Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Article

The human being

Traditional Chinese physicians did not learn about the structures of the human body from dissection because they thought that cutting open a body insulted the person's ancestors. Instead they built up an understanding of the location and functions of the major organs over centuries of observation, and then correlated them with the principles of yin, yang, qi, and the Five Elements. Thus wood is related to the liver (yin) and the gall bladder (yang); fire to the heart (yin) and the small intestine (yang); earth to the spleen (yin) and the stomach (yang); metal to the lungs (yin) and the large intestine (yang); and water to the kidneys (yin) and the bladder (yang). The Chinese also believed that the body contains Five Essential Substances, which include blood, spirit, vital essence (a principle of growth and development produced by the body from qi and blood); fluids (all body fluids other than blood, such as saliva, spinal fluid, sweat, etc.); and qi.

A unique feature of traditional Chinese medicine is the meridian system. Chinese doctors viewed the body as regulated by a network of energy pathways called meridians that link and balance the various organs. The meridians have four functions: to connect the internal organs with the exterior of the body, and connect the person to the environment and the universe; to harmonize the yin and yang principles within the body's organs and Five Substances; to distribute qi within the body; and to protect the body against external imbalances related to weather (wind, summer heat, dampness, dryness, cold, and fire).

Benefits

Traditional Chinese medicine offers the following benefits:

• It is believed by some to treat certain chronic illnesses more effectively than Western medicine.
• It is holistic; all aspects of the person's being are taken into account.
• It treats the root cause of the disease as well as the manifest symptoms. Chinese practitioners distinguish between the root (ben) of an illness and its branches (biao). The root is the basic pattern of imbalance in the patient's qi; the branches are the evident symptoms.
• Traditional Chinese medicine does not rely on pharmaceutical products that often cause side effects.
• It improves a person's general health as well as treating specific diseases or disorders.
• It is often less expensive than standard allopathic treatment.
• It is not a self-enclosed system but can be used in combination with Western medicine.
• It can be used to treat the side effects of Western modalities of treatment.

Acupuncture/moxibustion

Acupuncture is probably the form of treatment most familiar to Westerners. It is often used for pain relief, but has wider applications in traditional Chinese practice. It is based on a view of the meridians that regards them as conduits or pathways for the qi, or life energy. Disease is attributed to a blockage of the meridians; thus acupuncture

can be used to treat disorders of the internal organs as well as muscular and skin problems. The insertion of needles at specific points along the meridians is thought to unblock the qi. More than 800 acupuncture points have been identified, but only about 50 are commonly used. Acupuncture is usually used as a treatment together with herbal medicines.

Moxibustion refers to the practice of burning a moxa wick over the patient's skin at vital points. Moxa is a word derived from Japanese and means "burning herbs." The moxa wick is most commonly made from Artemisia vulgaris, or Chinese wormwood, but other herbs can also be used. Moxibustion is thought to send heat and nourishing qi into the body. It is used to treat a number of different illnesses, including nosebleeds, pulled muscles, mumps, arthritis, and vaginal bleeding.