Five Element Healthcare

Professor Jack Reginald Worsley (“JR”) died in the early hours of June 2, 2003 in Miami, Florida. Born and raised in Coventry, England, JR was an internationally renowned and revered Master Acupuncturist, author, consultant and teacher. In the early 1950’s he journeyed to Taiwan, Singapore and
Korea and received his Doctorate of Acupuncture. His Classical Five-Element Acupuncture® teachers Ono and Hsui bestowed the rare and honored classical designation of “Master” upon him. He founded the College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK), the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (TAI-Sophia) (USA),
the Worsley Institute of Classical Acupuncture (USA) and the Master Apprentice Program (MAP) and was associated with many schools and organizations internationally.

There are so many stories of Dr. Worsley. He was an extraordinary man who brought love, insight and depth to all his encounters. He saw each patient, each student as an unique individual. If you were his patient, he was there one hundred percent for you. Hundreds of patients relate the extraordinary
feeling they had of being “seen” by this man in a way no one had ever seen them before. Those who studied with him over the years were given the same undivided attention. As his student, you had the fortune to be given just what you needed—perhaps not what you wanted—to move forward in your work. And he would be there again and again, with precious pieces of learning perfectly timed for your next step. In addition to more technical information, these treasures were often keen insights into your life and what needed to change within you to be the best practitioner you could possibly be. He modeled for us the knowledge that a master acupuncturist is made from within.

He was captivated by Asian philosophy and wisdom and its understanding of the power of nature to heal. He was an avid believer in this power and reminded us often that the practitioner does not heal the patient, but nature does. He
fought fiercely to preserve a tradition that saw each person as more than an assembly of parts or symptoms. Dr. Worsley was a patient advocate in the deepest sense. His whole approach revolved upon the needs of the patient. He was not satisfied with helping only a part of a person, he wanted everything for
them; a complete, vital, full life. He wanted the best from them as well. They responded as we all do when our deepest selves are addressed with genuine love and concern; they rose to the occasion.

It would be hard to imagine acupuncture in the west without his contributions. He stood alone thirty years ago insisting that acupuncture could treat the spirit and mind of the patient as well as the body. He led the way advocating for the study of the names of the points and their spiritual connotations. He was committed to teaching the importance of the intention of the practitioner as an important element in the effectiveness of treatment. Now these ancient traditions are part of the acupuncture conversation in the west and again in the east.

Strangely, it was hard to feel sad at his passing. He lived a full life doing what he loved the most. He gave fully. He touched the hearts of thousands of people. He traveled around the world seeing patients and teaching students; the last four years while suffering from debilitating heart disease. Until the very end, it was hard to tell he was ill. For a man who gave so much it would have been selfish to want one more day from him.

Add this to the growing list of dangerous side effects of cholesterol reducing statin drugs. Alternative medicine has been warning of this drug class for years and of the dubious connection between high cholesterol and heart disease. Now western research is catching up with what we have know from years, these drugs are dangerous and have questionable effectiveness.

A recent meta-analysis has demonstrated that taking statin drugs is associated with excess risk of developing diabetes.

Researchers looked at five different clinical trials that together examined more than 32,000 people. They found that the higher the dosage of statin drugs being taken, the greater the diabetes risk.

According to the study, as reported by Green Med Info:

“In a pooled analysis of data from 5 statin trials, intensive-dose statin therapy was associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes compared with moderate-dose statin therapy.”

Source:
Journal of the American Medical Association June 22, 2011; 305(24): 2556-2564

Many people living in the Portland area are deficient in Vitamin D. I have been surprised how many patients tested had very low levels of this important vitamin. The following is the information from vitamin D council. This website is very informative and all claims are substantiated with links to supporting research. I suggest you visit their website at vitamindcouncil.org and become informed of this problem affecting many of us here in Portland.

With proper testing we can determine the correct amount of supplementation you may need. We have a home test kit available.

“The high rate of natural production of vitamin D3, cholecalciferol, in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D — a fact that has profound implications for the natural human condition. Technically not a “vitamin,” vitamin D is in a class by itself.

Its metabolic product,calcitriol, is actually a secosteroid hormone that targets over 2000 genes (about 10% of the human genome) in the human body. Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.

Vitamin D’s influence on key biological functions vital to one’s health and well-being mandates that vitamin D no longer be ignored by the health care industry nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.”

There are more cases of Lyme disease in Oregon each year. May to October are the worst months for ticks, so now is the time to be prepared and protect yourself and your family. Oregonians love to enjoy their beautiful and easily available outdoors. We hike, camp, bird watch and thoroughly enjoy our natural surroundings. However without proper tick safety measures your outdoor activity may be dangerous.

Here are a few tips:

• Wear protective clothing
  When walking in grass, tall grass, wooded areas and anywhere deer are known to populate, wear clothing that will keep ticks from getting to bare skin. Wear closed shoes, long-sleeved shirts that fit tightly around the wrist and tuck them into pants. Protect your legs by tucking pants into socks or boots. Ticks show up better on light-coloured clothing.
• Use an insect repellant
  Insect repellents containing DEET can effectively repel ticks. Repellents can be applied to clothing as well as exposed skin but should not be applied to skin underneath clothing (note: DEET may damage some materials). Always read and follow label directions. Natural insect repellents are also available.
• Check for ticks after being outdoors
  Check for ticks on clothing and skin after being outdoors. A daily total-body inspection and prompt removal of attached ticks (within 18 to 24 hours) can reduce the risk of infection. Blacklegged ticks are very small, particularly the younger stages, so look carefully. Do not forget to check children and pets as well.
• Remove the tick carefully
  Carefully remove attached ticks using tweezers. Grasp the tick’s head and mouth parts as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly until the tick is removed. Do not twist or rotate the tick and try not to squash or crush the tick during removal. More information about the proper removal of a tick >>
• Save the tick for testing
  After removing ticks, wash the bite site with soap and water or disinfect it with alcohol or household antiseptic. Note the day of the tick bite and try to save the tick in an empty pill vial or doubled zip-lock bag.
• Notice any symptoms, and follow up with a physician
  Contact a doctor familiar with Lyme disease immediately if you develop symptoms of Lyme disease, especially when you have been in an area where blacklegged ticks are found. Call our office for a good referral. If you have saved the tick, take it with you to the doctor’s office.

Here is a link to a Pacific Northwest Hiker with good safety instructions. http://www.omartentmaker.com/Lyme.html

Prevention is the best approach

Lyme disease is a disease that is hard to eradicate; prevention, early detection and treatment is the best approach. It is a serious bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a corkscrew-shaped bacterium of the spirochete group. Other spirochetes cause diseases such as syphilis, rat-bite fever and relapsing fever. The primary means of infection is by tick bite although the disease has also been shown to be transmitted by other insects. The nymphal Ixodes tick, the primary culprit in transmission, is so small (about the size of a poppy seed) the victim will rarely notice it and will not feel it bite. People should not be lulled into thinking themselves safe because they did not notice a tick.

We have treated patients at our clinic who were bitten by ticks here in Oregon. The doctor we work with has found a number of ticks from the Columbia Gorge that tested positive for Lyme. So be careful on your hikes.

If you are bitten by a tick try to remove the tick and observe the correct removal method, this is crucial. Proper tick removal . Save the tick in a small medicine vial or a double zip-lock bag. Then call the office and we will put you in contact with a Lyme Literate Doctor who works with an appropriate lab to have the tick tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi and other possible co-infections.

There is controversy in the medical community about Lyme disease and the proper testing and treatment for it. Therefore it is important to see a doctor who understands how to test and treat for Lyme disease. Here is a link that will summarize some of the issues. http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2010/02/11/views3.html

Additional Information

Below are a few links that will provide you with the information about Lyme Disease that will help you safely enjoy our natural wonders this summer.

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html

http://www.lymeinfo.net/prevention.html

http://www.lyme.org/tick.html

Spring is here! The first flowers are up and some trees have already bloomed.

With spring comes the urge to start anew and spring cleaning is a real life impulse. With this impulse comes the call from healthcare practitioners to fast. Though it is a good idea to clean out after a winter of heavier foods and less exercise, fasts are not necessarily good for you. Many are extreme and can weaken you at a time when the the flu and other viruses are at their peak in Portland. Also many of these fast are too extreme for those raising families or working long hours. Rather than be cleaned out you become depleted. Under most circumstances we do not recommend fasts that restrict calorie intake drastically or end up with no solid food intake for a number on days. Another issue with fasts is the ability of the body to handle the toxins that are excreted during a fast. It is necessary for the lymph system, kidney and liver to be in good enough shape to allow an exit pathway for any toxins excreted in a fast.

So what can we do? Start sensibly.

Here is a list of things you can do now to clean up your energy for spring that will not harm you.

1. Revisit your water intake. Remember that you need to drink one half of your body weight in fluid ounces each day to be properly hydrated. If you weight 150 LBS then you need 75 fluid ounces a day of pure water. That is approximately three quarts. It is best to drink most of that in the morning, late morning or early afternoon. When you awaken you are the most dehydrated and most in need of fresh water.
2. Stop your intake of fatty rich foods, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine in any form for three weeks. The first step in a good cleanse is to stop putting foods that challenge your liver and kidneys into our diet. For many people this will be all the fast they need. If you must have some caffeine, try a weak brew of green tea, steeped one minute at the most.
3. Have your meals be simple and small. Lightly steam your vegetables, easy up on the carbohydrates and either cut back on or eliminate meats depending on your blood type (see Live Right For Your Type by Dr. D’Adamo). Eat at home when ever possible and keep the recipes simple, very little spicy or rich ingredients. Simple broths, salads, warm soups and especially miso soup are good cleansers. (remember soy miso is a fermented soy, I use a chick pea miso and avoid the soy issue entirely).
4. Add a sauna to your regime. A dry sauna for 10 to 30 minutes three times a week will do a lot to cleanse the body and help remove heavy metals that many of us in this modern world are exposed to. Remember to add a quart of water to those sauna days. Also, remember to shower and scrub your skin with a rough towel or loofa after the sauna. Otherwise the toxins on the skin reabsorb within ten to twenty minutes.
5. There are a number of herbal and home remedies for a cleansing. The simple olive oil, lemon juice and cayenne formula is very popular. However the problem with many of these is that they may cause a toxic download but they do little to make sure you have the capacity to eliminate these toxins from your body. If the lymph glands, liver and kidneys are not prepared for a detox program the toxins will just recirculate into your body. All that fasting for nothing.At the office we use a homeopathic regime that can be used alone or with a fast to clean out unwanted toxins and heavy metals. Taken twice a day, only 15 minutes away from food, these powerful biological homeopathics are a good way to cleanse your body throughly even without a fast. I do this twice a year for myself and have found it extremely helpful. For more information on these homeopathics ask about them at your next acupuncture visit or call or email the office.

So have a great spring and start it off clean and fresh and safe.