The Culture and Healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine Essay Example

The Culture and Healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine Essay Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) originated in ancient China for over two thousand years (Mercati), rooting back to the philosophy of Taoism. TCM views the body overall based on its anatomic functions instead of structures. Diagnosis of illnesses includes tracing symptoms to patterns of disharmony, deviations of eating and sleeping habits, and measuring pulse. The Chinese pharmacopoeia includes a large amount of herbal formulations that are used for the treatment of a wide variety of disease and illnesses.Healing comes in the form of acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. Current TCM practices is based on principles of Chinese philosophy, including holism, differentiation, yin and yang, and the five elements (Lao, et al). Maintaining a balance between these principles is the way the body achieves physical health, longevity, and qi (the vital force or energy for maintaining the activities of life) (Lao, et al), thus differentiating it as a naturalistic belief system. The Chinese medical theory views that disease does not suddenly occur.Disease is a journey from health where symptoms arise over a period of time, such as tiredness, nausea, and pain in specific areas. The disease may manifest physically, emotionally, mentally, or even spiritually. Deviating patterns and behaviors in the patient’s physical and emotional states in their living environments will indicate the type of imbalance and treatment required to heal their Qi. We will write a custom essay sample on The Culture and Healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Culture and Healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Culture and Healing of Traditional Chinese Medicine specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is different from the Western medical system in that Western medicine tends to look for an agent causing a disease, such as a virus or bacterium.The cause of the disease is usually not clear and treatment is based on the symptoms that show. Western medicine is solely based on sciences of anatomy and physiology, separate from the mind (Lao, et al). Whereas in Chinese medicine, the mind, body, and spirit are intertwined and interdependent, thus treatment is aimed to restore and maintain a state of health throughout, rather than curing only the disease causing component (Mercati 14). Being one of the world’s oldest medical systems, TCM features a series of theoretical systems and medical practices.Ancient Chinese ancestors based their medical experience through continuous practice. Tools used in the New Stone Age led to the invention of acupuncture (Jingfeng). They also discovered that the movements of the body and extremities are capable of fighting fatigue and even possess limited healing powers, thus leading to qigong. China is a land rich with a wide diversity of natural medicine, including herbal plants, animals, and minerals. Beginning as an agricultural period, ancestors gained rich experience in the application of these herbal drugs.They were able to invent compounds of mixtures of herbal remedies to produce its therapeutic effect, one of the important features of TCM (Jingfeng). Principles like yin and yang’ and five elements’ solidify the view that treatment is targeted at correcting underlying imbalance in the body (Kam, et al. ). Everything in the universe The main principle is the yin and yang polarity. It is believed that the body is built upon these two opposing aspect, which are interdependent and interrelated.The yin’ is negative, dark, cold, female, earthly, inner, [and] ghostly, whereas yang’ is positive, light, heat, male, heaven, outer, and godly (Lao, et al). More words that describe yin’ are sad, plain, vegetarian, solid (organs), empty, and wet. Yang’ can be furthered described as hot, happy, colored, non-vegetarian, hollow (organs), full, and dry. Most things that exist may be characterized as either yin or yang, often representing opposite, abstract properties. The main opposition of yin and yang is the hot-cold polarity.The foods categorized as hot are commonly those that are nutritious, concentration, meaty, fatty, oily, sticky, dry, and cooked for a long time. Foods that are said to be cold are usually fruits and vegetables, eaten raw or lightly cooked, and are relatively low in calories (Gould-Martin 39). The diseases considered as hot are fever, diarrhea, and rashes. Those that suffer from wasting, shivering, and apathy are associated with cold. To prevent suffering from any type of disease, balance between both hot and cold is ideal, but many people are either too hot or too cold.People that are too hot usually breathe rapidly, have bloody noses and vivid dreams, and are constipated. In contrast, people that are too cold are underweight, cold to the touch, apathetic, and listless. The balance of both is the core power of existence. Other oppositions of yin and yang include social occasions, clothing, and diet. Social occasions are grouped as sad (sang) or happy (hsi). Sad occasions include events like funerals and happy occasions include weddings, births, and engagements. Colors for clothing are also categorized as either su or hua.Su clothes are bland, somber, or neutral: blue, black, gray, saffron yellow, bronze, white, beige, tan, and brown (Gould-Martin 40). Su-colored clothing is mainly used commonly every day like school and military uniforms. Buddhists also wear them at all times and Taoists wear black for minor rituals performed. Brightly printed clothing, including red, orange, pink, yellow, purple, and mauve, are consider hua. These clothing are used for babies, young girls, and younger women in the period between engagement and marriage.Bridal dresses were traditionally all red, but now a white dress is worn for a part of the ceremony also. The Chinese believe that red is prophylactic: it protects against pollution and danger of death (Gould-Martin 40). Red is also used for the food, decorations, and envelopes of money sent out during hsi occasions. Foods are characterized between su and hun. Su diets are vegetarian that consist of fruits and vegetables, often cold or baked and boiled. Su diets avoid meat, fish, dairy products, onions, garlic, leeks, and intoxicating beverages.The hun diet includes these items. In the first writings of Chinese medicine written in 2300 B. C. , The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, it states, when one masters the mystery of the yin yang principle, one can even enjoy life as long as nature itself. Another important principle of TCM is the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The five-element theory describes the relationships between the human body and the external environment and the physiological and pathological interactions among the internal organs within the body (Lao 1999).Metal is associated with the color white and represents grief and sadness. The sense organ is the nose and the taste associated with metal is spicy. It represents autumn with a dry climate. Illnesses that accompany those who are at an imbalance with metal include frequent colds and flus, coughs that are dry, moist, and productive, dry mouth and throat, weight loss, breathlessness, phlegm, and hot sensations within the palms of hands and soles of feet . Earth is associated with the color yellow and represents sympathy. The sense organ is the mouth and it represents late summer with a damp climate.Fire represents the color red along with joy and love. The sense organ is the tongue that can taste bitterness. It represents summer with a hot climate. Fire is associated with the heart and small intestine. Illnesses associated with fire include tiredness, palpitations, cold extremities, sweating during the day and night, swelling in legs, anxiety, disturbed sleep, poor memory, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, and red tongue tissue. Water is associated with the color black and represents fear and phobias. The sense organ is the ear and the taste associated with it is salty.Black represents winter with a cold climate. Wood is associated with the color green and embodies the emotions of anger and irritability. The sense organs are the eyes and the taste associated with it is sour. Wood represents spring with a windy climate. Illnesses that represent imbalance in wood include problems where the liver channel passes through the body, problems in women’s breasts, the abdomen, genital area, and eyes, headache, irritability, numbness, and tremors (Benedict 56). Holism and differentiation are the other principles in TCM.The concept of holism considers the individual person as being comprised of and subject to the elements and forces of nature as a whole. Each individual is considered as an interconnected whole that embodies the mind, body, and soul as a unified piece. This will lead to TCM practitioners considering the physical, mental, and emotional state of the patient and their relativity to the environment. The principle of differentiation allows a practitioner to distinguish between signs and symptoms of specific illnesses. Different pathologic factors and their mechanisms are responsible for or contribute to disease formation.However, each illness may be unique to each individual, thus differentiation allows the practitioner to administer the appropriate treatment, be it herbs, acupuncture, dietary therapy, or massages. As a result, TCM diagnoses and treatments are much more individualized. If balanced in unity, these four principles come together to form the well being of an individual, leading to Qi. Qi is the term used to describe how human physiological functions are maintained. It is the basic unit of movement and heat in the body that is a matter without form, invisible, subtle, activating, warming, moving, and energizing (Benedict).This vital energy flows through the channels, or meridians, of the body and participates in the homeostatic regulation of bodily functions (Gould-Martin). Qi flows through 12 primary and eight additional meridians. Each 12 meridians (qing luo) are major channels that connect us to our immediate surroundings and promote the integrated function of all organ systems (Benedict 55). The extra eight channels allow for the overflow of abundant energy (Benedict 55). There are 360 points distributed along the meridians that serve as signs of both disorder and loci for acupuncture treatment (Lao et al).Qi can be accessed at any of these given points so that disturbances both within the channel and the associated internal organs can be treated; each pressure point is associated with a therapeutic action. When the normal flow of Qi through a meridian is obstructed along its pathway, symptoms occur and physiological health is put in jeopardy. In conclusion, Qi can be thought of as a circulatory system with no anatomical or physiological basis for the channels that conducts vital force throughout the body just like blood supplies oxygen and nutrients.If one is healthy, their qi pathways are not obstructed. If movement of Qi is slowed or blocked, yin or yang dominates the other. To heal obstructed pathways, acupuncture is used. Acupuncture is a form of therapy that has its origins for over 2000 years (Pearson). Whenever Qi is stuck, accumulation of heat occurs because Qi is naturally warm. Where the circulation of qi is blocked, fluids, blood, and waste can accumulate and produce swelling. The absence of qi produces the presence and dominance of yin. Acupuncture treatment aims to reopen the meridians and restore the flow of Qi.The method of acupuncture consists of inserting thin needles into one or multiple corresponding points along the meridians according to the illness. Each point along the channels corresponds to a therapeutic action. There are two purposes of acupuncture: to release tension and pressure of accumulating heat or alleviate swelling by energizing the cells to process the waste and thus get rid of it. If the individual is generally healthy overall, the insertion of acupuncture needles usually resolve symptoms quickly because the specific acupuncture points directly influence the healing of the affected organ(s).However, in some individuals, when organ systems are deprived of a strong, even flow of Qi over a long period of time, chronic health problems arise. Acupuncture therapy heals pain, nausea and vomiting, immune system response, hemodynamic functions, addiction and substance abuse, agitation and restlessness, and rheumatoid arthritis (Sutherland 41). The 12 main channels each correspond to a specific organ. The upper limb channels represented by yin include the lung, heart, and pericardium. The three represented by yang are the large intestine, small intestine, and san jiao (the thoracic and abdomino-pelvic cavities).In the lower limb, the three channels represented by yin are the spleen, liver, and kidney. The channels represented by yang are the stomach, urinary bladder, and gall bladder (Pearson). Another method of healing in TCM is by the use of medicinal herbs. Herbs are used to achieve an optimum balance of Qi. China’s first emperor, Huang Ti, and his cabinet members developed techniques to diagnose diseases at to use herbs in their treatment. Many herbal formulations, consisting of four to 12 individual herbs, have been recorded in Chinese medical literature from the earliest known Shen Nung Ben Tsao Jing (Lee 516).In another literature with an unknown author, The Herbal Classic of the Divine Plowman, contains three volumes describing 365 drugs – one for each day of the year. Among them, 252 are plant derived, 67 from animals, and 46 from minerals. The herbal components in a mixture can be ranked into four types. The first type is the imperial herb; it is the chief herb and main ingredient of a formula that serves the biggest function. The second is the ministerial herb, which augments and promotes the action of the imperial herb. The assistant herb reduces the side effects of the imperial herb and the servant herb is the last component.It harmonizes or coordinates the action of all the other herbs. The change in composition of one herb combination induces different pharmacological actions. Examples of common herbs include Echinacea, feverfew, garlic, gingko, ginseng, palmetto, and St. John’s wort. Figure 1. A traditional Chinese herbal shop in Hong Kong selling medicinal herbs. Aside from medicine, exercise is used to maintain a healthy and balanced Qi. Qigong is a form of exercise and health care practice that acts on bettering posture, breathing, and mental focus.Qigong can be categorized as martial, medical, and spiritual. Leading back into Taoist and Buddhist tradition, qigong was believed by ancient Chinese monks to be a way to bridge together the powers of the mind, body, and universe through body movements, meditation, and deep concentration. When Qi becomes blocked through emotional pain or physical illness (i. e. , stress, over-work, poor diet, lack of sleep, insufficient exercise, and excess sadness/joy/fear/anxiety/anger) qigong may heal though specific breathing patterns, movements, visualization, and meditation (Lin).The slow, rhythmic movements allow consistency and improve the vital energy life force. Tui na massage is a hands-on form of healing in TCM and has been in practice for more than four thousand years (Mercati 10). The term tui means to push and na means to grasp; together, this massage works to relieve not only muscles and joints but to penetrate each meridian that frees blocked and stagnant Qi (Mercati 10). Tui na involves active communication between the giver and the receiver. The receiver acts as the sick role, in informing the healer where to treat and the amount of pressure to use (Mercati 11).Together, this is another method in TCM of restoring Qi balance when emotional, physical, and external factors are out of balance. Acupressure is another way to balance the body’s qi by applying pressure to specific points along our body’s energy channels. However, the term pressure may be misleading because acupressure is usually given in a light touch. The effectiveness of the work does not depend on the amount of force put onto the therapy, rather the location of contact is the method of healing. A practitioner may use various tools to assess the strength of the 12 meridians.After pressing down on the point(s), a practitioner can sense a pulse caused by Qi flow. If there is no pulse, however, those are the areas that are though to have blocked meridians. There are different types of points along the channel that serve different functions. Comfort points, located along the bladder and gallbladder meridians, relieve tension, restlessness, and frustration because the gallbladder meridian is associated with relaxation. Alleviation points are on the foot and relate to the kidney and liver meridians.Jogging and walking help relax the body in that part because when those points are stimulated, it reduces pain, tension, and sleeplessness. Potent points are near the nail beds on fingers and toes. They are effective in healing weakness, fatigue, listless, and faintness because of affecting illnesses (Sutherland 41). The final way of healing in TCM is moxibustion – the application of heat on specific pressure points from the burning of a small bundle of tightly bound herbs. The herbs are bound together with a variety of dried leaves such as mugwort or wormwood plants that have been formed into a cigar-like cone, called a moxa.Direct moxibustion is burning the cone right on the acupuncture point of the skin. This method is less popular because it often produces pain and scarring. The more common method is the indirect method, which involves either burning moxa above the skin or on top of an acupuncture needle that has been left in place. Other practitioners place a layer of ginger, garlic, or salt on the patient’s skin with the burning moxa on top of it. The radiant heat produced is intended to penetrate the body, thus restoring the balance of flow of vital life energy.TCM is a naturalistic medical belief that diagnoses based on imbalance due to the environment. Ancient Chinese healing base health on the balance of Qi. Any deviation or imbalance can be cured by a variety of medical methods, diets, and exercise. ? Works Cited Au, Derrick Kit-Sing. 2011 Mix of Medicines. Visual Anthropology 24: 189-202 Benedict, Martha with Heller, Lyra. 1999 The Enduring Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Total Health 21(2): 54-57. 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