Chinese medicine is growing in Houston and the U.S., but for much of the world, it’s been the dominant medical philosophy for more than 2,000 years. For many Houston patients, Chinese medicine is an effective complement to western forms of treatment.
However, Chinese medicine remains a mystery for many people in Houston. Read on to clear up the mystery and learn the fundamentals of the practice, along with its place in modern medicine.
The Modalities of Chinese Medicine
Like with western medicine, Chinese medicine is a governing philosophy under which a number of treatment modalities exist. For example, in western medicine, there’s the medical philosophy itself, and a collection of treatments like medication, physical therapy and surgery.
There are numerous modalities in Chinese medicine, including cupping (using glass suction cups on the body to promote better Qi movement), gua sha (scraping the skin to promote circulation) and tai chi (movement intended to accelerate healing).
Our clinic relies on two modalities primarily – acupuncture and herbal therapies.
During an acupuncture treatment session, thin-gauge, sterilized needles are lightly inserted into the skin at identified acupuncture points. These points correspond with Qi meridians connected to the body’s organs, so licensed acupuncturists directly interface with the body’s organs while they perform treatment.
Herbal therapies are another primary modality. In traditional Chinese medicine, therapeutic herbs and herbal formulations are known to gravitate to particular organs, where they can provide various benefits. Some herbs promote faster or slower Qi flow, some organs remove heat or cold, some tonify, and so on. A Chinese medicine practitioner’s goal is to match the right herbs to the patient and the condition they are looking to treat.
How Diseases are Classified in Chinese Medicine
Over the 2,000-plus years that Chinese medicine has been in practice, it has passed through several disease classification paradigms, some of which are still utilized today. Among them, the most impactful include:
The Six Stages
The Six Stages theory originated with the Shang Han Lun and was the initial diagnostic system used by practitioners. Under this theory, the body is divided into six levels – the Tai Yang, Yang Ming, Shao Yang, Tai Yin, Shao Yin and Jue Yin – each associated with a pair of organs. As disease develops in severity, it moves from one level in the body to another.
The Four Levels
The Four Levels theory emerged from another important Chinese medicine text (the Discussion on Warm Diseases), authored in 1746.
The Four Levels theory shares many similarities to the Six Stages theory, dividing the body into four “layers,” or levels through which pathogens penetrate as disease worsens. They include the Wei, Qi, Ying and Xue levels.
The 12 Organ Systems
Modern Chinese medicine practitioners are more likely to divide the body into organ system pairs – 12 in all. Each organ relies on the other in its pair to stay in balance and function optimally, so practitioners consider whole-body health when determining how to treat a poorly performing organ. It is also important to remember that Chinese and western medicine don’t conceive of organs and organ systems in the same fashion, so it’s inaccurate to use the western understanding of each organ when diagnosing disease using Chinese medicine philosophy.
The Eight Patterns in Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine practitioners characterize diseases into eight patterns, made up of four pairs each. Practitioners use these patterns to describe the nature of a patient’s condition, and the patterns include:
Interior vs. Exterior disease
The first diagnostic decision to make is whether a patient’s illness involves interior or exterior disease. In Chinese medicine, exterior disease refers to a condition that only affects the exterior (or the body’s peripheral layers), or the interior (the body’s organs). Exterior conditions are generally less severe.
Excess vs. Deficiency disease
Disease can also be classified as either resulting from excess (too much of a bad thing) or deficiency (too little of a good thing).
Heat vs. Cold disease
Heat and cold in Chinese medicine refer to two different pathological states. Heat-related conditions are caused by excess heat or a lack of cooling capacity in the body. Cold conditions are the result of too little heat. Ideally, a balance between the two is struck to prevent either from causing issues.
Yin vs. Yang disease
Diseases are also classified as either Yin-dominant or Yang-dominant. Organs and symptoms are divided into either category, depending on their nature. For example, Yang conditions may present with excess heat or agitation, while Yin conditions may be marked by fatigue.
Using these categories of disease, Chinese medicine practitioners can narrow down a range of health conditions and accurately diagnose patients.
A Brief History and Foundation of Chinese Medicine: Yin and Yang
The earliest texts related to Chinese medicine – the Huangdi Neijing – date back to 200 BC. This text laid out the original ideas underpinning Chinese medicine. Centuries later, around 200 AD, another foundational Chinese medicine text was written – the Shang han Lun. Translated to The Treatise on Cold Disease, the Shang han Lun advanced Chinese medicine by systemizing and describing it in a way that could be practically applied. Specifically, it prescribed a variety of herbal formulations and described the nature of various pathologies still observed in Chinese medicine today.
A primary concept in Chinese medicine, presented in early medical texts, is the balance between Yin and Yang. Both are primal energies believed to exist in everything, including human physiology. Chinese medicine practitioners assert that all health is, to some extent, dependent on Yin (substantive, slow, sedentary) and Yang (dynamism, change, movement).
In the human body, Yin and Yang are best represented by the Qi and blood. Chinese medicine practitioners consider the blood to be Yin-allied – the substantive, nutritive part of the body. And though it shares similarities with what western physicians consider the blood, it’s more than just the blood’s physical aspect.
The Qi is a Yang-allied aspect in the body. It refers to the animating energy that moves the blood and facilitates other organ functions, so in effect, Qi is part of everything the body does. Qi flows through the body’s organs through a network of meridians that network the body’s systems together to make a single, whole-body system of health.
Houston Acupuncture Proudly Provides Chinese Medicine in Houston
Chinese medicine in Houston, TX is growing in popularity for the benefits it offers the whole body. Dr. David Cherian is a dual-certified physician that can help relate the concepts of Chinese medicine, and the treatments involved, in a way that patients can easily understand.
If you’re interested in integrating Chinese medicine into your treatment regimen, consider contacting Houston Acupuncture to see how combining both medical philosophies can improve your results.