Making Sense of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Making Sense of Traditional Chinese Medicine
of traditional
Chinese medicine
2
Making sense of traditional Chinese medicine
Why do people choose traditional Chinese medicine? 4
What’s the thinking behind it? 5
What causes illness? 8
How does Chinese herbal medicine help? 8
How does acupuncture work? 10
What is tuina? 11
What is Qi Gung? 11
How can I try TCM? 12
How much will it cost? 13
What happens during a consultation? 13
Can I get TCM on the NHS? 15
How can TCM help with mental health? 15
Does TCM offer other advice about staying healthy? 15
Are Chinese herbs ever dangerous? 19
How long will TCM take to work? 20
Is there any research into mental health and TCM? 21
Can Chinese herbal medicine be used
with Western medicine? 21
3
Making sense of
traditional Chinese medicine
The Organs
TCM holds that any mental stimuli will affect various different
body systems. These body systems are each connected to, and
named after, a particular organ. For example, the Heart Organ
will actually include the whole nervous system (and is written with
a capital to distinguish it from the heart itself). Each Organ
system is governed by yin and yang forces and by one of the
Five Elements. These also dictate how the Organs relate to each
other, because they are all interdependent.
5
Yin and yang
Traditional Chinese medicine stems from Taoism, a Chinese
philosophy. It states that the universe, and everything in it, is
underpinned by two complementary and yet opposing forces,
yin and yang, rather like the mathematical symbols plus and
minus. The sun, day, heat and solid matter come under yang;
the moon, night, cold and emptiness come under yin. They
can be thought of as complementary pairs – one can’t exist
without the other. Although they are opposites, the boundary
between them is fluid and ever changing, in the same way
that day shades into night and night into day. Cosmic order is
considered to be in balance if yin and yang are balanced and
this is just as true for a healthy Organ. TCM aims to rebalance
these complementary and opposing forces, as necessary.
6
The Organs
• Liver
Element: Wood.
Supports the Heart (Fire) and is controlled by the Lung (Metal).
Connected with the eyes and tendons.
Emotion: anger.
• Heart
Element: Fire
Supports the Spleen (Earth) and is controlled by the Kidney (Water).
Connected with the tongue and blood.
Emotion: panic.
• Spleen
Element: Earth.
Supports the Lung (Metal) and is controlled by the Liver (Wood).
Connected with the mouth and muscles.
Emotion: pensiveness.
• Lung
Element: Metal.
Supports the Kidney (Water) and is controlled by the Heart (Fire).
Connected with the nose, skin and hair.
Emotion: sadness.
• Kidney
Element: Water.
Supports the Liver (Wood) and is controlled by the Spleen (Earth).
Connected with the ears and bones.
Emotion: fear.
7
What causes illness?
The body’s energy can be disrupted or blocked if, for instance,
the relationship between the Organs has gone wrong in some
way. This will disturb someone’s natural balance. TCM can
categorise disease according to this disruption:
• Deficiency – when energy supplies are interrupted or depleted.
• Excess – when too much energy has accumulated somewhere.
• Stagnation – when the energy isn’t circulating properly.
8
Every herb has its own characteristics and effects, and combining
different herbs helps to increase their potency and minimise any
unwanted consequences. Rather like a football team working
together to strike, defend and score goals, the herbs work
together to achieve maximum benefit for clients. The basic
formulae are often modified slightly according to the person
concerned and their problem.
9
How does acupuncture work?
This takes the form of inserting very fine needles into the body’s
energy lines, or meridians. There are 14 major meridians in the
human body, 12 of which are dominated by the major Organs.
Each of these links energy points across the whole body, which
are all related.
What is tuina?
Tuina is a medical form of deep massage meaning, literally, ‘push
and grab’. Again, it involves targeting the energy channels and
points. Although the treatment is less invasive than acupuncture,
the manipulation can be strong when the condition under
treatment requires it.
What is Qi Gung?
Qi Gung (‘gung’ meaning exercise) is a way of training people
to harness and focus the energy flow in their body to achieve
an enhanced state of body and mind. Those who practise it as
a martial art say they can protect themselves from injury by
summoning and moving qi around the body.
11
Tai Chi
Tai Chi (meaning ‘the ultimate energy’) is one of the most
common forms of Qi Gung, and its origins lie in the religious
beliefs of Taoism. It exercises the energy system through slow
but highly regulated movements of the body. A formal class of
Tai Chi may take between an hour and an hour-and-a-half each
time. For the best results, it’s essential to practise three times a
week (but not necessarily in formal classes).
12
It’s now been estimated that there are at least 3,000 Chinese
medicine shops operating in high streets across the UK. The staff
may be qualified TCM practitioners, or they may not. They are
under no obligation to be members of professional bodies or
to be covered by professional insurance, although many do have
this kind of cover. This means it is very important to check up
on the qualifications of anyone whose advice you are seeking.
Observation
The practitioner may scrutinise your complexion, eyes, tongue,
and movements to gain insight into how your Organs are
functioning. The tongue is a particularly important source of
information, and its colour, body, coating, and moisture will all
be taken into account.
13
Feeling and listening
The practitioner ‘feels’ the patient’s energy and atmosphere by
detecting smell and using other senses to gain an insight into
a complaint. Sometimes, this could involve touch.
Taking a history
To gain a full picture, the practitioner will ask detailed questions
about your complaint and your medical history. He or she will
want to find out whether your problems vary at all according
to the time of year and your diet, feelings or emotions.
Pulse diagnosis
This can provide a highly sensitive and detailed picture of your
general health. The practitioner will be taking a number of
different ‘pulses’ on three fingers of each hand. This enables
him or her to gain further information about the quality and
functioning of the five major Organs. The practitioner will take
account of your general health and strength, as well as all of
your symptoms, whether they seem to you to be connected or
not. This will be the basis for deciding on the best treatment.
Number of sessions
Western medicine often maintains the same course of treatment
over a number of years. In contrast, TCM requires frequent
follow-up sessions, especially to begin with, to modify the
treatment as you respond to it. You may need a consultation
every week or fortnight for the first few weeks, at least. After
six or eight weeks, it may be appropriate to change to ready-made
herbal tablets or capsules. Further sessions should be much less
frequent, and may not be necessary at all.
14
Can I get TCM on the NHS?
It is possible to find a very limited range of TCM services on the
NHS. Many NHS pain clinics offer acupuncture. However, this is
usually provided by doctors, nurses or physiotherapists with some
training in acupuncture, rather than by fully trained TCM
practitioners. While they may be able to treat relatively simple
complaints, their training and experience may be insufficient to
treat more complex cases. Hospital doctors may sometimes refer
patients to see TCM practitioners, but this happens only rarely,
on a one-off basis, and the NHS will not pay for it.
15
Depression
Depression may be regarded as a Liver Stagnation syndrome.
TCM believes that the Liver system has a particular role in
governing emotions. Unresolved problems in work and daily
lives may result in unhappiness, causing malfunctioning of the
Liver and particularly of its qi (energy), which can then lead to
depression. The two most common causes of this Stagnation
are a blockage of the energy channel and a malfunctioning of
the Organs involved in mobilising qi. In women, this may lead
to irregular periods, PMT or pain before or during a period.
16
Treatment would normally focus on nourishing the Heart and
calming the spirit. The common herbs used are lilyturf root,
Chinese senega root and jujube fruit. (See p. 22, for more
information.) There are also acupuncture points used to help
with nourishing the Heart.
17
Psychosis
TCM believes that one common cause of psychosis is a
combination of Liver qi Stagnation and the formation of Phlegm
that blocks energy channels in the body. Together, they cause
a malfunctioning of the Heart. The channels in themselves are
normal, but are blocked by the Phlegm. The aim of TCM would
be to revitalise qi and dissolve Phlegm, possibly using immature
bitter orange and processed pinnellia tuber. Selected acupuncture
points on the Liver, Stomach and Heart meridians should, together,
mobilise the qi and dissolve Phlegm.
Regular and gentle sport is seen as good for recovery. It’s important
that this should be something that suits the individual, and which
they can stick to. Examples might include jogging or going for
a walk, or a regular Tai Chi session, which is both a form of
meditation and a relaxation exercise. TCM favours a simple
life-style, whenever possible, and is an advocate of the healing
power of nature. Regular walks in the countryside, for example,
and a daily routine of eating healthily and getting enough sleep
are advocated. It also recommends avoiding nightlife, especially
for conditions caused by undernourishment of the Heart.
18
Diet
A practitioner can develop an individual dietary programme
especially for you. In general, however, TCM recommends that
people should avoid, for instance:
• oily and spicy food, cigarettes and alcohol
• dairy products and too much meat, if the condition is caused
by Phlegm
• too much cold or iced food, if the condition is caused by
Stagnation of the Liver
• mutton and seafood, in conditions caused by Heat
• tea and coffee in cases of insomnia.
19
How long will TCM take to work?
Chinese herbal medicine is designed to eliminate the toxins in
your body. Toxins are anything that that body doesn’t need or
which might do you harm, such as a virus. To begin with, you
may feel worse rather than better, although this will depend
on how many toxins are present. As the herbs start to work,
symptoms may temporarily worsen, in some people. This is why
weekly or fortnightly consultations are advisable, so that the
practitioner can monitor progress closely.
20
Is there any research into mental health and
TCM?
There has been very little research, in the West, into the effects
of TCM on mental health. However, more and more research is
now being done into its success in treating physiological problems.
If you are using both at the same time, try to leave a two-hour
gap in between each intake to ensure that your body responds
to them well.
21
Ready-made herbal capsules
‘The component of fatty oil in Biota can lubricate the bowel and
ease bowel movement. Biota seed tranquillises the mind by
nourishing the Heart, relaxing the bowels to relieve constipation.’
Chinese materia medica (1998)
23
References
Useful organisations
Mind
Mind is the leading mental health organisation in England and
Wales, providing a unique range of services through its local
associations, to enable people with experience of mental distress
to have a better quality of life. For more information about any
mental health issues, including details of your nearest local Mind
association, contact the Mind website: www.mind.org.uk or
MindinfoLine on 0845 766 0163
24
British Register of Complementary Practitioners
PO Box 194, London SE16 7QZ
tel. 020 7237 5165, fax: 020 7237 5175
email: [email protected] web: www.i-c-m.org.uk
Information about complementary medicine practitioners
including TCM practitioners
TCM HealthCare
101 Bulwer Road, London E11 1BU
tel. 0208 429 8468, email: [email protected]
web: www.tcm-healthcare.co.uk
Information about TCM practitioners based at GP surgeries in
London
25
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