Brain Tumors
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Brain Tumors
Brain tumors account for one in every one hundred cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Western medicine struggles to deal with brain tumors because often times the prescription of the “Big Three” is restricted. Some areas of the brain cannot be operated on, or is too risky to be operated on. It could be hard for chemotherapy to get into the brain. Radiation may help, but it cannot be used over a long period of time. The most common method used in this case is the prescription of steroids. However, steroids cannot completely get rid of the tumors; it merely prevents the brain from swelling.
When we treat brain tumors or any brain problems such as stroke, ADD, memory loss, Parkinson disease, or cerebral palsy, the first thing we should pay attention to is the circulation of the brain. With abnormal circulation, there will be abnormality in the functioning of the brain. This is common sense. The brain needs more blood supply than other organs in the body. It is a small organ, constituting only 2% of the total size of the body, but its blood circulation accounts for 20% of the entire body’s blood supply. Blood supply to the brain comes from two major arteries – the vertebral artery and the common carotid artery.
Vertebral and Common Carotid Arteries
There is a left side and a right side to the vertebral artery. The vertebral artery passes through the foramina of the transverse process of the cervical vertebra and enters the skull through the foramen magnum to reach the inferior surface of the brain. This and the common carotid artery both go up to the brain forming the basilar artery. The common carotid artery branches into the right and left. We can touch these two arteries in the frontal neck area. The common carotid artery splits into the internal and external arteries. The internal common carotid artery and basilar artery form the cerebral arterial circle, which is called the Circle of Willis. The Circle of Willis cannot be treated by external physical stimulation since it is protected by the skull. However, all of the arteries supplying blood to the brain are from the aortic arch in the heart area. This area is also well protected and does not benefit from external physical stimulation. In Tong Ren healing, we can open the blockage in the Sky Window area through indirect stimulation to the vertebral and common carotid arteries. In the Tom Tam Healing System, the Sky Window is the pathway for blood circulation between the body and the brain. With any brain problems, including tumors, we have to pay special attention to opening any blockage in the Sky Window area, which is located around the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM). Along the length of the anterior SCM is the Large Intestine Meridian, and the posterior section of the SCM is where the Small Intestine and Triple Warmer Meridians are located.