Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), or Zhong Yi in Chinese, is an ancient medical system that originated in China a few thousand years ago and then spread to other Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. More recently, TCM has become popular in the United States and many other parts of the western world.

TCM is based on a complex belief system founded in theories such as yin-yang, five elements, and qi and meridian. There are numerous treatment modalities used in TCM; below are some common examples

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture (Zhen Jiu) dates back more than 4,000 years. Nowadays practitioners use very thin needles to relieve pain, treat disease and enhance physical and emotional health. It is a safe, surprisingly painless, and effective method of treatment. Following are some commonly asked questions about acupuncture.

Depending on the patient’s condition, the acupuncture needles can stay in the body 15-20 minutes. The consultation might take another 10-15 minutes.

The number of acupuncture needles depends on the patient’s condition - a normal treatment could include just few or as many as 30 needles or more.

Commonly used acupuncture points are found on meridians that correspond to the arms and legs, hands and feet, chest, abdomen, back, or face and head.

The patient is usually treated lying down, either on the back or front, or sitting up. While the needles are in the body the patient is often very relaxed and in many cases falls sleep. The needle insertion is usually painless; sometimes a minor pinching sensation is felt. While the needles are in the body, the patient might feel a temporary heavy, achy or numbing sensation at the sight of the needle insertion. This is nothing to worry about, and is in fact evidence the acupuncture is working.

Acupuncture treatments are usually performed 1-3 times a week. Around 5-6 treatments suffice for most people, although the more chronic or serious a problem is, the more treatment is required.

The length of the acupuncture needle varies from a few millimeters to a few inches, depending on which part of the body it is inserted into. Acupuncture needles are solid - unlike hollow hypodermic needles - and are not used to inject anything into the body. They are extremely thin, made of stainless steel, are for single use only and are disposable.

TCM believes there are many energy pathways, somewhat like rivers flowing through the body. These pathways, called meridians, circulate qi (pronounced “chee”) – energy that forms the water in the river. There are hundreds of acupoints distributed at particular locations on these meridians. Disease, pain, and discomfort can be attributed to blockages on the meridians.
Needles are inserted into the body at the relevant acupoints in order to unblock and regulate the energy, or qi. Modern scientific research and studies have tried to explain how acupuncture works; “gate control theory” (acupuncture closes the gates that conduct the pain, so no pain is felt) and “endorphin theory” (acupuncture induces the secretion of endorphins that stop the pain) are some of the outcomes of these studies.   

Acupuncture, as a part of broader TCM, has been the main modality of treatment in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. In recent decades, it has helped millions of people in other parts of the world including Europe and North America. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists over seventy conditions and diseases treatable with acupuncture. Some of these conditions are:
Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow
Acupuncture can help such modern complaints as stress, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as treat most common ailments and even complicated diseases. It is best known, though, for relieving pain and discomfort.
Acupuncture can treat a variety of orthopedic problems, such as soft tissue injuries, tendinitis or other inflammatory conditions of muscles and tendons, bursitis, sprains and strains, muscle spasm and cramps, neuropathy and others. Researchers have also found that when acupuncture is performed before and after any surgery, radiation treatment, chemotherapy or other medical procedure, recovery time is faster and reliance on medication and pain killers is considerably less.

Acupuncture is very safe and effective. Obviously a safe acupuncture treatment has to be performed by a trained professional. In the state of California, where acupuncture is a government-regulated profession, a practitioner of acupuncture must be a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAC) with a minimum of four years of post-graduate studies leading to a master’s degree in acupuncture and oriental medicine. The possible minor side effects of acupuncture include bruising, lightheadedness or drowsiness, and slight pain or ache in the vicinity of needle insertion. These are temporary side effects that would disappear shortly.

Electro-acupuncture (“Dian Zhen”) is a relatively modern addition to acupuncture treatment. This modality uses E-Stim machines to deliver a very mild pulsating electrical current to the acupuncture needles. The pulsating current activates the acupoint and mimics the ancient hand stimulation of the needles. The E-Stim machine, usually connected to the needles with multiple wires, may be left on for 5-20 minutes, during which the patient feels a mild and comfortable pulsating sensation.

Electro-acupuncture has a strong analgesic effect and is commonly used for treatment of pain, soft tissue injuries, paralysis, and other neurological diseases. One of the most interesting developments in the field during the last century has been “acupuncture anesthesia” where surgery is performed using acupuncture and electro-acupuncture for general anesthesia.

Ear acupuncture, or auricular acupuncture (“Er Zhen”) has been part of TCM for centuries. This modality resurfaced following research which led to new findings by French physician Paul Nogie. In the early 1950’s, Dr. Nogie developed an auricular map based on the shape of an inverted fetus, with the earlobe corresponding to the head and the top of the ear to the feet. His map has continued to develop over the past few decades.
Auricular acupuncture is widely used for the treatment of pain, anxiety, depression and other ailments. Recognized by WHO, it is often used alone or in conjunction with body acupuncture for the treatment of addictions to such substances as narcotics, recreational drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or painkillers. It has also been used during different surgeries, and in the west it is frequently used during dental procedures. 

Acupuncture needles are inserted in different parts of the external ear for a period of 10-20 minutes. To prolong the effect, a special seed or metal magnet may be taped to these areas of the ear and left on for several days. The procedure is usually painless, but as with body acupuncture, sometimes a minor pinching sensation may be felt. Auricular acupuncture has a very calming effect.

For thousands of years “acupuncture and moxibustion” (“Zhen Jiu”) has been the formal name for acupuncture treatment. Moxibustion (“jiu”) refers to warming and heating of the skin by burning a Chinese herb called moxa leaf (also known as mugwort, Artemisia Vulgaris, or “ai ye” in Chinese) close to the skin. The leaves are dried and ground finely to a soft and fluffy texture, and sometimes the moxa is packed and shaped into a cigar form.

Warming the acupoints helps the healing process and is used for pain, muscle spasm, post-surgical scar tissue and other conditions. Moxibustion can be used alone or together with acupuncture. If moxa is not available or not convenient, infrared electromagnetic heat lamps are often used to generate heat instead.

Cupping (“Ba Huo Guan”) is a medical technique used in many ancient cultures. In TCM, cupping can be used by itself or with acupuncture. Fire (a lit ball of cotton) is used to create a vacuum in glass cups which are then quickly placed on the skin. Once the cup is on the skin, the vacuum pulls the underlying flesh inside the cup. If some oil is applied to the local area, the cup can be moved around while the muscle and skin is inside the cup, a technique called sliding cupping. Cupping produces a strong but comfortable stimulation of the underlying tissues, and is good for maladies such as pain, muscle spasm and stiffness.

Scraping (“Gua Sha”) is another traditional healing method practiced in many Asian countries. It involves applying repeated pressure strokes with a smooth-edged instrument over a lubricated area of skin. (Traditionally the instrument was a horn from an animal, such as water buffalo, or a stone like jade, but now it is more likely to be a type of spoon.) The technique, which is not usually uncomfortable, alleviates some kinds of pain and treats muscular stiffness, spasm, and even the common cold. It does tend to raise red marks on the skin which can last for up to a week.

Plum Blossom needles (“Mei Hua Zhen”) stimulate only the surface of the skin. These instruments consist of a handle that is a few inches long and a head like a hammer which has seven tiny needles attached to it. Plum Blossom needles are tapped on the areas of the skin where there is pain, numbness, and stiffness, swelling or skin rashes. If tapped lightly, these needles make the skin red; stronger tapping may cause a sharp sensation and minor cutaneous bleeding, which is part of the healing process.

“Tui” means pushing while “Na” means holding or pulling, so Tui-Na means pushing and pulling, a method of Chinese body manipulative therapy that has been used for centuries. Tui-Na sometimes looks like massage or Shiatsu, and other times is more like chiropractic or physical therapy. It can be very gentle and relaxing, or alternatively strong and potent. The focus of Tui-Na, like other modalities of TCM, is to promote the flow of qi in the meridians and to resolve any stagnation or blockage. Pain, numbness, muscle spasm, stiffness, tendinitis, soft tissue injury, and problems with movement are among the problems Tui-Na addresses. It can be used by itself or along with acupuncture.

Herbs have been by far the most important part of TCM for thousands of years. For example, more than 70% of ancient Chinese medical texts are about herbs. These books systemically document and explain the experience of ancient Chinese doctors in treating patients.

There are thousands of individual Chinese “herbs” (“Zhong Yao”) that derive from various parts of plants, animals, or minerals. These herbs are prescribed individually or in combination to form a prescription (“Fang Ji”). There are tens of thousands of ancient documented prescriptions.

Chinese herbs can be taken internally as a decoction (made from raw herbs boiled for 40-50 minutes) or can be taken as a powder, granule, tincture or pill. The formulas are usually tailor-made based on the patient’s medical condition, and can be used for ailments as simple as the common cold or for more complex problems. Chinese herbs can also be applied externally as a wash, oil, lotion, paste, skin patch or liniment.  The topically-applied herbs can help with skin conditions such as rashes, eczema, boils or allergies, and also for pain, ache, swelling, soft tissue injuries, and post-operative healing.

Healthy living or nourishing life (“Yang Shen”) is a common practice in TCM which simply aims to promote health and prevent disease. As part of this practice, patients are often encouraged to make lifestyle changes incorporating healthy life choices. Balancing work with enough rest time, reducing stress and emotional upsets, regularly  exercising , having a healthy sex life, adjusting to nature and environmental changes, adjusting sleeping habits and maintaining a healthy diet are among the suggestions made to patients.

Take diet as an example: In Chinese theory, there is an emphasis on keeping a balance between cold and hot food, the five flavors (sweet, pungent, bitter, salty and sour ) and the five colors (red, yellow, black, green and white). Patients are often advised to avoid excessive intake of deep-fried, greasy, spicy, sweet or salty food.

Regular exercise is another example of healthy living. In this respect exercises that involve deep abdominal breathing and cultivate the qi (such as martial arts, tai ji quan, qi gong and yoga) are suggested in addition to cardio, weight and stretching exercises.
The basic aim of TCM in all its modalities is to emphasize balance (“Ping Heng” ) in every aspect of life, which is the key to healthy living