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Chinese MedicineBy Marcy Basel • marcybasel@aol.comFoot PainThe foot is primarily associated withwalking, movement toward the outsideworld, from yin to yang, and constitutesone of our modes of communication. Insupporting the principle of the body inthe walking mode, the foot is not only thesymbol of grounding, but also of our innerstrength in the sense that it supports theupright position and also our vulnerability.The feet our first stage of developmentis standing and walking and the foot establishescontact with the earth. The footstepswe leave on the ground bear witness to thepath we are on, either good or bad.In my practice I have worked with somany different types of foot problems suchas tendonitis, cold feet, neuropathy, bonespur and plantar fascitis. These are justseveral of the many aside from toe painthat is sometimes involved. All of thesedisorders are diagnosed in accordancewith the Qi. Most often plantar heel painindicates a yin access and can be eliminatedby needling certain kidney points.It can also be an excess problem in somecases and that would involve drainingcertain points around the foot. Tendonitiscan be an athletic injury and can rangein its severity, however, when untreateda minor injury can quickly turn into asevere injury. There are three places thattendonitis can occur along the heel. Thispain needs to be distinguished from bonespur and rheumatoid arthritis.Bone spurs are treatable with acupunctureand herbs. Since this has to do withthe bone, in Chinese medicine it is relatedto the Kidney energy, which is in chargeof building bone. Bone spur is a commonproblem on the foot and is an overgrowthof bone most commonly seen at a joint,the place where the two bones meet andallow for movement. Abnormal motionat the level of the joint over the course oftime will cause the spur to form. You canalso have spurring of the joint as a result ofexcessive tension on the bone from wherethe tendon attaches. Normal aging willalso cause bone spurs to form. The mostfamous bone spur occurs on the heel. Ihave had good luck combing acupunctureand also I use a Chinese formula, whichhas worked wonders on many patients.Personally I have seen too many botchedsurgeries and I am not one to condonecortisone shots.Neuropathy is another peripheral vasculardisease that can be a very seriousproblem. This is also called the diabeticfoot and is sometimes overlooked untilit accelerates to a total loss of sensation.As diabetes progresses many diabeticslose sensation in their feet but it can alsopresent as relentless burning, tingling ornumbness. I have treated many patientsover the last ten years and they haveall experienced a difference with thecombination of acupuncture and herbs.This is also related to the kidney but Ihave seen the liver and spleen meridiansinvolves as well. In the foot in Chinesemedicine there are the Liver, Gall Bladder,Kidney and Spleen meridians thatall run through different parts of thefoot. So many times through a diagnosisI can decipher the problems as an organproblem it the presentation goes rightdown a specific channel. Also I havenoticed that many patients can presentthe same problem but it will demand adifferent diagnosis depending on thepatient.The last common complaint is Coldfeet. In addition to cold weather, a poorfunctioning thyroid, blood deficiency,Raynauds disease, rheumatoid arthritisand high blood pressure, many peopleneed to change their diet and stay awayform cold foods, caffeine and smokingin order to allow their Qi to movethrough their body into their feet. Colddamp weather with further restricts theblood flow that goes to the toes. I alsohave many patients who work outdoorsand need to protect themselves betterfrom the cold. Circulation and bloodflow are the main things to increasewith cold feet. Chinese medicine doesnot usually refer to western terms butrather the patient comes in and presentstheir symptoms and the acupuncturetreats them according to what they see,their pulses and their tongue are thediagnostic tools.Through its transport points, thefoot is a place of exchange betweenhuman Qi and universal Qi. It is oneof the branches of the body. I believerehabilitation can take place withoutsurgery and there are many differentapproaches through the use of acupunctureand herbs that are extremelyeffective.Marcy Basel is currently in private practicein Sebastopol and has been using Herbs andAcupuncture for over seventeen years. She hasan extensive pharmacy on location and alsodoes Nutrition and Cranial Sacral Therapy.To make an appointment or to get informationplease call 707-824-8747. Marcy also offers afree fifteen-minute consultation for free onMonday, Wednesday and Thursday.1/15/09 - www.westcountygazette.com - 17