TCM Treatment Evaluation for High Cholesterol
TCM practitioners recognize four primary conditions that are connected to high cholesterol. Each diagnosis is determined from an individual analysis of your pulse, tongue, symptoms, and lifestyle. These diagnoses include Damp-Phlegm in the Lung or Spleen, Blood Stasis, Spleen-Stomach Deficiency, and Liver-Kidney Deficiency. Acupuncture and herbal treatment will be based upon the correction of your imbalance with additional points and herbs for the specific symptom of high cholesterol.

Acupuncture for High Cholesterol
Acupuncture treatment for high cholesterol focuses primarily on balancing the body. For conditions of Damp-Phlegm, the acupuncture points of Stomach 40 and Spleen 9 are used to assist the body in transforming the pathogen. In order to break Blood Stasis and correct the flow of blood, acupuncture points Spleen 10, Large Intestine 4, and Liver 3 may be used. Conditions of Spleen-Stomach Deficiency can be supplemented by needling Stomach 36 and Spleen 6. Liver-Kidney Deficiency can be supported by treatment of Liver 3, Kidney 3, Bladder 23, and Bladder 18.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for High Cholesterol
Generally, herbal medicine is the primary method of treatment for cases of high cholesterol. Herbal medicine can more directly affect the primary mechanism of cholesterol absorption and production within the body. A number of herbs and formulas are recommended for the treatment, including:

-- Jiang Zi Yi Gan Tang (a combination of the herbs Zhu Xie, Sang Si Wi, Ju Ming Zi, Dan Shen, Huang Jin, Seng Shen Zha,Hu Zheng, and He Ye.)
-- Guggul (or gugul; obtained from the mukul myrrh (Commiphora mukul) tree
-- Crataegus pinnatifida (Shan zha; Chinese hawthorne)
-- Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Jiaogulan)
-- Senna obtusifolia (Ju Ming Zi; sicklepod seed)
-- Monascus purpureus (red yeast rice)