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 Chinese medicine is considered
rather unscientific and imprecise by Western practitioners;
however, a Chinese doctor might well argue that
its imprecision or flexibility is in fact its
strength. The Chinese refera to organs, but when
they do so it is not the organs themselves that
are important but their function in the distribution
of vital essence (or qi) throughout the body.
The 11 'organs' by which health is judged are
the Bladder circulation, gall bladder, heart,
kidney, large intestine, liver pancreas , small
intestine, stomach, and something called the 'triple
burner' ,which has no material existence at all
but is a driving force. Over the centuries hundreds
of points were located on the body which were
linked to their organs. By joining them together,
meridian paths were drawn which traced flow of
qi.
There are 12 of these meridians, each corresponding
to one of the five Chinese elements (metal, earth,
fire, water, wood)and each best treated a certain
time of day.
Illness results from a disharmony
between mind and body, which can arise when emotional
strain, for example, distorts nature's balance.
The aim is to stimulate the low of qi in the blocked
meridian using acupuncture (zhenjiu), acupressure
(similar to acupuncture), heat treatment with
needles in conjunction with the burning leaves
of mugwort (moxibustion), or massage (anmou).
The most precise and efficacious of these is acupuncture,
which is particularly good of the relief of pain.
Diet is considered vital to health. Only food
that relates to the organs and the elements associated
with them is eaten, so that hot foods are recommended
for the lungs, for example.
 Herbal Medicine
Many foreigners visiting China never try Chinese
herbal medicine (zhongyao) because they either
know nothing about it or simply don't believe
in it. Prominent medieal authorities in the West
often dismiss herbalists as no better than witch
doctors. The ingredients which many include such
marvelous things as snake gall bladder or powdered
deer antler, will further discourage potential
non-Chinese customers. Many of the herbs are bitter
powders. And finally, even true believers are
baffled: by the wide assortment of herbs available
on the shelves of any Chinese pharmacy. It is
hard to know where to begin.
Chinese medicine
seems po work best for the relief of unpleasant
symptoms (pain, sore throat, etc) and for some
long-term con- ditions which resist Western medicines,
such as migraine headaches, asthma, and chronic
backache. But for acute life-threatening conditions,
such as a heart attack, it would be foolish to
trust your life to herbs.
Another benefit of Chinese
medicine is that there are relatively few side
effects. Compared with a drug like penicillin
whtch can produce allergic reactions and other
serious sido effects, herbal medicines are fairly
safe. Nevertheless, herbs are still medicines,
not candy, and there is no need to take them if
you're feeling fine. In fact, some herbs are mildly
toxic and if taken over a long period of time
they can actually damage the liver and other organs.
Acupuncture
Chinese acupuncture (zhenjiu) has received enthusiastic
reviews from many satisfied patients who have
tried it. Of course, one should be wary of overblown
claims. Acupuncture is not likely to cure terminal
illness. Nevertheless, it is of genuine therapeutic
value in the treatment of chronic back pain, migraine
headaches and arthritis.
Acupuncture is a technique employing needles,
which are inserted into various points of the
body. In former times, needles were probably made
from bamboo, gold, silver, copper or tin. These
days, only stainless steel needles of hairlike
thinness are used, causing very little pain when
inserted. Dirty acupuncture needles can spread
disease rather than cure, so good acupuncturists
sterilize their needles or use disposable ones.
As many as 20,000 points for needle insertion
have been identified, but only about 150 are commonly
used. Each point believed by the acupuncturist
to correspond to a particular organ, joint, gland
or other part of the body.
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Qi and Gong Fu |
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"Qi" in Chinese denotes a vital breath within
us which also animates the cosmos. Although it
is a loose term, according to Chinese philosophy
notably Taoism the secret of inner strength lies
in harnessing this mysterious force...
The secret of outer strength lies in Using qi
to unleash latent power that depends not on physical
strength but on knowledge. Gongfu is the cultivation
of qi and its use as a fighting technique.
In marshal arts , there are two categories, external
and internal. Both forms aim to tap into the flow
of qi. Of the former, karate, concerned with bodily
skills of self-defense, is a well-known example.
Internal forms are more concerned with the body
as a vehicle of spiritual development; among these
taijiquan, or shadow-boxing, is the best known.
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Massage |
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Massage (anmo) has a long history in China.
It's an effective technique for treating a variety
of painful ailments, such as chronic back pain
and sore muscles. To be most effective, a massage
should be administered by someone who has really
studied the techniques. An acupuncturist who also
practices massage would be ideal. Traditional
Chinese massage is somewhat different from the
increasingly popular do-it-yourself techniques
practiced by people in the West. One traditional
Chinese technique employs suction cups made of
bamboo placed on the patient's skin. Other methods
included bloodletting and scraping the skin with
coins or porcelain soupspoons. A related technique
is called moxibustion. Various types of herbs
, rolled into what looks like a ball of fluffy
cotton ,are held close to the skin and ignited.
A slight variation of this method is to place
the herbs on a slice of ginger and then ignite
them. The idea is to apply the maximum amount
of heat possible without burning the patient.
This heat treatment is supposed to the good for
such disease as arthritis. |
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Diagnosis |
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The Chinese doctor examines the state of the flow
of qi through the body's meridians by checking
the pulse. He or she uses three fingers to read
the six different pulses in each wrist which correspond
to the 12 meridians. By applying different level
of pressure with the fingers, he will notice irregularities.
Having read the pulse, the doctor will ask questions
of the patient in order to decide upon the appropriate
treatment.
Chinese doctors have identified more than 30 different
kinds of pulses. The doctor may then examine your
tongue to see if it is slippery, dry, pale or
greasy or has a thick coat- ing or maybe no coating
at all. The doctor, having discovered that you
have wet heat, as evidenced by a slippery pulse
and a red greasy tongue, will prescribe the herbs
for your conditions.
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