Infertile women face an increased risk for sexual dysfunction, a new study reports.
From: http://ping.fm/b6zJt
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
How's Your Internal Climate?
It's an absolutely picture-perfect day here in Houston -- a "Chamber of Commerce" kind of day where there's not a cloud in the sky, the humidity is low, and the temperature is below 80 degrees. There's even a slight breeze blowing, which keeps things feeling light and cool.
On days like this, it's hard for me to feel tired or sluggish. There's something about the crisp, clean air and full-throttle sunshine that awakens me. I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment.
As I was driving to my clinic this morning, relishing the amazing weather, I started thinking about something I learned during my training in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's the principle of the microcosm.
The ancient medical sages maintain that as humans living on Earth, we are PART of nature, not separate from it. We are not just IN the environment, the environment is in us. There really is no separation between what is happening inside our bodies and what is happening outside. We only THINK that there is a barrier.
Days like today only highlight that wisdom for me, and make me even more sure and certain about its veracity. And, because I practice the system of medicine from where this wisdom emanates, it makes me more certain about the treatments and therapies I prescribe to my patients.
When someone comes to me, I'm not trying to diagnose a disease. Instead, I'm listening and observing so I can understand what their internal climate is. Are they too hot (inflamed)? Are they cold and damp (poor circulation, slow metabolism)? Have they become too hot and dry (dehydrated), or overly humid (sluggish metabolism and excess mucus/fluid)? There are a host of other facets that go into this evaluation, but in the end it is always about the BIG picture. This way, the treatment can get to the root of the issue, and quick.
So, I want to ask you, how is your internal climate these days? Do you feel light, active, cool, and crisp, like today's beautiful Houston weather? Or, has heat, cold, damp, or dryness settled in and started causing imbalances that can manifest as poor sleep, digestive problems, skin conditions, hormonal imbalance, depression, anxiety, etc.?
The conventional medical model has a tough time with these concepts, and this is because science is all about DIVIDING things into smaller and smaller components in order to understand them. This obsession with separation and division means that, for the most part, science observes human phenomena as being separate from the natural environment in which they occur. Lab tests are done in a lab, and almost no account is taken of external environment, climate or other factors. In fact, the goal of scientists doing studies is to ELIMINATE as much outside influence as possible.
While this practice has obviously proven useful in many ways, and has led to many amazing discoveries, it has also caused us to largely forget that we are in and of nature, and that nature's intelligence still lives, breathes, and speaks through our bodies.
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Women's Healthcare, is a recognized expert in women's health, natural treatment of hormone imbalance, and fertility enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX. Visit the clinic website to schedule your free 30-minute initial consultation.
On days like this, it's hard for me to feel tired or sluggish. There's something about the crisp, clean air and full-throttle sunshine that awakens me. I'm sure I'm not alone in that sentiment.
As I was driving to my clinic this morning, relishing the amazing weather, I started thinking about something I learned during my training in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's the principle of the microcosm.
The ancient medical sages maintain that as humans living on Earth, we are PART of nature, not separate from it. We are not just IN the environment, the environment is in us. There really is no separation between what is happening inside our bodies and what is happening outside. We only THINK that there is a barrier.
Days like today only highlight that wisdom for me, and make me even more sure and certain about its veracity. And, because I practice the system of medicine from where this wisdom emanates, it makes me more certain about the treatments and therapies I prescribe to my patients.
When someone comes to me, I'm not trying to diagnose a disease. Instead, I'm listening and observing so I can understand what their internal climate is. Are they too hot (inflamed)? Are they cold and damp (poor circulation, slow metabolism)? Have they become too hot and dry (dehydrated), or overly humid (sluggish metabolism and excess mucus/fluid)? There are a host of other facets that go into this evaluation, but in the end it is always about the BIG picture. This way, the treatment can get to the root of the issue, and quick.
So, I want to ask you, how is your internal climate these days? Do you feel light, active, cool, and crisp, like today's beautiful Houston weather? Or, has heat, cold, damp, or dryness settled in and started causing imbalances that can manifest as poor sleep, digestive problems, skin conditions, hormonal imbalance, depression, anxiety, etc.?
The conventional medical model has a tough time with these concepts, and this is because science is all about DIVIDING things into smaller and smaller components in order to understand them. This obsession with separation and division means that, for the most part, science observes human phenomena as being separate from the natural environment in which they occur. Lab tests are done in a lab, and almost no account is taken of external environment, climate or other factors. In fact, the goal of scientists doing studies is to ELIMINATE as much outside influence as possible.
While this practice has obviously proven useful in many ways, and has led to many amazing discoveries, it has also caused us to largely forget that we are in and of nature, and that nature's intelligence still lives, breathes, and speaks through our bodies.
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Women's Healthcare, is a recognized expert in women's health, natural treatment of hormone imbalance, and fertility enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX. Visit the clinic website to schedule your free 30-minute initial consultation.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Acupuncture May Help Pregnant Women With Depression, Says University of Texas at Austin Pharmacy Researcher | The University of Texas at Austin
Acupuncture May Help Pregnant Women With Depression, Says University of Texas at Austin Pharmacy Researcher The University of Texas at Austin
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Fertility Enhancement and Women's Health,
is a recognized expert in women's health and fertility
enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his
easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to fertility patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX.
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Fertility Enhancement and Women's Health,
is a recognized expert in women's health and fertility
enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his
easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to fertility patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Teaching Your Body How To Fish
There is a natural intelligence that directs your body in every internal and external interaction. For instance, how does your body "know" when to make more (or less) of a certain hormone or fat or protein? How does it know where to move nutrients to places where they are needed?
This is still one of the great mysteries that conventional medicine has yet to understand. Conventional medicine has become so adept at MEASURING the changes in the body, and learning how to INTERVENE to override pathology. But, it is still sorely lacking in its understanding of how to NOURISH and SUPPORT the body's natural healing intelligence. In other words:
Conventional medicine gives the body a fish, while natural medicine teaches the body to fish on its own.
By no means am I advocating natural medicine always be used over conventional. Quite the contrary. There are many conditions where rapid and direct intervention is absolutely necessary. This intervention may be surgical, pharmacological, or a combination of both, and there is no shame in using conventional medicine to treat a condition, EVER. It is a personal choice, and it is often the right choice.
However, I would like to offer to you the idea that, indeed, there is another way in many cases. A way that avoids many of the risks and pitfalls of conventional interventional medicine.
Natural medicine, instead of overriding the body, gives the body what it needs to do what it already knows how to do -- HEAL ITSELF.
For instance, I have seen cases in my clinic of low progesterone output manifesting as shortened menstrual cycles. For someone trying to get pregnant this is a significant issue, as progesterone is necessary during the second half of the menstrual cycle in order for successful initiation of a pregnancy. Even for someone who isn't trying to get pregnant, having a menstural cycle every 21 - 25 days can be viewed as a significant problem. And, progesterone deficiency can sometimes be the culprit in estrogen dominance (which can cause lengthened cycles over the long term), PMS, severe mood swings, and other issues.
The conventional approach to treating this is simple:
1. If the woman is not trying to get pregnant, give her the birth control pill, or
2. If the woman is trying to get pregnant, give her supplemental progesterone.
In the case of #1 above, the body's own inherent intelligence is completely overridden and the exogenous hormones take control of the woman's cycle. Therefore the woman is completely dependent on the pill for her cycle to be "regular" or "normal". And, there are risks to the birth control pill, not the least of which is increased clot formation -- I have a friend whose wife had a mini-stroke after getting on birth control.
In the case of #2 above, there is much lower risk, but still the clinical track record of giving supplemental progesterone to correct luteal phase defect (low progesterone) is poor to moderate at best. I believe this is because we have not yet discovered or identified other co-factors involved in sustaining pregnancy, and that just giving progesterone is and over-simplified solution to the problem that only works in very specific cases.
An interesting case in correction of progesterone deficiency
Annie (not her real name), came to me for help in correcting luteal phase defect. She had been trying to get pregnant for some time with no success, and had used conventional medicine for several cycles along the way. Her cycle was fairly regular at around every 25 days, but she would always start spotting about 6 days after ovulation, with her period coming about 4 or 5 days after that.
I used Traditional Chinese Medicine combined with nutritional knowledge to formulate a treatment plan. The treatment plan included herbs, weekly acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation that includes high doses of Vitamin C (2,000mg daily) and moderate doses of Zinc (30mg daily). Both of these substances have been shown to be essential components of the body's ability to produce progesterone.
This patient is not yet pregnant, however, her spotting has stopped and her cycle has lengthened to 27 days at this point, with onset of flow being immediate and unmistakable. She is also reporting less symptoms premenstrually. Her chances of successful conception have just increased dramatically.
It is important to note here that all we are doing is giving her body the NUTRIENTS it needs to express its own natural function. We are not giving her any progesterone or other hormone. This is the power of natural medicine when used in the right way and in the right circumstances.
Both Annie and I are confident that, even if she must go back to a conventional method of fertility treatment, her body is in a position to have a much better response to the more drastic interventions offered.
Until next time...
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Fertility Enhancement and Women's Health,
is a recognized expert in women's health and fertility
enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his
easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to fertility patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX.
This is still one of the great mysteries that conventional medicine has yet to understand. Conventional medicine has become so adept at MEASURING the changes in the body, and learning how to INTERVENE to override pathology. But, it is still sorely lacking in its understanding of how to NOURISH and SUPPORT the body's natural healing intelligence. In other words:
Conventional medicine gives the body a fish, while natural medicine teaches the body to fish on its own.
By no means am I advocating natural medicine always be used over conventional. Quite the contrary. There are many conditions where rapid and direct intervention is absolutely necessary. This intervention may be surgical, pharmacological, or a combination of both, and there is no shame in using conventional medicine to treat a condition, EVER. It is a personal choice, and it is often the right choice.
However, I would like to offer to you the idea that, indeed, there is another way in many cases. A way that avoids many of the risks and pitfalls of conventional interventional medicine.
Natural medicine, instead of overriding the body, gives the body what it needs to do what it already knows how to do -- HEAL ITSELF.
For instance, I have seen cases in my clinic of low progesterone output manifesting as shortened menstrual cycles. For someone trying to get pregnant this is a significant issue, as progesterone is necessary during the second half of the menstrual cycle in order for successful initiation of a pregnancy. Even for someone who isn't trying to get pregnant, having a menstural cycle every 21 - 25 days can be viewed as a significant problem. And, progesterone deficiency can sometimes be the culprit in estrogen dominance (which can cause lengthened cycles over the long term), PMS, severe mood swings, and other issues.
The conventional approach to treating this is simple:
1. If the woman is not trying to get pregnant, give her the birth control pill, or
2. If the woman is trying to get pregnant, give her supplemental progesterone.
In the case of #1 above, the body's own inherent intelligence is completely overridden and the exogenous hormones take control of the woman's cycle. Therefore the woman is completely dependent on the pill for her cycle to be "regular" or "normal". And, there are risks to the birth control pill, not the least of which is increased clot formation -- I have a friend whose wife had a mini-stroke after getting on birth control.
In the case of #2 above, there is much lower risk, but still the clinical track record of giving supplemental progesterone to correct luteal phase defect (low progesterone) is poor to moderate at best. I believe this is because we have not yet discovered or identified other co-factors involved in sustaining pregnancy, and that just giving progesterone is and over-simplified solution to the problem that only works in very specific cases.
An interesting case in correction of progesterone deficiency
Annie (not her real name), came to me for help in correcting luteal phase defect. She had been trying to get pregnant for some time with no success, and had used conventional medicine for several cycles along the way. Her cycle was fairly regular at around every 25 days, but she would always start spotting about 6 days after ovulation, with her period coming about 4 or 5 days after that.
I used Traditional Chinese Medicine combined with nutritional knowledge to formulate a treatment plan. The treatment plan included herbs, weekly acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation that includes high doses of Vitamin C (2,000mg daily) and moderate doses of Zinc (30mg daily). Both of these substances have been shown to be essential components of the body's ability to produce progesterone.
This patient is not yet pregnant, however, her spotting has stopped and her cycle has lengthened to 27 days at this point, with onset of flow being immediate and unmistakable. She is also reporting less symptoms premenstrually. Her chances of successful conception have just increased dramatically.
It is important to note here that all we are doing is giving her body the NUTRIENTS it needs to express its own natural function. We are not giving her any progesterone or other hormone. This is the power of natural medicine when used in the right way and in the right circumstances.
Both Annie and I are confident that, even if she must go back to a conventional method of fertility treatment, her body is in a position to have a much better response to the more drastic interventions offered.
Until next time...
Chris Axelrad, M.S.O.M., L. Ac., FABORM, director of the Axelrad Clinic for Natural Fertility Enhancement and Women's Health,
is a recognized expert in women's health and fertility
enhancement using Traditional Chinese Medicine integrated with conventional medical knowledge. He is known for his
easy-going manner and sincere compassion for his patients.
Mr. Axelrad provides coaching and support to fertility patients across the country via his remote treatment programs, and he also maintains a busy full-time specialty clinical practice in Houston, TX.
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