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Basic Primer on Oriental Medicine
Numerous books are devoted to the philosophy and theory behind the diagnosis, differentiation and treatment therapies of Oriental Medicine. In summary, Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) guides the mind-body back to its innate harmonious balance or homeostasis. The mind-body is defined as the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects that make up the complete human being.
Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can stimulate or subdue the mind-body to achieve this balance. For example:
- Subdue the immune system if it is overactive and manifests as allergies;
or stimulate the immune system if it needs to fight an active viral
invasion or cancerous growth.
- Energize the metabolism for excessive chronic fatigue; or subdue excess
energy causing restlessness and insomnia.
- Sedate excessive psycho-emotional highs; or lift the lows of the depressed.
Oriental Medical therapies and treatments may include acupuncture, moxibustion, electro-stimulation, Asian bodywork, herbal formulations, nutritional and life style recommendations, and mind-body exercises. In some cases, the therapies of Oriental Medicine work well alone. In other cases, Oriental Medicine is combined with medical therapies, such as pharmaceuticals, surgery, physical therapy, or psychotherapy. Occasionally, Oriental Medicine is used to counteract other therapies, such as alleviating the side effects of radiation or chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer.
Basic Principles
The basic principles of Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lay in the concepts of qi (pronounced chee) and in the duality of yin and yang.
Qi
exists in various forms in and around us, as a version of energy or manifestation
of matter. In its least substantial and more energized state, it is more
yang in nature. In its more substantial and least energized state, it
is more yin in nature.
Many forms of qi enter the body via the respiratory and digestive systems. These combine with the body's innate essence, to provide the body's qi, blood and body fluids necessary to life. The unobstructed flow of qi and blood throughout the body provides a basis for harmony and balance. Health and wellness is maintained by the combination of the smooth flow of qi and blood, by proper levels of qi, blood, normal body fluids, and by a balance between the yin and the yang aspects of the mind-body.
Treatment of Disorders
Disorders develop at a functional level first, where symptoms are often considered sub-clinical by modern medicine standards but are treatable by Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Treatment at this level will help prevent the disorder from moving to a more serious organic level, and in this way, Oriental Medicine / TCM is often considered a preventative medicine.
Disorders have numerous sources:
- External sources (exogenous pathogens) come in a variety of forms. Oriental Medicine / TCM recognizes six patterns (hot, cold, damp, dry, fire, summer-heat); whereas modern medicine categorizes them quite differently (bacteria, viruses, etc.).
- Internal sources (endogenous pathogens) are associated with the seven emotions (joy, worry or pensiveness, grief, fear or shock, anger).
- Other sources include lifestyle choices (food, drink, substance use, unclean conditions), parasites, trauma or physical accidents, animal bites and poisons, improper treatments, over or under exertion, poor constitution, and stagnation of qi, blood or phlegm.
Disorders manifest in a wide variety of ways. For example:
- Acute externally contracted diseases may exhibit severe chills with a mild fever and body aches or severe fever with sweating and delirium.
- Years of poor eating habits may develop into obesity, diabetes, heart disease, strokes, or cancer. There can be manifestations of chest pains, lower leg claudication, hemiplegia, edema, or numerous other symptoms.
Because disorders manifest in many ways, treatments are based on the syndrome of the manifestation rather than the disorder itself. This creates two seemingly opposed scenarios:
- Similar disorders are often treated quite differently; e.g., a headache is not necessarily treated the same way since it can manifest differently with each person.
- Dissimilar disorders are often treated similarly; e.g., a headache in one person may be treated the same as hypertension in another if the root cause is the same.
Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Models
Although the diagnostic and differentiation models used by Oriental Medicine / TCM are quite different from modern medicine, they are very effective for the therapy tools employed. A practitioner may choose one of the models, or at other times, two or more models may be combined. Some of the concepts of the Oriental Medicine / Traditional Chinese Medicine models include:
- Meridians and Flow of Qi
Normal flow of qi and other vital substances occurs primarily via the meridian system. Imbalances of the whole system are influenced via acupuncture points along the meridians.
- Stagnation
Obstructions of the normal flow of qi and blood, termed "qi stagnation" or "blood stasis", have numerous sources and manifest in a multitude of ways. When caught early, stagnation at the functional level may manifest simply as pain; if left unchecked, stagnation may develop to a deeper, organic level and manifest as a dysfunction of an organ or some other serious disorder.
Normal vital substances
Qi, blood, body fluids, and essence are the basic building blocks of the system. Deficiencies or excesses contribute to diminished normal function, which manifest in a variety of patterns. Often, a specific organ is involved and combined in the differentiation with a vital substance, e.g., there may be a deficiency in kidney qi or an excess due to heart blood stasis.
- Organ systems
The "Zang-Fu" model works with five pairs of organs (six pairs of regular meridians); many of the functions of these organs match current medical knowledge. Every aspect of the body system falls into one of the five organ systems or as one of the extraordinary organs.
- Five elements
The five elements are related to organ systems, or perhaps it is best to say that organ theory is related to the five elements! Each element has an associated organ system, as well as numerous other characteristics including color, smell, sound, time of year, personality, pathogenic factor, normal emotion and emotional imbalance.- Earth: spleen and stomach
- Metal: lung and large intestine
- Water: kidney and urinary bladder
- Wood: liver and gall bladder
- Fire: heart & small intestine
(plus the sixth pair of the regular meridian system - pericardium & triple heater)
- Abnormal substances
Accumulations of phlegm and/or dampness or blood stasis are primary examples of accumulations of abnormal substances.
- Absolute and relative levels of yin and yang
Understanding of the duality of yin and yang, yet the interrelated, interdependent nature of the two is at the core of Oriental Medicine. Recognizing imbalances between the two in a person is critical to a proper and effective treatment.