Asthma treatment

Name: Blanca G.
Age: 32
Reason for consultation: Asthma

Antecedents: nothing relevant to the case.
Parents: The mother had several vascular brain incidents with almost total recovery. The father has a large history of conditions with Diabetes Mellitus., psoriasis, hypertension, tachycardia, rheumatic arthritis and the last year impotence. There are precedents of Diabetes in this part of the family.
Appearence: Slender woman,especially the legs, happy expression, strong look, very energetic.
History: Her asthma started when she was 24 years old related to a situation of high tension due to the bankruptcy of her father’s company.
The treatment she was receiving consisted of puffs of Ventolin and Prednizon during more than three years.
After those three years she looked for help abroad. A French specialist changed her medication to: Terbasnin, Terbutalinsulfathe and Pulmicord.

Asthma is a broncheo spasm that produces a restriction of air followed by a swelling in the mucus producing lining of the lungs. The cramp in the bronchus produces a difficulty in breathing out leading to an accumulation of mucus.

T.O.M. differntiates asthma between: Xiao; hissing, sibilant and Chuan: lack of breath.
The accumulation of ‘Tan’ which means: phlegm is a RESULT of asthma not the cause of the broncheo spasm. Would the asthma be caused by phlegm one would expect in diagnose a swollen tongue with a thick white layer, but that is normally not the case.
To differentiate :the Chuan condition improves when Tan is eliminated but Xiao hides in the lungs and comes out in bursts. It is the retention of ‘wind’ in the body. That is why diagnose by X-rays is not accurate because the phlegm only accumulates after several years.

‘Early onset asthma’ that starts during childhood is many times wrongly diagnosed because its first symptom is eczema. The treatment of this with cortisone, ‘pushes’ the asthma inside, worsening the condition.
The asthma that starts in adolescence, normally does not produce skin problems in the first stage.
The retention of ‘wind’ is normally due to a weak defensive energy (Wei Qi) and weakness of the energy of the lungs and the kidneys.
It is the kidneys who have to ‘recieve’ the life energy or: ‘Qi’. The tract of the kidney meridian makes it (picture) clear how the kidneys are related to the power of breathing in.
That is why traumas during birth and the ’first breath’ can have such a big influence on the development of asthma. The natural course of the birth process is of big importance because it ‘starts’ the whole organism and establishes the connection between the lungs and the kidneys.
That is why there is higher occurrence uof asthma under children born by caesarian.
Another aspect is the prematural cutting of the umbilical cord that inhibits the entrance of Immunoglobuline G (an important factor in our immunity system) in the newborn. This may weaken our defensive energy and can become an extra factor in the development of asthma.
The role of the kidneys is also shown by the fact that many woman who suffer from asthma see an important improvement during their pregnancy.

Pulse: tense, especially in the upper region, floating.
Tongue: normal tongue body and colour, little bit red at the point.
There is a feeling of coldness in the body, lack of air, oppression in the thorax, white mucus, frequent headaches and irritability especially in confrontations with authoritarian men.
Diagnose: Cold wind invasion in the lungs with a base of ‘wood insulting metal’. The overcharged energy of the liver inhibits the functioning of the lungs.
The cold wind has invaded the layer of the ‘Wei Qi’ (defensive energy) of the lungs and inhibits the dispersing and descending function of the lungs causing the lack of air and producing cough.

Treatment: Liberating the exterior, restore the descending and dispersing energy of the lungs , expels cold wind. Added to this is: Tonify the defensive energy of the kidneys and the lungs and harmonise the ‘Shen’ (mind).

Used points: Feng Men (bladder 12), Fei Shu (bladder 13), Lieque (lungs 7), Kongzu (lungs 6), Dingchuan (extra), Shen Men (heart 7), Fengchi (Gallbladder 20) and Jianjing (Gallbladder 21).

Feng Men and Fei Shu were first treated with cupping to liberate the exterior and establish the dispersing and descending function of the lungs. After that they were needled and direct moxa to expels the cold.
Lieque liberates the exterior , expulses cold wind  and helps the descending function of the lungs by opening Ren Mai (The sea of Yin).
Kongzui is a powerful accumulation point that is used in acute asthma.
Dingchuan (half a chun next to Dazhui, Du mai 14), is used in acute lack of breath.
Shen Men harmonises the Shen and calms the mind.
Fengchi and Jianjing disperse wind and by relaxing the trapezius muscle help the descending function of the lungs.

This was combined with Bioenergetic exercises to strengthen ‘Grounding’. These produce strong vibrations in the legs to open the channels and gave spectacular results.
This was followed by ‘pushing hands’ exercises (Qi Kung) to harmonise respiration with movement.

The emotional therapy helped to confront her self with the demanding pressure of the father and the competitive relationship with the mother.
Therapy made it  obvious how the inhibition of emotions in the development of her character had produced a stagnation of the liver energy that led to ‘wood insulting metal’.

After an improvement in her condition we changed to a treatment concentrated on liberating the chest and the flow of the energy of the liver (Qi Ji).
Gonsun (spleen 4) opens Chong mai meridian that connects with the uterus, essence of woman.
Neiguan (pericard 6) reduces the tension in the chest.
Shen men (heart 7), calms the mind.
Tai Chong (liver 3) regulates the flow of the liver energy.
This treatment produced immediate improvement of her state of mind.

After this phase we moved to a more structural treatment.
Shen Shu (bladder 23), Zhishi (bladder 52), Guanyuan (Ren mai 4), Huangshu  (kidney 6) and Fi Shu (bladder 13) to tonify the defensive energy of kidneys and lungs.
Lieque (lung 7), Chize (lung 5) and Shanzhong (Ren mai 17) to liberate the chest and reestablish the descending function of the lungs.
Shentin (du mai 24) and Shen Men (heart 7) to harmonise the mind.
Zu San Li (stomach 36) and Fenglong (stomach 40) to stimulate bloodproduction and dissolve phlegm.

Her asthma has virtually disappeared.