AOMA Blog

The theory of the natural elements is an enduring philosophy across cultures, appearing in separate countries in vastly different eras around the world.

The ancient Greeks used the five elements of earth, water, air, fire, and “aether” (quintessence/spirit) as a guiding principal to better understand the universe. Both ancient Egyptians and Buddhists understood the elements as fire, water, air, and earth. Hinduism utilizes the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, and “aether”) as well. In fact, the seven chakras pair with Hindu and Buddhist five element theory. Western astrology also makes use of the four classical elements in astrological charting.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Five Element theory (also called Wu Xing) is a powerful, foundational lens through which medicine, our bodies, and the world at large can be viewed. Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood are understood to be the Five Elements in TCM.

Each element is awarded a number of characteristics and correspondences. They all have their separate natures, movements, directions, sounds, times of the day, and much more. Similar to Yin Yang theory, many specific aspects of life and the world can be attributed to a certain element.

In addition to these basic qualities, the elements also correspond with certain internal organs, tastes, emotions, and sense organs in Traditional Chinese Medicine—a very important feature of the theory with great implications to the medicinal practice.

Below are the Five Elements and their commonly discussed and widely held attributes.

Fire

• Season: Summer
• Direction: South
• Color: Red
• Environment: Hot
• Taste: Bitter
• Emotion: Joy
• Organs: Heart; Small Intestine
• Sense Organ: Tongue
• Bodily Tissue: Blood vessel

Earth

• Season: Late summer
• Direction: Center/Middle
• Color: Yellow
• Environment: Damp
• Taste: Sweet
• Emotion: Worry
• Organs: Spleen; Stomach
• Sense Organ: Mouth
• Bodily Tissue: Muscles

Metal

• Season: Fall
• Direction: West
• Color: White
• Environment: Dry
• Taste: Pungent
• Emotion: Grief
• Organs: Lung; Large Intestine
• Sense Organ: Nose
• Bodily Tissue: Body hair

Water

• Season: Winter
• Direction: North
• Color: Black
• Environment: Cold
• Taste: Salty
• Emotion: Fear
• Organs: Kidneys; Urinary Bladder
• Sense Organ: Ear
• Bodily Tissue: Bone

Wood

• Season: Spring
• Direction: East
• Color: Green
• Environment: Windy
• Taste: Sour
• Emotion: Anger
• Organs: Liver; Gallbladder
• Sense Organ: Eye
• Bodily Tissue: Tendons

In TCM, the Five Elements are dynamic: they create, control, and constantly interact with each other.  Each element is said to generate—give rise—to another element. This generating sequence is a type of “mother-son” relationship, where the parent gives life to and nurtures the child. In Five Element theory, Fire generates Earth. Earth generates Metal. Metal generates Water. Water generates Wood. Wood generates Fire. One jumping off point for remembering this sequence is to think of how rubbing twigs (ie: wood) together can create fire.

Additionally, each element controls and is controlled by another element, creating a system of checks and balances. Ideally, this system guarantees that one element will not over-dominate another element for any lengthy period of time. The controlling sequence is as follows: Fire controls Metal. Metal controls Wood. Wood controls Earth. Earth controls Water. Water controls Fire. An easy way to begin memorizing the controlling relationships is to think of how water can easily douse—control—fire.

Disturbances in these natural generating and controlling orders give rise to pathological symptoms. For instance, if the Wood element is too excessive in the body it may begin “over-controlling” the Earth element. This is a common pathology in clinical practice. One way it can be used is to understand why feeling excessively angry (Wood’s emotion) can give one a stomachache (the Stomach is one of Earth’s organs).

These symptoms are intricately analyzed in AOMA’s didactic classes and utilized to great effect in clinical settings. Even without going into the depth required in Chinese medicine school, however, Five Element theory can provide structure to our daily lives, an understanding of the interconnectedness of our planet, and a richer appreciation of our bodies. Put simply, the Five Elements can be seen as a natural law of the universe.  

About the author: Carly Willsie enjoys putting Yin Yang theory into practice as an acupuncture school student and tutor. Carly grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York and has a background in journalism and publishing.

Recognition

Currently, the US healthcare system does not recognize western herbal practitioners as healthcare providers in and of themselves. There are currently no federal or state agencies that regulate western herbal practice. Naturopathic doctors are licensed to use this therapeutic modality in the 17 states that recognize ND’s as primary care providers.

While some countries have minimum education standards to be an herbalist, standards are not the same between or even within countries. Medical herbalists are licensed by The National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), the UK’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. Members are required to have professional indemnity, public liability and medical malpractice insurance.

To practice Chinese herbal medicine in most states, one must also hold an acupuncture license, although states vary in their requirement of other TCM components like herbal medicine. Almost all licensing states require completion of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s(NCCAOM) national written exam which offers distinct certification programs in acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and Asian bodywork.

About the author:

Jenny Perez has been working to re-connect plants and people for more than 15 years by sharing her passion and practices of urban horticulture, kitchen medicine and therapeutic nutrition. She managed the Bastyr University medicinal herb garden for 7 years, was adjunct faculty for their Botanical Medicine Department for 5 years and created and directed the Holistic Landscape Design certificate program.  Currently, she works as the Education Coordinator for the American Botanical Council. Founded in 1988, the American Botanical Council is a leading international nonprofit organization using science-based and traditional information to promote responsible use of herbs, teas, medicinal plants, essential oils, and other beneficial plant-derived materials.

Each month we will be featuring fun information about a faculty and/or staff member to introduce the wonderful community of people behind AOMA’s graduate program!

This month, we’re happy to introduce Jillian Kelble, Admissions Coordinator, who works with prospective students and applicants in the Admissions Office.

Where are you from?

“Short answer is California but I was born in Virginia, then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and then Southern California, then Northern California and now Texas!”

 “I love rock climbing, yoga and hiking with my dog and husband”

 “The positive, supportive and community-centered environment. ”

“Welcoming all of the new students each term and getting to meet everyone that I had been working with over the previous months.”

“The abundance of live music, outdoor adventure and like-minded people.”

“It depends on the subject. In regards to Austin events, I would say www.Austin360.com”

To learn more about the AOMA Admissions Office, log on to www.aoma.edu/prospective-students/admissions/.

The introductory tenets of Yin and Yang are among the first subjects AOMA students learn in Chinese medicine school. The theory is one of the foundational principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its elegant wisdom guides students throughout their years at AOMA and acupuncture school.

When we hear the phrase “Yin and Yang” many of us may first think of the Yin Yang symbol so ubiquitous on key chains, college posters, childhood doodles, and t-shirts throughout the country. The theory of Yin and Yang is much more profound than an image on an old t-shirt may lead you to first believe, however.  This ever-present symbol is called the Taijitu. It’s the universal symbol for the theory of Yin and Yang and of Taoism.

Yin and Yang can initially be understood as darkness and light. Yin (the black part of the Taijitu) is the “shady side of the mountain,” while Yang (the white portion of the Taijitu) is classically referred to as the “sunny side.” From here, we can attribute many characteristics to either a Yin category or a Yang category. Some of the more common examples of Yin and Yang include:  

Yin:

• Nighttime
• Fall and Winter
• Female
• Right
• Cold
• North and West
• Darkness
• Substance
• Slow
• Wet
• Lower part of the body
• Front of the body

• Daytime
• Spring and Summer
• Male
• Left
• Warm
• South and East
• Light
• Energy
• Fast
• Dry
• Upper part of the body
• Back of the body

Yin and Yang

Though Yin and Yang can be understood individually, they cannot exist separately. They might seem like opposites—and do typically represent two different sides of one coin—but their properties are actually complementary and dependent on one another.

This indivisibility is a central aspect of Yin and Yang. Without Yin, Yang cannot exist. Without Yang, Yin is not present. Yin and Yang are inseparable; just as we cannot have only sunny days throughout the year, we will not only have cloudy either.

Another important element in Yin Yang theory is the concept that Yin and Yang can change into one another. Clouds can give way to sun in the same way that Yin can be transformed into Yang. Within Yin, the seed of Yang exists; within Yang, Yin is always present. This dynamic balance between Yin and Yang is represented in the Taijitu symbol by the small circle of opposite color within each half.

As a consequence of this nature, Yin and Yang can be divided infinitely. For instance, we might say that a cloudy day is Yin while a sunny day is Yang. However, we can divide the cloudy day into Yin parts (the nighttime of the cloudy day, as an example) and Yang parts (the morning of the cloudy day). We can then further divide the Yang (morning) part of the cloudy day into Yin and Yang, and so on.

Yin and Yang is a theoretical way to understand the natural dualities present in our world, our relationships, and within ourselves. The simple wisdom gained through an understanding of Yin and Yang enriches our lives and constantly reveals itself in our medicine and personal experiences.

Applying the theory of Yin and Yang to our everyday living is simple and rewarding. Recognizing the natural ebb and flow of our world will allow you a comfort in your current circumstances and in your future, while providing an illuminating viewpoint from which to see our Yin and Yang world.

About the author:

Carly Willsie enjoys putting Yin Yang theory into practice as an acupuncture school student and tutor. Carly grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York and has a background in journalism and publishing.

AOMA’s premier doctoral program welcomes its first cohort of students this summer and the program director, Dr. John Finnell, has been hard at work recruiting world-class faculty and putting the finishing touches on the doctoral program curriculum. Check out this easy-to-browse overview of the curriculum with links to DAOM faculty rosters.

DAOM Program Overview

• Specialty in Integrative Management of Pain

• Professionalism, Leadership and Teaching

• Inquiry and Scholarship

Modular Format

• 2 year program of study

• 14 week-long intensives on campus

• Continue professional practice while enrolled

DAOM Program Competencies

• Integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine and Biomedical Concepts

• Systems-Based Practice

• Pain Management Specialty

• Systematic Inquiry

• Scholarly Publication

• Leadership, Teaching & Professionalism

• Lifelong Learning

DAOM Curriculum: TCM Theory, Classics and Techniques
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Faculty

The Classics

• Classical Chinese theories on pain

• Psychosocial phenomena in the Classics

Acupuncture

• Advanced techniques for treating pain

• Advanced electro and laser acupuncture techniques

Herbal Medicine

• Family lineage treatments of pain

DAOM Curriculum:  Topics in Pain and Associated Psychosocial Phenomena

• Pain in oncologic and palliative care

• Gynecologic, pelvic and visceral pain

• Vascular and lymphatic pain

• Neurological, sensory and dermatologic pain

• Pain from musculoskeletal disorders

• Eco-psychosocial pain and associated psycho social phenomena

Integrative Clinical Partnerships

AOMA Clinics - Specialty pain clinics

Austin Pain Associates - Integrative pain management

Seton Family of Hospitals and Clinics

• Palliative care

• Physical medicine and rehabilitation

DAOM Curriculum: Integrative Medicine
Integrative Medicine Faculty

Biomedical Theories of Pain

• Embryology, anatomy and physiology

• Pharmacology and drug-herb interactions

Functional & Nutritional Medicine

• Dietary and nutritional approaches to treating pain

• Clinical application of functional medicine

Integrative Medical Practice

• Case management in integrative care

• Integrative practice management

DAOM Curriculum: Research & Inquiry
Research & Inquiry Faculty

Paradigms of Inquiry - Exploration of scientific paradigms and beliefs

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment - Overview of types of research

Research Methods and Design - Design of research proposal and Institutional Review Board application

Research Project - Publication of research manuscript

Potential Inquiry Topics (examples)

Quantitative Research

• Pilot clinical trial of TCM intervention in pain care

• Biomedical models for Qigong

Qualitative Research

• Recursive assessment of TCM in practice

• TCM knowledge survey for health professionals

Mixed Methods Research

• Patient centered outcomes research

• Comparative effectiveness research

DAOM Curriculum: Leadership, Professionalism & Teaching
Professionalism & Leadership Faculty

Leadership

• State and National Associations

• Legislative Issues in Healthcare

Professionalism

• TCM in integrative healthcare settings

• Negotiating position and remuneration

Teaching

• Educational techniques and technology

• Developing effective teaching materials

• Supervision and evaluation of student clinicians

Ready to learn more? Explore the Program:

Every year on the last Saturday of April, tens of thousands of people in more than 70 countries come together, to practice tai chi and qigong and to provide a healing vision for our world. World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is Saturday, April 27 at 10am, in every time zone, creating a wave of healing qi (energy) around the world. Please see the location update below. Check out the Facebook page for World Tai Chi & Qigong Day in Central Texas to find out about the official Austin gathering.

AOMA and Sheng Zhen Austin are co-sponsoring a free Qi “Tasting” in the afternoon from 2-5pm. Find out more details here. This event is suitable for all ages and abilities. Participants may come and go or stay from the entire program. Here’s the schedule of events.

2:00pm Welcome and Opening

2:15pm Practice movements from Heaven Nature Gong

2:45 pm Learn the form Awakening the Soul Gong

3:15 pm Practice movements from Return to Spring

3:45 pm Practice movements from Sheng Zhen Healing Gong

4:15 Master Li Junfeng will discuss Sheng Zhen philosophy

What is Qigong?

Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality. It is practiced through an integration of physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intention.

The word Qigong (chi kung or chi gung) is made up of two Chinese words. Qi (pronounced chee) is usually translated to mean the life force or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong (pronounced gung) means work or cultivation. Together, Qigong means life energy cultivation.

Widely practiced in Asia, qigong has recently become popular in the West as an approach to overall health and well-being. Practicing qigong induces a relaxation response that can positively impact your body’s natural healing ability and increase your sense of balance in our stressful society.

Visit the National Qigong Association website for more resources about qigong.

What is Tai Chi?

T'ai chi ch'uan or Taijiquan, often shortened to t'ai chi, taiji or tai chi in English usage, is an internal Chinese martial art originally practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. Today, it is primarily practiced to maintain good health, both physical and mental. Tai Chi has been recommended as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia, asthma, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and many psychosomatic illnesses.

Here are some recognized benefits of practicing tai chi and qigong:

• reduces stress responses, lowering the incidence of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and general mood disturbance

• minimizes the effects of chronic conditions such as allergies and asthma T'ai Chi improves breathing capacity

• regular practice can lower high blood pressure

• improves balance and coordination TWICE as effectively as other balance training

• improves postural control, while stretching, toning and relaxing the body in a cumulative way that no other exercise can achieve

AOMA offers informal classes in taiji and qigong in south Austin. You can search for classes worldwide on the World Tai Chi Day website.

Elaina Stover received a $2,000 scholarship from Trudy McAlister Foundation for her acupuncture program studies at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, one of the leading graduate schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the nation.

Elaina grew up in Tallmadge, Ohio where she developed her passion for anatomical and health sciences.  She discovered in high school her passion for looking deep inside the structures of the body and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

After her graduation she took an internship in Africa doing research on sustainable rural health care.  She comments, “I found it difficult to stay behind the scenes researching in the field, I realized I wanted to be able to touch and help people more directly.” 

Upon returning to the United States Elaina attended yoga teacher training in New York and worked with instructor Francois Raoult MA, RIYT, and learned the technique of  using the tongue as a diagnostic tool for better understanding of the body.  She learned that tongue diagnosis is an aspect of Chinese medicine, leading her to Austin to study at AOMA.

The Trudy McAlister Foundation awards students who are currently enrolled in an ACAOM accredited acupuncture school.  Students must also complete an essay to be considered for this scholarship.  Elaina wrote about the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in health care today.  She writes, “Participation is how we take ownership of our profession, shape policy and affect decision making, as well as share our profession and knowledge with the public and health professionals.”  Elaina plans on graduating in 2014 and desires to work in an integrative setting with nurses, massage therapist, and naturopaths.  

Tara Lattimore is an acupuncture student in AOMA’s MAcOM program and hopes to graduate in 2014. For Tara, choosing to become an acupuncturist was an easy and natural path to take. She says, “My family would get weekly reflexology and acupressure treatments in Indonesia and while we used to be nutritionally challenged and eat dinner in front of the TV, we got into mindful eating after my Dad read Michael Pollen’s Omnivore’s Dilemma.”

She recalls an influential memory of the ninth grade on a school trip to Sumatra when another student had a massive panic attack and nausea. The class was far from a western hospital so the student was taken to a local healer for an herbal decoction and acupressure. Growing up with healers in Indonesia has provided Tara with a unique perspective on medicine.  This experience eventually led Tara to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), where she is able to recognize that “people are diverse, complicated creatures and deserve the time and respect to be treated as such.”  Tara appreciates TCM’s acknowledgement that all diseases are different and affect people differently. 

In her time at AOMA she has made many contributions to the student body. She launched The Needler, a student produced magazine that publishes articles about Chinese medicine and campus life at AOMA. At first it was a modest project that took much time and effort to get off the ground, but Tara feels the magazine helps build community at AOMA by giving people an outlet to communicate with one another. Tara reflects, “It is certainly a seed that needs to be tended and I hope it will continue to grow long after I’m gone.”

Tara has also been giving her time to AOMA Student Association and volunteered at the 2013 Southwest Symposium. This year’s Symposium was a transformational experience for Tara because she shifted her focus from the polarization of Chinese medicine versus Western medicine to the integration of both medicines in her future practice.

One challenge to working on extracurricular projects Tara faces as a busy graduate student is finding time outside of class. Realizing that this is also a problem for many of her peers, Tara reflects saying, “All I can do is offer my support for collaboration should they want to get involved in whatever craziness I am working on and do the same for them should they want to spice up student life at AOMA.”

When Tara is not busy with school she spends time relaxing with her husband, Brian, her 50 pound standard poodle, Homer, and her feisty feline, Goose Cat. She enjoys cooking and going to the farmer’s market and is currently growing her first garden. Tara is a painter and her subjects include moxa and bodies with acupuncture needles. With her husband’s encouragement she has started a blog at tealatt.tumblr.com. Here she says, “I can hopefully express my creativity on a more regular basis and since there are so many artists at AOMA, I foresee a riveting community art show in our near future!” She is currently on the China Study Tour with twenty AOMA students and has been updating her blog with amusing stories.

The following letter was submitted to the Daily Texan twice via email regarding a written response to Robert Starr's article that appeared on February 27, 2013. Unfortunately, the Daily Texan editorial staff has not acknowledged this written response. We have chosen to publish an open letter with regards to the article.

March 5, 2013

Dear Daily Texan Editor,

I am a licensed acupuncturist and President of the AOMA Alumni Association and wish to prepare comments to be published in the Daily Texan. I want to respond in writing to an article authored by Robert Starr, dated 27 Feb 2013 and titled, "When it comes to effective treatments, acupuncturists miss the point."

This article is misleading and does not reflect the body of evidence that validates acupuncture as an effective and safe medical practice for treatment of a wide variety of disease. Both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO) support ongoing research into the efficacy of acupuncture.

A 2012 NIH funded study titled “Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis” published in Archives of Internal Medicine supports the conclusion that acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. Included in the analysis were 29 randomized controlled acupuncture studies surveying 17,992 individuals. The 2012 study also indicates real acupuncture differs significantly from sham acupuncture in terms of outcome and therapeutic effect.

A document published in 2003 by the WHO titled “Acupuncture: review and analysis of reports on controlled clinical trials” acknowledges the challenges in designing blinded and placebo controlled acupuncture studies, as Mr. Starr indicates. However, there is a critical detail missing from Mr. Starr’s analysis: acupuncture is not a pill nor is it a pharmaceutical agent. Acupuncture is the surgical insertion of sterile, stainless steel needles at specific points on the body. There are currently doctoral programs that incorporate scientific research and examine the value of acupuncture in contemporary culture.  

Acupuncture is a medical intervention and invasive procedure that has real effects on the body. Given such responsibility, acupuncturists receive 4 years of education at the graduate level and are licensed under the Texas Medical Board.

Sincerely,

Gregory A. Carey, Licensed Acupuncturist
MAcOM, Dipl. OM. (NCCAOM)
President, AOMA Alumni Association

Here is the link to the original story in the Daily Texan.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Otorhinolaryngology is a clinical science that studies the disease of the ear, nose and throat under the guidance of TCM theories in combination with the clinical syndrome differentiation of modern TCM.

Holistic approach

Viscera are the material basis of the physiological functions of the human body, and meridians and collaterals are the channels where qi and blood of the human body circulate, and through which the general organs communicate with limbs. Normal function of the ear, nose and throat depends on the coordinative activities of viscera, meridians and collaterals, while the pathological changes of the ear, nose and throat result from the dysfunctions of one or more regions of viscera, meridians and collaterals as well. Therefore, the analysis of the clinical manifestations of disease of the ENT should be connected with viscera, meridians and collaterals, and should not individually consider the local pathological changes of the ENT. This also embodies the concept of TCM holism.

How TCM treats ENT

Acupuncture and herbs treat disorders of the internal organs, channels, and collaterals rather than focus on symptoms and signs. Generally speaking, from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, the ear is connected to the "kidney", which physiologically stores "essence". When the kidney essence reaches the ears, the patient has normal hearing. Sufficient essence ensures the generation of brain marrow which is closely related to the human balance function. If brain marrow is deficient, vertigo and tinnitus occur. Besides the kidney, other internal organs like liver and gallbladder, lung, heart, spleen are also related to ear disorders. TCM treatment often leads to fewer side effects compared to conventional medicine.

Case Study: Mr. Cedar

Mr. Cedar came to our clinic with an itchy nose, persistent sneezing, nasal obstruction, and clear nasal discharge. He had been experiencing allergic rhinitis symptoms for more than a year, and noted they get worse when he’s tired. We treat this patient once every week with body acupuncture (LI 20, LI 4, LU 9, Yingtang) and ear acupuncture (internal nose, lung, endocrine and kidney) and prescribed him Chinese herbal medicine (Jade-screen powder in combination with Decoction for reinforcing middle energizer and replenishing Qi). One month later Mr. Cedar is getting much better after this treatment.

Chinese Herbs for ENT

Chinese herbal medicine is very individualized for each patient and scenario. So, depending on the syndrome differentiation and current symptoms, the herbs prescribed will be unique. In general, most aromatic flavor and light texture herbs will be useful.

The herbal patent medicine “Jade Screen” (yu ping feng san), is known to strengthen the immune system when taken regularly. Cang Er Zi (xanthium) is often added to this formula when nasal passage obstruction with thick nasal discharge is present.

Diet and Exercise

Every patient is different, so it is important to consult a licensed acupuncturist. In general, cut down on dairy products and sweets, since traditional Chinese medical theory believes these suppress the spleen to retain more damp, which will worsen the allergy symptoms.

Exercises like taiji, qigong, and meditation can help the ENT diseases by increasing the immune system and supporting the defensive qi in our body. TCM believes “if the body’s healthy, qi is sufficient, no evils will make disturbance”.

Author:

Shengyan ‘Grace’ Tan, PhD, MD (China), OMD (China) is an Oriental medical doctor of Otorhinolaryngology. After completing her PhD, Dr. Tan worked for four years as an acupuncturist, herbalist, and clinical supervisor in the ENT and Ophthalmology Department of the teaching hospital of Chengdu University. She is the first PhD-trained TCM practitioner specializing in ophthalmology to teach in the United States.