Chinese Medicine

1
Chinese Medicine

• By
• Patricia Renaud

2
There are many misconceptions about Chinese
Medicine

• There is a great difference between the modern
  philosophy the ancient philosophy of Chinese
  Medicine
• Folk remedy co-exists along side modern medicine
• Mix Western Chinese Medicines
• For the Chinese practitioner the mixing is not
  important, the results is what matters

3
Philosophy Theory of Chinese Medicine

• Chinese medicine considers illness cures in the
  human body as a combination of emotional,
  physical, psychological, environmental cosmic
  factors
• Chinese medicine deals with the mind, body,
  general health and disease totally when treating
  a person

4
Origin of Chinese Medicine

• The legendary founders of Chinese medicine for
  the Chinese people are
• The Yellow Emperor (Huang Di)
• The Devine Farmer (Shen Nong)
• Began to take form 5000 years ago
• Women who can bring down the Spirits the
  cultivation of Spirits play an important role in
  early Chinese medicine remain a predominate
  factor in Chinese folk medicine

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Two main types of Chinese medical practitioners

• Official doctors-trained in official training
  centers or government colleges
• served gentry
• Unofficial doctors (itinerant or religious folk
  doctors)-educated by teachers, often family
  members or religious teachers
• served common people sometimes upper class

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There are several varieties of Chinese Medicine
including

• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Herbology
• Chinese Nutrition
• Moxibustion
• Massage
• Qigong

• Diagnosis-Observation of patient
• Therapy Therapeutic Techniques
• Tuina
• Jiaofa
• Yangsheng
• Mantras

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Diagnosis

• The four basic methods of examination (sizhen)
  are
• looking at the patient(wangzhen)
• examination by listening, smelling, tasting
  (wenzhen)
• examination by interrogation (wenzhen)
• examination by touching (qiezhen)

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Observing the patient

• Observes body as a whole
• Some diseases show in the way a person moves
  looks
• Observes shape of the body-large, small, thin,
  fat
• Observes posture of patient-may indicate
  deviation of backbone
• Observes color of face parts of body
• Observes how patient behaves-quiet, aggressive,
  disturbed, does he think clearly, does he make
  sense
• Observes parts of body-head, hair, hands, tongue,

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Eight factors that guide the practitioner

• Two basic elements of change-yin yang can be
  called by different names to distinguish areas
  but the underlying theory is still the yin-yang
  relationship
• biao-on the surface or superficial
• li-internal or fundamental
• han-cold
• re-hot
• xu-empty or powerless
• shi-over-powerful or full

10
Chinese Therapy Therapeutic Techniques

• Preserving health preventing disease better
  than curing
• Herbal medicines other external internal
  practices of prevention popular in China
• Have innumerable exercises herbal preparations
• Prevent disease by practicing qigong taijiquan
• Physicians advise patient to take up form of
  exercise to recover from illness, keep in shape
  prevent recurring illness
• There are pills medicines for regaining
  vitality

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Eight methods of Therapy(Curing)

• Han- (sweating) making the patient sweat-
  superficial damage caused by external
  circumstances
• Tu- (vomiting) making the patient vomit- like
  when food is not digested or person has been
  poisoned
• Xia- (lowering) forcing matter in the body
  downward- like when there is constipation
• He- (harmonizing) adjust or regulate a body
  function- as when upper lower parts are not in
  harmony

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Eight Methods of Therapy (curing) continued

• Wen- (warning) raising the temperature in an area
  of the body- used when cold is cause of disease
• Qing- (purifying) clearing heat purifying the
  body- used when heat is the source of illness
• Xiao- (dispelling) eliminating or dispelling the
  cause of disease- eliminate blockages, blocked
  body fluid or blocked materials
• Bu- (supplying) improve conditions of bloodfluid
  functions of the body- gives someone more
  strength

13
Acupuncture

• Zhenfa (needle technique) is a way of influencing
  bodily functions by inserting needles in the Xue
  (acupuncture points)
• Was popular in ancient times then forbidden in
  1822, was rediscovered this century
• Physician must be acquainted with the exact
  location of the Xue or can cause damage instead
  of cure

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Acupuncture Needles

• Originally used 9 needles but now use many more
• Needles originally made of bone, stone or metal
  including gold or silver now they are made of
  stainless steel
• Needles used differ in both length thickness
• Smallest needles measure less than one inch but
  largest can be one foot in length
• Needles can be inserted perpendicular or slanting
• Speed of insertion, depth of insertion differ
• Once inserted needle may be turned, pulled,
  heated

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Set of Acupuncture Needles
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Documented Successes with Acupuncture

• Acupuncture is combined with herbs in the
  treatment of Chronic Fatigue
• considered a paradigm shift that causes damp
  heat, latent heat, Qi deficiency blood
  deficiency
• Acupuncture used for Back pain
• considered blood stagnation causing damp heat
  kidney pathology(can be anything from stones to
  deficiency in Yin or Yang)
• Acupuncture herbs successfully used for
  treatment of Womens problems
• (Menopause, PMS, Pain occurring with menstruation
  and excessive flow or spotting)

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More successful uses of Acupuncture

• Lupus-acupuncture combined with herbal formulas
  for full recovery of patients
• Sciatica-acupuncture combined with acupressure
  for full relief of pain
• Varicose veins-acupuncture combined with hot
  herbal decoction to soak wash area to speed
  healing
• Infertility-acupuncture has been combined with
  traditional Chinese medicine in the successful
  treatment of various causes of infertility in
  both male female patients

18
Acupressure

• Similar to Acupuncture in use of points but uses
  pressure instead of needles
• Pressure on different points can relieve or cure
  many different ailments (including pain in bones,
  joints, muscles nerves to blockages like carpal
  tunnel)
• Continued use will relieve many conditions that
  normally require surgery in Western countries

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Moxibustion

• Application of very powerful pungent essence to
  strategic points
• Mainly used in combination with Acupuncture
• Moxibustion is the burning of the Moxa herb
• Moxa particularly effective when patient is
  suffering from cold or dampness

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Moxibustion

• Herb thought to be pure Yang in nature therefore
  suitable for warming
• One method of treatment is burn herb rolled in
  paper a short distance from the skin along the
  track of the jing (meridians)
• also burn over holes to allow to enter body (as
  ears, mouth, nose)

21
Chinese Massage

• Consists of internal external aspects
• Influence conditions of the skin muscles
• May be directed at the bones, joints, bloodfluid,
  or other internal parts or functions
• Uses techniques like chiropractic in the West
• All parts of the body can be treated
• Self-massage is form of this therapy

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There are eight fundamental techniques of massage
from which all other forms derive

• Tui (pushing)
• Na (grasping)
• An (pressing or pushing downward)
• Qian (pulling)

• Da (beating)
• Dong (moving)
• Mo (rubbing)
• Gun (rolling like waves)

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Different systems of Massage

• There are many combinations derived from the
  eight fundamental techniques of massage such as
• Tuina (pushing grasping)
• Anmo (pressing rubbing)
• Dianxue (touching of the holes)
• Who techniques are practiced
• One hand Combination of hand foot
• Two hands Using other parts of body
• With feet Using a massage medium (such as sticks,
  rollers or herbal preparation)

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Qigong

• The skill of directing controlling Qi
• Rapid development of Qigong is based on clinical
  results supported by scientific research
• Includes methods similar to hypnosis,
  psychotherapy, trance, laying of hands and
  magnetism
• Is used for many things including the treatment
  of cancer
• IS also the practice of exercise (Physician must
  undergo a long period of body mind training
  before they are allowed to practice or teach)

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Qigong continued

• Physician uses concentration relaxation in his
  body to make his own qi flow in the direction he
  wishes ( he can transmit it into the patients
  body directly or by touching the person)
• When this is done, magnetic, bio-electrical
  reactions, hormonal molecular changes occur
• Greatest changes seem to be within body cells
• Qigong physician is employed at every respectable
  hospital to teach patients health exercises both
  for rehabilitation or to prevent development of
  disease

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Chinese Herbal Medicine

• The oldest medical book that mentions herbs is
  the Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperors
  Classic of Internal Medicine)
• Book is dated to between 800 BC 200 BC
• Compendium of medical theory practice
  attributed to Yellow Emperor thought to have
  lived c.4700 BC (he may be a mythical character
  used to provide credence to the work though)

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Period of the Nei Jing

• This period one of great creativity change
• Period of transition from shamanistic medicine to
  one based on theory accumulated knowledge of
  body
• Book discusses theory of medicine knowledge
  even though it was suppose to have been written
  2500 years prior to this
• The 28 substances 12 prescriptions are the
  first mention of Chinese Herbal Medicine
  continues to be practiced today

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Herbology Other Medicines

• Pharmacology is an ancient Chinese science
• Ingredients used range from herbs to minerals to
  animal components
• Almost anything within these boundaries is
  suitable for use in a medication

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Preparation of Medicine

• When preparing medicines they take into
  consideration the basic compatibility or
  incompatibility of the different products, the
  volume used, the way it will be used (orally or
  externally), the restrictions prohibitions or
  counter-indications of the products

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Herbs

• Unique strength of herbal therapies is that the
  prescription is made to order according to the
  needs of a specific person
• A formula for one person for a headache will
  contain different ingredients for that person
  than it would for another person also with
  headaches
• Ingredients are all natural
• Can be without animal products (for a
  vegetarian)

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There are many uses of Ginkgo

• Memory impairment such as Alzheimers disease
  other mental disorders from poor
  circulation-improves the memory mental acuity
  in many chronic brain syndromes
• Circulation problems-improves the blood flow by
  reducing thickness in blood
• The extract of the nut leaves of the Ginkgo
  tree are used.
• Known as an excellent antioxidant

32
New product used as a cure for Tumor or Cancer

• New anti-cancer Chinese prescription proven
  recognized to have 80 curing rate in the final
  stages of Cancer patients in clinical tests all
  over China the National Cancer Institute of the
  U.S. Called China No. 1 Tian Xian Liquid
• Has been documented to reduce or cure breast
  lumps
• Breast cancer patients cancer spread to bone
  tissue yet after treatment patient returned to
  work
• Colon cancer patient in final stage is cured

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How Chinese medicine is classifiedYaoxing-nature
or Weidao-taste

• Smell taste of medicines allow them to be be
  classed in other categories
• Suan-sour
• Ku-bitter
• Gan-sweet
• Xin-pungent
• Xian-salty
• Dan-tasteless
• Se-astringent

• Four qi (siqi) of medicine
• Han-cold
• Re-hot
• Wen-warm
• Liang-cool
• Medicine not fitting these categories are called
  pingxing yao (neutral nature)

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How the medicines work

• Each every nature or taste influences the basic
  cause of disease and creates a change in the
  condition
• The taste makes them harmonize with certain body
  functions through the relationships of the five
  agents they affect the functions either directly
  or indirectly

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How are medicines prepared?

• Choa-frying
• Pao-roasting
• Zhi-broiling
• Zhi-roasting in a liquid (including vinegar,
  honey, alcohol, water etc.)
• Wei-stewing (wrapped in wet paper or wet bread
  until outer material becomes dark)

36
Jiaofa

• Jiaofa-(horn-method) where physician uses glass
  cups or bamboo segments, heated on the inside by
  fire, and stuck to parts of the patients body
• Cup sticks tightly because of the vacuum created
  by the heat and dispels cold dampness from the
  body. It then warms the Qi and reduces swelling

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Yangsheng

• This is the nourishment or cultivation of life
• By taking care of ones life daily influences
  or activities, disease is prevented
• Uses diet exercise
• Uses martial arts even Yoga
• Some knowledge of the body is required for this
• Stresses the importance of uniting the Qi
  otherwise no single method will prolong life

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Mantras

• Mantras are powerful therapeutic means to the
  Chinese
• Are pronounced silently or aloud
• Promotes health inner comfort
• Mantras can have the opposite effect
• Fu are talismans (secret writing in red ink or
  blood on yellow paper given to the person) were
  used to expel evil influences or as a spiritual
  means to make a person more in harmony with
  their surroundings

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Summary

• The Chinese learned long age that the body was a
  circuitry of electrical impulses with a variety
  of critical points along the electrical pathways
• A needle applied to the proper point energizes a
  particular organ
• Believed emotional events create blocks in the
  circuitry must be relieved so energy flow can
  be restored

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Observation on ancient sciences

• While Chinese were mapping the strategic points
  of the body , the astrologers were mapping the
  skies.
• Is there one source of wisdom and have the
  ancient Chinese astrologers been able to tap
  into it and turn this into their healing arts
  with the combination of both things?????