A brief introduction into Acupuncture, Cupping and Moxibustion.

'To Western medicine, understanding an illness means uncovering a distinct entity that is separate from the patient's being; to Chinese medicine, understanding means perceiving relationship between all the patient's signs and symptoms... The Western physician starts with a symptom, then searches for the underlying mechanism - a physical cause for a specific disease... The Chinese physician, in contrast directs his or her attention to the complete physiological and psychological individual... (They) want to know how the symptom fits into the patient's entire bodily pattern.' - Ted J.Kaptchuk, author of 'Chinese Medicine, The Web that has no weaver'.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the body, based on ancient principles that go back nearly two thousand years, such as at points that stimulate meridian channels so energy can flow better through the body.  Moxibustion is the skilled burning of a herb called moxa at these specific acupuncture points and generating heat safely to heal. Cupping uses both suction and heat through the use of potentially heated cups at various acupuncture points of the body.

The different styles of Acupuncture

There are many types of acupuncture. In 1995, in the UK, 38% of Acupuncturist practitioners used Five Element  (or Phrases) Constitutional Acupuncture, developed by an Englishman called J.R. Worsely as their method; 8% used Japanese Meridian Therapy and two thirds used Traditional Chinese Medicine or at least a mixture including traditional Chinese medicine. That is despite the fact Traditional Chinese Medicine was unknown to the West till 1979. Those are three of the most famous acupuncture styles.

The Five Element style is very esoteric, and practitioners strive to diagnose and treat each individual’s fundamental five element constitution imbalance (wood, fire, earth, metal, water). Each person is specifically most affected by one of these elements, though still affected by all - and that is considered the constitution of him or her. In general, this style is best treating illnesses caused by emotions as opposed to acute-short term health problems which Traditional Chinese Medicine is more comfortable treating.

In Japan, it is customary for acupuncture to be used alongside massage (sometimes by blind practitioners as their acupuncture can be very esoteric as well) and it is less common for herb therapy to be administered (as done often by Traditional Chinese Acupuncturists). Bear in mind, how influential Japanese and Taiwanese styled Acupuncture was on the Five Element style that was created before

Traditional Chinese Medicine was ever really introduced to the West, which was not until 1979.

The Chinese argue the five element method, though helpfully tailored to the individual, has proved too mechanical to be optimal, especially for acute-short term health problems and so follow more loosely the Yin-Yang theory of balance because of its greater flexibility which makes it the more practical for Chinese physicians. However, it is often argued the strengths of Traditional Chinese Medicine complement weaknesses of Five Elemental Constitutional Acupuncture and visa versa, so taking a mixture of Acupuncture styled therapy is most effective. This is especially true in the West, as it is now often told that more and more western patients resort to Acupuncture since they are suffering from imbalances of spirit and as it said, ‘diseases of the soul are more dangerous and numerous than those of the body’.

Combining Western Medicine with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Whilst taking a mixture of styles of Acupuncture can be helpful, combining western medicine with Eastern can be equally savvy and fruitful. Take a western doctor treating six individuals with stomach pain diagnosed to be caused by peptic ulcer disease. He is likely to prescribe each the same medicine and treat each the same way. That would be routine. In China they would typically use a more holistic method based on the person’s symptoms but also complexion, size, aura, tongue, sleeping and bowel tendencies, voice and movement. Thus six different treatments maybe presented for each patient. That is how different Eastern medicine can be from Western, one treating more the person as a whole, the other more the specific disease in the person and its specific symptoms.

Yin-Yang method

How is the Yin and Yang method understood by Chinese physicians. Well ,in general illnesses that manifest strength, forceful movement, heat and over-activity are Yang. Illnesses characterised by weakness, slowness, coolness, under-activity are Yin. Moreover, Yin and Yang work together like people in a relationship. If one is excessively aggressive and one excessively passive, one day the passive may eventually get too fed up and becomes the most aggressive. For example hot fevers can lead to shock (extreme cold).

The three treasures - Qi, Jing and Shen

All styles of Acupuncture focus on harmony between the three treasures – Qi (Energy), Jing (Essence) and Shen (Spirit). According to Ted J.Kaptchuk, Jing 'is the source of organic change, and the basis of reproduction and development'; whilst Shen is associated with the force of human personality as it is the 'capacity of the mind to form ideas and is the desire of the personality', and unlike Western concepts of spirit, Shen does have a material aspect in Chinese medicine, as in it is part of the body. Therefore, disharmonies of Jing might involve 'improper maturation, sexual dysfunction, inability to reproduce and premature aging'. Disharmonies of Shen might be revealed by the individual lacking luster and having muddled thinking. The person may be 'slow/forgetful, have incoherent speech and suffer from insomnia'.

Meanwhile, Qi is the source of all movement in the body and accompanies all movement but is not the cause of movement. It 'moves in all directions: entering, leaving, ascending and descending'. It 'protects the body; is the source of harmonious transformation in the body; governs retention of the body’s substances and organs; and warms the body'. There are four types of Qi disharmonies – stagnant Qi in limbs and meridians may be origins of pain and aches in body and may cause impairment of organs. Deficient Qi may lead to organ failure and would be shown by symptoms such as lethargy, lack of desire to move, cold sweats etc… Collapsed Qi occurs when organs no longer are held in place, such as in piles. Finally, rebellious Qi occurs when Qi travels in the wrong direction. For example, stomach rebellious Qi may lead to nausea and vomiting.

Organs

Instead of anatomy and defining organs by their physical structure like in the West, Chinese medicine discuss organs always with reference to their functions to Qi, Jing, Shen, blood, other fluids, as well as with other organs. In fact, the endocrine glands, adrenal and thyroid are somewhat missing from the Chinese system though covered by other organ functions and in Chinese Medicine there exists organs that don't quite exist in the West, such as the Triple Burner for instance. The key point is that whilst the Chinese medicine theory does not have concept of nervous system, endocrine system, Chinese medicine practitioners still treat neurological and endocrine doctrines, just like how Chinese medicine treats pneumonia without recognising ‘streptococcus pneumoniae’ as it’s main cause.

Success

Most studies show that acupuncture is better than no treatment at all, but it's effectiveness depends greatly on the patient and the problem as personal anecdotes reveal. It has been shown to be particularly effective in treating chronic pain, however that is just a reliable stereo-type as Acupuncture in reality is used to treat a wide range of issues in both the East and the West. In China, there is mounting evidence that it works but there remains dubious studies not conducted with great care making that evidence less reliable to an everyday Western observer. However, time has shown overall Acupuncture to be very successful and not necessarily an alternative, but actually a complement to Western medicine.

Sources

1. Ted J.Kaptchuk, 'Chinese Medicine, The Web that has no weaver'.

2. Angela Hicks, John Hicks and Peter Mole, 'Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture'.

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