Treating the Whole Person – Overcoming Anemia With TCM

If you feel tired and weak, have constant headaches or dizziness, or fight shortness of breath, you may be one of the three million Americans who are inflicted with anemia.

Anemia is the result of your blood not producing enough healthy red blood cells, resulting in your body not having enough oxygen-rich blood. According to the American Society of Hematology, anemia is the most common of all the blood disorders, affecting more than three million individuals across the United States.

Symptoms of anemia range from headaches, lack of energy, and shortness of breath, to irregular heartbeats and chest pain. The yellowing of one’s skin and cold hands and feet are also tell-tale signs of anemia.

Risk factors of anemia include a poor diet, intestinal disorders, and individuals with chronic infections and diseases. More specifically, a root cause of anemia is spleen Qi deficiency. Yet, women in particular tend to have lower hemoglobin. This means women are at a significantly higher risk for anemia, especially when they are menstruating or pregnant.

One of these women was a client
of FengYang Taoist Medicine named Pavithra.
Read on to discover her incredible story to recovery.

“Living” With Anemia – Pavithra's Story

For as long as she can remember, Pavithra has always been chronically anemic. Her hemoglobin has always been on the lower side, and she had been dealing with the uncomfortable symptoms of anemia for around eight years. Not only that, but she has constantly struggled to find Western healthcare and treatment that helped her condition.

Now, Pavithra’s condition wasn’t overly severe – she was simply low on iron (or so she thought). So, she did what many of the three million Americans dealing with anemia do each year – she received iron supplements from Western doctors and tried to manage her pain by consuming iron-rich food, like freshly-cooked meats. However, these methods were not helping her with her pain and were not sustainable methods towards recovery.

Even though Pavithra regularly saw her doctor, she was continuously low on energy and, at times, had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. She knew she needed a sustainable way to manage her condition, so she continued to turn to traditional Western medicine.

Pavithra had annual checkups with her doctor to check her hemoglobin, and it would consistently be quite low. If her symptoms were moderate, her doctor would have her take supplements. However, there were times she would need to take extreme measures by having iron induced into her bloodstream through an IV. This method was extremely uncomfortable, and Pavithra knew she needed to find an ultimate solution.

Pavithra had seen several Western doctors who would continuously check her blood just to tell her the same thing – her hemoglobin was low. Yet, none of the doctors could tell her why it was so low. She hit a lot of dead ends while on this Western medicine path. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Finding a New Solution During a Pandemic

Like many people during the pandemic, Pavithra found she had a lot of time on her hands because she was now working from home. However, unlike some people who were able to take the time to exercise and get in shape in 2020, Pavithra didn’t have the energy.

She spent months sitting at home, not being able to exercise and not feeling herself. Her hair began falling out and the symptoms from anemia got worse. She knew she needed a sustainable and holistic option to heal and, with all this extra time on her hands, she began a simple Google search for alternative options.

This is when she found Dr. Ming Wu, Ph.D.
and his Taoist Chinese Medicine (TCM).

While searching for holistic healing practitioners, Pavithra came across Dr. Wu’s website. She continued to do quite a bit of research on Dr. Wu, including watching his full documentary and reading the numerous testimonials from other patients. Then she realized he was located only 15 minutes from her home.

She woke up the next morning and booked an appointment.

A "Leap of Faith”

The minute Pavithra walked into Dr. Wu’s office, she knew he was different from the typical Western doctor. Pavithra found Dr. Wu to be a very down-to-earth, approachable, wise man from the onset. She felt his warmth the minute she walked in, and she knew she wouldn’t be just another number like in a traditional Western doctor’s office.

Dr. Wu immediately took Pavithra’s pulse. She found she didn’t have to discuss any of her symptoms with him because he already knew what they were based just on her pulse. He told her exactly what he saw – her energy levels were obviously impacted (he called this “chi”) and he explained how her chi was very low and, in turn, affected her liver and spleen. Those were the channels that needed the most help, and Dr. Wu knew exactly what to do.

Pavithra went home with 12 little packets of herbs that Dr. Wu hand-picked for her. She was actually quite surprised; she didn’t receive iron pills or the threat of intravenous methods. Instead, she was told to cook the herbs for a few hours every day, strain them into tea, and then drink it.

According to Pavithra, she decided to take this “leap of faith.”

Now, Pavithra knew that she putting her trust in Dr. Wu to prescribe herbs even though she was unaware of what they were beforehand. But, she felt comfortable asking him questions and was relieved with the answers she received.

Dr. Wu was very diligent in explaining what each herb did and why he was prescribing them to her. Not even her Western doctors had been that diligent with information. She came to the conclusion that they were safe to consume.

Some of the herbs were easily identifiable – ginseng and ginger, for example – these were familiar and not intimidating at all to Pavithra. Other herbs, however, were foreign to Pavithra and were, luckily, explained by Dr. Wu.

Key Herbal Combinations for Success

Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang was one an herbal formula given to Pavithra because it is used to treat many different diseases due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and immunoregulatory properties. It is perfect for individuals fighting the symptoms of anemia because it nourishes the spleen to promote qi.

One of the main ingredients in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang that helped Pavithra was Astragalus. Astragalus is a powerful herb that has both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and has been used in TCM for thousands of years. It is grown in the Changbai Mountain region of China and has been celebrated for its many health benefits.

According to Mount Sinai, Astragalus has been used to fight off infections, manage the issues related to stress, and has even been found to protect the body from diabetes and cancer. In Pavithra’s case, Astraglus has also been found to protect the liver, tonify the spleen, and invigorate qi.

Astragalus has been used for qi deficiency, and studies have found that the herb may improve blood counts for people affected by anemia. This is why it is used in TCM by combining it with other herbs, depending on the individual’s needs.

Pavithra Finds Success with Dr. Wu

For the next two weeks, Pavithra did the same routine every day – she cooked her herbs, strained them into tea, and drank it. Over that short period of time, she saw an incredible improvement in how she was feeling energy-wise. In fact, she saw incremental improvements in her energy each day.

She was confident the herbs prescribed by Dr. Wu were working in her favor.

At the end of the two-week period, she met with Dr. Wu. He could tell right away that she was a different person. For the first time in years, Pavithra wasn’t fighting to wake up; now, she wanted to wake up.

After only two weeks, she was a new person inside and out, and it was all because of the tea. She wasn’t exercising and she only eliminated dairy and gluten at Dr. Wu’s recommendation (they have mucous-inducing properties that work against what her body was trying to accomplish). These first two weeks were simply drinking the herbs, and they worked.

Pavithra would continue to drink her herbal tea for two more months and then went for bloodwork. After years of seeing her hemoglobin continuously dip below average levels, it was finally back to normal. She hadn’t seen those normal levels since she was a teenager.

As Pavithra explained, “What’s beautiful about this is, [Dr Wu] was not treating [my] anemia. He was not treating me for low hemoglobin. He was treating me to feel whole as a person.”

After two months, she started to notice other symptoms fading away. Her hair stopped falling out, she no longer craved sweets, and she no longer had the constant dips of energy late in the day. In fact, she even stopped having menstrual cramps due to the herbal formula Si Wu Tang.

Si Wu Tang is an herbal formula that consists of four herbs – Shu Di Huang, Bai Shao, Dang Gui, and Chuan Xiong – and is commonly used to relieve menstrual discomfort. Even though she wasn’t even thinking of solving those issues, one of the great side effects from her herbal tea was that she no longer had painful periods. After the first month, her periods were pain free.

“I actually cried because I didn’t know it was possible,” Pavithra said.

This is because Dr. Wu doesn’t address symptoms like Western doctors. Instead, he takes his patients closer to their very own ideal state of being. Dr. Wu understands that, in order to be disease free, you need to be the best version of yourself. Dr. Wu didn’t see Pavithra as a woman dealing with anemia; instead, he saw her as a whole person, emotionally and spiritually, which is the success to his approach.

Unlike traditional Western doctors, Dr. Wu isn’t looking for long-term patients. He teaches and equips his patients to self-heal. He gives his patients the education, knowledge, and tools needed to maintain good health.

Paying It Forward

One of Pavithra’s friends asked her what she sees in TCM that she doesn’t see in Western medicine. Pavithra replied:

“Medicine, as we know, is both an art and a science. I think Western medicine focuses so much on the science part of it...Dr. Wu really, really brings home the art part of it. He brings the human touch to medicine, and he brings so much of his heart into it…I think he’s an artist of medicine.”

Some of Pavithra’s friends have also asked her how she has changed as a person after her experiences with Dr. Wu. Pavithra has had a total mental shift that she said will last a lifetime.

Pavithra views her own state of health now as very positive – pain no longer scares her. In fact, she thinks of pain as a good thing because it means her body is trying to tell her something.

Dr. Wu has enabled her to heal herself, so she is now in control of her health and well-being. Her body finally has the energy to heal itself and become whole, which is why Pavithra is paying it forward by recommending Dr. Wu’s services to anyone dealing with health-related issues.

Whenever Pavithra meets someone with a health concern, she always recommends they discuss their issues with Dr. Wu.

She does understand that many people aren’t familiar with TCM and may be weary of change. She also understands many of her friends have a fear of the unknown beyond traditional Western medicine. Yet, she has worked on building their confidence to help them find a solid alternative.

She has since had around eight friends meet with Dr. Wu and become his patients, and she’s only heard great things from them. They have all seen major differences and improvements in their own health conditions.

She’s found there is a lot of power in sharing experiences. In fact, she had only learned about Dr. Wu online; if she would’ve had the opportunity to speak with one of his patients, she probably would have worked with him much sooner.

In Pavithra’s own words,
Dr. Wu is the “right spokesperson for TCM.”

Pavithra Today

Over the years, Pavithra would continue to see Dr. Wu, not to resolve any health issues (she feels great!), but to just make sure her body is maintaining its overall health. They have explored different modalities of treatment, such as cupping and acupuncture, depending on how she was feeling.

Pavithra recently gave birth to her son and, after a year of not seeing Dr. Wu, was excited to get back in touch with him and announce her “TCM baby.” She uses that term because she had a smooth, uneventful pregnancy, which she did not expect. She didn’t even have morning sickness!

In the end, Dr. Wu did more than help Pavithra deal with anemia. He helped her operate at her highest potential.

“The absence of disease is not health. Health means feeling like you are functioning and working at your highest potential,” said Pavithra, “and, there’s always room to improve that.”

Pavithra knows how to restore her chi and bring her body back into balance and find harmony. Today, she and Dr. Wu have moved well beyond doctor-patient. They are good friends.

Listen to Pavithra's Story

For more information or to book a consultation with
Dr. Ming Wu, please call 860-310-5438.

If you or your loved ones are suffering from any kind of disease or condition, Dr. Wu and his team of certified practitioners are ready to guide on your path to healing. Click the link below for an online consultation.

Unlock Healing with TCM