Strengthening Kidneys

[edededed]

Hello,

Someone I know took a blood test and was told that she had too high levels of salt and potassium.
The doctor just told her to watch her diet for a while (i.e. take less salt and potassium). She has already been watching her cholesterol, etc. (she is in her 70s).

I know in CMA we have things like the six sounds ("chui" for kidney), etc. But if anyone has any advice (especially from clinical experience) that I could relay to her, that would be awesome. It would be nice to be able to improve kidney function, as opposed to just control the diet.

[Strange]

i think it would be wise to bring your friend to a qualified
chinese doctor/physician for an examination and see what
the doc says

depending on the individual, there can be different treatment
regimes for the same symptoms in chinese medicine.

good luck

[Peacedog]

Definitely get to a TCM practitioner.

Things like the Six Healing Sounds and moxa are great for these kinds of conditions, but given her age herbalism is going to be a big help and may work just fine as a primary methodology.

Either way, I'd recommend a medical professional first.

[Peacedog]

Ed,

You are in Japan, right?

In Japan only MDs can prescribe herbal medicine.

Acupuncturists and moxa specialists are both licensed separately. Although, sometimes people do both the acupuncture and moxa certification.

So, short answer is you need to find at least two different people to treat the problem. One, find an MD who knows herbal medicine. And knows it well. Two, find a moxa practitioner who is familiar with kidney issues. Three, find someone who knows the Six Healing Sounds.

[edededed]

Sorry - she is in her 80s.

Yes, I am in Japan - but herbal medicine is quite rare here (except the pre-formulated type) and thus quite expensive. Older people in Japan also tend to be rather stingy, too. I know of just one place in the city - but I will try recommending going to take a look.

Acupuncture/moxa is worth a look, too - only problem is that I have no idea who is good (in Kyushu).

I learned the six sounds myself, so I will try teaching her. Maybe just the kidney part first (easier to remember?). But if people have experience teaching it to others for healing purpose, I would appreciate any advice.

[Peacedog]

Ed,

You are definitely going to need to teach her the whole thing.

It’s beyond a post here, but the functioning of the organs goes in a kind of loop. Just pushing on one part of it can cause some issues pretty quickly. And that doesn’t get into the elemental effect of just working with a single type.

The combination of moxa and acupuncture may well be enough. Think of moxa as adding more energy into a deficient system and acupuncture as the tool that guides it where it needs to go. The herbal formula rebuilds the engine.

The six healing sounds make sure the organs track along the correct movement planes and generally make things run more efficiently.

Hope this helps.

[edededed]

Hi Peacedog,

That does help, thank you! I will go for the whole thing then. I did mention to her trying moxa and/or herbs - but again, the stingy factor pretty much means that she won't go.

Although (good) herbs would be much better, anything that can be done in the diet to gently try to give a beneficial effect? Some common foods for kidney that are mentioned are things like walnuts, goji berries, etc.

(Actually, in Japan they do sell "do-it-yourself" moxa - I've not used them, but they are kind of self-contained moxa + heat in small tablet-like shapes. I've never even had moxa done to me before, though, so I never tried these, either. They are called "1000-year moxa." I guess that licensing does not affect those!)

[Peacedog]

Moxa is a real art form in Japan. The training for certification is two years.

Start with the healing sounds first.

The "food as medicine approach" is so specific to the individual, I'd really hesitate to give out advice online without seeing the patient first. Also, it's not my strongpoint.

[edededed]

Thanks again, much appreciated.

I know a few acupuncturists in Tokyo (from CMA), but I never asked them about moxa. I'll ask next time I see them... Many of them were certified in China, but then had to recertify in Japan (acupuncture, not sure if they did moxa, too).

[Peacedog]

Acupuncture and moxa are both two year long courses each in Japan.

Some of the stuff you can do with good moxa technique is practically magic and the Japanese are the best in the world at it. Other than herbal medicine, that is where I would start outside the six healing sounds.

[edededed]

I may have been missing one of Japan's greatest treasures then!

Incidentally, I'd love to learn that (and acupuncture), too, but I have to work, so... Maybe after I retire...

[Michael]

I always say this about kidney stuff. Cilantro/coriander is good for the kidneys and can help them to remove heavy metals. A very little fresh cilantro a day (or a few times a week) can help with this common problem. Also helps with sore throats.

To sum up, cilantro doesn't strengthen the kidneys per sé, but it helps remove something that weakens them.

[edededed]

Thanks Michael - I'll look into cilantro/coriander. Maybe more than half of the people in Japan seem to hate the stuff, though. (Japan is just not a very herby place, foodwise anyway!)

[Michael]

It's also called in English: Chinese parsley

I don't have enough experience with it, but a person could take a table spoon of it every other day for a month or two and be likely to get all the potential benefit available to get some aluminum or whatever out, unless they had constant exposure to heavy metals, which would very detectable in a blood or a hair test and if found, then a doctor or nutritionist, or both, should be consulted.

[D_Glenn]

“Overall, during chelation therapy mobilization must equal excretion, so adequate hydration and bowel regularity are essential. A variety of products may assist in interrupting enterohepatic recirculation of toxicants, including cholestyramine, charcoal, psyllium, thiolized silica, and others [78]. Pharmaceutical chelating agents may also be considered, to assist with mobilization and excretion.

Chelation therapy, including nonabsorbed agents, should be initiated at a low dose and then gradually titrated to recommended doses according to the individual's response, to avoid the patient's health deteriorating with metal redistribution, other physiological perturbations, or drug intolerance.“

Tread with caution when it comes to supplement supported chelation. ALA is the new fad but the worst thing to just start taking in high dosages. Same goes for suddenly taking a lot of cilantro. The body tries to store heavy metals, that can’t be naturally processed and excreted, in non-essential cells. Certain chelators will pull the toxins out of those, into the bloodstream, but only to end up redistributing the toxin to vital essential cells.


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