Ancient Health Podcast

Spinning attacks, a full ear, a roar you can’t shut off: that’s the classic Ménière’s picture. But a migraine that never causes a headache can mimic it almost exactly. Dr. Chris Motley explains the one test that tells them apart (the audiogram), why every Ménière’s treatment seems to work (in the biggest drug trial, the placebo group got better too), what Chinese medicine wrote about the spinning room 1,800 years ago, and four steps to take before anyone treats your ear. Sources are in the show notes. Educational only, not medical advice. 0:00 The spinning room: is it really Ménière's? 1:03 Welcome to the Ancient Health Podcast 1:16 What a definite Ménière's diagnosis requires 3:00 Vestibular migraine: the condition that mimics it 4:05 The one test that tells them apart: the audiogram 4:32 Why the right label matters before treating the ear 6:53 Why every treatment seems to work 7:56 The betahistine trial: the placebo group got better too 10:00 A crack in the fluid-pressure theory 11:20 What happens when Ménière's comes into my office 12:24 A patient story: vertigo, tinnitus, and afternoon fatigue 13:50 The kidney meridian and the 3 to 5 p.m. window 15:35 Tongue, pulse, and EAV testing 18:20 The urinalysis and the audiologist's results 21:03 Chinese medicine, the spleen, kidneys, and fluid 23:15 Supporting the spleen, kidneys, and lymph 24:58 Homeopathic remedies for vertigo 26:52 Herbs for the kidneys: uva ursi and chanca piedra 27:55 Supplements for the spleen 30:06 Four steps to take this week 31:32 Closing thoughts 32:34 Disclaimer Supplements Dr. Motley recommends: SPLEEN Spleeno-Lyph by Nutri-West Spleen PMG by Standard Process: ⁠https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/doctormotley/signup⁠ Albizia Supreme by Supreme Nutrition: ⁠https://shop.supremenutritionproducts.com/?aff=28⁠ KIDNEY Uva Ursi by Supreme Nutrition: ⁠https://shop.supremenutritionproducts.com/?aff=28⁠ Body Guard by Supreme Nutrition: ⁠https://shop.supremenutritionproducts.com/?aff=28⁠ Cranberry UT Vibrance Homeopathics that help with vertigo: DesBio "Dizzy": https://dbscript.com/?direct=drmotley Professional Formulas "Vertigo Syncope": https://professionalformulas.com/patientcode/?doctorname=Christopher&doctor_code=GXN776D Vertigoheel Standard Process Spleen PMG: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/doctormotley/signup⁠ The common four herbs that help with vertigo: Cocculus Conium Theridion Ambra Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctormotley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctormotley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctormotley/ Website: https://doctormotley.com *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tight jaw, shoulders up by your ears, waking at 3 a.m.? Somatic movement teacher Liz Tenuto, author of When the Body Speaks, joins Dr. Chris Motley to explore where the body holds stress, why she favors tiny, lazy movements over force, why animals shake it off, and how to recognize when you’re still bracing. Dr. Motley adds the Chinese Medicine perspective on the jaw and waking at 3 a.m. Sources and corrections are included in the show notes. Content note: This episode discusses trauma, emotional healing, and the mind-body connection. Take care while listening, and feel free to pause or skip around if you need to. Educational only, not medical advice. Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: where your body holds stress 00:44 Welcome: Liz Tenuto, somatic movement teacher 02:45 Ten years without sleep, and everything she tried 03:51 "People rolling around on the floor in their pajamas" 04:47 Inside a somatic class: the laziest movements possible 05:52 From workhorse to gentle, and what surfaced 07:06 A dancer, disconnected from her emotional body 08:45 Does the body remember? 11:55 Dance, EMDR, and life before The Body Keeps the Score 13:23 Is fascia a highway for emotion? 15:00 Shoulders at her ears, and the saran wrap picture 16:58 Tiny lazy movements and new pathways 18:30 Calm, wired, or shut down: the "Goldilocks" state 19:41 Why people keep going back to the chiropractor 20:46 Calm takes reps 22:09 How your body learns tension 25:02 Can a stuck joint slow your lymph? 26:17 Dr. Motley's method: meridians, muscles, and the liver 30:17 An old basketball injury and three months of brain fog 33:10 How Liz starts with a new client 34:41 Why animals shake it off 38:04 Where your body holds stress: hips, shoulders, neck, jaw 39:48 Jaw tension, TMJ, and the Gallbladder channel 41:17 How long does it take? 42:29 Why forcing a release backfires 44:37 Why Dr. Motley tells patients a year 45:31 Signs you're storing stress 46:40 3 a.m., your lungs, and the Chinese medicine clock 47:35 What letting go feels like 49:24 Where to find Liz 50:50 Closing thoughts 52:09 Disclaimer Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctormotley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctormotley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctormotley/ Website: https://doctormotley.com Follow Liz Tenuto: Website: https://theworkoutwitch.com/  YouTube:  theworkoutwitch.com/s/youtube Instagram: theworkoutwitch.com/s/instagram Book: https://theworkoutwitch.com/pages/book *Join Doctor  Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Eboni Cornish, MD, of Amen Clinics and ILADS, returns for a third conversation, live in Nashville. She and Dr. Chris Motley talk about Lyme and other tick-borne infections in the brain: anxiety and depression, kids labeled ADHD, puberty flares, mold and memory, and why she calms the brain before treating anything. Plus her best question: when did your symptoms start, and where were you? Sources in the show notes. Educational only, not medical advice. 00:00 Depression, anxiety, and a Lyme test 00:39 Welcome: Dr. Eboni Cornish, live in Nashville  02:20 From bored family doctor to Lyme practice  04:13 How Lyme gets into the brain  06:12 What a Lyme brain looks like on a SPECT scan  08:02 The limbic loop: calm the brain  10:21 Is neurology catching up?  12:30 Floaters, light sensitivity, and trouble reading  14:05 Tinnitus and sound sensitivity  15:08 Can kids have Lyme? Pregnancy and newborns  17:48 Why puberty can trigger a flare  20:12 ADHD, PANS, and a gentler approach for kids  23:32 Food, kids, and the one-food trade  25:56 Sudden anger in children  27:23 Joint pain and injuries that won't heal  28:57 Teeth, gums, and cavitations  31:09 Babesia and your red blood cells  32:34 MTHFR, explained  35:11 Swollen lymph nodes and lymphatic drainage 36:47 Memory loss, mold, and dementia risk  39:42 Where were you when your symptoms started?  41:31 Gratitude and the brain  43:59 How your gut shapes your mood  46:09 Her morning routine  48:19 Saunas, baths, and cold water  50:38 Belly breathing for kids  51:11 Her fall speaking tour  54:14 Where to find Dr. Cornish  55:34 Wrap-up  57:01 Disclaimer Key Takeaways: Tick-borne illness can show up in the brain. Lyme can reach the nervous system. If you have neurological symptoms and you are not getting better, Dr. Cornish says to put tick-borne disease on the list (5:16).  Calm the brain before you push treatment. Her patients who react to everything are often stuck in fight or flight, a "limbic loop" (9:37). She starts by calming the nervous system.  Kids get labeled. Many of her pediatric patients arrive diagnosed with ADHD or "being bad" (20:50). A sudden change in a child, over days rather than months, is worth asking your pediatrician about by name: PANS. Trade one food, not the whole diet. She asks a reluctant kid for one food that "doesn't love your brain," and trades a supplement off the list in return (25:04). Then she asks AI for realistic swaps a family will actually eat.  Babesia lives in red blood cells. If you have tested positive, don't donate blood. Federal blood-safety rules agree. Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website Follow Dr. Eboni Cornish https://www.instagram.com/dr.ebonicornish/ https://www.drebonicornish.com/ For more on her work:  https://www.amenclinics.com/ https://www.ilads.org/ *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Normal TSH, still exhausted? Dr. Chris Motley explains the thyroid antibodies most people never get tested for, why a stomach infection called H. pylori keeps showing up alongside Hashimoto's, what a 2026 study found when it was treated, and what Chinese medicine has long said about digestion and a cold, tired body.  (00:00) Your antibodies are five times normal, and "nothing to treat yet"  (00:53) Welcome to the Ancient Health Podcast  (01:02) The most common thyroid disease, and the least recognized  (02:15) How your immune system attacks your thyroid: anti-TPO and anti-thyroglobulin  (02:55) What your thyroid does, and how TPO builds T3 and T4  (05:38) Why the antibodies start: Epstein-Barr, and one more pathogen  (06:13) H. pylori is not just a heartburn bug  (07:17) The stomach infection you forgot you had  (08:41) How people actually catch H. pylori  (10:16) A hidden infection and an over-alert immune system  (11:30) Mistaken identity: the molecular mimicry idea  (14:16) The Egypt study: treat H. pylori, watch TSH fall  (15:45) Why H. pylori belongs in every Hashimoto's workup  (16:47) A patient story: lifelong anxiety and a folder of labs  (23:16) Chinese medicine: Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency  (24:56) The herbs Dr. Motley uses, and what the research shows  (27:40) That old infection could still be hanging around  (28:01) Normal labs, still feel crummy? What to ask for  (29:26) Share this with someone who needs it  (30:02) Disclaimer TSH alone can miss Hashimoto's. Over 90 percent of people with Hashimoto's carry TPO antibodies, and 50 to 80 percent carry thyroglobulin antibodies (StatPearls). Most standard panels check TSH only. Ask for both antibodies. The H. pylori and Hashimoto's link is real in pooled data, not in every study. A 15-study meta-analysis found about twice the odds of Hashimoto's with H. pylori infection (OR 2.16). One Italian study found the link only in Graves' disease. Molecular mimicry is a proposed explanation, not a proven one. 5. Treating H. pylori lowered TSH in levothyroxine-resistant women. TSH fell from 11.87 to 2.56 over four months in a 2026 Egyptian study. Antibodies moved much less. Levothyroxine needs stomach acid to absorb, so better absorption is the likeliest reason. What Doctor Motley Likes to Use:      Golden Thread: https://tinyurl.com/mvf6rftr Scutellaria Supreme (Chinese Scullcap): https://tinyurl.com/4murtnuk Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram Facebook Website *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The molluscum cream your dermatologist prescribed actually.…doesn't beat doing nothing. A 2017 Cochrane review of 22 trials says so. Dr. Chris Motley breaks down why watchful waiting is actually the evidence-backed call, what the new FDA-approved gel really does (and doesn't) fix, and why some kids' bumps won't quit for years while others clear in months. [00:00:00] - The pediatrician who said "just wait it out"  [00:00:48] - Welcome to the Ancient Health Podcast [00:01:01]- Six million cases a year, and why some kids are more exposed than others [00:02:36] - The jolt: a systematic review of 22 trials says the standard cream doesn't beat nothing  [00:03:39] - A frustrated mother's story: two bumps become ten, then spread to both siblings  [00:08:05] - This isn't about which cream to buy, it's about how the virus hides  [00:08:42] Meet the pox family and the cells the virus sets up shop in  [00:09:28] - The virus's cloaking device: blocking your own inflammation signal  [00:10:44] - Imiquimod was never actually FDA-approved for this  [00:11:58] Why "watch and wait" is the most evidence-backed thing a dermatologist can tell you  [00:12:16] - What changed in January 2024: the first FDA-approved molluscum treatment ever  [00:14:11] - The real question: why some kids clear this in months and others fight it for years  [00:14:27] - The 2025 study connecting eczema and stubborn molluscum  [00:14:54] - Why eczema is a gut and lung problem in Chinese medicine, not just a skin problem  [00:17:12] - Leaky gut, explained  [00:17:50] - Sponsor break: Wavwatch  [00:19:03] - How toxin buildup makes its way out through the skin  [00:20:51] - What to check first if molluscum won't go away: gut and lung dysfunction  [00:23:39] - The labs Dr. Motley actually recommends for gut and lung testing [00:25:29] - How Dr. Motley diagnoses in his own office: EAV testing and kinesiology  [00:27:38] - Three go-to herbal tinctures for viral support, by name  [00:31:09] - Cat's claw and scutellaria for lung and gut inflammation  [00:32:06] - Homeopathic options, and where to research them  [00:33:21] The reassurance: if the bumps cleared and never came back, don't worry  [00:34:42] - Subscribe, share, and the standard medical disclaimer  [00:36:20] - Close Key Takeaways  A 2017 Cochrane review of 22 trials and 1,650 patients found topical imiquimod 5% performs no better than an inactive vehicle cream. Imiquimod was never FDA-approved for molluscum specifically; two decades of dermatologist use were off-label, borrowed from its approval for genital warts and actinic keratosis.  "Watch and wait" is the evidence-backed answer, not a dodge. The same Cochrane review found no tested intervention, cryotherapy, potassium hydroxide, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, clearly beat placebo either. Natural resolution remains the best-supported path for most kids.  The virus has its own cloaking device. It infects keratinocytes and actively encodes proteins that block chemokine and inflammation signaling at the infection site, telling the immune system nothing is wrong, sometimes for years. Scratching spreads it to new sites through auto-inoculation.  January 2024 brought the first FDA-approved molluscum treatment ever: berdazimer gel (Zelsuvmi). A nitric-oxide-releasing gel applied once daily for up to 12 weeks. Real, and not a miracle: the FDA-label figure is 32.4% complete clearance versus 19.7% for vehicle at week 12, in an 891-patient phase 3 trial.  Chinese medicine ties eczema to the lungs and colon, not just the skin. The lung and large intestine are paired "metal element" meridians in TCM theory; when either is weakened or inflamed, the skin, their shared detox pathway, is where the overflow shows up as rashes, acne, or persistent viral lesions. If it's not going away, check gut and lung function, not just the skin. Chronic sinus congestion, asthma history, or frequent colds point to lung weakness; constipation, diarrhea, or a history of food poisoning point to gut imbalance, per Dr. Motley's clinical framework. He names specific labs for both. What Doctor Motley Uses:      Astragalus: https://tinyurl.com/39j4xpnx Olive leaf: https://tinyurl.com/32c4sj9a  Elderberry: https://tinyurl.com/kxvnrtep  Cat's claw: https://tinyurl.com/yu8ntvu7   Scutellaria: https://tinyurl.com/4murtnuk Other Recommended Resources: MicrogenDX (respiratory/sinus testing) Mosaic Diagnostics (parasitology and gut testing) Supreme Nutrition Products (Astragalus, Olive Leaf, Elderberry, Cat's Claw, Scutellaria) Hawaii Pharm Woodland Essences DesBio (homeopathic remedies) Metabolics.com Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your eye exam came back normal, but your vision still isn't right. Dr. Chris Motley explains the Traditional Chinese Medicine case for why liver health, not just age, may be behind your floaters, flashes, or dim vision, including his own story of vision loss and recovery. He covers the real embryology behind "the eyes are a map of the brain," the labs he uses when a standard eye exam comes back clean, and the herbs and acupressure points he recommends for eye strength. [00:00:00] - Opening: why your eyes might be showing signs your eye doctor can't explain [00:00:26] - The real embryology: your eyes grow directly off your brain [00:02:11] - Iridology: reading the eye's lines and colors, and why it's contested [00:04:03] - Welcome to the Ancient Health Podcast, and the day's premise [00:07:14] - Chinese medicine's oldest eye theory: the liver opens into the eyes [00:08:17] - When the eye doctor finds nothing, and the questions start [00:10:01] - Old infections hiding in the brain, and the path to your eyes [00:11:22] - Floaters, squiggly lines, and the parasite possibility [00:15:32] - Dr. Motley's own story: losing vision in his right eye [00:19:20] - Specialty testing when the standard labs come back clean [00:20:38] - Why the liver is the real storehouse for eye health [00:23:40] - The infection-liver-eye pipeline: how pathogens steal your nutrients [00:26:06] - The herb protocol: Schisandra, Bodyguard, Morinda, and Cat's Claw Supreme [00:27:47] - Acupressure for the eyes: five points and the liver connection [00:30:57] - Recap and closing: what to do when your eye doctor can't explain it Key Takeaways Your eyes really are an extension of your brain, not just symbolically. Early in embryonic development, the eyes form as a direct outgrowth of the brain itself. This is standard developmental biology, not a TCM metaphor, and it's the real anatomical reason vision problems can be windows into neurological and systemic health rather than isolated eye issues. Traditional Chinese Medicine's oldest eye doctrine holds up as a documented framework. The idea that "the liver opens into the eyes" is one of TCM's five foundational organ-to-sense-organ correspondences (alongside kidney-ears and spleen-mouth), and it's been part of the system's diagnostic language for thousands of years. A clean eye exam doesn't always mean nothing is wrong. DR. Motley argues that when floaters, flashes, or dim vision persist despite normal dye tests, blood flow scans, and pressure checks, the next step isn't to give up, it's to look at whether an old infection (Lyme, mold, a lingering virus) picked up years earlier is still active in the body. The liver is a nutrient warehouse for your eyes. It stores vitamin A and hands it off via retinol-binding protein to feed the rods and cones that let you see a real, verified biochemical pathway. When a hidden infection is consuming those same nutrients in the liver, your eyes are the ones that go without. Floaters may not always be simple debris. Dr. Motley describes patients who say their floaters look like "little worms crawling across my eyes," and raises the possibility that some of what people write off as normal floaters could be a pathogen or parasite in the eye's own fluid, not only dead cell tissue. The herb and acupressure routine, in the order Dr. Motley reaches for them:  Total Eyebright C or M by Nutriwest  Schisandra Supreme to support glutathione production and detox: https://tinyurl.com/a24kyuzz Bodyguard Supreme (Chanca Piedra, "the stone breaker") to help clear liver and gallbladder sludge: https://tinyurl.com/ebnszurf Morinda Supreme to help eliminate infections: https://tinyurl.com/k2pvvb4w Cat's Claw Supreme as an anti-inflammatory: https://tinyurl.com/yu8ntvu7 Alongside the herbs, a five-point acupressure routine around the eyes - GB 1 TW23 ST1 BL1 and the whole area that surrounds the eye (done two to three times a day, 30 seconds per point). Rub each point for at least 30 seconds in a small circular motion at each point and also rub the areas around the eyes in a nice circular pattern.  Also rub the area behind the jaw bone right before the ears and on the backside of the neck, right where your neck meets your skull for the same time frame and circular pattern.  Additional Resources: DesBio’s Eye Support: https://dbscript.com/product/eye-sarcode-2/ To help strengthen the brain for eye health: Vital Guard Supreme - https://tinyurl.com/3m92t94k Bacopa Supreme: https://tinyurl.com/yc54b4w4 Microgen DX, microgendx.com: qPCR plus next-generation sequencing infection testing via swab samples Mosaic Labs (Mosaic Diagnostics), mosaicdx.com: Comprehensive Stool Analysis with Parasitology, direct stool microscopy Vibrant Wellness (Labs), vibrant-wellness.com: functional lab panels GI-MAP by Genova Diagnostics Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram TikTok Facebook Website *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Join Doctor Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most subjects of a recent study who slept on pads connected to the ground, as part of an earthing protocol, gained significant relief from arthritis, asthma, PMS, sleep apnea and hypertension. We're a generation that's uniquely separated from the Earth. We spend much of our lives in cars, we live in high-rises, and spend the majority of our days working indoors. Why does this matter? Because we're electric beings who actually need the negative ions from standing in the ground, the ocean and even on rocks to support our health outcomes. In this episode Doctor Chris Motley explains why we need negative ions from the ground, the dirt and the sea to help our bodies ward off illness, why this health trend is actually an ancient (and free!) form of medicine, and the two most important things to keep in mind if you’re shopping grounding mats. Whether you're a skeptic or a true believer, try sinking your bare feet in the ground at some point during your week. It's easy, free and it can't hurt to get the benefits of spending time outdoors. In this episode you'll learn: You don't need to buy anything to practice grounding. This is a free and easy protocol that every human being has access to. How our bodies follow electrical patterns (even as embryos!) which is why we need negatively charged ions from the earth that support our health. Negative ions in the body help energize our mitochondria and detoxify our bodies. What the research on grounding has found and what it hasn't. The benefits of grounding and earthing for your nervous system. How PEMF mats support your blood flow. How the earth has proven frequencies like the Schumann Resonance that lower blood pressure and encourage parasympathetic tone. How to avoid parasites while sinking your feet into the dirt. If grounding pads and mats are worth it and two of the most important things to keep an eye out for when shopping for them. How the modern idea of grounding actually taps into the ancient Chinese Medicine tradition of rooting in Qigong. The kidney points responsible for pulling those electric charges up through your body. For further reading, check out https://www.earthing.com/ ------  Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley Instagram Facebook Website ------  *You can get cell support in gummy form: Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to timeline.com/DRMOTLEY. *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here: https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices