February 20, 2024
Dear Patients and Friends,
Warm greetings for a cold winter! Geez, it just doesn't seem to let up this year. And then there's the political climate... Whaddaya gonna do?
Get acupuncture or take herbs of course :-) Yes it's true, I'm a one (two) trick pony.
As for me, I often read a little more than usual. It's either literary fiction or herbal/acupuncture books.
Here's one that is fascinating me:
Here is part of the table of contents so you get the idea:
Japanese Kampo Medicine is just Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine (TCM) as it has evloved in Japan since the 5th Century AD when it came to Japan through Korea. It underwent significant change during the Edo (1603 - 1867) period. This was the main form of medicine in Japan until the country westernized and introduced European medicine in the late 1800s. Now it is complementary to conventional medicine which is dominant as in the US and the rest of the world.
In the US, Japanese Kampo herbal medicine is lesser used than Chinese TCM. Although the roots of it are in China, the way it is practiced in Japan is signifcantly different. Formulas are not as often customized for the individual. There are 148 officially sanctioned formulas that have been standardized. They are very high quality gruanules dispensed at relatively low doses. The diagnosis is based more on abdominal palpation than with the tongue and pulse as in TCM. Also conventional MDs (70% by some estimates) incorporate these formulas into their treatment along with conventional pharmaceuticals. The national health insurance also covers them to some degree. You can also just walk into a drug store and buy some of them off the shelf. I do this myself when we go back to visit friends and family.
I apologize for the geekiness today. But this is what your herbalist is interested in :-)
And just in case. you think I'm all work and no play (this is far from the truth) I'm also reading Bangkok Asset by John Burdett which is part of a detective series set in Thailand. It might be an acquired taste. The main detective is half American, his mother runs a brothel, and he is a practicing Buddhist. Sound like a crazy mix? Like I said, it might be an acquired taste.
I guess that combo of coffee and herbs and exercise has me spewing... please forgive.
Although we are still in the depths of winter here in the New Jersey, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, we are in Spring. This means you should keep eating your warming Chinese spices and foods, but be ready to lighten your diet when we get the warm upsurge in the coming weeks. This alternating between warming foods and more neutral or cooling foods is what we naturally, and should do, during Spring.
Don't hesitate to write with questions or feedback.
All best,
Bill