Morning

9:00am

The Alchemy of the Inner Landscape - Peter Firebrace

Behind the meridian and organ maps of traditional Chinese medicine lie the Neijing Tu, Inner Landscape and Xiuzhen Tu, Cultivating Authenticity, body maps, preserving the teachings of the Neidan Inner Alchemy tradition in image, text and story.

In the Neijing Tu the spinal river runs from the Sea of Marrow down to the wild waters of the Sea of Kan. Can this depletion over time be reversed, so that degeneration transforms into regeneration? Laozi sits serene, high in the Kunlun mountains, while the star-crossed lovers of the Ox Boy and Weaving Maiden toil in the valley below.

In the Xiuzhen Tu the body is not a landscape, but an alchemist’s stove, where time and timing are of the essence, and the organs work together to refine the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi and Shen to give health, longevity and illumination.

This presentation will give insight into these important Daoist pictures and explore how can we use them to deepen our understanding and practice of Chinese medicine.

10:00am

TCM and Cancer Research; Complexity and Scientific Results - Yair Maimon

Cancer, from a Chinese Medical perspective, is a complex disease, thus its treatment requires a complex approach. While Western medicine focuses on eliminating cancer cells through surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or targeted medicine, the Chinese view is to treat the whole utilizing a threefold view, taking into account the root of disease (ben), the manifestation (biao), and the reaction to western intervention. This threefold view can be summarized as follows:

The root - which is usually an underling deficiency ( of yin, yang, Qi or blood)
The manifestation - is mainly excess (stagnation, heat, toxins)
The reaction - is a condition that arises from toxic western medicine ( dryness of fluids, dryness of the Chong Mai, Phlegm, Sp Qi deficiency, St yin Deficiency etc).

While Western medicine uses a reductionist approach mainly through the use of well-defined chemical molecules, the Chinese medical approach is complex. It uses this threefold path to determine a treatment formula containing many herbs with numerous phytochemical components. From a Western point of view it is almost impossible to comprehend, let alone to validate this kind of intervention.

TCM faces a real challenge to employ scientific methods to prove “what is well known” in the TCM world –that treating the complexity brings outstanding clinical results, because human are complex and disease are multifarious.

The challenge of providing scientific proof has been undertaken with LSC101, a formula of 14 concentrated herbs.
A step-by-step approach has shown that a complex herbal formula can: selectively kill cancer cells and not endanger normal cells; encourage the immune system, especially innate immunity (natural killer cells, macrophage, monocytes and leucocytes); protect against the toxicity of chemotherapy while potentially having a synergistic effect to chemo by enhancing an apoptotic pathways and promoting the death of cancer cells.

The subject of this lecture is science from a Chinese medical standpoint, explaining how it is possible to prove efficacy, safely delivering a well-designed research methodology while keeping the TCM concept of complexity. Proving scientifically that the complex Chinese medical approach to cancer is valid may open up a new era in acceptance of TCM and its integrating into cancer care in the west.

This lecture provides an understanding of scientific work and its relevance to TCM, and will encourage TCM practitioners to read scientific papers and participate in the research activity which is so necessary to bridge the gap between Western medicine and TCM.

11:10am

Contraindicated Acupuncture Points in Pregnancy: Mythical Irrelevance or Historical Wisdom? - Debra Betts

Within acupuncture literature there is debate on the safety of using specific acupuncture points during pregnancy. The terms ‘contraindicated’ or ‘forbidden’ are often applied to points that can be used to induce labour, but may also include points with no known inducing or labour enhancing effects. Are these points relevant to practitioners in clinical practice? Currently there are conflicting recommendations within textbooks - ranging from advice to avoid specific acupuncture points at any time in pregnancy, to statements that these points are not contraindicated during a normal pregnancy.

This presentation will outline the debate surrounding the use of specific points in pregnancy in terms of their historical use, the physiology of the pregnant body and the effect of these points noted during research trials.

It will also examine the results of an online survey of acupuncture practitioners in New Zealand and Australia regarding the contradicted points used, or avoided, in clinical practice when treating women with threatened miscarriage in early pregnancy. This presentation will encourage further discussion, and provide a background for practitioners to make informed choicesabout using these points in clinical practice when treating pregnancy related conditions.

Afternoon

2:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Breakout Sessions

Session One

The Nine Openings - Peter Firebrace

Intrinsic to both the Neijing Tu Inner Landscape Map and the Xiuzhen Tu Map of Cultivating Authenticity is the Small Heavenly Circulation, Xiao Zhou Tian, popularly termed the microcosmic orbit. Of particular importance on this circuit of the Ren and Du Mai, are the Jiu Qiao, the Nine Openings: the Three Passes on the spine, the Three Dantian on the front, the top of the head, and the Two Magpie Bridges at the mouth above and sexual area below. An easy flow through these Nine Openings gives health, while blockage and obstruction brings disease.

Blending Daoist wisdom with clinical application, we will study the crucial importance of these nine key areas and their associated points, such as Shen Dao, Spirit Way (Du 11), Gao Huang Shu (Bl 43), Feng Fu, Wind Palace (Du 16), Ren Zhong, Centre of Man (Du 26), Dan Zhong, Central Temple (Ren 17), Jiu Wei, Dove Tail (Ren 15), Shi Men, Stone Gate (Ren 5), Guan Yuan, Pass to the Origin (Ren 4), amongst others.

Session Two

Treating and Diagnosing Trauma In Children - Yair Maimon

When we look at a child we see the end result of 5 stages: before heaven, conception, prenatal, birth and early childhood. Diseases, especially chronic and unexplained problems such as autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, asthma, dermatitis and even unusual crying can be rooted in these stages. These days many artificial interventions (IVF, Hormones, medication, early delivery, cesarean, forceps, Infant formulas, immunization) are common and can potentially cause trauma to the Jing, Shen, extra-meridians and the ZangFu.

It is important to understand, diagnose and explore the treatment options of traumatic influences relating to these stages.

For example:

The state of the parents at time of conception, and their possible influence on the child : age - effect on the kid-Jing which can be the basis for trauma such as fear;
Toxins-alcohol/drugs/medications during conception- can result in toxins, unclear Shen, Hun weak Zhi and Jing;
The emotional mental state -such as in extreme case of rape or unwanted relationship – can cause trauma and effect on the Jing-Shen and may result in Gui (a topic which Sunsi Miao brought a special insight to).

There are some old texts which refer to the ideal condition for the conception of the emperor, which can give both inspiration and explain pathology arising from this very special moment.

Concepts, insights, diagnostic tools and treatment options will be discussed with the aim of inspiring a better clinical approach.

"Ease children's trauma and offer them life of happiness".

Session Three

Acupuncture in Early Pregnancy: Moving Beyond Fertility Protocols - Debra Betts

While an increasing number of acupuncturists are becoming involved in fertility practice, many remain uncertain about best practice when it comes to ongoing treatment to support implantation and early pregnancy. In light of research demonstrating that acupuncture delivered 2 -3 days post embryo replacement did not show beneficial effects, but rather increased early pregnancy loss, this is an area of practice that deserves close examination. Although the physiology of implantation and early pregnancy is not yet fully understood within western medicine, the knowledge of the requirement of reduced oxygen environment, early pregnancy immune responses and the role of stress in pregnancy, offers acupuncturists the foundation for an integrated approach to providing care. Acupuncturists can thus develop a proactive preventive practice, giving women an alternative to the current a “wait and see approach” that exists in western medicine.

This workshop will examine how to discuss the benefits of acupuncture treatment in early pregnancy with medical professionals, as well as a practical approach to providing acupuncture treatment with the first 3 months of pregnancy: both for supporting a healthy pregnancy and treatment strategies for the most common complication of early pregnancy, that of vaginal bleeding which affects 20 – 25 % of women.

Meeting new friends at COMS