The Chinese Wei -...
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7787 Yonge St. Thornhill, On. L3T 7L2 www.TheHouseofVitality.com 416 554 4474 HEALTH & WELLNESS WITH ACUPUNCTURE, TCM HERBALS, ANTI‐AGING MICROCURRENT—FERTILITY & WOMEN’S ISSUES Women’s Health & Wellness Expertise in Toronto and the GTA 7787 Yonge St. Thornhill, On. L3T 7L2 www.TheHouseofVitality.com Prevent and treat flu The Chinese Wei Treating Influenza with Acupuncture & Herbs by Ilana Stein‐Attali WHY I LIKE THE CHINESE WEI… Over thousands of years of observation and practice, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has developed a unique method of understanding the body’s physiological processes. TCM views the mind and body as an energetic system that can’t be separated from the other or the universe. Initially, many of the concepts can be challenging because they have no counterpart in western medicine. But it is our hope that once you understand how TCM can help prevent and overcome illness, you will feel more secure and use it as a credible form of medicine. … continued Never before in the history of medicine has the health of our immune system been so important. Antibiotic‐ resistant bacteria and virulent viruses that have defied all of medicine¹s attempts to eradicate them are now a fact of everyday life. Fortunately, over the centuries, TCM has proven itself to be an effective method for preventing and treating flu‐like diseases and minimizing flu‐related complications. One cannot speak of TCM without attempting to understand the concept of Qi. It has been translated as: energy, material force, matter, matter‐energy, vital force, life force, vital power and moving power. Naturally, there is one Qi, but it can manifest itself in different forms such as Hereditary Qi, Food Qi or Defense (Wei) Qi. The model of the immune system used in TCM presents a different view than the one we are familiar with in the West. Wei Qi (Defense Qi) is considered the most vigorous type of energy in the body. It is mainly distributed in the skin and muscles, warming and nourishing all the outer tissues. It circulates, opening and closing the pores and sweat glands and defending the body against outside disease factors such as extremes of climate and the assaults of micro‐organisms. According to traditional teaching, Wei Qi is derived from essential substances in food and in inhaled air. Wei Qi is controlled by the lung‐organ system, but depends on the
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Transcript of The Chinese Wei -...
7787YongeSt.Thornhill,On.L3T7L2www.TheHouseofVitality.com
4165544474
HEALTH&WELLNESSWITHACUPUNCTURE,TCMHERBALS,ANTI‐AGINGMICROCURRENT—FERTILITY&WOMEN’SISSUES
Women’s Health & Wellness Expertise in Toronto and the GTA
7787YongeSt.Thornhill,On.L3T7L2www.TheHouseofVitality.com
Preventandtreatflu
TheChineseWeiTreatingInfluenzawithAcupuncture&Herbs
byIlanaStein‐Attali
WHYILIKETHECHINESEWEI…Overthousandsofyearsofobservationandpractice,TraditionalChineseMedicine(TCM)hasdevelopedauniquemethodofunderstandingthebody’sphysiologicalprocesses.
TCMviewsthemindandbodyasanenergeticsystemthatcan’tbeseparatedfromtheotherortheuniverse.Initially,manyoftheconceptscanbechallengingbecausetheyhavenocounterpartinwesternmedicine.
ButitisourhopethatonceyouunderstandhowTCMcanhelppreventandovercomeillness,youwillfeelmoresecureanduseitasacredibleformofmedicine.…continued
Neverbeforeinthehistoryofmedicinehasthehealthofourimmunesystembeensoimportant.Antibiotic‐resistantbacteriaandvirulentvirusesthathavedefiedallofmedicine¹sattemptstoeradicatethemarenowafactofeverydaylife.
Fortunately,overthecenturies,TCMhasprovenitselftobeaneffectivemethodforpreventingandtreatingflu‐likediseasesandminimizingflu‐relatedcomplications.OnecannotspeakofTCMwithoutattemptingtounderstandtheconceptofQi.Ithasbeentranslatedas:energy,materialforce,matter,matter‐energy,vitalforce,lifeforce,vitalpowerandmovingpower.Naturally,thereisoneQi,butitcanmanifestitselfindifferentformssuchasHereditaryQi,FoodQiorDefense(Wei)Qi.ThemodeloftheimmunesystemusedinTCMpresentsadifferentviewthantheonewearefamiliarwithintheWest.
WeiQi(DefenseQi)isconsideredthemostvigoroustypeofenergyinthebody.Itismainlydistributedintheskinandmuscles,warmingandnourishingalltheoutertissues.Itcirculates,openingandclosingtheporesandsweatglandsanddefendingthebodyagainstoutsidediseasefactorssuchasextremesofclimateandtheassaultsofmicro‐organisms.Accordingtotraditionalteaching,WeiQiisderivedfromessentialsubstancesinfoodandininhaledair.WeiQiiscontrolledbythelung‐organsystem,butdependsonthe
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kidneyQiandspleenQiforitsproperfunction.ThisancientmodelofWeiQicorrespondssomewhatwithourmodernconcept.Itmaintainsthatthecriticalfactorstoaproperfunctioningimmunesystemaredependentontheabilitytoabsorbnutrients(spleen)andoxygen(lung)aswellasourheredity(kidneys).WhentheWeiQiisstrong,diseasesfromvirusesandweatherinfluencesenteringthebodyarenormallywardedoff;ifitislessstrong,diseasesmayenterintoanexteriorlevelandbringaboutacoldorflu:ifitisveryweak,diseasefactorsmaypenetratetointeriorlevels,moreprofoundlyaffectingthefunctioningofinternalorgans.TCMdoesnotcategorizeviralinfectionsasWesternmedicinedoes.Ithasitsownclassificationsystembasedonthesymptomsthatthepatientdevelops.Specifically,TCMholdsthatWindisthemeanswherebytheexogenouspathogenicfactorisbroughtintothebody.Windattacksfallintotwobasiccategories:Wind‐coldandWind‐heat.
Wind‐cold:Chillsandfever,withchillspredominant;sensitivitytowind;lackofthirst;cough;lackofsweating;stiffneckandpossiblyoccipitalheadache;bodyaches;runnynosewithclearorwhitedischarge;normalcoloredtonguewithathinwhitecoat;pulsethatisfloatingandtight.Ifthepatienthasseverebodyachesandafeelingofheaviness,nausea,vomitingandchestoppression,TCMholdsthattheWind‐coldisaccompaniedbyDampness.Ifthecoughisdryandthepatientcomplainsofdryness,TCMholdsthattheWind‐coldattackisaccompaniedbyDryness.
Wind‐heat:Chillsandfever,withfeverpredominant;thirst;sorethroat;slightsweating;cough;urinedarkerthannormal;possibleskineruptions;headache;runnynosewithayellowdischarge;atonguethatisslightlyredwithathinwhitetothinyellowcoat;pulsethatisfloatingandrapid.Ifthereareseverebodyachesandfeelingofheaviness,nausea,vomitingandepigastricorchestoppression,Dampnessisinvolved.Ifthecoughisdryandpatientcomplainsofdryness,Drynessisinvolved.Intheory,Windisthepathogenicfactorintheearlystagesofanexteriordisease,eitherwithHeatorCold.IntheinitialstagesallexteriordiseasesmanifestwithsimilarsymptomsofWind‐coldorWind‐Heatand,atthispoint,itisnotpossibletotellwhetherthepatientissufferingasimpleinvasionorastronginvasion.Itisimportanttotreatthesesymptomsimmediatelyaseventhoughstronginvasionsmaynotbestoppedcompletelyinthebeginningstage,TCMcanalleviatesymptoms,shortenthecourseofthediseaseandpreventcomplications.
ThetreatmentprinciplesforaWindattackaretoexpelthewindpathogen,eliminatetheotherpathogensthataccompanyit,andstrengthenthepatient¹sWeiQiifnecessary.Treatmentmaybeperformedviaacupuncture,herbalmedicineoracombinationofboth.
AcupunctureThetreatmentvariesaccordingtothepredominanceofHeat,ColdorotherpathogensandtothestrengthoftheQi.Forexample,inaWind‐coldattack,acupunctureneedlesareplacedinacupuncturepointsthateliminateWindanddispelColdandinpointsthattreatsymptomaticconditionssuchasrunnynoseandstiffneck.RepresentativepointsareLung‐7,UrinaryBladder‐12,Gallbladder‐20andDu‐23.Thesepoints,amongothers,arechosenbecausetheyexpelWind‐cold,reinforceWeiQi,releasethestiffneckandopennasalpassages,respectively.Eachdifferentialdiagnosisrequiredtheuseofdifferentacupoints.Forexample,the
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primarypointsforawind‐heatattackwithhighfeverandsorethroatareLargeIntestine‐4,Du‐14,Lung11,UrinaryBladder‐12andLargeintestine‐11.ThesepointswillexpelexteriorWind‐heatandreleasetheexterior,regulateWeiQiandreleaseheat,benefitthethroat,expelexteriorWindandexpelDampheatrespectively.
HERBALMEDICINEHerbaltreatmentvariesaccordingtothedifferentiatedpatternofWind‐heatorWind‐coldasinacupuncture.HerbsthatresolveexteriorWind‐heatorWind‐coldarecombinedwithspecificherbsthattreatsymptomaticconditions.Ifnecessary,theWeiQiistonifiedsothatthepathogencanbeeliminatedmorerapidly.Forexample,herbssuchasJinyinhuaandlianqiaoarepartsofformulasusedtotreatwind‐heatandguizhiandshengjiangarefoundinherbalformulasusedtotreatWind‐cold.Theseherbsmaybefoundinclassicformulascombinedwithotherherbsthatarethenindividualizedtoalleviatespecificpresentations.TostrengthenWeiQiandboostimmunesystem,herbssuchasdangshen,huangqiandbanlangenmaybeused.ManypeopleinCanadaareunfamiliarwithChineseherbalformulas.WefeelitisimportanttopointoutsomeofthebasicdifferencesbetweenChineseherbaldrugsandWesterndrugs.UnlikeWesterndrugs,Chineseherbaltreatmentsaretakeninawholefoodform.Forexample,teasaredecoctedfromwholeroot,stems,andleaves,andcapsulesarefilledwithcrushed,wholefoodmaterial.Ontheotherhand,Westernmedicineidentifiestheactivechemicalcompounds,isolatesandpotentizesthem,andthencreatemedicinesfromtheseextracted(patented)compounds.Unfortunatelywhenreducedtotheirchemicalfundamentals,thesepharmaceuticalsmayhavesomeserioussideeffects.
ResearchinChinahasshownthatwhenreducedtotheiractivechemicalcompounds,someChineseherbalmedicineswillalsohavesideeffects.ThisisonereasonwhyTCMpractitionerscontinuetousewholefoodformsoftreatments.Whenusedappropriately,andintheirwholefoodform,herbswillcauseminimalornosideeffectsatall.Furthermore,manypeoplefamiliarwithWesternherbalmedicinethinkofherbsastheydoWesternpharmaceuticals,i.e.asingleherbisgoodtotreatasingledisease.Forinstance,Echinaceaisgoodforcolds.InTCM,however,singleherbsarerarelyused.ThestrengthofChineseherbalmedicineisintheconceptofbalance.Formulasmanycontainasfewastwoorasmanyas15ormoredifferentherbs,whichbalanceeachother.Incombinations,theherbsactdifferentlythanwhenaloneandtheirpotentialharmfuleffectsarecancelled.Someoftheherbsintheformulamayaugmentwhileotherslimitthepotencyofotherherbs.Somemayconcentrateononespecificareaofthebodywhileothersworkonadifferentarea.Overthecenturiesofpracticeandresearch,TCMhasfoundformulas,orthecombiningofherbs,tobethemosteffective,mostpowerful,andsafestwayofusingherbs.Chineseherbalismhasbeencontinuouslyrefinedoverthousandsofyears,tothepointthatitisnowverysophisticated.Indications,contraindicationsandpotentialsideeffectsarewellknown.WhileformulascanbeboughtoverthecounterinCanada,westronglyurgeyoutoseekprofessionaladvicebeforeadministeringanyformula.
"ThisarticleoriginallyappearedintheSeptember2003issueofVitalityMagazine."
