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Oncology

Q: Is there any dietary restraint for cancer patients? What food is good for cancer patients?
A: In Chinese medicine, certain kinds of food including shrimp, crab, neck and head of pig, scaleless fish (e.g. eel), and lamb may increase the chance of relapse or spread of tumor. Thus, cancer patients should avoid. Besides those mentioned, cancer patients could eat anything to meet the nutritional requirement.
Q: Lingzhi, Yunzhi, Ginseng and Chinese caterpillar fungus etc. have been claimed with anticancer effect, are they good for all cancer patients? Are they also good for healthy people taken regularly?
A: Research studies have found that Lingzhi, Yunzhi, Ginseng and Chinese caterpillar fungus do contain anti-cancer components. However, they could not relieve any cancer-related problems by theirs’ own. In order to have a good management of cancer, integrative measures should be taken based on the unique condition of each patient. Therefore, how to use these herbs as part of the treatment should be instructed by registered CMP1.

Normally there is no need for healthy people to take these herbs because adverse effects may result if these herbs are used wrongly. For example, if someone with “internal-fire” takes Ginseng, which is “hot” in nature, or if somebody with “weak spleen” and “cold stomach” have too much Chinese caterpillar fungus, discomforts may happen.
Q: Are all anticancer herbs suitable for cancer patients to take?
A: In theory, many herbs possess anticancer effect. However, prescription with these Chinese medicinal herbs must be guided by Chinese medicine theory. Also, such prescription should be unique for individual’s condition. Just a few anticancer herbs could rarely exert beneficial or curative effects. Thus, patients should not take any herbs without the professional guidance from registered CMP1.
Q: Could cancer be treated with both Western and Chinese medicines? Is there any adverse effect when taking Western and Chinese medicines at the same time?
A: Cancer treatment should be multi-modality as cancer affects the whole body. From the experience of clinical practice, Chinese medicine shows good effects on reducing, or controlling the side-effects of other cancer treatments (e.g. surgery, chemo-/ radiotherapy); so that patients can finish the whole treatment smoothly or even earlier. Thus, Chinese medicine can be applied in the treatment of cancer, together with Western medicine. Normally, there is no problem to take Western and Chinese medicines at the same time, provided that there is at least 2-hour interval. However, specific application should be consulted from professionals in advance.

Orthopedics and Traumatology

Q: What kind of exercises are suitable for the patients with orthopedic problems?
A: Appropriate exercises can speed up recovery. But what to do should depend on the individual’s condition and the recovery progress. Chinese medicine emphasizes the combination of rest and exercises to treat orthopedic problems. Therefore, during consultation, CMP1 may recommend patients to do suitable exercises to accelerate the recovery.
Q: Why should patients with orthopedic problems always keep warm?
A: Coldness stimulates the vessels of skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle to constrict, thus reducing the blood supply of tissues. This further worsens the adhesion of joints, causing muscle stiffness and limitation of movement. Therefore, in order to prevent worsening or recurrence of diseases, patients should always keep warm.
Q: Do I need to bring examination reports during consultation?
A: It is helpful to bring along your examination reports during consultation as they are useful for CMP1 to better understand your diseases. According to the condition, CMP1 may request patients to do certain examinations for more accurate diagnosis.

Acupuncture and Tui-na

Q: What should be pay attention to when doing acupuncture?
A: Before treatment:

  1. Wear loosely-fit clothes
  2. Not suitable for acupuncture when: hungry, full-stomach, thirsty, scared, angry, nervous, or urgency, and after vigorous exercise. Also, it is not advisable to do acupuncture when one is exhausted or just after severe insomnia. Otherwise, fainting spell may happen due to adverse rising of “qi”.
  3. Before treatment, sit down and rest for 5 minutes. Relax and keep calm.

During treatment:

  1. Maintain a comfortable posture and peaceful mind. Sit properly without overlapping the legs.
  2. Relax. Do not change your posture or move to avoid pain and dangers.
  3. If there is any discomforts (e.g. dizziness, anorexia, sweating, palpitation, dry-mouth, blurred vision, shortness of breath etc.), which are the signs for fainting spell, please inform the clinic staff immediately.
  4. Feeling of aching, numbness, distension, swelling, electric-shock, formication, are the normal needling sensation. No need to worry.
  5. Patients of stroke, weakness, disability, severe illness should be accompanied with carers for the sake of safety.

After treatment:

  1. Do not rub the acupuncture area to prevent bruise, bleeding or infection.
  2. If there is bruise after acupuncture, don’t be worry. It will disappear within days. Or heat therapy can be used to speed up the absorption of bruise.
  3. It is normal to continuously experience aching, numbness etc. for hours or even days. No need to worry.
  4. Acupuncture is a kind of physical therapy. One can bath, work, exercise as usual after acupuncture.
  5. Every acupuncture treatment requires 20 to 30 minutes. Those young or acute injured patients would have quicker effect. Those older, weaker or chronic disease patients usually require long term treatment. At least 2-3 times a week is good enough.
  6. Acupuncture not only relieve pain, which also treat many diseases. Combination of acupuncture and internal medicines can enhance curative effect and shorten the treatment course.
Q: What are the contraindications for Tui-na?
A: Acute abdomen, suppurative diseases or TB2 of musculoskeletal systems, regional area of tumor, hemorrhagic diseases, wounds, burnt areas, abdominal and lumbar region during pregnancy, severe heart diseases, any serious conditions etc.
Q: What should be noted for patients with protrusion of cervical intervertebral disc?
A:
  1. Use hard-mattress bed and low pillow.
  2. Avoid bending the neck down (such as reading or typing) for a prolonged period. Changing postures periodically is recommended.
  3. Keep the neck warm. Adequate rest and avoid exhausted.
  4. Wear neck-protector while riding motorcycle. Avoid taking high speed car to prevent neck injury during sudden stop. Serious neck injury could cause paraplegia.
  5. Do appropriate exercise, e.g. stretch and exercise your neck in different directions, to strengthen the neck muscles as well as increase the stability of the neck.
Q: What should be noted for patients with protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc?
A:
  1. During treatment, especially at the acute phase, patients should use hard-mattress bed. Keep warm especially for lumbar region.
  2. Do appropriate exercise during recovery stage.

Cardiology

Q: Could patients with coronary heart disease or hypertension engage in physical activities? What should be noted doing exercise?
A: Regular and appropriate exercises are good for patients with heart diseases and hypertension. They include walking, jogging, Tai-chi, or cycling etc. Several points that should be noted during exercise:

  1. Choose appropriate exercise according to your ability. Never exceed your limit.
  2. Keep calm and happy.
  3. Maintain proper progress based on your ability. Keep up with exercises but not over-exert.
  4. Before and after exercise, avoid big meal.
  5. Do not do vigorous exercises within 2 hours after drinking strong tea or coffee.
  6. Before exercise, avoid alcohol.
Q: Could hypertension be treated with both western and Chinese medicines simultaneously?
A: The anti-hypertensive effect of Chinese medications is slow but long-lasting. It is good at treating symptoms with less side-effects. It is possible for hypertension to be simultaneously treated with both western and Chinese medicines only when it is under the supervision of experienced Western and Chinese doctors. Also, there should be at least 2-hours interval when taking western and Chinese medicines.
Q: What kind of food is not suitable for hyperlipidemia patients?
A: Hyperlipidemia patients should limit the intake of cholesterol and fat. They should restrict the intake of :

  1. Food which is rich in saturated fat such as animal fat, fatty meat, butter and palm oil.
  2. Food which is high in cholesterol such as yolk, animal organs, roe, squid and cuttlefish.

Hepatology

Q: What are the dietary therapies for hepatitis?
A:
  1. Soup with chicken-bone herb
    Ingredients: chicken-bone herb 30g, appropriate amount of red date, lean meat 100-200g
    Procedures: Boil all ingredients with water, and add little amount of salt for flavorings.
    Effect: Remove excess-heat and toxins, good for jaundice.
  2. Soup with green bean sprouts
    Ingredients: green bean sprouts, appropriate amount of ginger, black carp or lean meat 100-200g
    Procedures: Boil all ingredients with water, and add little amount of salt for flavorings.
    Effect: Induce diuresis to relieve edema
  3. Soup with Danshen
    Ingredients: Danshen 15g, edible frog 2pcs
    Procedures: Clean the edible frog and remove all the internal organs. Boil all ingredients with water, and add little amount of salt for flavorings.
Q: What are the dietary therapies for liver cirrhosis?
A:
  1. White gourd congee : Ingredients: White gourd 60g, rice 30-60g
    Procedures: Cut white gourd into small pieces and cook with rice until becomes congee. Eat twice a day.
    Effect: Induce diuresis, good for ascites.
  2. Soup with carp and adsuki bean:Ingredients: Carp, dried citrus peel 6g, adsuki bean 120g
    Procedures: Remove the scale of carp. Boil all ingredients with water as soup. Take 2-3 times a week.
    Effect: Good for liver cirrhosis patients.
Q: What should be noted for patients with fatty liver?
A: Do :

  1. ensure adequate intake of protein from fish, egg or tofu etc.
  2. choose variety of fruit and vegetables which are rich in vitamins.
  3. select food that is good for fatty liver such as dried scallop, dried mussel, sesame, seaweed etc.

Don’t :

  1. alcohol
  2. fatty food
  3. deep frying
  4. over take of sugary food such us potatoes, taros etc.
  5. pungent food such as garlic, chili, curry etc.
Q: What are the common lipid-lowering herbs?
A: Common lipid-lowering herbs include hawthorn, Chinese rhubarb, kudzu vine, fleeceflower root, oriental water plantain, virgate wormwood herb, Chinese thorowax root, lotus leaves, cassia seed etc., which should only be used under the professional guidance of registered CMP1.

Otorinolaryngology

Q: Could auditory vertigo cause deafness?
A: Auditory vertigo is a kind of intractable disease, in which some patients will experience recurrent after treatment. Prolonged auditory vertigo can cause persistent tinnitus and irreversible deafness. However, it is rarely a life-threatening condition.
Q: Is allergic rhinitis curable?
A: Allergic rhinitis is a kind of common disease that would be easily recurrent. However, with Chinese medicine and proper life style as well as diet, symptoms of rhinitis could be well managed.
Q: Would too much talking worsen pharyngitis?
A: Talking too much would certainly worsen pharyngitis. Improper use of voice not only worsens pharyngitis and prolongs its recovery, but also causes other diseases of pharynx. For example, vocal nodules, acute and chronic laryngitis. Thus, it is important to use the voice correctly, especially for those people who need to talk much, such as teachers.

Remarks:
1. CMP – Chinese Medicine Practitioner
2. TB – tuberculosis

All information is for reference only. Please consult registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner for any medical enquiries.