The Tao – Part 3 (TCM Tidbits)

This entry is the last in a series of articles discussing the concept of the Tao and it’s relevance to the practise and philosophy of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).  For those of you that are interested, I wrote about the Tao and it’s symbolism here, and it’s relation to health and TCM here.  Today, I will discuss the validity of TCM as it applies to acupuncture theory, health, and surprisingly – culture!

Recall that the body’s organs are typified as either Yin or Yang, according to their action and location in the body.  It is also interesting to note that these organs typically work in “pairs” inside of the system of the body (for example, the liver and the gallbladder are connected as Zang – Fu organs).  Zang refers to organs that store life giving substances (they have Yin energy) and Fu refers to hollow organs that interact with the environment (Yang energy).  In this case, the liver is the Zang organ and the gallbladder is the Fu organ and the pair function to circulate and move blood.

There are, of course, other Zang Fu pairs within the body (Kidney-Bladder, Spleen-Stomach, Lung-Large Intestine, Heart-Small Intestine, Pericardium-Triple Burner).  Now, our Western thought processes can certainly rationalise some of these pairings, but wait, what is this Triple Burner thingie?!  Good question.  Now, we are referring back to the alchemical principles of TCM.  The Triple Burner (obviously!) has no Western medical equivalent, but it is perceived to be a sort of internal axis (combustion engine) that moves Qi and fluids from above (Lungs, in particular) to below (Kidneys).  I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s suffice to say that a fine balance and harmony is required to keep the entire bodily system chugging along smoothly.

So now that I have confused you with a tidbit of TCM physiology, what scientific evidence do we have to suggest that any of this is plausible?  The answer to that lies on and in your skin (and within your nervous system).  Trigger points are areas of the body that correspond with about 70% of the known TCM acupuncture points.  These areas are made to be found!  The skin overlying these areas is thinner and more sensitive.  These points may even twitch when irritated, thus encouraging their owner (ahem…that would be “you”!) to rub them!  Here’s an experiment to humour yourself with – place your right hand in front of you and gently place pressure in the web of your fingers between your thumb and index finger just in front of your thumb-joint (you are now stimulating the approximate area of Large Intestine 4!).  This is a wonderful point that is great for general well-being, gives you an endorphin release and can help moderate many ailments (headache, neck pain, abdominal pain just to name a few). 

Ancient humans have known this secret for milennia!  Otzi, the ancient Tyrolian mountain-climber (circa 3300 BC!) had a variety of tattoos placed over various trigger points on his body that corresponded to actual pathology that had been confirmed by scientists (arthritis etc.).  The most interesting thing about this “acupuncture hypothesis” is that Otzi (and presumably, his clan) presented evidence of early acupuncture practise a few thousand years before it was documented by the Chinese (suggesting that the practise of acupuncture arose spontaneously amongst a variety of cultures – including non-Asian cultures many thousands of years ago).  Rather intriguing to say the least.

Today, modern acupuncture is a complementary therapy that is slowly integrating it’s way into the health and well-being plans of many patients.  Increasingly more clinical studies are being performed to support it’s usefulness in a variety of cases (especially in the realm of pain management).  I say “complementary”, because there are certainly limitations to any one form or modality of healing and this must be considered in the best interests of the patient.  The theory of TCM helps open-minded practitioners of Western medicine to “think outside the box” when treating dis-ease (which is a very well organised process according to TCM philosophy).  It helps practitioners view the body as an ecological system that requires harmony and balance to function properly.  With TCM, organs are “facilitated” and systems are opened.  Qi and energy movement, balance and harmony are re-established (with a proper TCM diagnosis) and the body can “re-wire itself”, thus promoting better health.  I would like to think that TCM is a nice way of “helping the body to help itself” (as opposed to fighting it solely with Western medical practices).  Practitioners of modern medicine have much to gain by engaging a TCM practitioner in the health and wellness plan of their patients.

I hope that a few of you have found this information useful.  I am forever intrigued by the parallels between TCM and other theories (alchemical, osteopathic) as I journey along my healthful and spiritual path.

Namaste and Good Health to you all.

-PM

The Tao – Part 2

This is a continuation of my first post located entitled The Tao.  In this post, I will discuss the relevance of the concept of Tao and it’s metaphorical relationship to health as defined by the practise and philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). 

I ended that post with a quote from the Nai Jing:

“The Sage stands facing South” – Nai Jing

The meaning of this quote is best demonstrated by a few examples from nature.  Take horses for example – during times of inclement and stormy weather, they not only band together in a group to shelter themselves from the elements, they stand with their buttocks to the driving wind.  Lizards too, will bask on rocks during times of warmth.  These creatures have evolved to make efficient use of their environment to maintain homeostasis (balanced organismal state) as part of their speciation.  These adaptations maximize the organism’s ability to remain healthy and survive in harmony with the environment, and conserve and maximise resources as they do so (the horses are conserving energy and body heat during periods of inclement weather, and the lizard is soaking up energy and warmth from the sun when the conditions are favourable).  I suppose that these behaviours have been incorporated into the organism’s biology (DNA) and speciation as a result of their success in helping the organism to survive.

So, how does this relate to health and TCM?  Essentially, the practise of TCM is best described as a combination of the following three practises:  acupuncture, chinese herbals and Qi Gong in a manner accordant with Taoist principles of natural harmony.  This definition is rather simplistic, but it should fit the discussion for our purposes.  Thus, the quote “The Sage stands facing South” describes, rather metaphorically, the ideal situation in the case of health.  In health, a person is in synch with their environment.  The body, due to it’s inherent biology and synchronicity with nature (because “we” are a form of nature!), performs well when conditions (environment, mental/emotional health, nutrients, energy) are moderate or balanced.  Many diseases are a result of deficiency or excess (too much warmth or Yin, or too much cold or Yang).  A deficiency of either Yin or Yang throws the system off balance (remember the fine tuning of harmony demonstrated by the Tao symbol?).  In addition, ageing itself, is also a destructive (but inevitable) part of our body’s ecology and health with the loss of Essence (essence essentially refers to hormones). 

How can a practitioner of TCM assist you in reaching a more healthful balanced state?  Practioners of TCM (at least in Canada) have at least three years of training in the principles and practice of the three practices (acupuncture, herbs and Qi Gong).  An additional year of study (an internship) is required if the person would like to become a Doctor of TCM.  A TCM practitioner will evaluate you in a unique way.  You will be asked about your previous history, and a physical exam performed (attention payed to your general physical state, emotional/mental state, tongue colour/condition, pulse diagnosis).  A practitioner will then evaluate your body’s systems and perform a trigger point analysis (they may use a point finder to establish areas on your body’s meridians where you are sensitive, thus indicating particular problems with certain organ systems – or they may simply use their hands to feel this energy).  The discussion of meridians is a long one, but those interested in the details can look it up (superficially) here.  Essentially, meridians are energy pathways between various interconnected organs that allow movement of Qi (the organs themselves are either Yin or Yang and their operation requires harmony and balance within the system of the whole body).  The key is ensure that Qi can flow in a harmonious way amongst these organs in a harmonious fashion.  Now, can you start to see the metaphorical, multiplicity demonstrated by the Tao symbol as it applies to health? 

In my next post, I will discuss the evidence (historical and modern) for TCM practise.  Much controversy exists as to whether acupuncture trigger points or meridians exist [skeptics criticise the philosophy of practise as being too reductionist] and I will try to present this information in light of scientific and clinical evidence that supports the practise of TCM (acupuncture in particular).  I will also discuss the inherent limitations of this type of complementary medical practise.

After all, if we are to truly understand or study TCM, shouldn’t we approach it with a balanced perspective (East vs. West, belief vs. skepticism, intuitive vs. rational, etc.)?

Namaste

-PM