Question

I am 37 year old female and taking an iron supplement for severe anaemia. My iron levels was up last month but not to normal. I ordered a yellow dock extract to try, but I am concerned about dosage, especially with a lot of my symptoms coming back (restless leg syndrome, heart palpitations and low energy).

I had an heterotopic pregnancy with my first pregnancy, which required a large blood transfusion. I have  been diagnosed with fibromyalgia by my chiropractor. I take many daily supplements and probiotics, but I do not take any conventional medications, as I am a believer of holistic medicines. Can you help with any of my questions?

Answer

In the Chinese medicine system the liver and spleen are important factors in the development of anaemia, fibromyalgia and low energy. Both of these organs along with the kidneys can become deficient in energy especially after the the type of birthing experience you describe which often results in poor blood or anaemia.

Low energy (the type associated with fibromyalgia) often has a root in the spleen, but the kidney and liver must also be strengthened. Unfortunately it is rare to find one herb that addresses all of those issues, so formulas are much preferable to higher dosages of a single herb. For example, yellow dock resonates with the liver but does not resonate as well with the spleen or kidneys.

Zhi Shi Ping Wei Wan is a popular spleen tonic that also contains a combination of herbs that builds the blood while eliminating what is known as dampness in Chinese medicine, a primary factor in fibromyalgia. In combination with Ren Shen Shou Wu Wan, a tonic for both kidney and liver and also a blood builder, you can address root issues of the anaemia, fibromyalgia and low energy.

Of course, this is a general recommendation. A consultation with an herbalist is recommended to determine if these herbs would be the most appropriate for your individual constitution and also to determine the optimal dosage for your body. Please feel free to email Kay for such a consultation.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

My mother has a lack of haemoglobin in her blood. Can you please tell me what should she take in meals or drinks to help her replace it?

Answer

Low haemoglobin can result in anaemia and may have its roots in many factors including iron deficiency, as well as vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies. Instead of treating symptoms without knowing the cause, I would suggest screening for anaemia and nutritional deficiencies and also rule out organ disease, such as imbalances with either the liver, kidneys or spleen, which can cause low haemoglobin, anaemia and also iron deficiency.

For example, many elders with diabetes have compromised kidneys resulting in low haemoglobin which often manifests as anaemia and iron deficiency. In this case, while supplements can help, it still doesn’t help the root cause which lies with the kidneys. Certain types of liver illness can also cause low haemoglobin and anaemia.

Research at Tufts University have shown that older adults might have too much iron in their bodies. So iron supplements are only appropriate if the person has been tested to see if there is truly a deficiency of iron.

The Chinese medicine approach would build the blood with custom tonics that include dang gui, di huang, bai zhu, kidney tonics such as xu duan, rou con rong, fu ling, spleen tonics such as gu ya, shan zha and liver tonics such as go qi zhi (goji berries).

Depending on her medical health and what medications she might be taking, she might be a good candidate to use pre-made herb tablets from Plum Flower or Guan Ci Tang (or other brands certified to be free of heavy metals or impurities) such as Gui Pi Wan or Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan, which are classical formulas for anaemia, low haemoglobin and low iron. Always consult a qualified herbalist to ensure that your mother receives the proper chinese medicine approach for her particular situation.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

I had a kidney/pancreas transplant 7 years ago and have what is called a “grumbling rejection” in the kidney. What can I take to prevent any further rejection and to keep my kidney healthy. Many thanks.

Answer

Often times with multiple organ transplants, there are system wide weaknesses that occur that can impact the immune system. How these weaknesses manifest vary with each individual so it’s impossible to suggest something specific without knowing the details of your unique manifestations.

It would be helpful if you could consult a local herbalist and ask them to assess the strength of your wei qi (immunity energies) and kidney energies – they would also need to assess the spleen/pancreas and liver energies too. Most likely, the herbalist would recommend herbs that have a tonic effect to gently strengthen the internal organs and also subdue over-reactive immunity symptoms that may play a role in the rejection of transplanted organs. A custom blend would be most desirable as it is a delicate balancing act to formulate herbs that will strengthen your internal organs but not over activate the immunity system.

I also would highly recommend gentle qi gong movement to gently strengthen the organs. The National Qi gong Association has a free DVD that you can view online. The movements are simple enough for anyone to perform. You can find that video here:

Five Treasures DVD – Discovering Qigong

Also, the diet needs to be very light emphasizing low fat foods, low salt foods and plenty of whole grains, fresh vegetables steamed lightly and small amounts of protein such as organic chicken, lean beef, and fish.

May you find health and wellness,

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

Is bamboo extract at 400 mg a day safe to take every day? Is it a good source of silica that the body needs?

Answer

Silica is a micronutrient that occurs in many natural foods (see some of the earlier answers on this expert page) that unless one has been diagnosed by a medical doctor or nutritionist as being deficient in this mineral, by having blood work, it doesn’t make sense to take supplements of this trace nutrient – so I lean toward the idea that there is no safe dosage to take in supplemental form if you are not truly deficient.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

I went to the health food store to look for something for bursitis. The lady there said to try a silica formula as it helps your bones, but just couple drops a day. Is this all right?

Answer

I would not take such a remedy without consulting with a trained nutritionist as I have not found any valid research that supports such an approach. Each person’s metabolic issues are unique – so one never knows what individual issues may cause a reaction with silica.

Bursitis responds quite well to Chinese herbs that can be customized to the individual’s unique constitution.

Herbs that reduce dampness and heat (swelling) are very effective for bursitis and also for bringing increased circulation to the area. A common patent formula for bursitis is Shen Tong Zhu Yu Wan but I would check with a trained herbalist to make sure this formula is appropriate for your unique constitution and health conditions, as all natural remedies are not appropriate for all people. Best luck with your healing.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Author bio

Kay Hutchinson is a Classical Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong practitioner, who consults with clients at her clinic in Texas, but she is also available for online consultations too.

Kay Hutchinson is an expert on the Vital Health Zone web site, so you can ask Kay a question about health from a Chinese medicine perspective for free.

Last reviewed and updated: 6 February 2026

Question

A while ago a friend asked his acupuncture lecturer about a treatment for the keloid scar I have on my arm and he gave me a white patch which smells like it has some herbs in it or on it. The patch is white and the underneath is yellowish. I was wondering if you knew the name of this patch as I need to get some more?

Answer

Keloid scar tissues is seen as a form of dampness and stagnation from the Chinese medicine perspective, so herbs that break up tissue can be helpful. On a topical level, castor oil with grapefruit essential oil is helpful. You can create your own blend by adding 12 drops of grapefruit essential oil (you can purchase essential oils from Aiki Healing) to 2 oz of castor oil and apply daily to keloid scars.

Grapefruit oil is photosensitive so may cause increased sun burns when exposed to sunlight, so be sure to use heavy sunscreen on any areas that you use citrus blends and try to avoid the direct sunlight.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

Is there a combination of herbs that might help with psoriasis? I have had it a long time and have tried many other supplements. Right now, vitamin D3 seems to be helping. Could you recommend a reliable source for ordering some herbs in case I decide to buy some.

Answer

Excellent question.

There are several patented herbs that work will for psoriasis. In the Chinese system, psoriasis has a pattern of heat and wind (itching). So we focus on using cooling herbs, and herbs that help to support the liver.

Not all Chinese herbs are created equal. Some contain impurities, so always look for the GMP seal (good manufacturing practices), which means the herbs are produced in a certified factors that is free of heavy metals and chemicals.

The formula I recommend is Fu Fang Qing Dai Wan.  A reliable brand and supplier is Guang Ci Tang found on the Active Herb web site. All of their products are GMP and the only brand besides Plum Flower brand that I trust to use in my clinical practice.

http://www.activeherb.com/

The other option is to have an herbalist prepare a custom herb tea which is cooked for about 2 hours to decoct the essence of the herbs.  This form is often most effective because it can be tailored to your system.

Usually, an herbalist, like myself will interview you via email to gather more information about your health, then create a custom formula.

However, the taste of the herbs is rather bitter and awful, so I encourage people to try the herb tablets first and see if that works first.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

According to the meridian clock system 9-11 am is the best time to eat and one could have the most important meal of the day at this time. I also noticed that 3pm is the time when the gall bladder is in full force as I think science has  confirmed the gall production peaks at this time. Does this mean that consumption of fats is best after 3pm or should fats preferably be consumed in the morning?

What kinds of foods are recommended to be eaten in the evening if one is very hungry?

Answer

One has to look at other factors in addition to the meridian clock when determining how and what to eat. For people who have sensitive digestive systems, eating a heavy breakfast may tax the system, so it may be more wise to eat a small amount of low fat, low carbohydrate foods upon rising and have warm to hot soups or tea with the meal to awaken the spleen and stomach. Then, a few hours later one would eat a mid-day snack, then lunch. In this way, nourishing foods are coming into the body during that 9 to 11 am time.

I would not recommend eating higher fat foods after 3 pm – most people have a metabolism that starts to slow down in the afternoon – so this may lead to excessive weight gain although the gallbladder meridian clock is in the afternoon. I would focus on eating the heavier meal around mid-day so that one has time to burn off those calories as one moves through the rest of the day.

In the evening time, think once again about low carbohydrate and low fat foods with a higher protein and calcium content. The amino acids in protein help to promote restful sleep as does calcium. So a sandwich with whole grains or gluten free bread, with poultry or seafood and plenty of fresh vegetables and low fat cheese, along with a warming low-fat vegetable or chicken soup is a light choice. Or three ounces of a grilled lean meat with stir fried vegetables (in a pay lightly coated with oil so as not to contribute too much fat to the meal), and a whole grain such as brown rice, amaranth, quinoa. You can also make breakfast foods a light “dinner” snack – a bowl of whole grain cereal with organic milk, and some fresh fruit on the side. A protein smoothie made with organic milk, fresh fruit and extra soy protein powder can also work well.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

Are there any Chinese medicine/ alternative medicine that you would recommend to ease period pain?

Answer

A common cause of menstrual pain is blood and qi stagnation, so herbs that help the blood and qi to flow more smoothly often reduce cramping.

Free Easy Wanderer formula can help promote smooth flow of liver qi stagnation and formulas with dan shen can also be helpful.

Master herbalist John Fung has very effective formula and information on his YouTube video about menstrual irregularity. He lists all the ingredients in his formula on that site:  A naturopath’s guide to addressing period pain

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.

Question

Good morning.

What are the best Chinese medicine drops for pleurisy and upper respiratory conditions?

Is Lomatium a good herb to use for these conditions?

Answer

I rarely use single herbs to balance lung conditions as that is a symptom-based approach and often there are other imbalances with other organ systems that are causing the lung disorder.

I recommend ke chuan pian as it has a combination of herbs and is a classical formula for supporting upper respiratory conditions in a way that addresses the underlying roots.

Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.

Contact

Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation.