Case Study: A Classical Chinese Medical Herbal Case Study with Phil Settels DAOM, of ACCHS
can you guess the formula???!!!
ACU-020 Are you a game geek? Love a good puzzle? Maybe a little competitive? Do you miss being read to in class? ME TOO!!! In this episode we are going back to the cozy classroom with Phil Settels LAc.,the Director and Designer of the DAOM program at ACCHS, The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences. Phil reviews an herbal case he encountered in clinic and breaks it all down for me. Enjoy the show!
today’s guest
PHIL SETTELS LAC.,
Phil Settels graduated from ACCHS in 2011. Early on in his engagement with Chinese Medicine, Phil had the opportunity to study with several amazing Shanghan Lun teachers, including Dr. Arnaud Verluys, Dr. Huang Huang and Dr. Suzanne Robidoux. Phil uses Classical Formulas almost exclusively in his own practice and in his teaching.
Phil was brought in to design the curriculum of the ACCHS DAOM program which started in 2017, and he is currently the Dean of Academics. This program was guided by the ideal of what would best serve clinicians while honoring both the roots of the medicine and its development over time, and empowering graduates to be stewards of Chinese Medicine. The program has a dual focus on Classical Chinese Herbalism as well as Orthopedics and Pain Management, with the goal that graduates have increased skill and confidence to treat any patient who walks through their door, whether their condition reflects an internal or a musculoskeletal dysfunction.
LINK TO JOURNAL ARTICLE WE DISCUSSED HERE.
here is the case:
Female, 41 yrs old, a teacher for toddlers (demanding and stressful)
Appearance:
Obese, big upper body (neck, shoulders, chest, belly), oily skin on face - hunch about primary diagnosis/formula
CC:
1) PCOS - dx 20 years ago
2) Hypothyroid - dx 6 years ago, autoimmune thyroid conditions in her family (both Grave's and Hashimoto's)
Sx:
PCOS: Hirsuitism, missed periods, significant pain and cramping, and some clotting
Hypothyroid: Very low energy, has to force herself through her work day, and then exhausted afterwards
Had a miscarriage 2 years prior, which led to depression, and significant weight gain as she used food for comfort.
Questions
Appetite and Digestion -
She feels best when she eats smaller meals more frequently.
If she goes 4-5 hours without eating she'll get jitters and dizzy.
If she eats too much, she'll get bloating, and feel as though her digestion is sluggish and food just sits there in her upper abdomen.
Fatty or rich foods cause URQ pain. If she eats too late, she'll toss and turn at night with pain, and has to throw up to sleep.
Acid regurgitation all the time. Has prescription pepcid so she can go to sleep.
Belching
Nausea, especially in the mornings
She can eat dinner at 5:30pm and it won't digest and sits there, and then there's acid at night.
Mouth sores
80% sure of primary diagnosis/formula
Bowel Movements
1 in the AM, maybe 1 in the evening
Difficult, dry, started drinking more water but still has issues
Very aware of her elimination, thinks about it a lot
Hemorrhoids - no flare up in a while
95% sure of primary diagnosis/formula
Temperature:
Sensitive to heat, runs hot, always wants the AC on, drinks water with ice
Occasional cold feet
100% sure of primary diagnosis/formula
Dry skin on her legs
Warm extremities
Some visible veins on her legs
80% sure of secondary formula
Body Pain
Joint pain
Muscle cramps at night
Issues with heels when she tries to get up, with tight Achilles tendon at night
100% confident with secondary formula
Other (the cherry on top)
Bitter taste in her mouth? sometimes, and likes bitter foods
Qi Rushing upwards: Palpitations, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, "beyond overthinking (OCD)"
Huandgi Neijing Suwen, Chapter 22
“When the Liver suffers urgency, swiftly eat sweet to moderate it"
"When the Liver desires to disperse, switfly eat pungent to disperse it, for it is tonified with pungent and reduced with sour"
Results after first 2 weeks
Has been evacuating her bowels much more
More comfortable in her upper abdomen
In her next menstrual cycle, bleeding light, not her usual.
No nausea or heartburn other than food trigger. Less bloating. Belching persists, and helps relieve tension
Less desire for the iced beverages. It's not like she needs them as much as before. She's less bothered by the heat now.Doesn't feel nauseous in the mornings, and it's easier to eat
call to action
Head on over and check out the DAOM program! Be sure to tell them who sent you!