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Healing & Alternative Health: Chinese medicine
Is Chinese Medicine a Science?
by Kevin O'Neil, L.Ac |
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Many skeptics use the term "scientific medicine" as a copyrighted term, insisting that since they don't know of any good AMA approved double-blind research, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine aren't "scientific." In fact, the concept of science being the exclusive property of well-funded people in white lab coats has done more to discourage scientific growth than to help it, especially when looking at traditional medical systems.
The basics are often the most important part of any teaching, but modern medical science has become more focused on technology than on basic theory. The scientific method is something that can be applied successfully in your kitchen with no technology greater than a pencil and piece of paper. To suggest that Traditional Chinese Medicine is "unscientific" reveals great ignorance of both Chinese culture and scientific methodology.
So let's review the scientific method, something which you probably covered in high school but may not remember with crystal clarity. The scientific method is broken down into four steps:
1. The observation of a phenomenon
2. The formation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomenon.
3. Testing the hypothesis to prove or disprove it.
4. Drawing a conclusion that either validates or modifies the hypothesis.
If an observation is made and a hypothesis created, but the testing shows that the hypothesis is wrong, then one modifies the hypothesis and tests again. This is precisely the course which has led to most of the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Take colds and flus, for example. In addition to seeing mild cold symptoms, there have been severe flu epidemics which had a clear progression from the initial symptoms to high fever, delirium, and death. One famous Chinese physician, Zhang Zhong Jing, witnessed 2/3 of his large family die in such an epidemic, and spent most of the rest of his life researching "Cold-Induced Febrile Diseases" and writing his classic, the Shang Han Lun around 200 BCE. He observed the progression of the epidemic closely, and developed the hypothesis that there were 6 distinct stages of the disease, and that if one could identify the stage and administer the right treatment for that stage, the progression towards death could be stopped. The Shang Han Lun's theories and formulas are still highly revered and utilized-statues of Zhang Zhong Jing are found in many Chinese medical colleges. Using the formulas and 6 stage theory of the Shang Han Lun isn't simplistic, as it takes careful observation of signs and symptoms. Other doctors who have based their practices on theories laid down in the Shang Han Lun have continued to refine their hypothesis over the past 2200 years.
The way herbs are categorized is another part of Chinese medical science. Instead of categorizing medicinal herbs by how the herbs look, where they are picked, or what part is used, they are grouped according to their medical function. Herbs that induce sweating are the first category, which was broken into two sub-categories through further observation
(hot type and cold type). Other categories include laxative herbs (divided into mild and severe purgatives), tonic herbs (divided into blood, energy, yin, and yang tonics), herbs which treat fevers, and herbs which kill parasites. Herbs were not sorted into these categories by casting the I Ching-it was a scientific process of observation, hypothesis, and testing which led to the understanding of each herb's effect. The next level of medical science is to find out the signs and symptoms which indicate the usage of a particular category of herbs. Those steps were taken hundreds of years ago. Chinese Medicine went on to discover how to best combine herbs from many categories to have the best with minimal side effects.
Western medicine is often seen as more scientific than Chinese medicine. Certainly the technology is more advanced-the ability to see bacteria , for example, opened many doors for more detailed hypothesis and testing. However, the scientific method used in Chinese medicine has always been focused on treating real people in real life situations. This makes the conclusions of Chinese medicine more practical than some of the conclusions that have been arrived at through western medical science. For example, western medicine has developed some very strong antibiotics that can kill almost anything in a Petri dish. However, in the case of recurrent bladder infections, antibiotics haven't produced a cure. When a patient has done a course of antibiotics for a bladder infection and it has come back, the response has usually been to do another course of antibiotics. Recently, however, researchers have found that one reason the antibiotics don't work as well in people as in Petri dishes is because the bacteria form walled colonies in the bladder and prevent the antibiotics from getting to them. This is where the formulas of Chinese medicine appear to be more evolved and more scientific than the conventional western approach. Chinese formulas for bladder infections include herbs that kill bacteria, herbs which likely increase the permeability of the bladder walls, herbs which strengthen the immune response to help the body repel the invaders, and herbs which flush out the kidneys/bladder to get rid of the critters as they are fought on many fronts.
The western practice of using one (patented) molecule per medication is more of a business practice than a scientific practice. To really promote health, a combined approach is almost always superior. Most conditions have arisen due to multiple factors, and thus need to be treated with multiple substances. In the case of recurrent infections, in addition to having a substance that can kill the infectious agent, the immune system needs to be toned up, which may require trace minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and specific herbs. Also the toxic byproducts of the infection need to be flushed out. Currently, Chinese herbal medicine, when practiced traditionally, in concert with traditional nutritional therapy and lifestyle modifications, is a far more developed system than conventional western medicine.
Animal research is the last area to address. I am no longer vegetarian, but I still am opposed to much needless animal research. I don't believe that giving a group of rats or dogs massive amounts of a substance until 50% of them die makes herbal medicine more scientific in a good way. Animal testing has produced some useful information. However, it is only the preliminary towards testing a treatment on humans. It is rarely possible to directly extrapolate results from animal testing to humans, as many medical disasters have shown. With natural medicine and nutrition, this is even more the case. For example, rats produce their own Vitamin C. It is useless to test Vitamin C based nutritional therapies on rats. We don't know how the hundreds or thousands of chemical compounds in herbal formulas interact differently between dogs and humans. However, if something has been used for over 2000 years on humans without major reported problems, I think that should stand as proof that the substance is ready to use in human trials at the traditional dosage level. To say that "science" hasn't investigated such a substance is a show of cultural arrogance and ignorance.
So lets have three cheers for the Chinese medical scientists of the past, and use the treatments they discovered and refined through applying the scientific method!
Last month I began my list of the top 10 herbs to learn about and use. The first 5 were some of the famous tonics (Ginseng, Dang Gui, Wolfberry, Cordyceps, and Astragalus). Here are the remaining 5:
1. Tea (Camellia sinensis, whether black, green, or white). Shen Nung, the Divine Farmer, is the mythical father of Chinese herbal medicine and agriculture. It is said that he ate 70 herbs a day to determine what they did, and that his face turned black from the toxins. He discovered tea, which cleared out the toxins. There are so many forms of good tea available in the West today-from Taiwanese Oolong teas (my favorites) to fresh Japanese green teas. Unless you're totally avoiding caffeine, integrating a cup of tea into your daily schedule has many benefits. Just be careful to not overdo tea on an empty stomach, as it can cause digestive problems before a meal.
2. Huang Lian (Coptis). Actually, I'd like this herb to be three herbs-the "Three Yellows" of Chinese medicine, Huang Lian, Huang Bai, and Huang Qin. These three herbs make up a powerful herbal antibiotic formula, which can kill many bacteria and even help in many viral infections. Berberine is one of the main ingredients in these yellow, bitter herbs.
3. San Qi/Tian Qi (Notoginseng/Pseudoginseng). Though called the "False Ginseng" by western botanists, San Qi isn't very similar to ginseng in function. It is used to stop bleeding and treat bruising and pain. It has a near miraculous function of stopping bleeding while preventing blood stagnation, which appears at first to be a contradiction. Bruises are blood which is stuck out of the vessels and under the skin. It is a rare and fabulous herb which can stop the bleeding but help the body clear out the extravasated blood. San Qi can be applied topically or taken internally. Be careful if you are pregnant-it is said that San Qi can cause an abortion through promoting circulation in the uterus.
4. Du Zhong (Eucommia). This amazing bark contains a natural latex which can stretch and is very strong. It is used to strengthen the connections within the body, especially the ligaments and bones of the back. It's regarded as a Kidney Yang Tonic, which means that it is invigorating and also is used to treat impotence. I don't consider it an aphrodisiac, but in the right situation, it may make a world of difference.
5. Chai Hu (Bupleurum). This twiggy looking herb is a powerful mover of stuck energy. Its effects are more on an emotional level, though it is used for menstrual cramping as well as hepatitis. It unblocks and smoothes out Liver Qi, which gets blocked when one is stressed or repressing emotions. Chai Hu is the chief herb in the famous formula Xiao Yao Wan (Free and Easy Wanderer), which many women find indispensable for alleviating physical and emotional symptoms of PMS.
Now that I have introduced you to 10 of my favorite herbs, you can look forward to hearing more about formulas in the next columns.
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Kevin O'Neil,
Licensed Practitioner of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
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Kevin O'Neil, Licensed Acupuncturist, began his Chinese Medicine training in Chinatown, Victoria, B.C. at the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with Henry Lu, Ph.D. .
After one year, Kevin transferred to the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, where he spent 3 years completing his Master's Degree of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
Upon graduation, Kevin went to China and interned in the HeiLongJiang Chinese Medicine University Hospital, before moving to Tainan, Taiwan to continue his studies of Chinese Medicine, language, and culture.
Upon 'repatriation,' he chose to embrace the Taoist tradition of living in the mountains where the pace of life is more relaxed and the air is clean and clear. Finding Klamath Falls, Oregon to suit these characteristics, Kevin opened his clinic there in Spring, 1999.
Ancient Way Acupuncture & Herbs, Inc.
Medical/Dental Building
905 Main St #409
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
541-884-6377
www.ancientway.com |
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