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Chinese
Medicine
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Background |
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Chinese Medicine, a
complete medical system that includes herbal medicine,
acupuncture, diet and exercise (Tai Qi and Qi Gong), had its beginnings more that 4,000 years ago. This
has been substantiated by the discovery of stone
implements used by primitive Chinese society for
incising boils and abscesses, bloodletting, and
circulating Qi.
About 3,000 years ago in the Shang Dynasty, bronze
casting techniques developed which led to the |
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appearance of medical needles and hieroglyphic writings
on bones and tortoise shells describing medical
problems. Between 206 BC and 220 AD the various concepts which
laid the basic foundations of Chinese Medical theory
were firmly in place. These concepts included the
Yin/Yang theory, needling methods, five-element theory,
concepts about Qi and Blood, emotional factors, external
pathogenic influences and using herbal remedies for
medicinal purposes.
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Philosophy |
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The
basic philosophy of Chinese Medicine is to consider all
factors surrounding the patient: lifestyle, emotional
factors, signs and symptoms manifested, and events in
one’s life. All of these phenomena are intertwined and
form patterns which have meaning to the Chinese
practitioner. No individual is considered static. One is
always in
transition. In
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medicine, events are viewed in a linear fashion.
We view events as progressing from A to B to C to D,
etc…dissecting things until a causal link shines
through. Disease is primarily due to causes that can be
killed, cut out, or contained. In Chinese Medicine, the
individual is viewed as a whole person who is always
changing. The focus is placed upon discerning the
relationships between bodily events. The primary intent
is to harmonize and balance the body. It is often
difficult for western individuals to accept and
understand Chinese Medicine because the focus is not on
the structure of the individual but how the energy
centers function. Chinese Medicine views the individual
as a microcosm which reflects the macrocosm surrounding
them. People manifest the same patterns as are seen in
the universe. The seasons are a metaphor to understand
the phase of energy in nature and in the individual. One
person projects the heat
and fire of summer, another the
coldness of winter, another the dryness of autumn,
another the winds of spring or any combination thereof.
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Yin/Yang |
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The
Yin/Yang theory is one of the most important and basic
theories of Chinese Medicine. The Yin/Yang symbol
signifies duality in the universe—two polar complements.
These complementary opposites coil around, fade into and
penetrate each other. Both are necessary for the whole
to exist. Yin and Yang are the expression of duality in
time. Every |
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phenomenon in the universe alternates through a cyclical
movement of peaks and bases—day to night, summer into
winter, growth into decay, left to right, and vice
versa. Each phenomenon may belong to a Yang or Yin stage
but always contains the seed for the opposite stage
within itself. Eg: person who is very robust, loud and
outgoing would be considered Yang but is Ying compared
to someone who exhibits manic, high-strung behavior.
Disharmony in the
body arises when these opposites are out of sync and not
controlling and interacting with each other.
Distinguishing between the Yin and Yang qualities of a
person’s constitution or the character of one’s illness
is an important step in the diagnostic process for the
practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Ying and Yang provide
broad parameters within which all other observations and
conceptualizations are gathered.
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Vital Substances |
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The
highly developed constructs of chemistry, biochemistry,
anatomy and physiology which form the groundwork for
Western Medicine are of little importance to the
practitioner of Chinese Medicine. It is the whole that
is more important . The portrait of the bodily landscape
is what draws the attention of the practitioner. |
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The workings of this
landscape are contingent upon the interaction of certain
vital substances. These substances together
constitute the body, mind and spirit. The body, mind,
and spirit are not seen as a mechanism but as a vortex
of energy and vital substances interacting with each
other to form an organism. These substances are Qi,
blood, essence, and body fluids.
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Qi |
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Qi
is a difficult word to define because the Chinese
character is untranslatable. It signifies a tendency or
a movement, something on the order of energy. Qi is a
matter without form that is diseased when certain
symptoms appear. Qi is defined by its function (by what
it does rather than what it is). |
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Functions of Qi
It is the source of all movement and accompanies all
movement—physical (exercise) and mental activities
(concentration, discernment, school work), growth and
development, and all the processes of life.
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It
is in constant motion.
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It
protects the body against pathological factors—wind,
cold, heat, dryness, fire.
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It
is the source of transformation in the body—digestation of
food into useable substances such as blood, Qi tears,
urine, sweat.
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It
holds the organs is place, the blood in its vessels,
prevents excessive sweating and salivation.
- It warms the body by
maintaining the heat in the whole body.
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Blood |
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Blood is a very dense and material form of Qi. Part of
its meaning in Chinese Medicine correlates with Western
Medicine, but it is also regarded as a force, a level of
activity that moves through the blood vessels and
acupuncture channels. The function of Blood is to
nourish, maintain, circulate and moisten the body.
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Blood is the mechanism within people that allows them to
experience life emotionally, to process these
experiences. On the other hand, Qi is the capacity to
change things in life. It is the motion, the driving
force.
Eg: Qi stagnation versus blood stagnation with respect to
pain
Qi
stagnation: Pain migrates or moves from one place to
another and is not continuous, it comes and goes
Blood stagnation: Fixed stabbing pain could be relieved
by massage and heat
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Essence |
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Essence is the aspect of the body which is the basis for
all growth, development, and sexuality. Two types of
essence exist—congenital essence which is inherited from
one’s parents and determines growth patterns and
postnatal essence which is derived from the ingestion of
food and supplements. The congenital
essence cannot be
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replaced if depleted. One’s
constitutional and conceptual essence can only be
preserved through good intestinal and lifestyle habits.
Essence is considered more fluid-like, whereas Qi is
considered more energy-like but it is lighter than blood
and is a highly revered substance to be guarded and
cherished.
Body Fluids eg:
Sweat, saliva, gastric juices, and urine. Fluids moisten
and nourish the hair, skin, membranes, muscles, inner
organs, bones, brain, joints.
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Meridians |
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Meridians are three dimensional passageways that
transverse the body, interconnecting the external with
the internal. They are roadmaps of life; energetic
terrains that carry Qi and Blood, allowing communication
between our
internal and external
environments (including people). It is this connection
which affects the meridians positively or |
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negatively.
The channels must flow. Movement is key to health. There
are 12 main meridians which are accessed via acupuncture
points located on their pathways. Each channel occurs on
each side of the body, are extensions of organ
centers or stations, where energy comes into from each of
the channels. Each channel and energy station has its
own energy frequency which is fine tuned via
acupuncture, herbs, diet, exercise. Each channel moves Qi and Blood, moistens the tendons and bones, and
regulates Yin and Yang. Both Acupuncture and Chinese
Herbal Medicine work on these channels.
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