BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE MEDICINE
(UNDERSTANDING HOW THE CHINESE THINK)
by Samglo Industries
(makers of "Nu-Liver" Chinese herbal formula)
www.hepatitisc-remedy.com
For a moment, forget everything
you've ever learned about western science and medicine. Open your mind to a
totally different way of thinking, a method that is over 5,000 years old. It's
known as Chinese Medicine, a system still used today to treat over one billion
(1,000,000,000) people. It is the original "holistic" approach to disease, unlike
anything you have ever experienced before. In China, doctors don't just treat
illness; they are paid to keep people healthy. What a novel approach! You see,
traditional Chinese Medicine believes that everyone is born with the ability
to self-heal. To the Chinese, good health is so much more than merely the absence
of disease.
So……sit back, relax, and
let's take a short journey into the basic philosophy of Chinese Medicine, to
discover how such an ancient system of healing has withstood the test of time,
and, in some cases, is far superior to "modern western medicine."
Long before there were
stethoscopes, x-ray machines, and MRI's, there was the universe, a vast and
complex system that fascinates man even today. The Chinese view the universe
as a harmonious collection of complementary energies. There is no moon without
the sun, no day without the night, and no body without the mind. Everything
is composed of these two opposite energies that the Chinese call "Yin and Yang."
Harmony of the two opposing energies of Yin and Yang brings about good health
and good fortune. Disharmony, according to the Chinese, leads to disease, disaster
and bad luck.
As there were no books
and manuscripts 5,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese used symbols to describe
the two energies of Yin and Yang. Yang was designated as hot, bright and moving,
and visualized using the symbol of "fire." Yin was just the opposite: cold,
dim and quiet, represented by "water." People's characteristics were classified
as Yin or Yang, yin people being quiet, reserved and happy to enjoy a peaceful
life. Yang persons, on the other hand, were outgoing and extrovert, forceful
and dynamic. They had lots of energy and would find it difficult to relax.
This is not to say that
Yang persons cannot be quiet and relaxed at some times, while Yin people can,
perhaps, show forceful characteristics while at work. Yin and Yang are not static
concepts; they are constantly changing. For example, the night (yin) eventually
gives way to the day (yang), and the day eventually turns back into night. While
people can be both Yin and Yang, it is the sum total of all the Yin and Yang
energy in an individual that the Chinese believe needs to be in constant balance
for true harmony to take place.
This is the primary and
most important concept of Chinese Medicine, and it is the basis of how the Chinese
approach healing. For instance, we mentioned that Yin represents cold, while
Yang depicts hot. The Chinese believe that an excess or deficiency of either
Yin or Yang within each person is the cause of disease. People with too much
Yin energy (coldness and dampness) need warming and drying herbs, and the Chinese
will use these herbs to strengthen Yang energy. On the other hand, too much
Yang (heat) in people may cause symptoms such as fever, inflammation and thirst.
These people with too much Yang energy need to be cooled and calmed by using
herbs that nourish the Yin. As with people as a whole, the organ systems also
contain elements of Yin and Yang energy, so that the liver, for example, could
be inflamed ( a deficiency of Yin, or an over-abundance of Yang).
Now that we understand
the major concept of Yin and Yang, let's take it one step further. Just as modern
western science divides the body into organs, and the organs into cells, the
ancient Chinese viewed the body as composed of the following elements: Qi, Blood,
Essence and Spirit. Qi (pronounced Chee), is the vital energy that enables us
to think, feel and move. Every living thing has energy, or Qi; some have more
of it than others. The strength of a person's Qi determines his or her vitality.
Qi, or energy, moves the
Blood that nourishes the organs. Without Blood, we would not be alive and there
would be no Qi. So there is a direct relationship between Qi and Blood, again,
the concept of "balance" in the universe, which the Chinese have had for over
twenty-three centuries.
The other two concepts
are: Essence (jing) and Spirit (shen). Essence, or jing, is related to the kidneys
and the reproductive system. Spirit, or shen, is closely aligned with the changes
in the mind, anxiety and the heart. Think of it this way. According to Traditional
Chinese Medicine, a person who is predisposed to anger and mental torment is
more inclined to have a heart attack.
WHY
IS THIS CHINESE PHILOSOPHY SO IMPORTANT TO US?
The concepts of Yin, Yang,
Blood and Qi are important since they allow Chinese doctors to explain the cause
of disease in practical terms by means of examining what is happening to the
body. It then enables herbalists to formulate certain herbs specifically designed
as tonics. These tonics can be used to balance signs of bodily deficiencies
or excesses. Using this reasoning, a Yang (heat) deficient person would be one
who is sensitive to the cold, has poor circulation, lacks motivation and has
a low sex drive. An over-simplification? Perhaps. But, remember, all living
beings have aspects of both Yin and Yang, and it is possible for a person to
have a combination of characteristics found in each concept. The Chinese practitioner
has been trained to determine the predominant characteristics and patterns that
emerge in an individual. Once the major characteristics are corrected, other
hidden traits may come to the surface so they may be subsequently treated.
MERIDIANS
Qi has previously been
described as the "flow of vital energy throughout the body." To allow Qi to
flow smoothly, Chinese medicine has outlined a series of energy pathways that
follow various points on the body's surface. There are 14 major points, also
known as meridians, or channels, which connect all structures and all parts
of the body including the internal organs, bones, muscles, and skin. These meridians
are responsible for conducting the flow of Qi and Blood throughout the body.
Understanding these energy pathways is crucial to providing the Chinese Medical
Practitioner with the framework needed to pinpoint the cause of the health problem
and to diagnose the internal disease. Acupuncture, which has recently gained
popularity in the west, uses thin, sterile, stainless steel needles that are
placed into strategic points on the skin's surface. It is believed that disease
can interrupt the normal flow of energy pathways, and the needles stimulate
and alleviate the stagnant flow, thus correcting the internal disease. As long
as there is balance and proper Qi flow through the meridians, the Chinese believe
the body can avoid disease.
WHICH
ELEMENT ARE YOU?
In an attempt to describe
natural forces at work around them, the ancient Chinese developed 5 elements
that can be applied to everything. Using these elements allows the Chinese a
number of ways of defining people and disease. The five elements are: Earth,
Metal, Water, Wood and Fire, and each element is further associated with a particular
color, taste, smell, body organ and season. As each element is briefly described,
see if you can determine which one more closely resembles you.
- EARTH persons
like the color yellow, summer and damp weather conditions. Earth is the center
around which the other elements revolve, and the spleen and stomach are organs
in the center of the body. Earth persons are generous, worriers, can be obsessive,
have pale, sallow complexions, digestive and bowel problems. They tend to
bruise easily.
- METAL persons
have a fondness for the color white, the fall season and dryness. Since metal
is related to the lungs and large intestines, dominant metal persons are prone
to lung ailments, colds, asthma,and constipation. Metal is also a cold substance
that can lead to insensitivity, selfishness and sadness.
- WATER persons
like the color black and the winter season. Water is the element of the kidneys
and bladder. Dominant water individuals are prone to bladder and back problems,
they like the cold weather, and have an affinity for salty taste.
- WOOD persons
admire the color green and the spring season. Wood is the element of anger
and the organs of the liver and gallbladder. Since the liver stores the blood,
it is responsible for evenness of temper. Dominant wood persons are prone
to high blood pressure, tension in the neck, headaches, and moodiness.
- FIRE is the element
of heat, the color red, and the summer months. The emotion is joy, and the
associated organs are the heart and small intestine. People dominant in this
element tend to be happy and born leaders. They are hyperactive, prone to
anxiety and are poor sleepers. Since the heart is linked to the soul, a person
lacking spiritual dimension may be at risk from heart disease.
UNIQUE
WAYS TO EXAMINE THE BODY
In western medicine, doctors
record blood pressure and body temperature as ways to confirm or establish their
diagnosis of disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has its own system of listening,
observing and palpation. Instead of taking blood pressure, the Chinese examine
the tongue; instead of taking the temperature, the Chinese palpate the pulses.
EXAMINATION
OF THE TONGUE
Tongue diagnosis dates
back to the Shang Dynasty that began c1600 BC. To the Chinese, the tongue provides
an amazing amount of information about existing illness and past and future
health. Because it is considered the only internal organ that can be seen from
the outside, for the Chinese practitioner, it is like seeing an X-ray of the
patient. The tongue is examined for color, size, shape, cracks, and coating.
Here is an exercise to do right now. Go to a mirror and gently, but not forcibly,
stick out your tongue. Record what you see. What is its color? Is there a thin
or thick coating on your tongue? Are there cracks through the center or sides
of the tongue?
Here is a guide to help
you determine the results of your tongue examination. Obviously, every tongue
is different, but the Chinese have discovered pathology consistent with certain
recurring tongue patterns. A healthy tongue is usually pink and moist with a
clear or thin white coating through which the tongue can be seen. A red tongue
signifies heat and the location of the redness outlines the area of the body
where the heat is located. The coating can reveal dampness or phlegm in the
body, since the relative moistness or dryness of the tongue is a good indicator
of Yin or Yang dominance. Certain areas of the tongue correspond to internal
organs of the body. People known to have liver problems, for example, are found,
many times, to have teeth marks associated with the outer margins of their tongues
(representing the area of the liver). A vertical crack down the center of the
tongue shows up as a problem with the stomach. If the crack extends to the tip
of the tongue, especially if there is a forking, or split at the end, there
will usually be emotional problems related to the heart.
PULSE
DIAGNOSIS
Since everything is interconnected,
the Chinese practitioner has discovered that the quality, depth and speed of
the pulse can shed further light on the health of the individual. In Classical
Chinese, there are found to be 6 different pulses at each wrist. Each of these
pulses represents a different organ. For example, a Chinese practitioner would
be able to palpate the heart, liver and kidney (yin) on the left wrist, while
palpating the spleen, kidney (yang) and lung on the right wrist. Before you
dismiss this technique as being nonsense, please remember that Chinese Medicine
is a totally different way of viewing the body, and is much older medicine than
the western view. In fact, the oldest known book to focus specifically on pulse
diagnosis is entitled "The Pulse Classic," by Dr. Wang Shu-He, which dates back
to the first century A.D.
Examination of the pulse
is an art that takes even skilled practitioners a lifetime to master. However,
there are some pulse qualities that are really quite easy to learn, such as
pulse speed, depth of pulses and fullness. Here are some guidelines to follow
if you would like to try feeling your own pulse (just for fun, of course). Try
palpating your pulse and record your findings. In general, a healthy pulse is
easily felt at the inside of the wrist where the hand and arm meet. It is a
smooth pulse with a steady rhythm. The pulse does vary according to age and
fitness, and usually slows down as one gets older. A muscular man has a more
forceful pulse than a thin woman. The pulse is not considered fully developed
in children under the age of seven years old.
A superficial pulse is
felt while gently palpating the area, while a deep pulse is located by pressing
down until the pulse almost disappears. On average……..
- A slow pulse indicates
a cold condition, whereas a fast pulse signifies heat.
- A superficial pulse indicates
acute conditions, whereas a deep pulse characterizes an internal chronic condition.
- A full pulse characterizes
an excess, while a thin pulse is seen as a deficiency.
Some people display combinations
of pulse characteristics. For instance, a slow and thin pulse could signify
a cold deficiency, whereas a fast, full and deep pulse might represent an excess
of internal heat.
When analyzing medical
conditions, it is important to keep the following in mind: The traditional Chinese
practitioner does not attempt to make a definitive diagnosis on just one indication
alone. Rather, the diagnosis consists of a combination of listening, observing,
interrogation, and palpation until predominant characteristics emerge to form
a pattern. Only then will the Chinese Medicine doctor attempt herbal preparations
as remedial measures.
CHINESE
HERBAL MEDICINE---A HEALING ART
The oldest medical book
to mention herbs was known as "Huang Di Nei Jing", which consisted of 28 substances
and 12 prescriptions. The book was a compendium of medical theory and practice
recalling the life of the Yellow Emperor who lived around circa 4700BC. The
actual first recorded medical curriculum using herbs was at the Imperial University
during the Chin dynasty (265AD-420 AD). Published in 659AD, the "Newly Revised
Materia Medica" contained the first illustrated text of herbs that consisted
of 844 entries. The list of herbs has grown exponentially since then, and, today,
there are over 5800 entries documented in the "Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese
Medicinal Substances."
Chinese medicine and the
use of Chinese herbs have proved safe and effective when administered correctly.
It is a powerful tool in the maintenance of good health and the remedy of disease.
Through generations of systematic research on the use and characteristics of
herbs, the actions of individual herbs are now well understood by the Chinese.
This has allowed them to develop a unique system of combining the herbs into
special formulas. Formulas create a synergistic effect, a method by which combining
the individual herbs increases their actions. Formulas are now available in
a variety of forms such as teas, extracts, pills and powders.
Although medicinal plants
have both Yin and Yang aspects to them, herbs are generally classified as to
their predominant quality. Some herbs are Yang, that is, they have a heating
quality and tend to raise the metabolism. Sweet herbs are warming and have a
Yang effect, while herbs that cool and relieve inflammation generally have bitter,
salty or sour tastes. Since several diseases can have both a Yin and Yang imbalance,
herbalists will generally use several herbs to rebalance both Yin and Yang according
to the areas of the body involved.
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