Over the years as a therapist I have pretty much heard the gamut of everything to do with sex, many women coming to me doubting their own femininity, sexual appeal, and wondering "What's wrong with me? Why isn't he interested in sex anymore? What have I done? Why did his erection vanish? We used to make love all the time . . . He gets these night sweats, is it something contagious? Sometimes I know he has trouble urinating"
The problem usually has nothing to do with the woman, and the man is often just as confused, even fearful of what is happening, embarrassed to bring up the subject. Sometimes out of fear, as a defense mechanism, a man will become moody, angry, or withdrawn from his partner. While the communication gap widens, he knows there's something wrong. Women don't hold the monopoly on being confused by their bodily functions, and a non- performing penis is hard to ignore or hide.
The most problematic male gland is the Prostate, which sits inside the body, just in front of the rectum, below the bladder and surrounding the urethra. It can be felt or massaged through the anal opening—one of the reasons why anal sex is so pleasurable, and why men can experience more powerful anal orgasms than women. The prostate makes the alkaline fluid within which the sperm live: if it does not produce enough fluid, the sperm are in a dry riverbed: no sperm, no baby. The most common problems are inflammation, infection, enlargement, cancer and impotence—the inability to maintain an erect penis for intercourse.
In Oriental Medicine, the prostate is called the Chamber of Essence. When it becomes inflamed, it causes overall body chills, fever, low back pain, joint and muscle pain, and frequent and urgent need to urinate. With a urinary tract infection there may also be pain in the testicles. Prostate enlargement will lead to urinary problems, possible burning, difficulty passing urine, scanty urine flow, and eventual kidney failure. Bowel movements can cause a discharge from the penis.
Cancer of the prostate is a Yin, slow-growing type of cancer, usually going undetected for years, and can hit from the age of 30 onwards; over 60 is most common. If it spreads, it changes completely in nature and becomes a Yang disease, spreading quickly once out of the capsule—prostate gland—and usually targets Yin associated organs: lungs, kidneys, bones, liver, brain. A rectal examination, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test, and transrectal ultrasound will determine if cancer is present. However, it is possible to have prostate cancer with a desired, low, PSA count, say of 4, and men have also been known to have an aggressive type of prostate cancer, with PSA scores still as low as 5 or 6—the range men are classically told, not to worry. Although this test is the male equivalent of the annual PAP smear for women, it is not as accurate. Personally, if many symptoms are present, and even if the PSA is low, I recommend that clients get a CAT and PET scans or MRI.
Often the western approach to prostate cancer is the knife for a complete or partial prostatectomy; cryosurgery; external or conformal beam radiation; or the implantation of radioactive seeds; or hormone blockade therapy, or removal of the testes to stop testosterone production. The end results after surgery, radiation or seed implantation are often very unfavorable with impotence,incontinence of either or both the bladder and bowel, cystitis, bleeding, leg swelling, frequent urination, a build up of scar tissue leading to an eventual loss of erection a few years after surgery, the need for leg support hose, elevation of the legs and diuretics, painful bloody ejaculations, sometimes the bowel can be perforated leading to a colostomy. With hormone blockade men experience hot flashes, breast enlargement and tenderness, mood swings, blood clots in the legs, liver dysfunction, and general cardiovascular problems as well as osteoporosis. The blockade therapy seems to keep the cancer in a semi state of suspended animation as it were, but there are no guarantees it will be eliminated and the quality of life can be poor.
Watchful waiting and doing nothing is frowned upon by the allopathic community, although many men go this route and opt for diet change, and taking herbal supplements such as PC-spes or saw palmetto, Chinese mushrooms, and as it is such a slow growing disease, many men die with prostate cancer, not of prostate cancer, yet the stress that comes with knowing one has the disease can be terrible, and cause even worse ch'i depletion in the flows of Spleen (worry), Kidney (fear), Heart (panic).
Nearly all the men I have treated for prostate cancer through auricular therapy had an interesting common trait. When ch'i was released from the prostate point in the ear, the images I saw were of a video tape of their numerous and prolific stream of lovers, with a few inquiries it was clear that these were numerous cases of "sex with no love" attachment or bonding what so ever, simply sex to satisfy an urge. They were all big red meat eaters, most smoked something, including cigars, had high cholesterol counts, did not properly exercise and paid little attention to what they ate. In contrast, women with whom I have worked the corresponding Uterus point in the ear, for cysts, fibroids, or infertility, have never had this sexual encounters 'footage'; most likely because a heart connection is almost always required when a woman makes love, as opposed to basic sex; we just don't, as a rule give our bodies that easily.
Over the years, the results that male clients have achieved after using the potency points have been as dramatic and encouraging as the Forbidden Points have been for women. Many clients described waning libidos or loss of potency after accidents to the head, neck, or wrist areas and often, after only fifteen minutes of massaging a combination of Governing Vessel 14 (Great Hammer or Long Strong), Triple Warmer 4 (Yang Pond), Stomach 36 (Leg Three Miles), and Kidney 1 (Bubbling Spring) has produced immediate results and reversed erection problems completely, often only with phone consultation instructions; firstly massaging in a counter clockwise direction to move old stale ch'i out of the body, then massaging clockwise to bring in new fresh energy. In addition, for some men where it was apparent that the impotence was mind related, I have successfully also added Large Intestine 4 (Ho Ku or The Great Eliminator) to their massage routine.
With prostate problems, it is important to eat correctly—follow the diet in Woman Heal Thyself—exercise every day (sitting aggravates the prostate and promotes stale ch'i), relax, and refrain from smoking, drugs, alcohol, eating spicy or fatty foods. Marijuana and cigar smoking have recently been linked to this disease.
In recent years there has been much funding for research into prostate cancer and what one can do about it. There is a growing trend that encourages those who have the disease to refrain from eating all meat, and to stick with a diet filled with vegetables, grains, fish, and avoid carbohydrates and fruits that are full of sugar which cancer loves. However if someone does wish to indulge in meat, at least eat the cuts that are mentioned further on.
Fish oils, shark cartilage capsules, evening primrose oil, vitamins C and E, selenium, magnesium, zinc, germanium, and the amino acids glycine, alanine, and glutamine (which nourish and energize male cells) have been found to be particularly beneficial to the prostate, as well as ginseng, ginkgo, saw palmetto, pokeweed, mistletoe, and horsetail. Garlic is, of course, excellent since it inhibits infection and has a good supply of vitamins and minerals. Alanine, glycine, and glutamine are present in asparagus, cauliflower, collards, green beans, pumpkin, corn, Chinese cabbage, kale, avocado, potatoes (baked with skins), Romaine lettuce, okra; with lentil sprouts and lima beans having the highest content of all vegetables; dried figs (no additives or preservatives), peaches, pears, and mangoes; almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and tahini. The amino acids are found in chicken (breasts and leg), turkey (light meat), fish (notably tuna and clams).
The following acu-points can be massaged at any time to relieve problems and increase healthy energy within the male body:
| IMPOTENCE | |||
| Spleen | |||
| 12 | Rushing Gate | ||
| 13 | Bowel Abode | ||
| Stomach | |||
| 36 | Leg Three Miles | ||
| Large Intestine | |||
| 4 | Ho Ku or Great Eliminator | ||
| Kidney | |||
| 1 | Bubbling Spring | ||
| Bladder | |||
| 23 | Kidney's Hollow (Shu) | ||
| 29 | Middle Backbone Shu | ||
| 30 | White Ring Shu | ||
| 47 | Soul Gate | ||
| Liver | |||
| 8 | Crooked Spring | ||
| Triple Warmer | |||
| 4 | Yang Pond | ||
| GENERAL PROBLEMS | |||
| Conception Vessel | |||
| 1 | Meeting of Yin | ||
| 2 | Crooked Bone | ||
| Kidney | |||
| 11 | Transverse Bone | ||
| SEMEN LEAKAGE | |||
| Kidney | |||
| 3 | Greater Mountain Stream | ||
| TESTES | |||
| Stomach | |||
| 30 | Surging Ch'i | ||
| Conception Vessel | |||
| 3 | Central Pole or Jade Spring | ||
| 4 | Origin Pass or Cinnabar Field or Essential Dew | ||
| Governing Vessel | |||
| 14 | Great Hammer | ||
© Copyright: Woman Heal Thyself, by Jeanne Elizabeth Blum, Tuttle Publishing, 1995.
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