Blog & Columns
Useful information about health and Korean medicine.
Total 110 posts
What Herbal Medicine Does — Not Working in the Body''s Place, but Letting It Repair Itself
To the question of what herbal medicine does in the body, I do not answer in one sentence. The body is not that simple. But the direction is clear — herbal medicine is not a medicine that replaces a broken part, but one that restores the environment across several axes so the body repairs itself.
A Medicine's Benefit and Its Side Effect Come From the Same Place
I do not simply believe the claim that herbal medicine is mild and fine to take for a long time. The switch that produces the effect, pushed too far, becomes the side effect itself. Using licorice as an example, I explain why a medicine's benefit and its boundary come from the same place.
The Same Remedy Works Differently When the Gut Is Different
There's a reason the same prescription works differently from person to person. Many herbal compounds become medicine only after gut bacteria activate them. Before changing the remedy, I first look at the state of the gut that completes it.
When the Gut Tenses, the Mind Tenses Too
When you get nervous your stomach hurts, and when your stomach is uneasy your mind grows anxious. The gut and the brain are a two-way road connected by the vagus nerve. I look at which end to loosen first so the whole road opens up.
Two Ways to Calm Inflammation
For long-standing inflammation, forcefully putting out the fire doesn't work well. It's because the signal that keeps calling the embers back is still there. Before anti-inflammation, I first look at why the alarm keeps going off.
When should the medicine be stopped
As important as finding a good medicine is knowing when to stop. Medicine only needs to stay at your side until the body can stand on its own. From the moment I first give a medicine, I set the ending together with you.
When Your Eyes and Mouth Are Dry and Gritty but the Tests Are Normal
Many people have dry, gritty eyes and a frequently dry mouth, yet their tests are normal. I don't look at the dry eyes and dry mouth separately; I first look at a state in which the secretion switch by which the body puts out moisture has weakened.
When Your Upper Belly Feels Stuffed and You Often Get Indigestion but the Endoscopy Is Clean
Many people feel stuffed in the upper belly and get indigestion often, yet their gastroscopy is clean. Rather than whether the stomach lining is eroded, I first look at the rhythm of the nerve that moves the stomach.
When Your Legs Swell and Your Body Feels Heavy in the Afternoon
Many people whose legs swell and whose body feels heavy every afternoon have normal test results. Rather than the swollen legs, I look first at the flow of circulation by which the body draws water back in.
When no amount of sleep feels refreshing and your days are heavy
Many people clearly slept, yet feel unrefreshed and heavy during the day. Rather than the length of time asleep, I first look at whether sleep is properly doing its job of restoring the body.
When Your Eyelid Keeps Twitching and Fluttering
Many people worry when an eyelid has been fluttering for days. It is usually not dangerous, but I read this common twitch as an early signal the body is sending to say it is worn out.
When your hands and feet tingle and you cramp often, but the tests are normal
Your hands and feet tingle and you cramp often at night, yet the tests usually come back normal. In these cases, before the nerve or muscle itself, I first look at the chemical environment of the body in which that nerve and muscle are immersed.