Author: Ann Zimmerman

Cough and Chinese Medicine

Written by Ann Zimmerman on September 22, 2015. Posted in Immune Health and Balance, Stress and Fatigue.

The cough that won’t go away

by Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

Winter can be tough. After the lights of the holidays are put away and the family and friends all leave, we are often left with a few extra pounds, a few less dollars and some kind of cold. The real new years hangover often isn’t due to too much alcohol, rather to that feeling of exhaustion that typically comes after the holiday marathon. This is one of the most common times of the year when people develop the cough that won’t go away. Coughing is annoying. It can ruin a nights sleep, interrupt conversation, and make your entire body sore. A cough can linger long after the other symptoms of a virus or bacterial infection. In our clinical experience it is one of the aspects of a cold that doesn’t seem to go away easily.

Coughs can be caused by many different sources, such as viruses, bacteria, allergies or asthma. They typically occur after a virus enters your upper respiratory system through your nose or mouth, and makes it down into your lungs. Here a virus or bacteria can cause inflammation in the lungs (bronchitis) or a lung infection (pneumonia). People typically become sick due to a viral infection that can weaken their immune system and make them more susceptible to a bacterial infection.

Viruses are treated by supporting the immune system with rest, fluids, vitamins, herbs and patience. Bacteria can be treated with these same things, but if a bacterial infection gets too severe antibiotics may also be used. Sometimes even after a virus or bacteria is no longer present, a person may still be stuck with a nagging cough.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most effective ways to deal with this type of cough. TCM treats this sort of cough with a combination of acupuncture, herbs and diet that help the body reset after a cold. TCM considers a lingering cough as a result of your body being too tired to “clean up” and to restore proper function after an illness. It classifies the cough as one of two types: wet or dry.

A dry cough is a one that produces little to no mucous. It is the result of damage to the lungs “yin” and “qi” caused by the infection, or due to excessive coughing. Yin is the aspect of the body that cools, moistens and calms, while qi is the body’s energy. Without sufficient yin, you feel dry. Without enough lung qi, you can feel tired and having breathing trouble, including a cough. TCM addresses a dry cough by using yin building, moistening foods, including pears or apples, and a variety of herbs to build up the deficient yin and qi. A wet cough is one which produces a seemingly unending amount of thin, watery mucous. The primary focus is on the treating the digestion, or the earth element. TCM says that phlegm and mucous is produced in the digestive system, and then is stored in the lungs. So even though the lungs appear the problem area, we primarily focus on supporting the digestive system. One of the best ways to do this is with the proper dietary choices. Dairy products, cold/frozen foods, raw foods and sweets should be avoided, as they create more mucous in the body. The most supportive diet for a lingering cough focuses on warm and nourishing foods, such as soups and stews, and warm spices, such as ginger. Acupuncture and herbs can also be remarkably helpful for addressing this sort of cough.

Regardless of the type of cough that you may have, sometimes “waiting it out” isn’t the best solution. Coughs often can be overcome by the proper treatment approach and a little diligence.

The Gift of Sacred Space

Written by Ann Zimmerman on September 22, 2015. Posted in Immune Health and Balance, Mental and Emotional Health.

By Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

Years ago, my wife and I were in Beijing, China to do some advance study in Chinese medicine and qi gong. We arrived a couple of days before we were to meet the rest of our group. We checked into our hotel, and were overwhelmed with the busyness of such a large and chaotic city. The noise and pollution were disorienting. So being the nature loving Oregonians that we are, we got a map of Beijing and looked for any green space we could find. We discovered a park on the map, and took a very slow taxi ride the few miles to the park. To our dismay, the park was as crowded as the rest of the city, with thousands of people apparently craving the same stillness that Ann and I were looking for. We wondered around a bit disappointed for awhile, until we found a little walled garden where they served tea. When we entered the unassuming space, we were instantly transported to a different world. Away from the crowds and busyness of the park, a certain stillness permeated the place. People already seated in the tea garden were speaking more softly, more slowly. They were making eye contact with each other, and there seemed to be more smiles. Every detail of the garden seemed to invite a greater sense of stillness. The stones, the trees and plants, all seemed to dance together in perfect harmony. Ann and I were struck by the amazing ability of a deliberate, sacred space to change our mood. We were in a little oasis, away from all of the noise and clutter of the city.

This same phenomena is recognized all over the world. In the great cathedrals, in the soft gardens, in the simple altars. In this increasingly busy world we live in, it is more important that ever to visit, or even create our own version of these places in our lives. The greatest ally we all have in our journey to good health is cultivating the ability to relax, and take a break from the chaos of the fast paced world. This starts with finding a place that beckons us to slow down and just sit. It can be a local garden, with plants, stone and water. It can be in a silent alcove in our favorite church. It can be a little nook in the corner of our yard. The main criteria is that it is free of clutter and distraction: No cell phones, televisions or emails. With all of the things that beg for our attention in this fast moving world, we need to create space to relax. The effect of serene and sacred places can be instant; when we leave and rejoin the frenetic world we take a little piece of the stillness with us. This is the gift of a quiet and sacred space.

Supplements: What are your really getting?

Written by Ann Zimmerman on September 22, 2015. Posted in Digestion/Diet, Immune Health and Balance.

By Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

Years ago my wife and I took a month long trip to Tibet to trek through a remote section of the Himalaya’s. We signed with a local budget travel group that promised to arrange our food, travel, lodging and gear for the two week trip. We were careful to ask all the right questions in an attempt to make sure we were safe and comfortable in one of the most isolated and inhospitable parts of the planet. Once on our trip we discovered that the “North Face” cold weather gear we were provided was counterfeit and of very poor quality when we spent our first night camping out on the Tibetan plateau. After two weeks of frozen toes, we learned the hard way that you can’t always trust the label, or the budget option.

I was reminded of this experience the other day when I read a disturbing story about herbal supplements. A recent study found that many herbal supplements that are available at large budget chain stores, such as Walmart, GNC or Walgreens, contain little to none of the herbs that are listed on their labels. Many of the supplements that were tested were actually other plants or fillers that are at best ineffective, and at worst problematic. The herbal supplement industry has become a sort of “wild-west” where few things are regulated in a way that is supportive to either the patient or practice of herbalism itself.

This practice of misleading consumers has created an unfortunate reality in our country. Not only is it potentially harmful to the consumer, but it is also creating a confusing situation concerning herbal medicine itself. I have personally worked with patients over the years that tell me that they have tried certain herbs and that the herbs didn’t help them. When I ask the patient about what they have tried, many times they mention a low quality, cheap brand. Rather than thinking that the supplement itself is not good quality, the patient assumes that the herbs themselves are ineffective. With many of these patients, if they are given the proper formula, with high quality herbs, they respond in a favorable way. This is misleading many people to assume that herbal medicine itself doesn’t work, when it is actually the system of labeling and regulating itself that is to blame.

Mislabeling herbs is only part of the problem. Some herbal supplements are given irresponsibly, without a proper assessment of the patient’s medical situation or needs. This was the case several years ago with the herb ephedra. Ephedra has been used medically for asthma for thousands of years, but when big business found that it could be used to help people lose weight and “build stamina” is was marketed as a weight loss or exercise aid. Unfortunately, it was given at doses that were too high, and to people with health conditions that made it unsafe, so dozens of people became ill or even died from improper use of this wonderful plant. The FDA then made it illegal to import and sell ephedra. This was good for the general public in that it avoided more problems for the unsuspecting person, but it was terrible for legitimate herbalists and their suffering patients.

So given the seeming enormity of the problem, what is to be done? We must explore regulating the supplement industry in a way that makes reliable, safe, controllable herbs and vitamins available to the public, but does so in a way that doesn’t price small producers and companies out of the market. This is a work in progress, and there is a lot of discussion about the best ways to do this. Until this happens it is very important to work with trained and certified professional herbalists who can guide patients in a safe and effective manner. It is also important to purchase products from a company or practitioner that is reputable. In this case the old adage that “you get what you pay for” is proving to be more and more true.