Hey, did I forget to tell you that I'm in the Acupuncture Department this month?
Acupuncure. Eh. The ever famous treatment that links the 'outside' world to Traditional Chinese Medicine. For many people the first thing that comes to mind when TCM is mentioned would be acupuncture. That's the biggest misconception I found while working with the Institute of Medical Research last year during a pilot survey project to get to know all the practising TCM physicians in Klang Valley, err... that's in Malaysia. They've put an equal sign to TCM and Acupunture.
IQ Test for you.
Statement:
TCM is Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Acupuncture is poking needles on specific points on your body according to TCM theories to cure diseases.
TCM is not acupuncture.
Acupucture is TCM.
Question:
Acupuncure equals TCM
True of false?
It's sad really.
Acupuncture is effective as a treatment, but there's a whole lot more going on under the unbrella of TCM. Acupuncture is only a part of it, well, apparently, the famous one. And it also concerns me that a lot of western docs try to learn to poke without learning the foundamental theories of Yin Yang and the concept of the 12 Meridiens in which the acupuncture points are located. And, the one thing that you must remember is: TCM doesn't see internal organs as independent entity, when a specific term of an organ name is mentioned, e.g. SPLEEN, it really means the Tai Yin Pi Jin, 太阴脾经, or the Meridien of the Most Concentration of Yin (if I have translated properly). And then the whole networking and special functions of Qi, for instance, what it governs in this meridien, and the relationship of SPLEEN to other organs/meridiens also come into consideration. In SPLEEN's case, it's a meridien of the earth, it's twin brother is STOMACH, its mama is HEART, and its son is LUNG(s), and so forth.
So my point being, when a patient comes to you for treatment, in this case, you've diagnosed a poor SPLEEN, you'll have to start to consider all of the above and then, to prescripe where to poke! Meaning, did its twin brother play an important role in curing this disease? Or was it the mama that's causing the problem? Oh, was it the Qi of the SPLEEN that's weak or that it's been working too hard? After all these basic detective work, there comes the fixing/solution. That means, you've got to know ALL the points (or map of your body) very well in order to activate the right mechanism. Imagine the meridiens as a kind of air piping system, each runs and connects to different parts of your body, some huge, some small, and the air moves in certain direction, and there's also temperature in this piping system ETC. This invisible map, my friend, is where you work the miracle. The needle is your spanner, that allows you to gauge the pressure of the air. Sounds a bit like a mechanic, eh? ALL the other TCM treatments work about the same, using this invisible map. It's just a matter of what works best in what condition and what you are good at. See, some people are good at using spanner and some are good at mixing up solutions (herbs) or some are good with their hands ( Tui Na) yadda-yadda-yadda.
Ooooo, enough is said, don't want to be accused of being another flibbertigibbetty. Jesus, dare I say, I could be the 1st in the history of the world to illustrate TCM in such an artistic and westernised point of view. (And, ah... there goes my beauty sleep for the night.)
I may be being a bit overly critical here but, hmm, learning acupucnture without knowing all these is a bit like cooks that do not know all the tastes of his herbs and spices. Well, you can always argue the 'love your wife instead of understand her' husband-survival statement, but, let's not go too far lah.
Anyhow, there are many physicians on duty and it's hard to choose from whom I should learn, or rather, to work for. My Taiwanese friend recommended me a rather young physician that has worked in London for 2 years, focusing on treatment helping people to quit smoking (why does the name Faiz suddenly come into mind? ), and travels to Japan from time to time.
So, ah! a physician who's been exposed to 2 extreme cultures! Well, at least geographically. Not bad. So I decided to visit him. I must say, it was kind of boring at first. Reason being, unlike back in K.L., we are not allowed to do any 'poking'.
We are allowed, however, to connect the electronic device that stimulates the needles though. You see... this device is to replace human acupunture Kung Fu - each acupuncturist is supposed to pratice this kung fu to apply certain kind of movement and vibration to the needle to command the Qi (err... the sensitivity to gauging the air pressure in the piping system?). In an ideal world, you are supposed to find an acupuncturist that has mastered this kung fu, but, err, in an ideal world, that is.
Think about computer and human brain. Is computer more superior than human brain? If not, why are we still using it?
I find that the most popular treatment here is Bell's Palsy - a condition in which one side of the face becomes paralysed. My colleague was saying that because the population here is huge, the number of cases seems exaggerating, but half of the patients here in the acupuncture department are of this condition. I don't recall any patient as such while practising back in K.L for the last 3.5 years. Apparently, they seem to share the common cause: been out on a breezy day, face blown directly by air-con or cold air while travelling in car, or after consuming really cold drinks or food that is defined as very Yin in TCM sense. And the most common symptom is a pain on the lower ear of the affected side.
It's an interesting disease and recovery is good. Maybe a good subject for my dissertation? But, really, touch wood, I hope NONE OF US would have to go through this traumatic experience of not being able to control half of our face.
-----------------------------------------------
Anyway, I had pig heart soup today. Ya, the heart of a pig.
Quite an interesting texure I must say.
Tara!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment