We’ve all been there – come home from a day at the gym or outdoors only to find that we don’t have the usual aches and pains from a work out but have damaged ourselves with a muscle or tendon injury. Turns out that not only can acupuncture help manage chronic or long-term pain, but that it can also actually help to speed up the recovery process from a physical injury. In fact, seeing an acupuncturist soon after a sports injury can significantly improve healing.

The theory behind this? Acupuncture helps to reduce inflammation in the body; inflammation is what creates the pain (impeding proper flow of our blood and lymph systems and pushing on our various nerve receptors). While alleviating the pain, acupuncture also simultaneously stimulates the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters in the body that help the alleviate the feelings of pain (think of your body’s own supply of endorphins, encephalins, and serotonin). There are many journal articles on sites such as pubmed.gov that show the effectiveness of acupuncture with recovery time from muscle injury. Below is a link to an article in a men’s health magazine that may help peak your interest a little more without having to pore through entire journal articles.

If you’d like to make a booking for a sports injury please book with Sally Chilvers [BOOK NOW]

The post Recovery from sports injury first appeared on ben&biao.

In a study from 2014 researchers looked at the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbs for clearing or minimizing obstructions in the fallopian tubes of women. 200 women with fallopian tube-related infertility were divided randomly into two groups: those who received weekly acupuncture treatments with Chinese herbs and those who took 3 commonly prescribed Western medications – antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and chymotrypsin which acts on the lower bowel.  The results are extremely clear: those in the TCM (acupuncture and Chinese herbs group) had a 90% effectiveness rate in which 53% had complete dissipation of all obstructions. There was also a 65% pregnancy rate following treatment for those in the TCM group while those in the standard medication group had a 42% total recovery rate and, here’s the kicker, only a 38% pregnancy rate following standard, Western treatment. The study had each group engage in treatment for three courses (or over the period of three menstrual cycles). See below for a link to the article and actual study (This includes points and herbs used):

Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs Clear Fallopian Tube Obstruction Related to Infertility

If you’d like to know more about how we can help make an initial appointment with director Heidi Dunn [BOOK NOW]

References:

Ding L, Wang PJ, Zhu SM, Liu GY & Cao CL. (2014). Clinical study on the treatment of fallopian tube obstructive infertility with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.​ Modern Journal of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. 23(17).

The post Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Fallopian Tube Obstruction. first appeared on ben&biao.

Diastalis Recti Abdominis is a major cause of urinary incontinence.  Here we will chat about what you can do to get back on track.

First, here are some statistics we picked up from the Continence Foundation of Australia.

• Urinary incontinence affects up to 37% of Australian women (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, 2006).
• 65% of women sitting in a GP waiting room report some type of urinary incontinence, yet only 31% of these people report having sought help from a health professional (Byles & Chiarelli, 2003: Help seeking for urinary incontinence: a survey of those attending GP waiting rooms, Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal).
• An Australian study found that over a three month period, 50% of women aged 45-59 years of age experienced some degree of mild, moderate or severe urinary incontinence (Millard, 1998: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in Australia, Australian and New Zealand Continence Journal).

For Women there are two main causes of urinary incontinence in women is age and pregnancy. Why is this?

The bladder is supported by ligaments and muscles in the pelvic region. While these are strong and healthy the bladder stays in position and can ‘contain’ the urine inside. However if there is a weakness in the support system the bladder will start to leak.  During pregnancy the main abdominal muscle (the rectus abdominis) separates to allow space for the baby. By the third trimester 100% of women will have diastalis rectus abdominis(DRA) This is a normal part of pregnancy. However if the muscles do not ‘knit’ back securely then they are left with a weakened support system which leads to a lack of of intra-abdominal pressure to stablise the pelvis and lumbar spine.

Left untreated DRA will impact the urethral positioning and lead to incontinence. It may also lead to pain.

It does not necessary occur straight after delivery and in fact some women are ok after the birth but find they have ‘leaking’ problems later on.  Studies show that more than half of the women diagnosed with DRA are in the 50s’ and beyond.

The age factor is to do with the menopause. Pre menopause our high oestrogen levels keep our muscles and ligaments stronger. When the oestrogen drops the muscles of the pelvic region can weaken leading to an inability to ‘hold’ up the urine. Dribbling or leakage can occur when coughing or sneezing.

What should a woman do?

First a woman should have her pelvic floor and abdominal muscles assessed by a specialist women’s health physiotherapist. Gold standard is with a real time ultrasound. The ultrasound can accurately determine the level of damage and confirm if there is a diastalis recti that needs treating.

If there is a diastalis recti the physiotherapist will determine if it can be treated by specialist muscle training or if surgical intervention should be considered.

If there is no diastalis recti but there is age related weakness then physiotherapy as well as acupuncture, moxibustion and Chinese herbs can help. The evidence supporting the use of acupuncture and moxibustion for urinary incontinence is below.

If you have spoken to a women’s health specialist and would like further support with chinese herbs, moxibustion and acupuncture or would like to know more please contact. the clinic on 0403 273 008 or [BOOK NOW] with one of our Chinese Medicine specialists.

*The evidence for acupuncture and moxibustion in urinary incontinence

Animal studies have shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically be of benefit in people with urinary incontinence by:

• decreasing the expression of c-Fos in the brain. Induction of stress urinary incontinence in rats has been shown to increase expression of c-Fos (Chung 2008).
• controlling nitrergic neurotransmitters in order to increase nitric oxide levels in bladder tissue, thus relaxing smooth muscle and allowing increased bladder capacity (Chen 2006).

There are systematic reviews for acupuncture in two particular instances of urinary incontinences: post-stroke (Thomas 2008) and bed-wetting in children (Bower 2005). Both reported consistently positive results but the poor quality of the component trials allowed only tentative conclusions. A general review found acupuncture to be the only CAM therapy with evidence of benefit (Hartmann 2009). Individual trials for a variety of types of urinary incontinence (urge, stress, diabetic, post-hysterectomy, post-stroke) have largely positive outcomes across a range of acupuncture interventions and control groups (Engberg 2009; Tang 2009; Kim 2008; Tian 2007; Yi 2008; Liu 2008; Yun 2007)

• Bower WF et al. Acupuncture for nocturnal enuresis in children: a systematic review and exploration of rationale. Neurourol Urodyn 2005; 24: 267-72.
• Chen YL et al. [Effects of electroacupuncture treatment on nitrergic neurotransmitter in bladder neck and detrusor of rats with unstable bladder] (Article in Chinese). Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao 2006; 4(1): 73-5.
• Chung IM  et al. Effects of acupuncture on abdominal leak point pressure and c-Fos expression in the brain of rats with stress urinary incontinence. Neurosci Lett 2008; 439(1): 18-23.
• Engberg S et al. The efficacy of acupuncture in treating urge and mixed incontinence in women: a pilot study. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 2009; 36: 661-70.
• Hartmann KE et al. Treatment of overactive bladder in women. Evid Rep Technol Assess 2009; 187: 1-120.
• Liu ZS, Du Y.  [Evaluation of the curative effect of electro acupuncture on post-apoplectic urinary incontinence](in Chinese). Zhen Jiu Tui Na Yi Xue 2008; 6/2: 97-8.
• Kim JH et al. Randomized control trial of hand acupuncture for female stress urinary incontinence. Acupunct Electrother Res 2008; 33: 179-92.
• Tang CL et al. [Observation on therapeutic effect of dog-day acupuncture and moxibustion combined with pelvic floor muscle exercises for treatment of female stress urinary incontinence]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 2009; 29: 879-83.
• Thomas LH et al. Treatment of urinary incontinence after stroke in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008; 1: CD004462.
• Tian FS et al. [Study on acupuncture treatment of diabetic neurogenic bladder]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2007 Jul;27(7):485-7.
• Yi WM et al. [Effects of electroacupuncture on urinary bladder function after radical hysterectomy] Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 2008; 28: 653-5.
• Yun SP et al. Effects of moxibustion on the recovery of post-stroke urinary symptoms. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2007; 35: 947-54.

The post Urinary Incontinence and Diastalis Recti – Are they related? first appeared on ben&biao.

Do you know what you are actually buying?

Any product that makes a specific claim on its label, for example, ‘pregnancy formula’, must be backed up by scientific trials (double blind, placebo controlled clinical trials). In theory this is done to protect public safety. Every ingredient listed in the product must have these highest levels of evidence. If it has not, a company can only use the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) levels of that particular nutrient.

Due to the costs involved in running the clinical trials, many of the vitamins and minerals in a formula have not undergone clinical trials. While there is very good evidence for the use of supplements, as the formula may not have met the highest levels of evidence, RDA levels as opposed to therapeutic levels are used in many products.

Many of these products are therefore potentially very low in the levels of nutrients required for the therapeutic doses that may often be needed in particular circumstances including during pregnancy, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, nervous system conditions and many others.

The quality of the product you take

It costs money to make a high quality product and subject it to the necessary clinical trials.

To save on costs and have the product cheaper at the checkout, the formula may use ingredients in formats that are cheaper and not the most absorbable and usable by the body.

Products that have been formulated by a Biochemist, Herbalist, Naturopath, Nutritionist or Doctor are generally Practitioner Only Products and must be dispensed by a qualified practitioner. They contain the optimal therapeutic doses of nutrients and are formulated with higher quality ingredients that are better absorbed and used by the body.

The cost to you and your health of the product you use

While they may cost more initially, the overall cost to you in the long term will be less in dollars and higher in the level of your health and wellbeing.

Fish Oil is an excellent example to demonstrate the importance of the quality and the cost of a product.

The heavy metals mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic are all contaminants that can be found in fish oils. Fish, particularly larger species, can absorb these heavy metal contaminants from their polluted environments. Heavy metal contaminants can be harmful for health, which is why it is important you choose purified fish oils. Impurities, pesticides and persistant organic pollutants such as DDT, dioxins can be found in fish oils and have the potential to impact health.

These pollutants can accumulate in the body and affect its ability to function and potentially play a role in the development of disease.

It is possible to buy large containers of fish oil very cheaply. However, has the oil been properly cleaned? Does it contain heavy metals? Does it contain pollutants?

The cheap oil that is bought now may cause a greater expense to your health and wallet later on.

Call into the clinic or contact us if you have any questions.

The post Why buy supplements from us? first appeared on ben&biao.

Our immune system can be boosted considerably both before and during infection in order to fight off viruses and bacteria.

Here are the basics

1. Vitamin D
2. Sleep
3. Zinc
4. Vitamin C
5. Good Blood flow
6. Herbal Support

A bit more about these specifically below. I will mention that even with the best efforts occasionally you may get a cold or laid up sick with a bug. When they hit you need to rest and get support for your body and allow recovery.  Remember, antibiotics are no good for anything other than a bacterial infection and with antibiotic resistance on the rise doctors are rightly loathe to hand them out for anything other than the most serious infections. At the clinic we have herbal formulas for colds, coughs and sore throats for both adults and children. You can call us to see if we have something for you on 0403 273 008.

So what about the important stuff above. Why do you need them and how do you get them?

Vitamin D is absolutely essential to a healthy immune system. Living in Sydney you’d think with all this sun it wouldn’t be a problem to get sufficient vitamin D into our bodies. However, it’s not the sun that gives us vitamin D but the sun rays’ that help convert molecules on our skin to the vitamin D we can use. There are many pieces to this process but in short you need the sun, cholesterol (yep!) and magnesium to make vitamin D.  Now, before you pull out the chip fryer and say ‘ the health expert says I need more cholesterol’ I’d like to point out that you probably have more than enough cholesterol from a very clean and green diet. In the West we don’t generally have a cholesterol deficiency problem !! but you may need to up your magnesium which is an important mineral needed in the conversion process and because many of us stay out of the sun very possibly need to up your vitamin D levels with supplements. A supplement providing 2000-4000 IUI a day is good prevention this time of year. We find the pills do not deliver vitamin D as quick as an oral spray. Two pumps into the inside of the cheek and it’s done rather than 6-8 pills a day.  Ask us about our nanocelle D3 spray by emailing us on reception@benbiao.com.au

Sleep I hear you ask? Oh yes, sleep is the only time that the body really goes into repair. Let me give you a quick analogy. For those that drive imagine, if every year you put your car in for a check at the mechanics but want it back in an hour . So, while he gets the essentials done he’ll miss out on the smaller jobs. Over time, the car, while it still runs to the shops it’s no longer smooth, and it starts making noises and eventually you don’t feel it will do the trip to the blue mountains and back. Well that is exactly what happens to the body if you don’t get enough sleep. You get the basic essentials done but everything else gets left and the longer you miss out on sleep the worse the body feels, looks and operates. If you aren’t getting enough sleep (7-8 hours adults and 9-12 for children including teens!) then now is the time to address that problem. If you think your sleep depravation is not down to watching late Netflix but more related to emotional or unknown reasons then it would be good to chat to either Sally or Heidi at the clinic to see how to address this. It may be a nutritional deficiency but may be from stress or anxiety in which case we may suggest a course of acupuncture.

Zinc and Vitamin C: These anti-oxidants are the powerhouses of immune health.  Zinc we suggest 10g for adults, teenagers about 20g a day and children about 5g a day. Not all zinc powders are the same so check the absorption level. For vitamin C, if you are eating citrus fruit or drinking orange juice regularly you should have your dietary requirement. It’s when you catch a cold or virus that you can up your dose. You can go to 2000mg a day for a short while but long periods of high dosage will cause diarrhea and possibly organ damage so don’t stay on those levels.

Blood flow: you need to get those nutrients to the right place so blood flow is important. Regular exercise and movement is key when you are well. Walking daily with stretching is great for the days you don’t want to go to the gym. Remember when you are ill to give your body a rest. If its exerting energy on physical exercise it’s taking away from the recovery which will take longer.

Herbal support: You can do this with pills, powders, teas and broths before and during cold season. My absolute favourite herbs for boosting immunity before getting a cold are Huang qi (astralagus) and Ling Zhi (Reishi). I have reish tea most mornings during autumn and winter and, my chicken broth tends to contain a bag of herbs which include astralagus and reishi as well as some other immune enhancing properties. I then add the resulting broth to everything that I cook.  It makes NO difference to the taste but adds in really immune boosting properties. If you’d like reishi tea, mushroom powder or a bag of herbs for your soups or broths chicken we sell it in the clinic.  * Stop taking both astralagus and astralagus in the acute phase of a cold…other herbs are needed then.

On that last note, now is a great time to ditch the salads and move to warm soups and stews. Dig out the slow cooker and make your life easy by throwing everything in a pot and coming back 8 hours later to dinner.  To celebrate winter solstice, I also make a mulled wine in the slow cooker which I throw in all our Kidney Yang tonics. It’s gained the nickname ‘libido love tonic’ . If you need the recipe then email me on Heidi.dunn@benbiao.com.au as I’m not sure its right for this blog! !

In the meantime I’ve put a a nice winter breakfast recipe below

Take care and stay healthy..

Immune boosting Tea – Peppermint tea and mix in a ¼ tsp of reishi powder. Available at the clinic.

Immune boosting breakfast – Ingredients for 1 serve

15g Astragalus root (Huang Qi)
2 cups water
1/2 cup rolled oats
A small handful of coarsely chopped walnut pieces
30g Goji berries (Gou Qi Zi)
A pinch celtic sea salt
Honey or Maple Syrup to sweeten

Directions

1. Place the astragalus root and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for about 20 minutes. You should end up with about 1 cup of astragalus ‘tea’.
2. Remove the astragalus root from the liquid with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the rolled oats, walnuts, goji berries, and salt to the liquid and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked to the desired consistency.
4. Serve warm, drizzled with a small amount of honey, if desired.

You can prepare the astragalus tea the night before if you prefer and then soak your oats, salt and goji berries over night in it. Add the walnuts in the morning and then briefly cook your porridge.

Book now or call to 0403 273008 to find out how we can help you.

The post Winter Immune System first appeared on ben&biao.

As an English woman I grew up with parents who have never drank water in their life. Thirsty – drink tea. Tired – drink tea. Friends round – drink tea. Before bed – drink tea.  Even when they visit Australia they consume about 10 cups of tea a day.  I offer them water on a hot day, they just put it in the kettle and you guessed it…

Fit and healthy at 73 with not a day in the hospital between them who am I to say Builders brew isn’t good enough. It must be all those anti-oxidents!

But apart from traditional black tea there are the herbal teas. One can look at health shops and supermarkets and there is an abundance of options for those wishing to avoid caffeine.

And then there are the specialist brews: Teas for tiredness, teas for sleep, teas for labour, teas for relaxation, teas for lactation. I’ve even seen teas for enhancing libido!!

Do these work and are you getting what the advertising claims?

As a herbalist I can and do make specialist teas.

For me the most effective teas are those that have more than one herb in them. In Chinese Medicine we have a term called ‘Dui Yao’ which is the art of combining herbs so that the resulting tea is brings out the best medicinal aspect of each herb. Effectively each herb supports and counterbalances the other herbs. I love this and it is fundamental in my personal approach to tea making whether it be with western or eastern herbs. For example, Chamomile is regularly used as a sleep tea or relaxing tea. But did you know that it’s also a ‘cooling’ tea. So actually no good to those who struggle with cold circulation unless you add in a herb such as hops which is more warming and brings the temperature to a more neutral zone on the body.

Another good example is that It’s no good putting a lactation tea together for encouraging milk supply if mum is going to be anxious and worried about breastfeeding or baby is going to get colic so all these things need to be considered!

The other factor is quantity. As a Chinese Medicine Herbalist if someone comes to me with a problem and wants raw herbs I will make a large bag of herbs and that will last just two days! Most of the herbs are boiled for at least 40 minutes so that the water is full of the chemical constituents that make the changes that I claim will occur.

When buying a herbal tea, if you just add nearly boiling water and let it steep for 2 minutes you may be missing that main constituent. So generally, teas are much weaker than any herbal medicine.

Will that matter?

For example, I make a relaxing dream time tea that contains passionflower, hops, catnip and chamomile. This tea will bring you down after a busy day, bring in a sense of calm and will definitely help you nod off and it’s delicious too but for the true insomniacs or those waking up at 3am, you will need something stronger to knock you out for the night. I can do that too…but in our clinic that’s powder or pills.

My next point is that you will get what you pay for.

Organic herbs are better quality!

And lastly most tea formulas put a lot in just for the ‘taste’.  You could be getting a lovely tasting tea but is there really much of the herbs that will actually do the job?

So, should you drink the supermarket herbal teas all day and get the effect you want?

I can’t give you that exact answer because every brand is different but yes, the more tea you drink the stronger the effect should be. It just depends on what’s in it as to how effective that tea is. So it pays to either read up and understand the herbs or talk to a herbalist. Don’t assume because it says ‘sleep’ that it will do just that!

Here at the clinic we currently have four teas that will help with conditions.

• Fertilitea – for those thinking of starting a family. (for those with fertility issues you need to go stronger with herbs.)
• Dream Time tea – AKA sleep tea / wired and tired / relax tea – True insomniacs need more.
• Menotea – For help with overcoming some of the symptoms of peri menopause
• Lactation tea – Improving let down and quantity of milk and calming mum and bub
• Teachers Tea – AKA dream time tea (as above) that we rebrand for End of school year

Some Teas below that you can make and keep at home

Hot Flash Acute Tea

25g each of Dried Sage, black cohosh and peppermint.

Combine all the herbs and store in a glass jar.

To make tea:

Place 2 tsp of tea in about 350ml of water. Bring to boil and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off add another tsp of tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

Drink as you wish during the day.

Double up quantities if you want to take on the go…

(if you want more information please see our blog on hot flushes)

In labour Tea – open the cervix

2 pieces of fresh ginger (3-5cm piece

2 tablespoons of raspberry leaf.

To make tea:

Simmer ginger in 1 litre of water. Turn off heat and add the raspberry leaf.

Steep for 1-2 hours.

Drink about 150-200 ml every 20 minutes for 4 hours to encourage regular contractions and opening of the cervix once labour has commenced.

Nausea relief tea (pregnancy or cancer)

15g of dried basil

15g of dried ginger

60g of dried peppermint.

Combine in a jar

Steep 1 to 2 tsp in a mug of of boiling water for 10 minutes and sip.

If you’d like to know more about these teas, purchase a tea or two or even have a different need that I might be able to put something together then please contact me at Heidi.Dunn@benbiao.com.au

Off now to have a nice earl grey

Love and regards

Heidi the herbalist J

The post Herbal teas – whats in them? do they work? first appeared on ben&biao.