Question

I feel sick with pain and cramps in my stomach before and after eating food. Basically my stomach hurts most of the time and I tend to feel giddy and dizzy at times too. I also feel tightening in my chest and my throat gets very dry. I have diabetes and often feel tingling in my feet and I have pain in the back of my left leg.

Answer

Diabetes in Chinese medicine is usually comprised of what we call kidney yin deficiency which can impact other internal organs beyond the pancreas/spleen to develop endocrine and neurological issues. I would highly recommend an assessment by a qualified endocrinologist. I often ask my diabetic clients to get such tests so that we can complement western therapies with herbal medicine and acupressure.

The pain in the legs and tingling of feet suggests to me some energy imbalances with neurology – often diabetics develop neuropathy if their blood sugar levels are not under control on a consistent basis.

Again, with diabetes, it is very important to have an endocrinologist do an assessment to determine if your symptoms are the result of the diabetes or other issues that may be impacting the endocrine, circulatory and nervous system.

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 silica the same mineral as silicon?

Silica is a trace mineral, as far as I know, so what is the maximum amount a person can have in a day? Should this maximum amount be broken up into twice a day?

Answer

Silicon is a chemical element that cannot be broken down without splitting its atoms while silica is the derivative of the combination of silicon and oxygen which form minerals known as silicates (e.g. quartz, feldspar).

There are no established dosages for silica as a trace mineral but suggestions of 5-20 mg have been made. I don’t recommend taking supplements because the thought that when taken by itself, it may not be adequately absorbed and used by the body, whereas when one gets it naturally in the diet with foods that contain other chemicals, enzymes and constituents, it is more readily absorbed.

The foods that are recommended include: whole grains, unrefined cereals, deep root vegetables, horsetail, red raspberry and alfalfa to name a few.

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 am 24 yr old and have been experiencing hair whitening at my temples. The hair whitening is growing rapidly and started around two years ago, after I regularly kept getting sick with the ‘flu and started getting allergies. I also have come to know that I have a lot of nutritional deficiencies. I am very much upset that the dermatologists and other doctors I have seen have not been able to help me at all about the hair whitening. I am too depressed and seek your help please. Can you suggest any therapy that can actually work to help reduce the amount of my hair that is turning white?

Answer

In Chinese medicine, premature graying of the hair is often seen as a weakness of the kidney energy and vitality. Thus, herb formulations with He Shou Wu, a tonic that supports the kidneys and promotes longevity, are often given to encourage new growth of hair to maintain its color. It is true that once hair has changed color, it cannot be restored to its natural color without coloring it – so the portion that has already emerged cannot be changed. But the good news is that hair is always growing – and it is possible to influence the new growth to retain its natural color by strengthening the kidneys.

Hair Vive is one formula that contains he shou wu, and can be obtained through http://www.activeherb.com via the net. I do not know if they ship to the UK but you can ask them.

Of course, you might also consult with a local acupuncturist and ask about herbs with He Shou Wu so they can properly assess to see if the kind of formula is best for your unique body.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let me know if I can be of further help.

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 blood levels of vitamin B6 are too high, in fact are about five times the normal level. Is there anything I can take to counteract/reduce the high vitamin B6 levels in my body?

Answer

Higher levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may indicate some imbalances with the liver and kidneys which usually process out excess levels of vitamin B6, so have your medical doctor run a panel to assess the function of those organs. If those are normal, then look to your diet, supplements to make sure you are not overdosing on B6 – this vitamin is also known as pyridoxine – so check labels carefully as many multivitamins and energy drinks have high dosages of this vitamin.

If your doctor sees irregularity with the liver or kidney, you’ll want to increase green leafy vegetables and deep root vegetables such as beets and burdock to support these organs and get with an herbalist in your area to have a custom herbal preparation made to help your liver and kidney clear the excessive vitamin B6 out of your system.

Good luck with your healing journey!

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 have geographic tongue and tonsil stones. My tongue hurts most of the time. Eating is an issue. What can I do to make them go away or heal?

Answer

Essentially, the issue is one of toxicity and poor digestion creating the tonsil issues.  So, I’d recommend reducing or eliminating foods that create toxicity in the body or excessive acidity such as red meats, white flour products, white sugar, high fat items such as fried foods and butter, and dairy.

Also, bring in more of the antioxidant foods such as turnips, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate, cabbage and carrots.  Freshly made carrot juice with ginger can also be helpful in detoxifying the body.

On an herbal level, you might check with a local herbalist and ask for a custom formula to strengthen the digestive system and gently detoxify the intestinal tract and liver.

Herbs such as gu ya (sprouted brown rice) and mu xiang can help support the digestion system to reduce toxicity manifesting in the tonsils by helping food move through the body more quickly instead of stagnating to create toxicity.  Ask also about detox herbs such as bai hua she she cao, she gan, and ban lan gen, and herbs that  clear mucus such as bai fu zi, chen pi, and ban xia.

I would not recommend the detox products that emphasize mostly cooler nature foods and herbs such as chlorophyll or spirulina as they also deplete the digestive energies and may create stagnation of food which can lead to more toxicity.

Also, make certain that oral hygiene is high – as bacteria can move from the mouth to the tonsils.  You may wish to swish regularly and gargle with a solution of 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in 4 ounces of water and 2 tsp of lemon juice.  You can add a few drops of peppermint extract for flavor. Good luck with your healing process!

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 ten year old daughter suffers from seasonal allergies. Is it safe for her to take Pe Min Gan Wan? If so, how much and how often?

Answer

Yes, Pe Men Kan Wan can be given safely to children, as I give it to my paediatric clients.

Like with any medication you take the weight of the child into consideration to adjust the dosage. Most dosages are for a person about 120 lbs, so consider your daughter’s weight and adjust the dosage accordingly. Follow the instructions on the bottle for the frequency as each company varies that slightly.

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

Can I please ask a question on the treatment of excess female body hair. It is a condition which has worsened over the last 3-4 years. Is it possible to treat this successfully and how long approximately would the treatment be. It is a difficult subject for me and I would only seek treatment if I knew the outcome would be successful.

Answer

Excessive body hair in women can be caused by many conditions including endocrinological imbalances that may also manifest as poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Thus, I recommend that my clients see an endocrinologist first to get a diagnosis of what is causing the excessive hair–and once they have that screening done, then we can work together using herbs, diet, and acupressure to balance the condition.

Resolving root issues that have a basis in the endocrine system with herbs usually takes 4 to 6 months but it is individual and varies with what the specific root cause is. Acupuncture/acupressure sessions can also be useful tools but it is helpful for us as holistic practitioners, to have data from a medical physician who specializes in endocrinology so that we can customize herbs and session protocols more accurately.

I wish you success in your healing journey.

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.