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Principles of Chinese Medicine PDF

219 Pages·2013·0.97 MB·English
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PrinciPles of chinese medicine what it is, how it works, and what it can do for you second edition Angela hicks London and PhiLadeLPhia This edition published in 2013 by Singing Dragon an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.singingdragon.com First published in 1996 by Thorsons, an imprint of HarperCollins Copyright © Angela Hicks 1996, 2013 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84819 130 3 eISBN 978 0 85701 107 7 conTenTs Author’s Note 10 Acknowledgements 11 introduction 13 The differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine 14 Treatment using Eastern and Western medicine 17 The principles of Chinese medicine 18 1 The Theory of chinese Medicine: The linking Thread 20 What is the theory of Chinese medicine? 20 What is meant by yin and yang? 21 What are the four aspects of yin and yang? 21 How are yin and yang useful for Chinese medical practitioners? 23 How can Chinese medicine be used to balance yin and yang? 24 How do yin and yang affect our life cycles? 25 What are yin and yang Organs? 27 What are the Vital Substances? 28 How do the Vital Substances and the Organs interact? 28 What is Qi? 29 What does Chinese medicine mean by Blood? 32 What is the Shen or Mind-spirit? 33 What is Jing-essence? 34 What are Body Fluids? 36 How do these Substances influence each other? 37 What are the Five Elements? 37 How do the Elements interact? 38 What are the Five Element associations? 40 2 how disease Arises and the Art of staying healthy 42 So how does disease arise? 43 What are the internal causes of disease? 43 How do emotions cause disease? 43 How can climatic conditions cause disease? 45 How is knowledge of external causes useful to a patient? 47 What do we mean by the miscellaneous causes of disease? 49 How do balanced amounts of work and rest prevent disease? 49 How can exercise benefit my health? 50 In what way can sex become a cause of disease? 51 How is physical trauma a cause of disease? 51 Do I have to know the cause of my problem? 52 How are the causes of disease used in diagnosis and treatment? 53 3 Putting it all Together: diagnosis in chinese Medicine 55 How long will the diagnosis take? 55 What should I expect at the diagnosis? 56 How does a practitioner diagnose using the pulse? 56 What is tongue diagnosis? 58 How is the theory of Chinese medicine used to create a diagnosis? 59 4 Acupuncture Treatment: Balancing Your Qi 62 What is acupuncture? 63 What are the ‘meridians’ or ‘channels’? 64 Where are the channels and how many are there? 64 What are acupuncture points? 68 Tender points 68 Can the channels be felt? 69 What can acupuncture treat? 71 What is being treated like? 74 How long will each treatment take? 74 How does the theory of Chinese medicine apply to acupuncture? 76 What are the needles like? 77 How do acupuncturists ensure good standards of hygiene? 77 How does the acupuncturist know where to put the needles? 79 Can I still have acupuncture if I’m not ill? 80 How will I feel immediately after a treatment? 81 How much treatment will I need? 82 How does the practitioner know treatment has worked? 84 How is moxibustion used? 84 What is cupping therapy and how is it used? 86 What is guasha and how is it used? 87 When might electro-acupuncture be used? 88 What is auricular acupuncture? 89 Treatment using auricular acupuncture 89 Research into the effects of acupuncture 90 5 chinese herbal Medicine: remedies to restore Your Qi 92 What is Chinese herbal medicine? 94 How does Chinese herbal medicine differ from Western herbs? 96 How are the herbs categorised? 97 What is meant by a herbal prescription? 98 How does the herbalist create a prescription? 101 How are the herbs prepared? 101 What is the difference between dried herbs, tinctures and powders? 102 What kinds of herbs are used in a prescription? 105 Are any animal products used in Chinese herbal medicine? 106 How are herbs regulated? 106 How is the theory of Chinese medicine used when a herbalist diagnoses a patient? 107 What problems are commonly treated by herbs? 110 Current research into Chinese herbs 110 What do the herbs taste like? 111 What are the five tastes and what do they do? 111 What are the four energies and how are they used? 113 How often will I need to visit my herbalist and for how long? 114 6 Qigong exercises: Transforming Your Qi 117 How has Qigong developed? 118 What is Qigong? 119 What are the benefits of practising Qigong? 119 How could Qigong improve or maintain my health? 120 How do people use Qigong for spiritual development? 123 Can Qigong really be used to heal people? 123 What do the different Qigong practices have in common? 125 How does the theory of Chinese medicine fit in with Qigong practice? 126 Why is it important to activate the lower dan tian? 127 How do I activate the lower dan tian? 127 What are the different types of Qigong exercises? 130 Some important principles for good Qigong practice 136 How will I feel while practising Qigong? 138 How will I feel immediately after practising Qigong? 140 Do I need to have a teacher? 141 How do I find a good teacher? 142 How much do I need to practise? 142 Where should I practise? 143 7 Tui na – chinese Massage: feeling Your Qi 145 What is tui na? 146 The roots of tui na 146 What is the difference between tui na and other styles of massage? 147 What will happen when I first come for treatment? 149 How is the theory of Chinese medicine used by a practitioner of tui na? 149 What illnesses can tui na help? 150 What will I experience during the treatment? 152 What are tui na massage techniques like? 153 What areas of the body will the practitioner treat? 155 What skin preparations will the practitioner use? 156 Will the practitioner ever manipulate my spine? 157 How long will a tui na treatment take? 158 How often will I need to come for treatment? 158 How will I feel immediately after the treatment? 160 Can I use massage techniques on myself? 160 8 chinese dietetics: nourishing Your Qi 163 How does the theory of Chinese medicine apply to diet? 165 What are the best proportions of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruit and meat in the diet? 167 Is it better to be a vegetarian or a meat eater? 171 How is the temperature of food important in our diets? 174 Should we eat cooked or raw food? 177 How are the flavours of food important for maintaining our health? 180 How can we ensure that the food we eat is of good quality? 182 How is it best to eat our food? 185 When is it best to eat? 187 What foods can I avoid for specific health problems? 188 Are there any foods that I can include in my diet for specific health problems? 189 How should I go about changing my diet? 191 Will changing my diet be enough to restore my health? 192 9 Which one shall i choose? The right Treatment for Me 194 How do I decide whether I need treatment? 194 So which treatment shall I choose? 196 We have a preference for one particular treatment 196 Choosing a therapy 198 What’s the best way to find a good practitioner? 198 How can I tell if my practitioner is well qualified? 199 How can I tell that this practitioner is right for me? 200 Should I consult my doctor before going to a practitioner? 201 What if I am already taking prescribed drugs for my condition? 202 How can I keep myself healthy? 202 A positive attitude 203 A final thought 204 References 205 Further Reading 207 Acupuncture 207 Herbs 207 Qigong 208 Tui na 208 Diet 209 General 209 Useful Contacts 210 UK 210 US 211 Europe 212 Australia 214 Canada 215 Index 216 AuThor’s noTe This book is written as an informative guide to Chinese medicine and is not meant as a self-help book for treatment. I have capitalised Chinese medicine terminology in order to differentiate it from standard English terms. For instance, the Liver in upper case indicates the Chinese medicine term (i.e., the Liver and its Chinese medicine functions). The liver in lower case indicates the liver as it is described in Western medicine. 10 introduction The aim of this book is to give you a clear explanation about Chinese medicine and its therapies – acupuncture, Chinese herbs, tui na massage, Qigong exercises and diet.1 I have practised Chinese medicine since 1976 and since that time the only Western medicine treatment I have taken is one aspirin. I am now in my 60s and have stayed healthy through having treatment from these five therapies. This does not mean that I haven’t been ill. I have. But, in general, Chinese medicine treatment has nipped any problems in the bud and kept me well. My passion for Chinese medicine has never left me and I feel privileged to have been able to give treatments, teach and keep well for all this time. When I first studied acupuncture it was the main Chinese medicine treatment available in the West. Reference to ‘acupuncture’ all that time ago often met with a blank look or possibly an expression of puzzlement. Many doctors at that time showed hostility at its very mention. Now there are many more qualified practitioners of Chinese medicine. These treatments are better understood and a realistic choice for many people who wish to use a natural medicine with few side effects. There is no need to make a choice between Chinese medicine and Western medicine – we can use both and both are useful in different situations. For example, if I broke my arm I would certainly go to the accident and emergency department first! Fortunately, practitioners of both Chinese 1 These are all described in the chapters that follow. 13 14 PrinciPles of chinese Medicine and Western medicine are more mutually respectful than they were in the past. They know that each has a completely different, but valuable, perspective on treatment. There have also been many misunderstandings in the past, not least because of a difference in language. Chinese medicine tends to use more ‘poetic’ terms when diagnosing and treating. For example, a practitioner talks about ‘yin and yang’, ‘Qi ’, and ‘Jing-essence’ or ‘Wind’ and ‘Dampness’. You will read more about these terms in Chapters 1 to 3 and will hopefully understand that they are quite practical and down to earth in their usage and that Chinese medicine has its own clear, although different, logic. So let’s compare Chinese medicine with Western medicine so that we can assess how each one is used in treatment. The differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine Chinese medicine tends to do the following things: Treat the person rather than the symptoms We could say that Chinese medicine treats people while Western medicine treats diseases. A Chinese medicine practitioner will look at the whole person and the underlying reasons for her or him becoming ill. In comparison, Western medicine will pay more attention to treating the person’s symptoms. For example, when considering a symptom such as a headache, a Chinese medicine practitioner looks for the underlying cause and will ask patients about the nature of their symptoms as well as observing their tongue and feeling 12 pulses on the wrist. The cause may be a number of different possibilities, including the functioning of the

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