Column by Virgil Williams and Ron Eisenberg
AS MORE Americans are turning to "alternative medicine," various aspects of traditional Chinese medicine have become increasingly popular.
Rooted in a culture, philosophy and civilization very different from that of the West, traditional Chinese medicine has developed its own perception of health and disease. A diagnosis is made by questioning, observing and listening to the patient and by the feeling of pulses.
What the practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine is looking for when examining a patient is a pattern of disharmony among the various signs and symptoms, rather than a specific disease state.
The question of cause and effect is always secondary to this overall pattern. No single sign or symptom can be understood except in its relationship to the whole body.
In effect, the traditional Chinese approach is to treat the entire person to correct the disharmony, rather than treating the disorder as an isolated incident.
This is unlike most Western medicine, in which the primary concern is to find the one single entity or cause of a disease that then can be isolated, controlled, or eradicated (thus treating the disease so that the person will get better).
A perfect example of how Chinese medicine recommends treating stress. Stress is not a measurable disease entity, and it affects people differently. Some people get headaches, others get angry and short-tempered. Some people get digestive problems or high blood pressure, others get hives and rashes. Some people get depressed or anxious.
Obviously, one cannot treat all these people exactly the same way just because stress may be the precipitating factor.
On the other hand, to treat just the headache or just the anger, or just the digestive problem would be to treat the person symptomatically. Chinese medicine would treat the person having the disharmony, rather than treating the disorder as an isolated incident.
Acupuncture is based on the centuries-old Chinese belief that there is a basic, universal energy underlying all natural phenomena. Called "Qi," it is the vital force of all human life.
Qi runs a person's metabolism, blood and all other physical functions. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting very fine needles into points along the Meridians, the pathways that carry the Qi.
It is at these points that the flow of Qi and blood can be adjusted. In effect, the goal of acupuncture is to stimulate a person's body to function more efficiently so that it can heal itself.
When first meeting a patient, an acupuncturist asks about all of the person's symptoms, ranging from the degree of thirst to digestive system function.
The acupuncturist then observes such signs as facial color; shape, color and texture of the tongue; and the quality of the pulses. Through this process, the acupuncturist is able to discern a pattern of disharmony, which then becomes a basis for treatment.
Acupuncture needles are solid and very fine, unlike the needles used by doctors to draw blood or for making injections, which are thicker and hollow. Most people feel very little as the needle enters the skin. This may be followed by a brief sensation of heaviness, distension or warmth. The patient feels relaxed and comfortable while lying with the needles in place, usually for a period of 20 minutes.
At times, electrical stimulation is added to the needles to enhance their effect in patients with injury, pain, or nerve damage. By the way, professional trained acupuncturists use sterilized, disposable needles so that there is no risk of infection.
When should one consider going to an acupuncturist? Much of the decision should be based on common sense. A person with a fractured leg, possible acute heart attack or appendicitis, blood in the urine, or infection with high fever should immediately consult a physician trained in Western medicine. Acupuncture is primarily for more chronic conditions (especially if related to stress), disorders for which traditional Western medicine can only provide bed rest or nonspecific symptomatic relief, or if a person wants to explore an alternative to drugs.
