Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Medicine for Chronic Disease

In this episode of Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle, I speak with Brehan Crawford, a Chinese medicine practitioner who combines ancient healing wisdom with modern scientific understanding to help people with chronic conditions.

Brehan Crawford is a Chinese medicine practitioner with a four-year master's degree and additional six years of direct mentorship focusing on complex and chronic cases. He specializes in helping people with conditions that haven't responded well to conventional treatments, particularly digestive disorders and autonomic nervous system issues.

Key Topics

• Brehan's personal journey into Chinese medicine after witnessing its powerful effects on his father's skin condition
• The differences between Chinese medicine as practiced in China versus the Western understanding
• How acupuncture is only about 5-10% of Chinese medicine practice in China
• The autonomic nervous system's role in chronic conditions
• The concept of yin and yang as it relates to parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system states
• Treating conditions like POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
• Simple breathing techniques for different health conditions
• How virtual appointments work in Chinese medicine practice

"When you give up hope, that's the same as somebody paying you to stay sick. You have to maintain that hope. You have to encourage your family, your close friends to help you keep that hope... Not to continue throwing away your money trying things that don't work, but to be open to something working, even if nothing that you've tried previously has." — Brehan Crawford

Resources Mentioned

• Crawford Wellness website: crawford-wellness.com
• Instagram: @crawford_wellness
• Chorus Circle: Free online support group available through the Skol platform, linked on Brehan's website and social media

Takeaway Points

1. Chinese medicine looks at patterns in your body, environment, and lifestyle to restore fundamental functions
2. Most chronic conditions improve when basic bodily functions (sleep, digestion, etc.) are optimized
3. The autonomic nervous system balance is crucial for overall health
4. Different breathing techniques can help different conditions based on excess or deficiency patterns
5. Virtual consultations can be effective for herbal medicine prescriptions and many types of health guidance

Timestamp Highlights

• 00:00:00 - Introduction and Brehan's background
• 00:01:45 - Brehan's father's experience with Chinese medicine
• 00:04:00 - Brehan's personal health journey
• 00:05:00 - Explanation of Chinese medicine as a complete system
• 00:07:00 - Acupuncture's role in Chinese medicine
• 00:11:00 - Discussion of chronic disease approaches
• 00:15:00 - Functional medicine and Chinese medicine similarities
• 00:19:00 - Explanation of the autonomic nervous system
• 00:25:00 - Breathing techniques for different conditions
• 00:27:00 - How virtual appointments work
• 00:30:00 - Information about Chorus Circle support group