Don’t get locked into a cycle of recurrent urinary tract infections

When antibiotics fail; more is not always better when treating urinary tract infections.

It is usually a simple 2+2 equation– urinary tract in infection equals a course or two, or three of antibiotics. It is such a common treatment that many doctors will not even check the urine for signs of bacteria overgrowth. Scanty and painful urination calls forth the penicillins, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Sometimes these clear up the problem, in which case there is no point in reading further. However, in those for whom these heavy hitters of the western pharmaceutical arsenal can not seem to put an end to the problem, then Chinese medicine has options that don’t involve the complete decimation of the intestinal tract’s beneficial bacteria. What’s more, they can be tremendously effective. As I had an 80+ year old patient recently comment, “my urination has not been this smooth in 30 years.”

Antibiotics are amazing medicines when used properly, and for the scope in which they are most effective. However, overuse of these magic bullets over the past 50+ years has brought with it the co-evolution of the very bacteria we are trying to control. Our magic bullet has had the unfortunate side effect of encouraging the growth of more virulent strains of pathogens. And like any war of force, escalation brings with it more escalation. And the “collateral damage” likewise becomes increasingly severe.

Chinese herbs offer a different approach. And there is a reason why in the past 2000 years the doctors of Asia have not developed formulations that “kill” the invader. Unlike our western medical model of kill, cut and control, the medicine of Asia seeks to promote balance, harmony and communication between the various body systems. Systems in balance, those that are strong and resilient, inherently have the capability to control pathogenic influences. Chinese medicine’s strength lays not so much in fighting pathogens, but in promoting a systemic homeostasis that just does not give pathogens an environment to collect and breed.

Does this mean that Chinese herbs can only be used to treat long-term chronic and unresolved urinary tract infections? In a word, no. There are a number of formulas that both “attack the pathogen, while re-balancing the system.” These prescriptions are good for acute UTI’s. And for those recurrent issues that multiple courses of antibiotics just don’t seem to touch, the more harmonizing and strengthening formulas are more appropriate.

Acupuncture too is helpful for UTI’s, especially with the symptomatic issues of burning and urinary frequency. Together acupuncture and herbs can bring relief to the sufferer of chronic urinary tract infections that have been failed by multiple courses of antibiotics.

And of course, there are things you can do for yourself that help to regain bladder health and balance. Unsweetened cranberry juice is a commonly used home cure that many people find to be helpful. Also, anything you can do to reduce inflammation in your system will have a positive effect on the urinary system. So when dealing with a lingering UTI, cut out the sugar, eat well, balance work and play, and make sure you are getting enough of the good essential fatty acids– fish oil is a great source of these. In essence to have balance within, it is important to have balance in various aspects of life. As is often the case, an illness or symptom just might be a call to see how we are unfolding our life and if a change is being asked for.

Some women use acupuncture as a last resort, while others use it at the first sign of an infection. If you would prefer to strengthen your body’s innate ability to ward off bladder infections, then a visit to your acupuncturist is a good place to start!

Acupuncture is well known for its ability to treat pain
, regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, and instill a deep sense of quietude and well-being. What is less well known is that Chinese herbal medicine can be effective in the treatment of certain “incurable” problems. I’m not suggesting magic here, or that Chinese medicine has secret methods that can cure any health concern. What Chinese medicine, of which acupuncture is one aspect, does offer is a profoundly different understanding of human physiology. Viewed through the prism of this other perspective we can gain a different angle from which to both understand and treat illness.

Let’s take for example the treatment of Meniere’s disease. While the Western bio-medical world considers this to be an idiopathic problem related the fluid balance of the inner ear, and offers at best symptomatic treatment to the accompanying dizziness, vertigo and hearing loss. Chinese herbal medicine comes at it from a profoundly different view.

It is difficult to explain in a short blog post, and it does not help that the technical language of Chinese medicine uses a poetic word-salad of exotic terms such as Yin, Yang and Qi. Like looking at a Chinese watercolor, it is easy to mistake the simplicity of the lines for a lack of creative depth. So too the technical language of Chinese medicine easily blinds our Western reductionist mind to the depth of what appear to be simple concepts.

Suffice it to say, as quantum physics has been pointing out for decades now; that the structures we use to see, influences what we see. So too it is with Chinese medical thought– its paradigm of functional interaction between organ systems gives us a more systemic view than that obtained by simply looking at individual organs.

In the case of something like Meniere’s disease we are not so much concerned with the water that is causing mischief in the inner ear, as we are with accessing the water metabolism throughout the entire body. This means we must look at local areas of fluid stagnation, the various processes that drive water metabolism, and why the ears in particular are prone to this problem.

So, which Chinese herbal formulations treat Meniere’s disease? As with most conditions treated by acupuncture and Chinese herbs we need to first be clear about how a problem is constellated before we can choose the most effective way to treat it.

One size does not fit all, and it is rare that “symptom=prescription.”

The key to using Chinese medicine well is to look beyond the symptoms to the underlying physiological dysfunction; the root of the problem if you will. That is where treatment is to be applied. It is vitally important to remember that similar symptoms may have vastly different underlying root causes. This is why two people can go to visit an Chinese herbalist for the same “problem,” and come out with two very different herbal prescriptions.

More often than not, getting to the root of the problem will result in symptoms resolving on their own.

Don’t get locked into a cycle of recurrent urinary tract infections

When antibiotics fail; more is not always better when treating urinary tract infections.

It is usually a simple 2+2 equation– urinary tract in infection equals a course or two, or three of antibiotics. It is such a common treatment that many doctors will not even check the urine for signs of bacteria overgrowth. Scanty and painful urination calls forth the penicillins, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Sometimes these clear up the problem, in which case there is no point in reading further. However, in those for whom these heavy hitters of the western pharmaceutical arsenal can not seem to put an end to the problem, then Chinese medicine has options that don’t involve the complete decimation of the intestinal tract’s beneficial bacteria. What’s more, they can be tremendously effective. As I had an 80+ year old patient recently comment, “my urination has not been this smooth in 30 years.”

Antibiotics are amazing medicines when used properly, and for the scope in which they are most effective. However, overuse of these magic bullets over the past 50+ years has brought with it the co-evolution of the very bacteria we are trying to control. Our magic bullet has had the unfortunate side effect of encouraging the growth of more virulent strains of pathogens. And like any war of force, escalation brings with it more escalation. And the “collateral damage” likewise becomes increasingly severe.

Chinese herbs offer a different approach. And there is a reason why in the past 2000 years the doctors of Asia have not developed formulations that “kill” the invader. Unlike our western medical model of kill, cut and control, the medicine of Asia seeks to promote balance, harmony and communication between the various body systems. Systems in balance, those that are strong and resilient, inherently have the capability to control pathogenic influences. Chinese medicine’s strength lays not so much in fighting pathogens, but in promoting a systemic homeostasis that just does not give pathogens an environment to collect and breed.

Does this mean that Chinese herbs can only be used to treat long-term chronic and unresolved urinary tract infections? In a word, no. There are a number of formulas that both “attack the pathogen, while re-balancing the system.” These prescriptions are good for acute UTI’s. And for those recurrent issues that multiple courses of antibiotics just don’t seem to touch, the more harmonizing and strengthening formulas are more appropriate.

Acupuncture too is helpful for UTI’s, especially with the symptomatic issues of burning and urinary frequency. Together acupuncture and herbs can bring relief to the sufferer of chronic urinary tract infections that have been failed by multiple courses of antibiotics.

And of course, there are things you can do for yourself that help to regain bladder health and balance. Unsweetened cranberry juice is a commonly used home cure that many people find to be helpful. Also, anything you can do to reduce inflammation in your system will have a positive effect on the urinary system. So when dealing with a lingering UTI, cut out the sugar, eat well, balance work and play, and make sure you are getting enough of the good essential fatty acids– fish oil is a great source of these. In essence to have balance within, it is important to have balance in various aspects of life. As is often the case, an illness or symptom just might be a call to see how we are unfolding our life and if a change is being asked for.

Some women use acupuncture as a last resort, while others use it at the first sign of an infection. If you would prefer to strengthen your body’s innate ability to ward off bladder infections, then a visit to your acupuncturist is a good place to start!

Acupuncture is well known for its ability to treat pain
, regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, and instill a deep sense of quietude and well-being. What is less well known is that Chinese herbal medicine can be effective in the treatment of certain “incurable” problems. I’m not suggesting magic here, or that Chinese medicine has secret methods that can cure any health concern. What Chinese medicine, of which acupuncture is one aspect, does offer is a profoundly different understanding of human physiology. Viewed through the prism of this other perspective we can gain a different angle from which to both understand and treat illness.

Let’s take for example the treatment of Meniere’s disease. While the Western bio-medical world considers this to be an idiopathic problem related the fluid balance of the inner ear, and offers at best symptomatic treatment to the accompanying dizziness, vertigo and hearing loss. Chinese herbal medicine comes at it from a profoundly different view.

It is difficult to explain in a short blog post, and it does not help that the technical language of Chinese medicine uses a poetic word-salad of exotic terms such as Yin, Yang and Qi. Like looking at a Chinese watercolor, it is easy to mistake the simplicity of the lines for a lack of creative depth. So too the technical language of Chinese medicine easily blinds our Western reductionist mind to the depth of what appear to be simple concepts.

Suffice it to say, as quantum physics has been pointing out for decades now; that the structures we use to see, influences what we see. So too it is with Chinese medical thought– its paradigm of functional interaction between organ systems gives us a more systemic view than that obtained by simply looking at individual organs.

In the case of something like Meniere’s disease we are not so much concerned with the water that is causing mischief in the inner ear, as we are with accessing the water metabolism throughout the entire body. This means we must look at local areas of fluid stagnation, the various processes that drive water metabolism, and why the ears in particular are prone to this problem.

So, which Chinese herbal formulations treat Meniere’s disease? As with most conditions treated by acupuncture and Chinese herbs we need to first be clear about how a problem is constellated before we can choose the most effective way to treat it.

One size does not fit all, and it is rare that “symptom=prescription.”

The key to using Chinese medicine well is to look beyond the symptoms to the underlying physiological dysfunction; the root of the problem if you will. That is where treatment is to be applied. It is vitally important to remember that similar symptoms may have vastly different underlying root causes. This is why two people can go to visit an Chinese herbalist for the same “problem,” and come out with two very different herbal prescriptions.

More often than not, getting to the root of the problem will result in symptoms resolving on their own.

Don’t get locked into a cycle of recurrent urinary tract infections

When antibiotics fail; more is not always better when treating urinary tract infections.

It is usually a simple 2+2 equation– urinary tract in infection equals a course or two, or three of antibiotics. It is such a common treatment that many doctors will not even check the urine for signs of bacteria overgrowth. Scanty and painful urination calls forth the penicillins, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Sometimes these clear up the problem, in which case there is no point in reading further. However, in those for whom these heavy hitters of the western pharmaceutical arsenal can not seem to put an end to the problem, then Chinese medicine has options that don’t involve the complete decimation of the intestinal tract’s beneficial bacteria. What’s more, they can be tremendously effective. As I had an 80+ year old patient recently comment, “my urination has not been this smooth in 30 years.”

Antibiotics are amazing medicines when used properly, and for the scope in which they are most effective. However, overuse of these magic bullets over the past 50+ years has brought with it the co-evolution of the very bacteria we are trying to control. Our magic bullet has had the unfortunate side effect of encouraging the growth of more virulent strains of pathogens. And like any war of force, escalation brings with it more escalation. And the “collateral damage” likewise becomes increasingly severe.

Chinese herbs offer a different approach. And there is a reason why in the past 2000 years the doctors of Asia have not developed formulations that “kill” the invader. Unlike our western medical model of kill, cut and control, the medicine of Asia seeks to promote balance, harmony and communication between the various body systems. Systems in balance, those that are strong and resilient, inherently have the capability to control pathogenic influences. Chinese medicine’s strength lays not so much in fighting pathogens, but in promoting a systemic homeostasis that just does not give pathogens an environment to collect and breed.

Does this mean that Chinese herbs can only be used to treat long-term chronic and unresolved urinary tract infections? In a word, no. There are a number of formulas that both “attack the pathogen, while re-balancing the system.” These prescriptions are good for acute UTI’s. And for those recurrent issues that multiple courses of antibiotics just don’t seem to touch, the more harmonizing and strengthening formulas are more appropriate.

Acupuncture too is helpful for UTI’s, especially with the symptomatic issues of burning and urinary frequency. Together acupuncture and herbs can bring relief to the sufferer of chronic urinary tract infections that have been failed by multiple courses of antibiotics.

And of course, there are things you can do for yourself that help to regain bladder health and balance. Unsweetened cranberry juice is a commonly used home cure that many people find to be helpful. Also, anything you can do to reduce inflammation in your system will have a positive effect on the urinary system. So when dealing with a lingering UTI, cut out the sugar, eat well, balance work and play, and make sure you are getting enough of the good essential fatty acids– fish oil is a great source of these. In essence to have balance within, it is important to have balance in various aspects of life. As is often the case, an illness or symptom just might be a call to see how we are unfolding our life and if a change is being asked for.

Some women use acupuncture as a last resort, while others use it at the first sign of an infection. If you would prefer to strengthen your body’s innate ability to ward off bladder infections, then a visit to your acupuncturist is a good place to start!

Acupuncture is well known for its ability to treat pain
, regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, and instill a deep sense of quietude and well-being. What is less well known is that Chinese herbal medicine can be effective in the treatment of certain “incurable” problems. I’m not suggesting magic here, or that Chinese medicine has secret methods that can cure any health concern. What Chinese medicine, of which acupuncture is one aspect, does offer is a profoundly different understanding of human physiology. Viewed through the prism of this other perspective we can gain a different angle from which to both understand and treat illness.

Let’s take for example the treatment of Meniere’s disease. While the Western bio-medical world considers this to be an idiopathic problem related the fluid balance of the inner ear, and offers at best symptomatic treatment to the accompanying dizziness, vertigo and hearing loss. Chinese herbal medicine comes at it from a profoundly different view.

It is difficult to explain in a short blog post, and it does not help that the technical language of Chinese medicine uses a poetic word-salad of exotic terms such as Yin, Yang and Qi. Like looking at a Chinese watercolor, it is easy to mistake the simplicity of the lines for a lack of creative depth. So too the technical language of Chinese medicine easily blinds our Western reductionist mind to the depth of what appear to be simple concepts.

Suffice it to say, as quantum physics has been pointing out for decades now; that the structures we use to see, influences what we see. So too it is with Chinese medical thought– its paradigm of functional interaction between organ systems gives us a more systemic view than that obtained by simply looking at individual organs.

In the case of something like Meniere’s disease we are not so much concerned with the water that is causing mischief in the inner ear, as we are with accessing the water metabolism throughout the entire body. This means we must look at local areas of fluid stagnation, the various processes that drive water metabolism, and why the ears in particular are prone to this problem.

So, which Chinese herbal formulations treat Meniere’s disease? As with most conditions treated by acupuncture and Chinese herbs we need to first be clear about how a problem is constellated before we can choose the most effective way to treat it.

One size does not fit all, and it is rare that “symptom=prescription.”

The key to using Chinese medicine well is to look beyond the symptoms to the underlying physiological dysfunction; the root of the problem if you will. That is where treatment is to be applied. It is vitally important to remember that similar symptoms may have vastly different underlying root causes. This is why two people can go to visit an Chinese herbalist for the same “problem,” and come out with two very different herbal prescriptions.

More often than not, getting to the root of the problem will result in symptoms resolving on their own.