

A: The number of pills is not really very important in homeopathy. If I forget to say it, then an average is 3 pills per dose. But you could use 1 pill or 5 pills also. If the very tiny ones then a common dose is 10-15 pills We are dealing energy, not substance As long as the energy of the remedy is transferred by 1 or more pills, then consider that one dose.

Miscarriage

Q: Hi Dr. Martin. i was a patient of yours a few years ago. You helped me tremendously pre-surgery for a fibroid (I had a myomectomy). I had a healthy pregnancy immediately following and now have a beautiful 19 month old girl. My husband and i are excited to have another. I’ve miscarried twice now since and am looking forward to the 3rd time being the charm. I’d like to be as healthy as possible for the next pregnancy and am wondering what your thoughts are on miscarriage and acupuncture/homeopathy?

A: Acupuncture, herbs and homeopathy will definitely help prepare your body and lessen your chances of a miscarriage.

Hep C Treatment

Q: I have had Hep C for a number of years. I’m wondering if you treat this as well as liver fibrosis which I’m a grade 2/3? I’ve had this for 30 plus years.

A: Yes — I have a number of Hep C patients that I have been treating with Acupuncture, Herbs and Homeopathy for many years, all of whom have blood scores that have been getting increasingly better with treatment over time.

Toe Fungus

Q: I have toenail fungus, what should I do?

A: Today, I received an email from a patient who I am treating for anxiety and depression, as well as for heart palpitations and irritable bowel syndrome. Something she had not mentioned during my initial consultation with her was that she also had toenail fungus.

Her email today said she had seen a podiatrist in the morning and he was wanting to have her start using a topical ointment on the toenail fungus. She was writing to me and asking me for guidance on whether to use it or not.

This was my response:

While I would love to be able to predict the future and say with certainty what you should do, in fact, there is no way to know to what extent the ointment will interfere or not interfere with your homeopathic treatments. This is because the human body is very complex and complicated.

I know many homeopaths who would not treat you homeopathically if you used any topical ointments at all.

But I am not that traditional, nor rigid in my style of homeopathic medicine.

I always work with each patient and let them decide based on their own treatment goals. In other words, questions you must ask are:

*how bad is the fungus;
*am I willing to risk that the homeopathic remedy will work less because of the use of the topical ointment;

I suggested that she read more about homeopathy on her own so that she can answer the question herself.

In theory, if you suppress symptoms with topical ointments you won’t have the same accurate barometer of how you are really doing. In other words, how will we know if she is getting better, if she eradicates the symptoms she has with ointments?

I have had quite a few patients who had nail fungus. Some of them who stayed with me long enough found that as their overall health improved, the nail fungus also went away also!

According to theory, to use a topical ointment will drive the imbalance inside to the deeper more emotional or serious levels. In other words, using homeopathy, we always want to push the symptoms outward, and not drive them back inwards.

Any fungus is an indication of a systemic weakness. If it grows on you it’s because you are a suitable host, and the object is to build your immunity and to make you unsuitable for fungus to grow on you at all.

So it is just a matter of how urgent this is to you! If this is really important, then you should use the topical ointment. If it’s not a big priority, than allow time to balance the system out and see how well the homeopathic treatment will work in the longer run.

You can do a search on my archives on my website for my articles on warts and moles. I have written a few articles on that subject. The theory is pretty much the same.

Either way, whatever you decide, I support your decision. I do not believe there is one answer for everyone, nor that I know the right answer. Again, the body is very complex, and the degree of interaction between natural medicine and Western medicine is not fully known. We are only beginning to explore the compatabilities and to determine how best to integrate all types of medicine into a holistic framework.

Peri Menopause

Q: I have a question regarding peri menopause that might also be of interest to your subscribers:

I thought that part of peri-menopause included a woman’s periods getting further and further apart, or just missing periods until they stop altogether.

Some women experience shorter cycles, periods coming more frequently instead.

So my question is this: Is the increase in periods just a variation in the whole peri-menopausal spectrum of symptoms, or if the increased frequency an indication that something is wrong, out of balance?

Thanks for your knowledge and insight!

A: Answer: There is always something out of balance during the change of life cycle. Different women experience the change in different ways. The only way to know scientifically which hormones are too high and/or low is to do testing.

The testing can be the traditional blood testing for hormones or the saliva testing, which is not a recognized valid test by the Western Medical Community. Some women choose to do both types of tests to get even more information.

The biggest problem is the cost of the testing. Hormone tests, whether traditional blood tests, or saliva tests tend to be quite expensive, depending on the panel chosen. The more extensive and complete the panel you were to choose, the more expensive the test.

If testing is done, I also always recommend to have a complete CBC and Chem Panel done as well, since these often show other imbalances that could be contributing factors.

Alternatively, you can choose to treat the imbalance through homeopathy, Chinese herbs and/or acupuncture, all of which will help to balance and take you through the change of life cycle in a more harmonious way than if you just were treated with Western hormone replacement therapies.

Chinese medicine would consider too frequent of menses to be a Yin deficiency or Yang excess. Of course, other factors need to be considered, like tongue and pulse diagnosis, a complete history and other concomitant symptoms. Herbs would be chosen to balance the Yin/Yang imbalance.

Homeopathic medicine is chosen based on the symptoms, both psychological and physical, of the women and what she is going through at the time. This treatment can be done with or without further testing. Either way, homeopathy will help to balance and harmonize the change of life process.

There are also dietary factors that could contribute. The diet best for this issue of excessive menses is a more Yin diet, which would be more fish, less fats, less salty foods, and less congesting foods in general. Macrobiotic diets tend to work well for most hormonal issues. Although the strict macrobiotic diet is hard for most people to follow, it is fine to modify it so that it is more easy to follow, and just use it as your guideline.

Getting Off Sugar, Salt and Soda

Q: I’ve been trying to eat healthier foods to build my immune system so I don’t get colds as frequently. And organic foods as well. But its so difficult. Any recommendations on good alternatives? What alternatives are there to soda and sweets I crave so much of the time?

A: Crystal Gyser and Hansen Soda are great alternatives to traditional soda with caffeine and sugar; also good are the sodas with green tea and the waters with electrolytes like Penta, Emerg-C, and other “high tech” water that give instant energy; also try the Kombucha drinks, vegetable juice, tomatoe juice, and other juices. But fruit juices in moderation only. Fresh vegetable juice is a great choice for both detox and quick energy and immunity.

But your endocrine system is the problem, so you really need to strengthen the thyroid and adrenals because they are causing the cravings. If you don’t work at changing the endocrine system, and the glands at the same time you change the diet, then you can’t succeed.

Taking herbs to bolster the weak organs and amino acids to balance the neurotransmitters is an absolute necessity, or your body will still need the sugar, salt, and caffeine it is used to getting in order to feel normal.

The transition time might be about 6 months before you don’t crave them any more. Sugar and salt addictions are very, very hard to break due to the dependence of your brain and glands on the constant quick fix stimulation.

Eat complex carbohydrates instead of sweets. Brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain and sprouted breads, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and barley.

Read about macrobiotic diets on the web. There are many sweets allowable on that diet, but they are not as sweet and sugary and you are also getting enough good complex carbs and protein on the macrobiotic diet, so that the body will not crave the quick fix of the sugar, soda and salt.

And don’t worry about going organic at this stage. Going organic is the tip of the iceburg and the final step in cleaning up the diet — not the place to begin. It will just drive you crazy trying to do it all at once and is too extreme at the beginning of trying to eat healthy, and you’ll probably end up failing and saying it’s all too hard. So just start with baby steps as I’ve suggested above.

Raw foods would also be good for you as detox – but in moderation only Just do online search for raw foods and macrobiotics. Get into cooking once per week on sunday and putting everything in tuperware containers and take it all with you during the week.

The diet is very Japanese – – rice, soups, chicken, fish, noodles, green leafy veggies, and root veggies. Depending on where you live, it might also be very easy to buy already prepared foods such as these at the health food store.

Baby and Homeopathy – New Patient Questions

Q: Do you work with Blue Cross PPO?

A: Yes I am a Blue Cross PPO provider. But they won’t cover homeopathy. No insurance company will cover homeopathic treatment as of yet. They will cover acupuncture treatments only. Because my license is as an Acupuncturist unless we do acupuncture treatment, the insurance companies won’t cover.

Q: Do you do well baby check ups, (seeing healthy patients on a regular basis) I guess just checking their weight and height is what usually occurs, I am sure your approach would be similar in that respect?

A: No – I see baby every 3 -4 months for a homeopathic remedy to keep baby well, or to treat baby with homeopathy or Chinese herbs as problems like colic, colds, flu, ear pain, digestive troubles, trauma, skin rashes, etc., occur. But you still need an MD for the regular Western Medical routine office visits and emergencies; or if there is an acute problem I need you to take the baby to the MD for diagnosis if our homeopathy or Chinese herbs are not working. In some cases I’ll ask you to take baby to se the MD before I will treat baby, to get a clear diagnosis.

Q: If I use your services do I need to still see a regular MD?

A: Yes – answered above. What I do is complementary to your regular MD. Just find a good MD. NOT a holistic MD. Just a good MD, who knows at the outset you are planning to treat with homeopathy and tell the MD that the homeopath insisted you also have a good MD on your team, because your homeopath believes in the best of both worlds, and in a teamwork approach.

Low Back Pain

Q: Can you Help Back Pain?
I am contacting you today because I haven’t been feeling the best that I could be, in regards to my health. I have a recurring back pain that resurfaces once or twice every year and just recently, I have been seeing a chiropractor for my neck and shoulder pain as a result of a rear-ended car collision. I was wondering, in your honest/genuine opinion, if acupuncture or holistic medicine can help me and to what degree it can help me.

A: The simple answer is Yes – Acupuncture will Definitely Help Relieve Your Pain

Now the longer answer:
1. Acupuncture works great on neck, shoulder and back pain, whether due to auto accidents or due to other, more chronic, problems.
2. Usually when someone is not healing from a car accident, it’s because it catalyzed, or “kicked in” some deeper imbalance. It might be related to nutrition, stress, sleep, exercise, lifesyle issues, or other problems that will be discovered as I get to know you personally.
3. There are two ways for us to approach treatments: Option A. Just do acupuncture, and see how far we get. This works, especially if there are no underlying imbalances! Many people with back pain report that after a few treatments, they feel much better. Option B. Have a longer consultation, and a longer-term strategy, allowing me determine the underlying imbalances in your body, based on you complete history, blood analysis, diet or other lab work, in addition to the Chinese tongue and pulse diagnosis. Then we create a plan based on acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, supplements, and homeopathy.
4. Most patients never know quite what to do when deciding between option A and option B. We all want a simple solution.
5. I have found that the people who have a commitment to work with me over a long time – many years – make considerable strides towards feeling better over all, and of course, their initial complaint or pain is also taken care of.
6. Now, after the initial problem is better, I usually see people monthly for a tune – up acupuncture treatment, and to assess if the herbal and homeopathic and nutritional program is working. If it stops working, then we sit down and see why not, and create a new and different program.
7. With our normal life stress, most people can really benefit from getting on a program like this.
8. Many of my patients start with just acupuncture alone, and when they see how effective acupuncture really is, they then choose to delve deeper into more of the underlying issues.
9. I like to work as a team, and if you already are having good results with your chiropractor, I would stick with him or her. I like my patients to get a massage, chiropractic, and sometimes counseling or therapy, as well as to have an MD they trust and who is open to working as a team. I am a firm believer in this teamwork approach to better health.
10. Acupuncture is almost always covered by insurance. Either you can call your company to see, or you can check on-line to see if your policy includes coverage for acupuncture.

Using Creams or Ointments Verses Using Homeopathy

Q: Doctor is it ok for me to keep on using the hydrocortisone cream.

A: Yes of course. The only problem with using it is then we don’t know to what extent the cream provided relief, versus the new homeopathic. But if you feel a need to use it, it will not harm our treatment, other than not being clear what is doing what. You might try to stop and start it, to see how you are doing when not using it. Try to determine how long it’s effects last, so when you stop it, you can determine how the remedy is working verses the cream. Your subjective feedback, is the only thing we can use in homeopathy to proceed and determine what we will do next. So if it changes your subjective feedback and you are unable to determine which is working, that undermines the long-term treatment, while helping with the short term issue. There is no firm right and wrong choice in this. It’s a matter of working our way through the acute discomfort, while at the same time chipping away at the chronic, underlying problem. I hope this is clear. If not, feel free to ask another question.

Antibiotics or Homeopathics

Q: Also, she’s seeing her pediatrician in the morning tomorrow. Should we take antibiotics as well as homeopathic meds?
Or should I wait to fill the prescription?

A: It is fine to take both antibiotics and homeopathics at the same time. In addition, we can use herbs, and other supplements or acupuncture to strengthen the immune system. And be sure to use probiotics whenever you are on antibiotics.

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