Principles of Chinese Medicine: What it is, how it works, and what it can do for you Second Edition

226 Pages·2013·1.27 MB·English

by  Angela Hicks

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R P R I N C I P L E S O F
‘As an introduction to Chinese medicine and how it can help us, this book cannot be I
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bettered. Angela Hicks writes with such clarity and lightness of touch that understanding
the key aspects of Chinese medicine and its therapies becomes an absolute pleasure… C
If you are curious about Chinese medicine, for whatever reason, this is the book for you.’ I
P C H I N E S E
– Dr Charlotte Paterson, Honorary Research Fellow, School of L
Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol E
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‘This is the work of a clear mind. Informed by decades of experience and shining with
O MEDICINE
a love of her subject, Angela Hicks has written the most lucid and accessible guide to
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Chinese medicine I have ever read.’

– Daverick Leggett, author ofRecipes for Self-Healing C
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Interested in Chinese medicine but don’t know where to start? I What it is and
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From acupuncture and Chinese herbs to tui na massage, Qigong exercise and diet, how it works
Chinese medicine can offer a whole range of treatments, techniques and lifestyle choices E
to address health complaints and improve overall well-being. The new and updated S
edition of this definitive introduction is your perfect starting point. It covers: E
• basic theory M
• the five therapies
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• how to choose the right treatment for you
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• how to find a practitioner
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• how it has worked for others. C
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Angela Hicksqualified as an acupuncturist in 1976. She is co-founder and joint N
principal of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK, where she
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teaches and is a clinical supervisor. Angela is also a practitioner of Chinese herbal

medicine and regularly practices Qigong. She is joint Chair of the Council of Heads

for Acupuncture Courses (CHAC).

A
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G
E
L
A
H
ANGELA HICKS
I
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116 Pentonville Road
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London, N1 9JB, UK S
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.singingdragon.com Second Edition
Cover design: Black Dog Design

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PrinciPles of
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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
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form
(including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or
not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written
permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this
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Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in
both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
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