Integrating Natural Medicine

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Integrating Natural Medicine into Asthma and
Allergy Management Beth Kohn-Converse
L.Ac. M.T.O.M, Dipl.Ac., Dipl.CH.
Henry Ford Center for Integrative Medicine
40000 W 8 Mile Rd Northville,MI 48167
248-380-6201 bkohn1_at_hfhs.org
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• Complementary, Alternative, Integrative
• Complementary Medicine Systems used as an
  adjunct to allopathic medicine
• Alternative Medicine Systems of care used in
  place of allopathic medical care
• Integrative Medicine
• Blending conventional care using allopathic
  care (Western Medicine) and alternative methods
  (ie eastern medicine, etc). Or blending many
  modalities of care.

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• What is Wholistic/Holistic Care?
• Treating the whole person mind, body and
• spirit together
• Undertanding that we need to address all aspects
  of a person in treating illness
• This creates an overall better quality of life!

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• EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE BODY
• Pain (Headaches, back, neck, etc)
• Insomnia
• More frequent asthma issues
• Digestive Problems
• Emotional issues Depression, Anxiety
• Hypertension
• Changes in reproductive health
• Depresses immune system (herpes)
• Weight Gain

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• Managing Asthma and Allergies with natural
  therapies

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• TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
• BIOFEEDBACK
• CHIROPRACTIC CARE
• HOMEOPATHY
• NUTRITION THERAPY
• SUPPLEMENT THERAPY
• EXERCISE/BREATHING THERAPIES

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What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Acupuncture Therapy Chinese Herbal
Medicines Tai Chi and Qi Gong Massage and
Bodywork Dietary and Lifestyle Modifications
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THE EVOLUTION OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

• Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine- gt5000
  year history
• NIH Acupuncture Consensus Conference
• postoperative pain chemotherapy nausea and
  vomiting
• postoperative dental pain
• TCM benefits are documented in peer-review
  western medical literature
• NIH sponsored trials IBS, osteoarthritis,
  cardiovascular disease, endometriosis, cancer,
  and many others

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How Popular Is Acupuncture?

• An Estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults have used
  acupuncture
• Used by every class of population and from a
  multitude of cultures
• About.com Holistic Healing (2008). What is
  Acupuncture?, About, Inc. A part of The New York
  Times Company

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ENERGY BASED THEORY OF ACUPUNCTURE

• Bodys vital life force Energy/ Qi
• Energy travels along pathways meridians
  anatomical location of acupuncture points
• Energetic and substance imbalance creates
  symptoms
• Acupuncture point stimulation along meridians
  balances energetics, herbal therapies substance
• Balancing energy helps enhance bodys ability to
  help in its own recovery/healing

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ROOT AND BRANCH THEORY OF TREATMENT

• Root- identify/understand what caused the symptom
• Branch the symptom itself
• Treatment handles resolution of symptom and helps
  to balance root causes (energetic/substance)
• Goal is to rebalance substance and energetics of
  the whole body

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CONCEPTS OF YIN AND YANG

• Complimentary opposites/balance in nature and in
  body
• Yin Relates to moistening, cooling, nourishing
  substances in body blood, mucous, synovial
  fluids
• Yang Relates to functions, and warming and
  moving properties (body temperature,
  peristalsis, digestion)

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HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

• A. Increased circulation of blood
  systemically
• B. Neurotransmitter release
• (endorphins and enkephalins)
• This creates the Acupuncture analgesic
  response and relaxation response
• Energetically body qi movement/flow is
  restored balanced body (better health)

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Diagnosis in TCM

• Practitioner does detailed intake
• Pulse and tongue evaluations are done to
  determine TCM diagnosis
• Acupuncture treatment and herbal therapies are
  then recommended
• Dietary/lifestyle adjustments may also be
  recommended

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ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES IN TCM

• Patterns of asthma relate to Kidney, Lung and
  Spleen meridian energy deficiencies
• These lead to difficulties with inhalation,
  exhalation and phlegm
• Allergies relate to deficient Qi/energy, thus
  creating vulnerability to environmental factors
  (pollen, dust, etc)
• The relaxation response and immune support
  benefits from acupuncture also aide in successful
  treatment

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CUPPING THERAPY

• Cupping therapy is an adjunct modality used in
  TCM
• Originally used to help reduce phlegm in the
  lungs related to colds/asthma
• Also can be used as a myofascial release
  technique

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LOOKING AT THE TONGUE

• SIZE AND SHAPE
• COLOR OF TONGUE BODY
• COATING
• TOPOGRAPHY
• ALL GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE
  ORGAN SYSTEMS- CONSIDER MEDS, TREATMENTS,SCRAPING
  TONGUE

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Migraine Digestive Disorder Patient
Pre Tx
3 mo Post Tx
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Emotions and Energetics

• Use acupuncture therapy to help balance
  energetics to affect emotions
• Each meridian system relates to specific emotions
• Acupuncture is a simple therapy which yields
  powerful results
• Effective for helping with depression and anxiety

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Meridians and Emotions

• Liver Meridian Anger/Frustration
• Heart Meridian Joy/sadness, Anxiety
• Spleen Meridian Worry, Obsessive thoughts
• Lung Meridian Grief
• Kidney Meridian Fear

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Chinese Herbal Therapies

• Can be used safely in conjunction with
  prescription medications
• Are often a good option for people who are unable
  to tolerate meds
• Help to harmonize and balance the system to
  prevent allergic reactions and asthma attacks
• Typically combinations of herbs, not single herb
  therapy

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Considerations for Herbal Therapy

• Patients current medications
• Understanding of health history including
  information about type of cancer
• ie estrogen receptive cancers, use of
  estrogenic like herbals
• Consider patients compliance- best preparation
• Consider upcoming procedures (surgeries)

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Comparing Meds to Herbs

• Both work based on their biochemical properties
• Natural doesnt always mean safe for everyone
• Important to monitor patients progress if using
  them long term and with other medications
• Important to use therapeutic dose with herbs and
  NOT take extra

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BIOFEEDBACK

• A learned method to monitor and gain control
  over autonomic reflex-regulated body functions
  using data obtained from a monitoring apparatus
• In one study, biofeedback appeared to lessen
  bronchoconstriction by inducing relaxation of the
  facial muscles, ..associated with a decrease in
  air flow resistance as evidenced by an increase
  in Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) in both
  asthmatic and healthy children

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Types of Biofeedback

• There are many types-these have been associated
  with successful results in treating asthma
• RSA-BF- Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia
• EMG-BF Neck/Trapezius- Electromyographic
  Biofeedback and Incentive Spirometry Biofeedback
  

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RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA

• Monitoring patterns of heart rate variation
  related to the respiratory cycle. Electrodes
  translate heart rate into auditory and visual
  form. Patients learn to control heart rate-thus
  improving asthmatic symptoms

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Neck/Trapezius Electromyographic and Incentive
Spirometry

• Patients learn abdominal breathing to help relax
  thoracic muscles assisted by EMG-BF training of
  the scalene and trapezius muscles. Incentive
  spirometer training of thoracic muscles during
  slow, even breathing.

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Other Types of Biofeedback

• Electromyogram Uses electrodes to measure
  muscle tension and can promote relaxation in
  tense muscles
• Temperature biofeedback Monitors skin
  temperature and patients learn to redirect blood
  flow to other muscles and organs
• Galvanic skin response Measures electrical
  conductance in skin related to emotional arousal
  and sweat gland activity

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CHIROPRACTIC CARE

• Uses spinal manipulation to restore normal
  function to the spine and nervous system
• Chiropractic theory suggests that spinal
  misalignments cause many health problems because
  vertebrae pinch important nerves and restrict
  their effectiveness
• This could effect the vasoconstriction patterns
  related to the lungs

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HOMEOPATHY
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Roots of Homeopathy

• Samuel Hahnemann, MD. was the founder-called the
  Father of Experimental Pharmacology.
• Discovered the concept of the Law of Cure- known
  as Similia Similibus Curentur or Like Cures
  Like.
• This means that a remedy that produces symptoms
  in a healthy person will cure the same symptoms
  in a person who is diseased.

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Primary Secondary Actions of a Remedy

• The primary action results from the first
  encounter between the external agent and the
  vital force
• The second action is the result of the vital
  forces reaction to the symptoms of that primary
  encounter.
• Led to understanding the curative powers of
  poisonous substances.

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Treating Allergies with Homeopathy

• The focus isnt on using the opposite approach
  (ie allergies are related to histamine so take
  an ANTI-histamine)
• Focus is use of remedies that create similar
  symptoms (ie Allium cepa red onion) to produce
  the same symptoms that would be related to common
  cold/allergies.

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NUTRITION THERAPIES

• Diet therapies or nutritional advice is most
  common alternative therapy
• Thought to be mediated through both IgE
  (conventional) and IgG (alternative)
• Epidemiologic data demonstrates association
  between dietary deficiencies (Omega 3, vitamin C,
  magnesium, selenium, Vitamin E) and asthma
• Populations with higher intake of polyunsaturated
  fatty acids (omega 6 fatty acids) have a higher
  prevalence of asthma, eczema and allergic
  rhinitis
• Thought that eliminating certain allergenic
  type foods and decreasing exposure to things such
  as dairy products (believed to associated with
  increased mucus production) will help with
  chronic asthma symptoms and their severity.
  
• 
  

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Studies say

• Few studies to support dietary claims-mixed
  results
• One positive long term study of vegan diet
  (Lindahl 1985)
• 1 year prospective study, 25 subjects
• Diet excluded meat, fish, eggs, dairy, coffee,
  tea, chocolate, sugar and salt
• Decreased cost and use of medications
• 92 improvement in biochemical and clinical
  markers

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Elimination Diet

• Elimination diet- pick a food that the patient
  appears to be sensitive to, such as nuts or eggs,
  and then eliminate it from the diet for 2 weeks
• At the end of the 2 weeks, gently reintroduce the
  food into the diet
• If there is significant change, such as bloating
  or headaches, the patient may indeed be sensitive
  to that particular food

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More Nutrition Information

• Eliminate allergens (dairy, preservatives (MSG),
  sulfites, additives
• Increase fresh fruits and vegetables
• Increase fish in the diet (to increase omega 3
  fatty acids)
• Use healthier oils (ie olive)

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Allergy Testing/Food Sensitivity Testing

• Classic back scratch test Can identify
  allergens, not always accurate
• Food sensitivity testing Measures bodys
  cellular response to various foods, additives,
  colorings and chemicals. The individuals
  cellular reactivity after exposure of the blood
  to the various test agents, versus the persons
  own baseline control, tells the healthcare
  provider which substances may be causing a
  sensitivity-related response in the body.

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SUPPLEMENT THERAPY

• Strong epidemiologic evidence demonstrates
  association between poor dietary intake and
  asthma
• Omega 3 fatty acids
• Anti-oxidants and cofactors (Vitamin A, C,E,
  Zinc, selenium and copper)
• Vitamins and Minerals (Magnesium, B6 and B12)
• Specific supplementation of nutrients has yielded
  mixed results at best
• Nonetheless, very common integrative medicine
  strategy

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Exercise and Breathing Techniques

• Numerous studies have shown improvement in asthma
  is patients who exercise regularly
• Yoga Helps to decrease medication use and lowers
  anxiety (Vedanthan 1996).
• Reduces airway hyper responsiveness and improved
  some aspects of quality of life (Menocha 2002)
• Qi gong- deep diaphragmatic breathing in TCM can
  help to relax musculature-creating more systemic
  relaxation

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Center for Integrative Medicine, Novi
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Center for Integrative Medicine40000 W 8 Mile,
Novi

• Services Offered
• Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
• Chiropractic Care
• Massage
• St John Neuromuscular Therapy

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References

• The Role of Biofeedback in Asthma, Georges
  Ramalanjaona, MD., DSc, MBA, FACEP Alternative
  Medicine Alert, July 2003
• Dr. Luc. Com website
• Integrative Medicine Management of Asthma
  lecture, Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA. Adjunct
  Assistant Professor, Department of Family
  Medicine, University of Michigan
• ALCAT Worldwide Testing brochure-Cell Science
  Systems, 852 South Military Trail, Deerfield
  Beach, FL 33442 (Fell P. Brostoff, J, et.cal
  (1988), ALCAT, A New Test for Food Induced
  Problems in Medicine?. Presented at the Annual
  Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngic
  Allergy on Oct 1, 1988.