67. Dr. Jun Xu’s calling from West Africa

Dr. Jun Xu went to Leprosy village in 2013, 2014 and 2016, soon he will go to the leprosy village on March 31, 2017.

In 2013, there was no a single room being used for treatment in the leprosy village, Dr. Xu and his team had to use a tent. The temperature was around 125 Fahrenheit degrees.

The leprosy patients were waiting for their turn to be attended. Dr. Jun Xu saw about 200 patients a day.

Typical leprosy patient:
Early Stages
Spots of hypopigmented skin- discolored spots which develop on the skin
Anaesthesia(loss of sensation) in hypthese opigmented spots can occur as well as hair loss
“Skin lesions that do not heal within several weeks of and injury are a typical sign of leprosy.” (Sehgal 24)

Progression of disease

“Enlarged peripheral nerves, usually near joints, such as the wrist, elbow and knees.”(Sehgal 24)
Nerves in the body can be affected causing numbess and muscle paralysis
Claw hand- the curling of the fingers and thumb caused by muscle paralysis
Blinking reflex lost due to leprosy’s affect on one’s facial nerves; loss of blinking reflex can eventually lead to dryness, ulceration, and blindness
“Bacilli entering the mucous lining of the nose can lead to internal damage and scarring that, in time, causes the nose to collapse.”(Sehgal 27)
“Muscles get weaker, resulting in signs such as foot drop (the toe drags when the foot is lifted to take a step)”(Sehgal 27)

Long-term Effects
“If left untreated, leprosy can cause deformity, crippling, and blindness. Because the bacteria attack nerve ending, the terminal body parts (hands and feet) lose all sensations and cannot feel heat, touch, or pain, and can be easily injured…. Left unattended, these wounds can then get further infected and cause tissue damage.” (Sehgal 27)
As a result to the tissue damage, “fingers and toes can become shortened, as the cartilage is absorbed into the body…Contrary to popular belief, the disease does not cause body parts to ‘fall off’.” (Sehgal 27)

Every year, Dr. Jun Xu and his team bring around $300,000 worth of medicine donated from his team members and Americares in Stamford, CT to treat the leprosy and other patients in Senegal and Guinea Bissau. http://www.americares.org/, in 2017, his team also received medicine donation from Direct Relief in California, https://www.directrelief.org/.
Dr. Jun Xu and his team finally established a clinic in the leprosy village, one building for the clinic, and another building for the living of doctors and nurses.

Leprosy village people were celebrating the opening of the clinic.

There are 8 wards, which could hospitalize the patients if it is medically necessary.

Dr. Jun Xu’s team usually stay in Senegal for 10 to 14 days, these are the foods his team brought from US in order to keep them health and safe. They do not dare to eat street food.

The above are the coolants contained food Dr. Jun Xu’s team brought from US

Dr. Jun Xu and his team from US in 2006.
If you are interested in joining Dr. Jun Xu’s team or donating to his work in Senegal, please address your check payable to AGWV, and send to
Jun Xu, MD, 1171 E Putnam Avenue, Riverside, CT 06878, USA.
Dr. Xu promises that all your donation 100% will go to Senegal and his team will nerve use a penny from your donation. You will receive the tax deductible receipt. Any amount is a great help for Africa patients.
For more info, please visit our websites at
http://www.drxuacupuncture.co/ and http://www.africacriesout.org/

48. Acupuncture and Multiple Sclerosis

News Letter, Vol. 4 (12), December , 2012, © Copyright

Jun Xu, M.D. Lic. Acup., Hong Su, C.M.D., Lic. Acup.

Robert Blizzard III, DPT

www.drxuacupuncture.co

Rehabilitation Medicine and Acupuncture Center

1171 East Putnam Avenue, Building 1, 2^nd Floor

Greenwich, CT 06878

Tel: (203) 637-7720

Fax: (203)637-2693

Multiple Sclerosis

                                                                                    americancompanioncare.com

Jane is a 40 year-old woman who complains of feeling tired and fatigue now for 6 months.  She works as a computer programmer and has two children ages 4 and 6 years old. She never felt fatigue before, as she works 40 hours a week then comes home to take care of her family.  She recently reports heat intolerance and a stumbling gait with a tendency to fall. Two months ago the patient was working very hard and was under a lot of stress. She then got sick with the flu and her neurologic condition worsened. Her visual acuity also seemed to change periodically during several years.  She has had difficulty holding objects in her hands accompanied with significant tremors and severe exhaustion. She also had several bad falls. Since then, she had noticed multiple areas of joint pain on the right and subsequently on the left side of her body. Then, the patient abruptly developed a right side half body sensory deficit after several days of work.

She visited her Neurologist, who ordered a MRI scan which revealed a multifocal white matter  in both cerebral hemispheres. Spinal tap was also done which showed the presence of oligoclonal bands in Cerebral Spinal Fluid. Visual evoked response testing was abnormal with slowed conduction in optic nerves.

This patient is most likely to have Multiple Sclerosis. This disease occurs more often in women between ages of 20-40.  MS is caused by damage to the myelin in the central nervous system, and to the nerve fibers, which interferes with the transmission of nerve signals between the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the body. Depending on the location of the pathology, patients reveal the following symptoms.

Most Common Symptoms

Some symptoms of MS are much more common than others.

Fatigue

Numbness

Walking (Gait), Balance, & Coordination Problems

Bladder Dysfunction

Bowel Dysfunction

Vision Problems

Dizziness and Vertigo

Sexual Dysfunction

Pain

Cognitive Dysfunction

Emotional Changes

Depression

Spasticity

Less Common Symptoms
These symptoms also occur in MS, but much less frequently.

Speech Disorders

Swallowing Problems

Headache

Hearing Loss

Seizures

Tremor

Respiration / Breathing Problems

Itching

The Criteria for a Diagnosis of MS

In order to make a diagnosis of MS, the physician must:

• Find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves AND
• Find evidence that the damage occurred at least one month apart AND
• Rule out all other possible diagnoses

In 2001, the International Panel on the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis updated the criteria to include specific guidelines for using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual evoked potentials (VEP) and cerebrospinal fluid analysis to speed the diagnostic process. These tests can be used to look for a second area of damage in a person who has experienced only one attack (also called a relapse or an exacerbation) of MS-like symptoms — referred to as a clinically-isolated syndrome (CIS). A person with CIS may or may not go on to develop MS.

The criteria  (now referred to as The Revised McDonald Criteria) were further revised in 2005 and again in 2010 to make the process even easier and more efficient. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ana.22366/full)

Treatment

There is no known cure for multiple sclerosis at this time. However, there are therapies that may slow the disease. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms and help you maintain a normal quality of life.

Medications used to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis are taken on a long-term basis, they include:

• Interferons (Avonex, Betaseron, or Rebif), glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), and natalizumab (Tysabri)
• Fingolimod (Gilenya )
• Methotrexate, azathioprine (Imuran), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) may also be used if the above drugs are not working well

Steroids may be used to decrease the severity of attacks.

Medications to control symptoms may include:

• Medicines to reduce muscle spasms such as Lioresal (Baclofen), tizanidine (Zanaflex), or a benzodiazepine
• Cholinergic medications to reduce urinary problems
• Antidepressants for mood or behavior symptoms
• Amantadine for fatigue

The following may also be helpful for people with MS:

• Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and support groups
• Assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, bed lifts, shower chairs, walkers, and wall bars
• A planned exercise program early in the course of the disorder
• A healthy lifestyle, with good nutrition and enough rest and relaxation
• Avoiding fatigue, stress, temperature extremes, and illness
• Changes in what you eat or drink if there are swallowing problems
• Making changes around the home to prevent falls

At some stage during the course of MS, over 75% of people report problems with balance.  In addition to issues with balance is the prevalence of falls which is reported to be over 50%.

Evidence suggests that balance may be positively improved by:

Individual physiotherapy using facilitation and functional activities

Group exercise classes, primarily by way of a functional based framework

Home balance training interventions

Targeted force-platform balance tasks

(Balance for people with multiple sclerosis. ISBN: 978-0-9806637-2-3. MS Australia June 2009)

http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/687/designing-balance-exercise-programs-for-older/

It is critical to prevent overheating while exercising or performing daily activities as this will cause MS symptoms to become much worse.  Taking numerous breaks with exercise, breaking daily chores down into smaller steps and avoiding hot and humid weather are a few steps to take.  A cool water swimming pool is a great way to seek a fitness routine or finding a gym with air conditioner during the hotter months of the year.  Again heat and humidity will cause nerve transmission to become slower and make symptoms intensify until body temperature returns and all of this can occur in just a half degree raise in body temperature.

Acupuncture treatment for MS:

Acupuncture can not cure MS, however, acupuncture treatment may significantly improve patient’s symptom, the following methods could be used to help MS patients.

1. Common used points: Du20 Bai Hui, GB7 Qu Bing, GB8 Shuai Gu, UB9 Yu Zhen, Ht7 Shen Men, GB20 Feng Chi, UB15 Xin Shu, UB20 Pi Shu, UB18 Gan Shu, UB23 Shen Shu, UB32 Chi Liao, GB30 Huan Tiao, Sp6 San Yin Jiao, Lv3 Tai Cong, UB2 Zan Zhu, Kid3 Tia Xi.
2. Fatigue and depression: Major points: St 36 Zu San Li, PC6 Nei Guan, LI4 He Gu, Ht7 Shen Meng, Sp6 San Yin Jiao, GB20 Feng Chi, Du20 Bai Hui, EX-HN1 Si Shen Cong, assistant points: Du14 Da zhui, Ren12 Zhong Wan, Ren14  Ju Que, Ren6 Qi Hai, Ren4 Guang Yuan, UB21 Wei Shu and UB23 Shen Shu.
3. Weakness in the upper extremities: LI15 Jian Yu, LI11 Qu Chi, LI10 Shou San Li, SJ5 Wai Guan, LI4 He Gu
4. Weakness in the lower extremities: GB30 Huan Tiao, St31 Bi Guan, GB31 Feng Shi, St36 Zu San Li, GB34 Yang Ling Quan, Sp6 San Yin Jiao, GB39 Xuan Zhong, UB60 Kun Lun.
5. Speech difficulty: Ren23 Lian Quan, LI4 He Gu, Ht5 Tong Li, Du15 Ya Meng,
6. Swallow difficulty: Ren22 Tian Tu, Ren23 Lian Quan, LI18 Hu Tu, GB20 Feng Chi, LI4 He Gu
7. Bladder Dysfunction: Ren4 Guan Yuan, Ren6 Qi Hai, Ren3 Zhong Ji, UB23 Shen Shu
8. Constipation: St36 Zu San Li, GB34 Yang Ling Quan, St25 Tian Shu, UB19 Da Chang Shu, Ren12 Zhong Wan
9. Vision: UB1 Jing Ming, EX-HN5 Tai Yan, GB37 Guan Ming
10. Facial Paralysis: SJ17 Yi Feng, St7 Xia Guan, St4 Di Chang, St6 Jia Che

Jane’s Treatment:

Jane’s main complaints are fatigue and weakness with visional difficulty. I choose the first and second groups of the points, plus Jing Ming, Tai Yan, Guang Ming. She received my treatment 3 x per week for 4 weeks, she felt her energy level was much better. She also was told not to be exposed to heat, because heat usually exacerbated fatigue and weakness. Her symptoms were getting better, she then kept her treatment once a week for maintenance. Her quality of life now is much improved.

Tips for Acupuncturists:

1. St36 Zu San Li, Sp6 San Yin Jiao, LI4 He Gu and LI11 Qu Chi are most important points to improve energy and decrease fatigue for MS patients.
2. Du20 Bai Hui and EX-HN1 Si sheng Cong can greatly decrease patients’ depression and improve energy.

Tips for Patients:

1, Massage Zu San Li 10 min x 2 to 3 per day will improve your energy level.

2.  Avoid over heat, the more heat you exposed, the more fatigue and depression you will         have.

44. Acupuncture and Irritable Bowel Syndrome-IBS

News Letter, Vol. 4 (8), Auguse , 2012, © Copyright

Jun Xu, M.D. Lic. Acup., Hong Su, C.M.D., Lic. Acup.

Robert Blizzard III, DPT

www.drxuacupuncture.co

Rehabilitation Medicine and Acupuncture Center

1171 East Putnam Avenue, Building 1, 2^nd Floor

Greenwich, CT 06878

Tel: (203) 637-7720

Fax: (203)637-2693

Irritable Bowel Syndrome—IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Lucy P. is a thirty-two-year-old student who came to me complaining of abdominal pain. She told me the pain is slow to come on. She feels it off and on and it can either be severe or mild. She also feels bloated and gaseous, and has constipation alternating with diarrhea, which produces mucus in the stool and is sometimes worse in the morning.

She generally feels mild depression, is shy and afraid to talk with people, and is unable to find a job. When she lived at home for five years after graduation, her parents encouraged her to go out and find employment, but her lack of communication skills made this impossible, so she decided to go back to school and earn a graduate degree in media communications. With graduation approaching, she began to feel nervous, knowing her parents expected her to get a job immediately after graduation. And she was depressed, experiencing insomnia, stomach aches, abdominal pain, and the bloating and diarrhea that sometimes turned to constipation. She was also vomiting and the pain and diarrhea she was experiencing interrupted her sleep and caused weight loss. She was frustrated with her condition, as were her parents, which is why she sought help from me.

A physical examination showed that Lucy had a soft abdomen, a normal bowel sound, no fever or chills, and a negative stool culture. I also sent her for a colonoscopy, which was negative as well. I determined that Lucy might have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic gastrointestinal disorder of unknown cause, whose symptoms include the same abdominal cramping and pain, bloating, gassiness, and alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation she was experiencing.

Unlike ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, IBS is not an inflammatory intestinal disease. It does not cause inflammation or changes in bowel tissues, and it does not increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In many cases, IBS may be attributed to diet, lifestyle, and stress. It can be very difficult to diagnose because IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. A CT scan and laparotomy study may be needed, even a colonoscopy, to first rule out cancer, gastritis, peptic ulcer, or the like. After all these diseases have been eliminated, it is then possible to make a diagnosis of IBS—irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatments in Western Medicine

People with irritable bowel syndrome should temporarily avoid all dairy products in order to rule out lactose intolerance, which sometimes mimics IBS. It is also necessary to avoid certain foods, such as the cruciferous vegetables—broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower—and beans as these can increase the bloating and gassiness. It may also help to increase the intake of fibers and try to decrease stress. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe antidepressant or antispasmodic medications, such as Bemote, Bentyl, and Lesin, or anti-diarrhea medication, such as Imodium. There are also some new medications that can probably help, such as tegaserod (brand name Zelnorm), used for the short-term treatment of IBS when constipation is the main symptom, and Lotronex, used for severe, chronic, diarrhea-predominant IBS. This latter drug may, however, cause many undesirable side effects, including death in men, so this treatment is approved only for women—and then, as for all pharmaceutical drugs, with caution.

Treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The abdominal pain of this disorder is associated with the development of external disease and internal deficiency.Three types are associated with this condition.

• Type 1 is excessive coldness. Its main symptom is the abdominal pain, which becomes worse when the person drinks cold water. Also when the abdomen is exposed to cold in both the upper and lower extremities, that leads to low energy. In this case, the large intestine has no pushing force and and that triggers constipation; the person does not feel thirsty, however, and has long, cold urination. The principle of the treatment is to warm up the intestine and decrease the pain. The acupuncture points used are Ren 12 Zhong Wan, Ren 4 Guan Yuan, St 36 Zu San Li, and Sp 4 Gong Sun. The latter two can help decrease the coldness and improve the stomach movement, and St 36 and Sp 4 decrease the stomach ache and improve the spleen and stomach function.

                                                                      Table 8-1

Please refer to the accompanying Figures (illustrations) for the

locations of the points. And please note that these illustrations are

for information only and may not show all the exact locations of

the acupuncture points.

Figure 8.1

Fig 8.2

• Type 2 is excessive hotness of the abdomen. This manifests itself in bloating, and in hardness and tenderness of the abdomen. The person craves cold water, becomes constipated, and experiences short, hot urination, and yellowish and dry coating of the tongue. The treatment for this condition is to eliminate the heat and treat the constipation. The acupuncture points are UB 25 Da Chang Shu, UB 24 Qi Hai Shu, St 37 Shang Ju Xu, LI 4 He Gu, LI 11 Qui Qi, St 44 Nei Ting, UB 24 and 25, and they are all very effective points to help bowel movements. LI 4 and LI 11 enhance the effectiveness of the rest of the points to improve bowel movements, so all these points together will increase pushing energy in the large intestine.

Figure 8.3

Table 8.2

Please refer to the accompanying Figures (illustrations) for the

locations of the points. And please note that these illustrations are

for information only and may not show all the exact locations of

the acupuncture points.

• Type 3 is excessive activity of the liver qi (energy) causing abdominal pain. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, as well as a pain that radiates to the chest, and shooting pains down the side of the abdomen that feel better after a deep sigh. The pain becomes worse during a panic attack, depression, or periods of anxiety. The principal treatment for this type of IBS is to regulate the liver energy and decrease the abdominal pain, so the acupuncture points used for treatment are Liver UB 18 Gan Shu, Liver 3 Tai Cong, and Liver 14 Qi Meng. Since these points all are related to the liver, they will calm the hyperactivity of the liver energy, and improve the liver’s function of regulating the stomach and the large intestine’s movement and function. St 25 Tian Shu and St 36 Zu San Li are the important points that help make the necessary adjustment to the stomach and large intestine and decrease the diarrhea and constipation. GB 34 Yang Ling Quan and RN 6 Qi Hai improve the energy flow of the abdomen and decrease muscle spasms in the bowels and stomach. Taken together, all these points will help for this type of IBS.

Table 8.3

Please refer to the accompanying Figures (illustrations) for the

locations of the points. And please note that these illustrations are

for information only and may not show all the exact locations of

the acupuncture points.

Figure 8.4

Lucy’s Treatment

Lucy underwent treatment three times a week for five weeks, which greatly diminished her symptoms and gave her relief. I also prescribed some Chinese herbs for her constipation, and treated her depression with points on the top of her head (Shi Sheng Chong), which helped lessen her depression. Treating emotional disturbances is very important as it is one of the most effective remedies for IBS. Once Lucy’s depression, anxiety, and panic attacks were brought under control, her IBS symptoms were greatly reduced.

Tips for Personal Use

• Take it easy. Emotional stress is very harmful for IBS.
• Focus on acupressure points St 36 and RN 6. Acupressure the points with your thumb or knuckle, pressing with comfortable pressure on the points; count to 20, then change to another point.
• Get deep massages and use a heating pad.