TCM Gynecology

Hey all, join the FB group Dollars & Sense for Solo Practitioners. All the financial dos and don’ts, ins and outs are there. Rebecca is a fellow Chinese medicine practitioner, orthopedic specialist and financial wiz whom I personally credit with un-f**king my head about money. Admitting that you have a weird relationship with money, have hang-ups and sticking points is a hard pill to swallow but the sooner you do, the better everything becomes. I haven’t used credit for years, got out of all consumer debt, and own a car outright because of a few simple things she told me over dinner one night at a seminar we were attending together-actually, I was teaching the seminar. I guess that proves that you can be making s**t happen and still have no idea what the hell you are doing. Link in bio.

Are you a little green in your GYN diagnostic skills? Want enough confidence to say you specialize in treating menstrual disorders? Join one of the 3 100% Online programs being taught by TCM Gynecology in 2020. Details and link in bio.

The Case:

37 y/o female, 5'9'', 128 lbs, fit, ectomorph body type, pink-normal complexion.

CC: Short/irregular cycles, uterine bleeding. Pt is on current cycle and is still bleeding on day 12. Has never bled or spotted longer than 8 days. Also, pt has had several short cycles in the past year. Had 19-20 day cycles in Jan, Feb, May and June, and in 2019... JOIN OUR FB GROUP to see the rest and help us solve the case! You must be a licensed acupuncturist to join.

The tongue is such a cool and dynamic piece of diagnostic information. Because it's located in the upper jiao, it tends to reflect information regarding the upper body better than the lower body. An example of this involves cold below and heat above. Because all heat (regardless of where it is engendered) rises it tends to be reflected in the tongue and will trump any cold signs in the tongue. This can obscure the full clinical picture. A patient may very well have heat in the tongue and yet be exhibiting all of the signs and symptoms of KD Yang vacuity below, which is why it's so important to not skip inquiry vis a vis the "10 questions" (in a targeted and relevant way, of course) Remember diagnostics is an ensemble, a gestalt. Certain aspects of the 4 examinations will reflect certain pathologies better or more clearly than others so gathering complete information gives you the complete clinical picture. More on the dynamics of diagnosis to come. Just as an aside, anyone want to offer up any specific questions you may ask the patient who's tongue is featured in this photo and also why you are thinking to ask those questions. So please don't just say a pattern or disease without your clinical reasoning.

PROBLEMS AT MID-CYCLE

Obesity, which is dampness and phlegm turbidity is so common in our modern patient base. Because of poor diet, lack of exercise, and constant stress and overthinking, these repletion (excess) patterns are born of vacuity (deficiency) patterns, namely Spleen Qi. These excess Yin evils obstruct the free flow of Qi and result in Liver Depression Qi stagnation (Liver Qi Stagnation) and very often, depressive (stagnant) heat.

Now, let's look at the menstrual cycle. At mid cycle, Yin is at it's maximum and about to transform into Yang. As you know, all transformations in the body happen vis a vis the Qi mechanism which is governed by the Liver. If the patient has a weak Spleen coupled with being overweight, when Yin reaches it maximum, Yin evils can be engendered or exacerbated. If this happens, the Liver becomes depressed and the Qi dynamic is deranged resulting in potential damp-heat patterns at mid cycle, possibly UTIs or yeast infections, or excessive, foul smelling vaginal discharge (different in amount, color, and texture from physiological fertile mucous) Further, this obstruction of the free flow of Liver Qi can cause mid-cycle cramping/pain, potentially mid-cycle spotting or bleeding if Liver Depression transforms into heat and cause Blood to move frenetically outside its normal pathways. It can also cause or contribute to anovulation and thus the Chinese diseases of "blocked menstruation" and "infertility" This is a common real-life pattern scenario found in many PCOS patients. If your patients fit this pattern, consider adding dampness-draining and/or phlegm-transforming medicinals to your mid-cycle formulas.

My new article for Chinese Medicine Now is published. Check it out, it’s important to be involved in the thought that is pushing our profession forward. I hope@my article “Perspective on Medicine” is something that you can share with your patients as an entry point into understanding medicine in general and Chinese medicine in particular. Link in bio.

Last chance! Link in bio.

Join the September class!
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tcmgynecology

Emergence is the sophisticated dancing landscape of many pieces to produce a unique and unprecedented phenomenon when observed from the single point of view of any of the constituent parts.
The conclusion from sunlight to flower, from water to flower, from soil to flower, from seed to flower taken from each individual perspective doesn’t logically flow into “flower” (or peony) Think about emergence when you think of all of the deft cooperation required by every atom, molecule, cell, tissue, organ each by themselves incapable of imagining the body/mind and yet each an integral part. See that your patients’ emerging patterns of disharmony are like this-a dancing landscape which shifts and creates new emerging combinations all the time, never the same from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. Pay attention and you will see the dynamism at play in the art of medicine. See Chinese medicine as uniquely positioned to effortlessly observe and adapt with this changing landscape.