Treating Lupus Using

Tung Points and Nutrition

By

Roberta Jean Leong, L.Ac.

Leading Acupuncture CE Provider

For On Demand CEU/PDA in the office, at home or on the go.
Choose from videos, audio, articles or streaming Live webinars.

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine

PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715
Tel: 626-780-7182 Fax: 626- 363-9751
Website: www.eLotus.org Email: info@elotus.org

www.eLotus.org
LEARN THE SCIENCE. PRACTICE THE ART. HEAL.

What is Lupus?

Treating Lupus Using

Tung Points and Nutrition

Autoimmune condition named Systemic

Lupus Erthematosus
System attacks variety of tissues
Skin, kidney and brain can be affected but any
and all all tissues can be attacked
No cure; treatment seeks to control symptoms
and avoid flares

Leong L.Ac.
L Ac
Roberta Jean Leong,

Tel: (626) 780-7182 Fax: (626) 609-2929

Web: www.elotus.org Email: info@elotus.org

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine, PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715

Shall not be copied, duplicated, or distributed in any format or be used for teaching without prior written consent from Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine

History of Lupus

Lupus/SLE now

Known for over 300 years

Legend says this is from wolf bite (erroneous)

No cure all tissues can be affected

Treatment seeks to prevent and calm flares
Affected by pregnancy and the pill

Lupus is old term for wolf, begun in 1851

Eruptions
p
and scars looked like wolf bites
In 1872 it was named cutaneous lupus or discoid
lupus for skin problems
In 1895 it was named systemic lupus
erythematosus when primary symptoms are
systemic and not only skin problems

Reasonable to assume SLE is affected by

y hormonal issues
No studies show exactly how hormones affect SLE
Inconclusive studies regarding hormonal balances and SLE
Female sufferers outnumber males more than 2:1

TCM exam

Clinical Manifestations Symptoms

MDs diagnose we do not diagnose SLE

Then patient finds TCM clinician

Can be intermittent

Our job is to examine per TCM

Diagnose
g
p
per TCM;; remember to:

Get chief complaints from patient (subjective)

Examine tongue, pulse, skin; palpate abdominal area
Ask appropriate questions
Determine if other conditions are present other
infections may flare up if patient is on meds to
suppress immune system

Body pain: muscle pain or arthritis

Joint pain/swelling or both, possibly severe and disabling
Red rash/signature facial butterfly rash, skin problems
Recurring fever and/or chills
Swollen lymph nodes
Unexplained fatigue and/or unexpected weakness
Shortness of breath, chest pain, dry eyes, headache
Cardiovascular disease risks heightened; pericarditis risks

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine, PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715

Tel: 626-780-7182 Fax: 626-363-9751 Website: www.eLotus.org Email: info@eLotus.org
Shall not be copied, duplicated, or distributed in any format or be used for teaching without prior written consent from Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine.

More Symptoms
Digestive disturbances
Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Kidney organ issues

F
ti can di
i i h resulting
lti iin ttoxic
i conditions
diti
Function
diminish

More Symptoms Skin issues

Inflamed skin patches - common symptom
70% of SLE patients
Can be intermittent or constant; sometimes severe
Often will recur in same location but not always
Can be anywhere on the body

Neurological

Butterfly rash
Malar rash is signature symptom

Brain and/or spinal cord attacked

Discoid lupus

Can result in headaches

Red scaly patch

Can be thickened skin; inflamed

Cognitive impairment confusion, memory loss, analytic

abilities diminished

Risk factors

Triggers

Mayo webpage

Direct sun

Source http://www.mayoclinic.org

Genetic gender 70% are women

Age most commonly found in ages 15-40 but affects all ages
Race Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians are more affected

Skin lesions/eruptions can be triggered

Inflammation symptoms

Infections

A pathogen / infection can cause a flare

Infection can cause a relapse of SLE
Infection can cause a first onset, resulting in SLE

Medication

In some patients meds can trigger; stopping the meds often

will results in symptoms ending

Western Medicine

Infections

Labcorp and Quest do have testing

Patients can have infections

Refer out generally not in our scope of practice

SLE is often misdiagnosed symptoms can be
intermittent
Symptoms can vary
Can mimic other illnesses
Differential diagnosis is often elusive and difficult
Meds are often given to suppress immune
response

Results of meds for immune system repression

Use TCM to help other conditions you identify

SLE will not be cured,, but will help

p the patient
p
overall

Use Acupuncture

Use TCM herbs

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine, PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715

Tel: 626-780-7182 Fax: 626-363-9751 Website: www.eLotus.org Email: info@eLotus.org
Shall not be copied, duplicated, or distributed in any format or be used for teaching without prior written consent from Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine.

Difficult management
Can be nearly unmanageable illness
Cardiac trouble can result life threatening
Disabling fatigue or arthritis
Can prevent normal work life
Can prevent exercise

Disabling brain fog

Memory, processing and concentration poor

Kidneys may not work normally

Can cause secondary problems from toxicity

TCM herbal remedies

No TCM single or herb combination that cures
Diagnose per TCM, then select appropriate herbs
Can create formula from scratch
Or select base formula, remove heat producing herbs then
add appropriate more helpful herbs

Common in older TCM mixtures that are too hot

Dang gui, huang qi, bai zhu

Substitute a cooler herb instead if base formula

looks good must then do custom mix

Severity can cause emotional/psychological reactions

Favorite single herbs

Several of my favorite herbs for SLE
Clear blood stasis chi shao yao
Helps Kidney meridian huang jing
Insomnia Ling Zhi helps with cognitive issues but for
some, may be
b too warming
i
Body pain from tight tendons - Liu Zhi Huang (solidago)
Pain from blocked meridians Jiu Ceng Ta (basil) opens
meridians/collaterals
Pain from yin xu sang ji sheng
Clear toxic heat: chuan xin lian

More favorite herbs

Helps common SLE symptoms
Skin eruptions

ye jua hua
bai xian pi
zi cao
zi hua di ding

Skin scaly - use per TCM diagnosis

sang ji sheng
yi mu cao
chi shao yao

Clear yin xu heat

Hu huang lian
Di gu pi

Second phase of TCM herbs

TCM

When heat clears, then tonify

Use next phase of TCM herbs to restore depletions of
yin, yang, qi, blood Jeans favorite herbs for SLE
include

MDs say TCM will not help

I say TCM treatments can significantly help

Tonify yin sang ji sheng

sheng, nu zhen zi
Tonify yang xu duan, tu si zi
Tonify qi shan yao, fu ling
Tonify blood bai shao yao, he shou wu
When tonifying always add tiny amount of gan cao plus a
carminative mu xiang, chen pi, qing pi

Acupuncture
Herbal medicine modify formulas and prescribe based on
TCM diagnosis
Qigong helps; walking, light exercise helpful
Modify diet to avoid foods that can cause inflammation

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine, PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715

Tel: 626-780-7182 Fax: 626-363-9751 Website: www.eLotus.org Email: info@eLotus.org
Shall not be copied, duplicated, or distributed in any format or be used for teaching without prior written consent from Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine.

Acupuncture

Point Prescriptions

Retention method

Acupuncture - favorite retention points for SLE

Needle 2-6 points for a total of 40 minutes

Insert; then do manual stim until de-qi is felt
Have patient rest 20 minutes
Return and repeat manual stimulation
Remove needles after 40 minutes

For heat symptoms

Prick point to bleed
Examples, Ear Apex, Lu-5, LI-1

Tonify: St 36, K3, P6

Yin Xu: Tung Point Shen Guan 77.18 powerful slightly
proximal to Sp6
Colon: LI 10 or LI 11 - Tung
g Point style
y do both
Brain fog: Du 20
Liver qi: Lv 3, Lv 2 - Tung Point style do both
Shortness of breath: Lu 5 + K3
Insomnia: Ear Shen Men

More Points

Exercise

Cupping

Walking
Qigong is excellent

Walking cupping for upper back pain

Toxic heat use cupping on DT 01, DT02

Chills with fatigue

g
Moxa St36

Skin

Slight increase in heart rate

Not too strenuous
Weight bearing
Gradually builds up endurance for those who are frequently tired
Stretches the body, and moves qi and blood everywhere
Often patients are too debilitated to do a regular gym workout

Tung Point, Si Ma 88.17, 88.18, 88.19

Use all 6 points with retention method

Diet & Cooking

Soup

Cookware

Developed from Miriam Lees anti-cancer soup

High success rate for chronic illness

Avoid metal cookware

Avoid plastic storage especially bisphenol-A plastics (endocrine disruptor)
Use inert cookware / storage
Pyrex or other inert glass
Enamelware

Food

Organic Cherry juice excellent for joint pain mix with pineapple juice
Remove potentially contaminated foods antibiotics or bacteria
Include fresh vegetable juices
Avoid processed foods; avoid GMOs
Fats - Consume healthy cold pressed oils, avoid cooked vegetable fats
Consume high probiotic foods such as kimchee, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha

All whole grains and beans I use organic

Use bone broth soup
p stock g
grass fed beef
Whole grain rice, beans, seeds
1 cup whole grain rice (black, red, or brown) plus 1 tablespoon each
following- use wide variety of seed foods: black sesame, mung, adzuki,
navy bean, lentil, black bean, black eye pea, pinto bean, oats, teff,
amaranth and generally anything sproutable. Add extra mung bean for
cooling and clearing effect, up to 1 cup total of mung
Directions soak overnight; drain, bring to boil, turn down to low
simmer until all is soft and palatable. Season to taste.

Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine, PO Box 92493, City of Industry, CA 91715

Tel: 626-780-7182 Fax: 626-363-9751 Website: www.eLotus.org Email: info@eLotus.org
Shall not be copied, duplicated, or distributed in any format or be used for teaching without prior written consent from Lotus Institute of Integrative Medicine.