Asthma

In Chinese medicine 3 organs are involved: the lungs, spleen and kidney. The under functioning of the spleen and kidneys results in phlegm being produced, this is then transported to the storehouse of phlegm, the lungs. The practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine will identify the root of the disease and will treat this accordingly. Therefore in some cases the lungs even though they manifest the disease they are not necessarily the cause. The diagnosis is most important as to the response the patient will make. Some clients will respond to the kidneys and spleen being tonified so as not to produce phlegm others will need tonification of their lungs to help in dispersing stagnant Qi I in the chest. In tonifying the lungs the aim is to open the lung Qi to enable it to descend and clear the air passages and therefore stop wheezing and enable breathing to be easy.

Obviously with all the pollutants both in the air (including smoking so best to give up smoking) and in our foods allergic responses by the lungs are common these days. This is particularly noticeable in the younger population of 3-18 year olds during the development period of the lungs. Western medicine is extremely good at dealing with and managing the very serious manifestations of asthma however Traditional Chinese Medicine is particularly effective at identifying the root causes of asthma and provides excellent support in treating this debilitating disease.

The Royal Free Hospital is about to start a clinical study into the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of asthma using acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Special interest has been shown in herbs such as bitter almond seed and sticky honey baked liquorice in the treatment of asthma. The herb ephedra, the source of ephedrine a very powerful drug used in many cough and cold medicines was originally used by herbalists in treating lung complaints. Unfortunately due to its power and when it is analysed out of context from the herbal formula it is in, it could be seen as being dangerous. Therefore its use is strictly controlled under the guidance of the in RCHM (Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine) for practitioners to follow the guides of the MCA (Medicines Control Agency).

Linford Christie, Britain's Gold Medal winner in the Olympics was accused of using the power of ephedrine at the Olympic games in Seoul where he won a Silver medal. His urine sample contained traces of ephedrine, which is a banned substance in sports as it is a strong stimulant. People thought he had used the stimulant to make him run faster. His story was that he had taken some cold medicine (something like day nurse probably) he did not know at the time that it contained this powerful drug. He was cleared of any blame or pre-meditation in that case. You would think this many years on from then that no such over sight could occur in modern day sport but only just earlier this year Alan Baxter, the Scottish Skier, was drug tested positive for a stimulant substance ephedrine which he had inadvertently taken through a nose decongestant he had inhaled. That case is only just coming to conclusion having been given a 3-month ban.

This just goes to show the link between Western medicine and Chinese Herbal medicine is extremely close. Many modern medicines are based on herbal remedies that have been around for as long as nature has provided them before they were branded and patented by modern pharmaceutical companies!

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