Treatments

Essential Oils and Acupuncture

June 24, 2011 – 4:49 pm

I have been asked to do a presentation about the medical use of essential oils. As a practitioner of 5 element acupuncture and Zen shiatsu in Portland Oregon, I use essential oils and aromatherapy as a complimentary addition to my existing practice. I often provide blends of essential oils for my clients as a part of my treatments.

I do consider myself as a student of this art and I am drawn to it by my curiosity of the alchemical aspect of the essential oils and its potential for transformation in a human being.

I would like to share some basic concepts and blend suggestions with you. The notes following were part of a presentation I gave at Helvetia farm in Hillsboro , Oregon on 6/25 and 7/9-10/11.

If you have any questions, please contact me by email at aja@portlandtraditionalacupuncture.com or through my website at www.portlandtraditionalacupuncture.com. ,

Body and facial oils for preventative treatments: 20 drops per 2 ounces of carrier oil.
Body and facial oils for therapeutic treatments: 40 drops per 2 ounces of carrier oil.

Put 1 tablespoon of an oil in a tub of bathwater.

Massage oil/ general/ 25 drops per 2 ounces of carrier oil.

Inhalation therapy: 2 pints of water with 5 drops of oil used for an inhalation.

Aroma lamps: 6-15 drops, check water frequently.

Compresses: 10 drops to 2 pits of water, using alternating hot and cold compresses. Hot compress 5min, cold compress 5 min. Repeat 3 times end on warm.
Suitable oil/ Cypress/
Use on legs to improve blood circulation, reduce varicose veins or gangrene.

How to blend oil
A/
based on condition:
acute- top note
chronic- middle,base notes

B/ based on law of signature: . EO is genetic unfolding of the plant, oils from flowers, leaves, twigs, roots bark have a different properties.

C/based on emotion: anger, frustration- bergamot,
anxiety- chamomile
pensiveness, vindictiveness, obsession-basil, nutmeg
grief, sadness, sorrow, depression-pine, sweet thyme, mandarin orange.
worry- cinnamon bark , cypress, lavender

D/ based on a rate of evaporation:
E/ based on mutual esensuation or enhancement:
F/ based on affinity to the organ or a meridian in a Chinese herbal view:

Most essential oils formulas on a market today are based on aroma compatibility.
Bellow are some resources I have found to be very useful.

Materia Medica of essential oils can be purchased : info@herbalroom.com

Recommended websites for a good quality oils are: http://www.sunrosearomatics.com/

http://www.originalswissaromatics.com/

Recommend readings about medical aromatherapy:

http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Aromatherapy-Healing-Essential-Oils/dp/1883319692

Above information are notes from the lecture on Essential oils presented by Jeffrey Yuen in 1998 in NewYork.

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For Women

Vaginal Health

March 1, 2011 – 1:38 am

As a Five Element Acupuncturist and Zen Shiatsu practitioner, I often treat women who are suffering from menstrual cramping, irregular periods, vaginal infections, hemorrhoids and and a variety of PMS symptoms. When I ask my clients what they are doing for vaginal self-care, the usual response is confused silence.  Western cultures give short shrift to vaginal health, with the primary advice being to just leave it alone.  Traditional medicine in many Asian, Latin American and indigenous cultures utilized herbs and steam baths to maintain vaginal health.

The Korean method (called chai-yok) of vaginal steam baths are beginning to get some attention in the US.  Chai-yok is a safe, non-invasive method for fighting infections, clearing hemorrhoids, regulating menstrual cycles and increasing fertility. Vaginal steam baths involve a woman sitting in an open-seated chair (like a commode or birthing chair), or squatting over an herb-infused steaming bowl of water.  The warm steam bathes the vulva, rises through the vaginal opening, past the cervix and into the uterus.  Treatments can last 25 minutes to an hour, and are often described as a deeply relaxing and restorative experience. Although you can take a vaginal steam bath any time of the month, you will likely see the most benefit 2-3 days before your period begins.  It is also a great treatment for women who have recently given birth. If your menstrual blood at the beginning of your period is dark and clotted, you will likely see a benefit from monthly vaginal steam baths.  Once your menstrual blood at the beginning of your period is bright red, with little or no clotting, you can reduce the frequency of vaginal steam baths to four times a year (ideally done at the changing of the seasons).

Vaginal steam baths can be done at home or at a Korean spa.  For those of us in Portland, we are fortunate to have a Korean Spa called Jade Sauna. If you prefer to give yourself a vaginal steam bath at home, boil your herbs [what herbs} and let the water cool enough so that it won’t burn you.  Then you can squat over the steaming herbs for [How Long?]  You can purchase an open-seated stool for vaginal steam baths from Roseta Arvigo.  

After a treatment, you should be sure to drink a lot of water to help flush your system. I take vaginal steam baths as part of my own health management and I am very pleased with the results. If you have any questions or would like any information, please feel free to call me at 503-928-9916 or email me at aja@portlandtraditionalmedicine.com.

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