HISTORY OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a sophisticated approach to healing, based on ancient Chinese medical texts and practice developed over thousands of years.  Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are used in combination for a comprehensive therapeutic approach in TCM.  In TCM, the mental, emotional and physical are closely related, thus taking the entire person into account, both in diagnosis and treatment.  Disease is typically viewed as disorder or disharmony, and treatment is directed toward balancing and harmonizing Qi.   Diagnosis is made through interview, tongue inspection, palpation of the pulse in both wrists, and palpation of local areas of tenderness at specific points.  The practitioner integrates your individual signs and symptoms into a clinical picture of you as a whole person to formulate a treatment plan.

QI

In Chinese, “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) means “vital energy.” This vital energy flows through channels called meridians that traverse the body similar to peripheral nerves and blood vessels.  However, meridians have no physical substance in the manner that nerves and blood vessels have.  Acupuncture regulates the flow of energy by balancing the energy polarity within the meridians.

CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE

TCM has combined herbal medicine with acupuncture treatments for centuries.  Both can be used independently, depending on the diagnosis and treatment plan of the physician.  When Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used in conjunction with each other, they become a powerful therapeutic regimen for the treatment of poor health that the Chinese refer to as disturbances in Qi.  In the US, many Chinese herbal preparations are called Chinese patent medicines.  Chinese patent medicines are compounded herbal combinations that are liquid, dried herbal product or pills to form a distinct medicine much as we have combined pharmaceuticals or herbal mixtures in botanical medicine.  Some of the constituents used in Chinese herbal medicines are familiar to practitioners in the West and others are distinctly native to China.  At my medical school, we focused on the use of these herbal medicines in combination with acupuncture to formulate a comprehensive and holistic treatment plan.

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is a TCM therapy using very fine, thin stainless steel needles to stimulate/treat specific points and organ systems.  Acupuncture points have been “mapped” out by the Chinese for many thousands years.  This treatment is used to promote health and works on a variety of disorders.  According to the World Health Organization, many common acute and chronic health disorders lend themselves to acupuncture treatment, including:

·        Ear, nose and throat complaints

·        Respiratory disorders

·        Gastrointestinal disorders

·        Eye disorders

·        Neurological and muscular complaints

·        Gynecological disorders

·        Any type of local pain, strain or sprain

·        Difficulty in ceasing smoking and other addictive behaviors

Practitioners of TCM also incorporate or substitute the following modalities in addition to the use of acupuncture needles:

·        Tui Na: a type of massage

·        Cupping:  warmed “cups” that slide across the skin

·        Earballs:  tiny metal balls that are taped to acupuncture points in the ear

·        Chinese herbal medicines

A single acupuncture appointment may include any combination of these methods as part of the patient’s treatment.

WHAT WILL YOU FEEL?

Acupuncture is relatively painless.  With correct needle placement and stimulation, the movement of qi may cause a sensation that has been described as heaviness, distention, tingling or electric.  This sensation may travel up or down the meridian (energy pathway) that is being affected or remain localized.  This sensation is the desired therapeutic effect; it is a sign that the patient’s qi is balancing throughout the body.

ARE THE NEEDLES STERILE?

YES, they are sterile and disposable.  As directed by law, I discard needles after a single use.  Also, I employ antiseptic technique (for example, creating a sterile field, swabbing the skin with alcohol and wearing latex gloves) in the needling process to reduce the risk of transmission of blood borne infectious diseases.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT AT AN APPOINTMENT?

I take your case including a present and past medical history with a focus on the chief complaint.  Some questions that I ask may seem unusual but are quite essential for a TCM diagnosis and treatment.  A few examples might be:

·        Do you sweat frequently and where?

·        What time do you awaken to urinate during the night?

·        Do you generally feel warm or cold?

·        On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your sexual desire and stamina?  Is this an increase or decrease?

·        Have you noticed that your stool floats or sinks in the toilet?

My exam includes feeling your pulse at both wrists and looking at your tongue.  All of this information allows me to develop a personalized treatment plan.

HOW DO I DECIDE IF TCM IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Frequency:  Acupuncture can be very effective with just one treatment, but in many chronic disorders that involve a patient’s constitution, several consecutive appointments may be necessary. Chinese herbal medicine may be used independently or in conjunction with acupuncture depending on the type and severity of the health problem.  It is not possible to make a generalization regarding the length or type of therapy, to do so would be contrary to basic TCM principles.

Cost: Acupuncture is a procedure that may be in addition to or in place of a traditional office visit. My initial consultation with the patient includes an assessment of the appropriate therapy, that is to say, whether to use TCM or a western medical approach.  Once I arrive at a diagnosis, I use acupuncture by itself or as an adjunctive therapy.  Chinese patent medicines are possibly the “best buy” in medicine considering the cost of the medicine and its therapeutic benefit.  In a word, they are simply inexpensive medicines.  If you have any concerns about the cost of your medical care, please always discuss it with me.