abstracted & translated by Honora Lee Wolfe, Lic. Ac., FNAAOM This is really some food for thought, folks, about how we treat our patients and why some do get better and some don’t, why some have side effects and some don’t. While I might be op… more »

By Eric Brand I have a webinar tomorrow at 1 pm MST (noon PST, 3 pm EST). Here is the link to sign up. It's free! Chinese herbal pharmacy is an ancient and complex discipline within Chinese medicine. Over the centuries, many different regional… more »

By Eric Brand Today a colleague alerted us to the fact that a popular “patent medicine” known as Po Chai was recently recalled in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. Po Chai pills, called Bao Ji Wan in Mandarin, are one of the most famous OTC products i… more »

By Eric Brand This weekend we have a fantastic special on Wang Qing-Ren’s “Zhu Yu Tang” family of formulas for blood stasis. The “Zhu Yu Tang” (Stasis-Expelling Decoctions) formula family is one of the most important groups of formulas for treating… more »

by Shawn Kirby L.Ac. The first cup moistens my lips and throat; The second cup banishes all loneliness; The third cup clears my mind of words and books. At the fourth cup, I begin to perspire – life’s troubles evaporate through my pores. The fi… more »

By Eric Brand Did you take all your money out of stocks and hide it in your socks during the recession? Does your cash-only clinic leave you with lots of cash to stash and no place to put it? The recent economic crash was a shock to many and more tha… more »

By Eric Brand U.S. FDA law currently regards granules as dietary supplements. In the USA, specific laws regarding cGMPs (current Good Manufacturing Practices) apply to dietary supplements, and many practitioners are uncertain about the degree to whic… more »

By Eric Brand The other day Bob alerted me to a very interesting article in a Chinese journal (Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Internal Medicine, Nov. 2009, Vol. 23, No. 12). The article measured the content of various minerals, trace elem… more »

by Bob Flaws As I think I have mentioned previously on this blog, my first teacher of Chinese medicine was Michael Broffman. In one of those early classes, Michael talked about the importance of follow-up. This means getting back in touch with a pati… more »

Come check out Honora's free webinar tomorrow (Thursday March 18th) at 1 pm Mountain Time! Her topic is: Treatments & Procedures of the Most Successful Acupuncture Clinics For many acupuncturists the last year has been a challenge; patients a… more »

By Eric Brand We are proud to announce that an online poll by the folks at Chinese Medicine Tools recently voted Blue Poppy as the #1 website for TCM research! With over 1400 free translated Chinese journal summaries and articles at our TCMinfol… more »

By Eric Brand In school, we learn that Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) and Chi Shao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra) were not differentiated in ancient times. For example, classical texts from the Han dynasty such as the Shang Han Lun (“On Cold Damage”) and th… more »

by Shawn Kirby L.Ac. Here’s a little philosophy for you: You wouldn’t, provided that you were a sensible person, drive your car straight into a brick wall. The brick wall would bring your car to a crashing halt without much trouble. If you are a… more »

abstracted & translated by Bob Flaws, L.Ac. Keywords: Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, gynecology, perimenopausal depression, Xiao Yao San In Shi Yong Zhong Yi Nei Ke Za Zhi (Journal of Practical Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine),… more »

By Eric Brand When most Chinese medicine practitioners think of bing lang (betel nut), we think of a dried cross section of a seed that is used to kill parasites, downbear qi, and disinhibit urination. Few practitioners know that betel nut is also c… more »

By Eric Brand Here is an interesting article from Taiwan on Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang. The article assesses several products on the market for the presence of aristolochic acid (AA), which would come from the presence of Xi Xin in Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang.… more »

by Bob Flaws If people know you're a doctor, they're always asking you in social settings how to treat this or that ailment they or a loved one is suffering from. If people know you're a famous doctor, albeit of Chinese medicine, these kinds of reque… more »

By Eric Brand What is the difference between full-spectrum extracts and standardized extracts? What do these terms mean and how do they affect us as Chinese medical practitioners? 1. Full Spectrum Extracts In the context of Chinese medicine, f… more »

by Malia Kirby I am not a person who ignores coincidences. Usually, when they occur in my life, I tend to stand up and take notice and yesterday, when my hubby told me to check out the recent post a colleague and fellow SWAC grad wrote and I found m… more »

By Eric Brand The Qing dynasty materia medica text Ben Cao Bei Yao (The Essential Herbal Foundation) was written in 1694 CE by Wang Ang. This book provides us with insight into the actions ascribed to herbs in the Qing dynasty, just prior to the mod… more »

By Eric Brand Chinese medical theory is constantly evolving; many fundamental theories have been questioned, analyzed, and refined throughout history. A number of diseases and pathomechanisms that were recognized historically were discarded by subse… more »

By Eric Brand I've made several posts about the work of Prof. Zhao Zhongzhen, one of the world's leading experts in herbal medicine authentication. Prof. Zhao is somewhat akin to a modern day Li Shi-Zhen, with his tireless pursuit of scholarship and… more »

By Eric Brand In this photo we have several different types of red ginseng. Red ginseng is processed by steaming, which causes the root to change color. Straight out of the ground, fresh ginseng is light brown in color. If it is dried in the sun,… more »