Latest Issue - The Journal (2024)

Latest issue no. 136 - Oct2024

Latest Issue - The Journal (1)

Features & Articles in this issue

Editorial

Author: Daniel Maxwell

Halfway through the biggest election year in history, in which over half the world’s population have a chance to vote, and the level of opinion and emotion - amplified by social media - is reaching Tower-of-Babelesque proportions. Strange creatures, humans … the more similar we are, the more we seem to focus on the small differences between us, and the more acutely offensive these minutiae become. This thought-based mutual flagellation reaches its apotheosis in religious difference - especially alternative takes on the same religion - to the point where human beings will gladly kill to prove themselves right and others wrong...

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Jīnbì: Tendon Obstruction-Illness and Nèijīng Acupuncture

Author: David White

Bì (痺, obstruction-illness) is considered one of the key pathological presentations in the classical era of Chinese medical development. Understanding the impact of thermal irregularities in various tissue matrices, and how to appropriately intervene and treat their manifestations, became the bedrock of Hàn-era medicine (206 BCE - 220 CE). Within the pages of the Huángdì Nèijīng (黃帝內經 Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) we are presented with a multitude of pathological scenarios, where the interaction between normal physiological activity and pernicious influences leads to very specific diseases and their required needling interventions. This paper will explore how cold as a pathogen impacts and obstructs the tendinous structures of the bodily landscape, and the three distinct acupuncture needling techniques of cuìcì (焠刺), huīcì (恢刺) and guāncì (關刺) that are related to its treatment.

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Pulse Image (脈象 Màixiàng)

Author: Lorraine Wilcox

This article explores the meaning of 脈象 màixiàng (translated here as 'pulse image') in order to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the traditional approach to clinical pulse diagnosis in Chinese medicine.

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Case Report: Treatment of Henloch-Schönlein Purpura with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine

Author: Freya Sherlock

Henoch-Schönlein purpura, also known as IgA vasculitis, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the blood vessels. It normally occurs in younger children but in adults it can present with complications such as kidney damage or bowel obstruction. This is a single-case report of a 56-year-old female diagnosed with Henoch-Schönlein purpura, presenting with purpura, polyarthralgia, digestive tract symptoms and nephritis. The patient was treated with 12 acupuncture sessions according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) principles and Chinese herbal medicine employing the Hu Xi-Shu (HXS) jingfang lineage, over a 10-week period. Rapid relief occurred early in the treatment process, with steady and complete recovery from all symptoms within 10 weeks. Some scarring remained in patches where the skin infection had become necrotic. This case demonstrates successful treatment of a complex and critical health condition using a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. The jingfang approach offers valuable interpretations of traditional formulas and useful insight into addressing the complexities of modern disease.

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Yin Fire: A Historical Understanding

Author: Rick Putzer

The concept of yin fire (阴火, yin huo) goes back to the physician Li Dong-Yuan (李東垣, 1180-1251 CE). This article contrasts modern understandings of yin fire, which are focused on the treatment of people with complex complaints such as autoimmune diseases or chronic fatigue syndrome, with a historicallyinformed understanding according to which Li created the theory of yin fire based on his experience of an epidemic during the Jin-Yuan dynasty. The concept of yin fire is examined closely according to this historical context.

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The Use of Acupuncture to Manage Dry Mouth Post-Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Author: Yen Lin and Claire Forbes-Haley

At University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UK), patients with xerostomia
after head and neck radiotherapy for whom local measures have not been
successful are referred to the acupuncture clinic. This has been offered for the
last ten years and preliminary data has shown that it can provide symptomatic
relief to patients. This article documents a service evaluation of 45 patients
who attended the acupuncture clinic from August 2020 to August 2021.
Treatment was carried out at three points in each ear as well as a point on the
distal radial aspect of each index finger. Each session lasted for 30 minutes
and sessions were carried out weekly for four weeks. Patients filled out a
modified 10-item Likert scale to measure their response at the initial and fourth
visit. Median improvement in dryness ratings was two points (of a range of
zero to five). A response occurred in 37 patients (82 per cent) and 28 patients
(62 per cent) received an improvement of two points or greater on the Likert
Scale. No adverse reactions to treatment were documented. The authors
therefore conclude that acupuncture shows promise in the management of
xerostomia in patients.

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Medicinal Congees from an 18th Century Text on Preserving Health in Old Age

Author: Tom Ehrman

This article is an annotated translation of the medicinal congee section from the text Lǎolao Héngyán (Advice for the Elderly), written by Cao Tingdong, and published in 1773 CE. The author rated the health-giving properties of congee very highly, calling it the ‘food of the immortals’.

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Clinical Use of Chai Ling Tang for Treating Fever of Unknown Origin

Author: Jane Faustina Halim, Jeffri Tay Kai Wen & Huang Huang

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) can be caused by many factors and usually presents as a high fever without a clear diagnosis. Although some treatments may relieve symptoms, they do not stabilise the condition and relapses are commonly reported. In this case, a 20-year-old male complained of recurring high fever (around 39-40 degrees Celsius) without reason for over two years. He had been hospitalised many times without a clear diagnosis. Applying fang zheng 方证 differentiation, the patient was prescribed Chai Ling Tang (Bupleurum and Poria Decoction) combined with Wai Tai Fu Ling Yin (Poria Decoction) as well as Ban Xia Hou Po Tang (Pinellia and Magnolia Bark Decoction). After three months of medication, the patient’s temperature stabilised, his body weight slowly increased and his other symptoms also improved.

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A Comprehensive Understanding of Chǐzé LU-5: Part 2

Author: Michael Brown

Part 2 of this article series continues with an investigation of point prescriptions from the history of Chinese medicine in which Chǐzé 尺澤 LU-5 was combined with other points to treat a variety of diseases.

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Book Reviews in this issue

  • Treating Eczema and Neurodermatitis with Chinese Herbal Medicine bySabine Schmitz

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