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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Treatment of Infertility by accupunture

The ancient art of Cupping

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) by Uby Muñoz
According to western medicine, IBS (also known as a spastic colon) is a functional bowel disorder, a non-inflammatory disease with no obvious physical causes. Though, there are certain factors that have been identified as possible causes:
-  emotional stress and anxiety within the family or work
-  irregular diet
-  food intolerance such as wheat, diary, citrus fruit, coffee, apples and salads
-  after a bout of gastroenteritis or a course of antibiotics
-  in women, it is often worse before menstruation
The condition is twice as common in women as in men and usually develops between the ages of 20 and 40 and does not lead to further complications. Symptoms include:
- cramping pain in the lower abdomen
- flatulence and distension
- nausea, indigestion
- pain worse for eating
- sometimes relief of pain with bowel movements
- alternation of constipation and diarrhoea
- straining during bowel movement
- a change in the appearance of stool
- a feeling that the bowel has not emptied completely
- mucus in the stool

Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, IBS can be caused by a combination of the following:
 1. -  Long standing bottled-up emotions such as anger, resentment, irritability, frustration, stress, indignation, bitterness, hostility, unhappiness, depression and general fluctuations in mental state.
All of which injure the Liver Qi. The Liver is important in harmonising the emotions and digestion, as it assists the Spleen in the transformation of food. Therefore, a stagnant Liver Qi energy will readily invade the Stomach, Spleen and intestines causing the following symptoms: abdominal distention and pain, constipation or diarrhoea, flatulence, sour belching, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, mental confusion and lack of direction.
 2. - Excessive mental work, worrying, brooding, studying and thinking intensely about life rather than living it.
All of which will block the Qi generally and particularly the Spleen, which is the main organ of digestion and transformation. Thus, a weakened spleen gives rise to tiredness, loss of appetite and loose stools, poor memory, concentration, and difficulty in focusing.
 3.- Irregular eating habits, following a strict dietary regime, or excessive eating, or over-consumption of damp and cold food such as dairy products, raw vegetables and fruits, will weaken and impair the function of the Spleen. This results in poor appetite, bad digestion, lethargy, abdominal distention and loose stools. Furthermore, poor quality food due to farming techniques, food processing and cooking methods (e.g. microwaves) will also further weaken the Spleen.
 4. - Antibiotics are cold and damp in nature and lead to depletion of Spleen Qi and accumulation of dampness in the Spleen and Stomach, consequently affecting the digestive system and resulting in diarrhoea, candida infections and stomach upsets as well as tiredness, weakness, etc.
 5. - Pollution, chemicals in food and in the environment.
  Treatment of IBS according to Traditional Chinese Medicine:
IBS responds well to Traditional Chinese Medicine which alleviates most symptoms. Treatment plans are based on a holistic analysis of the individual. This comprises of both a physical examination, including pulse and tongue diagnosis in addition to examination of symptoms; and a full lifestyle and medical history review. Treatment can be both in the form of acupuncture and/or herbs and the patient is encouraged to participate actively in the healing process by re-harmonizing their diet, emotions and lifestyle.
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Uby Muñoz is registered with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) which is the body that maintain common standards of education, ethics, discipline and practice to ensure the health and safety of the public at all times.
 

TREATMENT OF FERTILITY WITH ACUPUNCTURE by Uby Muñoz
Acupuncture is one of the treatments used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to maintain health and well being and it has proved to be effective in pregnancy management, for the relieve of pain in childbirth and for infertility.
Traditional Chinese Medicine’s (TCM) great strength is based upon the observation of symptoms and signs. It looks at the processes that occur inside and outside of the body and the tendency to change or develop in a certain direction. 
In TCM the Heart, the Kidneys and the Uterus are described as the core of the reproductive system. There is a channel of energy called Bao Gong which connects all three.
The Heart encompasses the mind or the Shen in TCM terms and the activity of the hypothalamus and pituitary, which control the hormones.  We all know the influence of the mind in the functions of the body and of the menstrual cycle.
The Kidneys store the Jing (essence of life), Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang and thus influence the regulation of the reproductive function.
The Uterus is the stage where everything happens and it includes all the reproductive organs like the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes and cervix.
Other organs involved in the reproductive systems are the liver that moves and store blood and the spleen which produces blood from the food we eat; hence the quality of our food would determine the quality of our blood.
In order to improve the chances of conceiving there are three major factors to take in consideration:
Lifestyle
Diet
Emotions
Lifestyle: Moderation is the key for preserving our Jing. This is the Essence that we inherit from our parents and its quality determines our constitution and our ability to reproduce.  Our Jing is depleted as we age but there are other factors that can deplete it earlier than it should and these depend on our lifestyle. We should consider our Jing as our capital. We get our daily energy from the air we breathe and the food we eat. Too long hours working with no fresh air depletes our Essence. As does the use of coffee or sweets to lift us when we are low in energy.  This is a stimulant to give us false energy, energy that we don’t really have. A certain amount of exercise is also important to keep up our energy, as it is relaxation and sleep.
Diet: Again moderation is the key. Fresh food is very important, eating fresh vegetables, a small amount of meat, chicken or fish, rice or pasta, a glass of wine with the main meal, herbal teas or 1 or 2 cups of English tea and depending on your constitution 2 cups of coffee a week constitute a balance diet.    The simpler and less refined the food we eat, the better for our health and for the constitution of our offspring.
Emotions:  Emotions also affect our organs: 
Too much joy affects the heart
Too much thinking or worrying affect the spleen
Too much grieving or sadness affects the lungs
Too much anxiety or fear affects the kidneys
Too much anger and frustration affect the liver

Emotional health is important for conceiving especially for the woman.

Sex is another important factor in conceiving; consider your relationship as a plant than need to be look after to keep it growing and sex is one of the nutrients that will help your relationship healthy and glowing.  A couple should have quality time together and have sex not only for conceiving but as one of the elements that make a relationship work and “making love” does not necessarily mean ending in intercourse each and every time the couple make love. Sex helps to keep the mind, the body and the spirit healthy for the couple.
Factors that affect fertility on a man and a woman
Stress, weight: too thin or overweight, smoking, too much alcohol, coffee, age, the pill, allergies, pain killers, lubricants, sperm health, egg health, toxic chemicals.
It takes around six months for a couple to conceive, though longer is not unusual. When a couple decide to have a baby they should follow a general healthy life style.  If after a year of not conceiving both the man and the woman should have a full sexual health screen.
How Acupuncture can help with fertility:
Acupuncture can help in all the phases on the road to conceive beginning by restoring the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.  And if after trying all the options available and if the couple decide for IVF, Acupuncture could be of great support for the treatment.

I strongly recommend that from the very beginning the couple work together in the route to conception. Usually only the woman starts looking after herself before conceiving which doesn’t make sense as this is a two people process, furthermore the constitution of the baby will depend on the quality of both the sperm and the egg.
Useful webpages:
http://guide.hfea.gov.uk
www.fertilityfriends.co.uk
www.naturechild.co.uk
Uby Muñoz is registered with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) which is the body that maintain common standards of education, ethics, discipline and practice to ensure the health and safety of the public at all times.
 

THE ANCIENT ART OF CUPPING
Cupping has been practiced for hundreds, if not thousands, of years for the treatment of disease and pain. It involves placing heated cups over the skin to encourage blood flow and ease stress, aches and pains.
Cupping is mentioned in the writings of Hippocrates who seems to have used to treat menstrual disorders in women. It was also practised by the Greeks in the fourth century B.C. The American Indians used the upper end of a buffalo horn to extract the poison from snake bites and for relieving pain and cramp in the abdomen.1  Cupping was introduced to the Mediterranean region by the Ottoman Turks and today most of the Mediterranean cultures still use cupping as folk medicine. 2
What is cupping?
It is a form of acupuncture that focuses on the movement of blood, energy - called qi - and body fluids, such as lymph - which circulates around the body's tissues.
Oriental medicine states pain is due to stagnation of these systems. This stagnation can be a result of injury or stress.
Cupping is believed to stimulate flow of blood, lymph and Qi to the affected area. Its uses include relieving pain in the muscles, especially back pain from stiffness or injury, and clearing congestion in the chest, which can occur with colds and flu.
How it's done
The therapist takes a number of glass cups, which look like small fish bowls. Each cup is heated with a naked flame. The cups are warmed via a burning taper, held for a very short period of time inside the cup. The cup is then quickly placed over the selected area.
Due to the candle flame, all of the oxygen in the cup has been removed and when placed open side down, a vacuum is created, which anchors the cup to the skin and pulls the skin upward a few millimetres into the cup.
The resulting pressure encourages the flow of qi and blood in the area beneath the cup, and the local stagnation begins to clear.
It is imperative that this method only be performed by licensed practitioners, and even when performed correctly, can result in marking (non permanent) and bruises.
BENEFITS OF CUPPING THERAPY
-Improves circulation
-Regulates the flow of Qi and Blood
-Cellulites
-Common Cold
-Skin problems such eczema and boils
-Asthma
-Fever
-Arthritis
-Back pain

1  ‘Ancient Therapeutic Arts’ by William Brockbank MA MD (Camb) FRCP
2  The Journal of Chinese Medicine (no. 37 September 1991)
Uby Muñoz is registered with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) which is the body that maintain common standards of education, ethics, discipline and practice to ensure the health and safety of the public at all times.