The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

10 THE TREATMENT OF MODERN WESTERN DISEASES WITH CHINESE MEDICINEWhen one moves from signs and symptoms —> pattern discrimination—> treatment principles —> treatment plan,the logic and correctness of this progression can be checkedat every stage. Do the signs and symptoms truly add up tothe stated pattern? Are the treatment principles ones whichare generally accepted as standard within the profession? Iseach point of the treatment plan logically derived from oneor more of the treatment principles? Because there are generallyaccepted standards of care within professionally practicedChinese medicine (at least as practiced in the People’sRepublic of China), this step-by-step methodology allows forpeer review.When one follows this step-by-step process in a very careful,methodical way, one is funneled to the correct Chinese medicaltreatment plan as long as one has mastered the prerequisiteinformation to make this process work. For example, if apatient’s Chinese pattern discrimination is liver depression qistagnation, then the treatment principles are to course theliver and rectify the qi. As soon as one has stated those principles,one knows that anything which courses the liver andrectifies the qi will be good for this patient. In terms ofacupuncture points, one will generally (though not always)begin by choosing a point or points on the liver channel.Secondly, one will narrow their choice of points on thatchannel down to those which A) course the liver and rectifythe qi (as opposed to clearing heat or supplementing yin),and B) are empirically known to treat the patient’s majorcomplaints which are the manifestation of liver depression qistagnation. In terms of Chinese medicinals, as soon as onesees the words “course the liver and rectify the qi,” oneknows that, as long as that is the only pattern stated, oneshould find the guiding formula in the qi-rectifying chapterof their formulas and prescriptions book. If liver depressionqi stagnation is the patient’s only pattern, to look for a guidingformula in any other chapter is categorically incorrect.Then, within that chapter, one must find a formula which A)addresses liver depression and B) is empirically known totreat the patient’s major complaints due to liver depression.Because of the reliability of this step-by-step methodology,when Bob Flaws was studying Chinese herbal medicine atthe Shanghai College of Chinese medicine, Prof. Chen Weisaid, “In clinical practice, if the emphasis is on correct patterndiscrimination and strict deduction of treatment principles,then the choice of formulas is easy and the therapeuticeffect will be good.” 10 This is Chinese medical methodologyin a nutshell.WHAT ABOUT THE WESTERN & CHINESEDISEASE DIAGNOSES?Above, we said that steps number three and four in this stepby-stepmethodology are to first state the patient’s Westernmedical disease diagnosis and then state their traditionalChinese disease diagnosis. If treatment is primarily predicatedon the patient’s pattern(s), what difference does it makewhether we state these disease diagnoses or not? On the onehand, it does not make any difference. It is true, no matterwhat the disease diagnosis, the bottom line in standard professionallypracticed Chinese medicine is that treatment isprimarily based on the patient’s pattern discrimination. Onthe other hand, both the Western and Chinese disease diagnosesdo supply us with useful information.First of all, each Western medical disease does have its ownunique natural history. Chinese patterns are not very useful forprognosis or determining the severity of a condition. One personmay manifest yin vacuity with vacuity heat and only havea little pale red, diffuse papular acne on their forehead plus atendency to poor sleep and easy excitability, while another personwith the same pattern may have severe Cushing’s syndrome.Similarly, one person with liver depression qi stagnationmay suffer from irritability and a tendency to hiccups,while another person may be diagnosed with breast cancer. Itis the Western disease diagnosis which helps understand theseverity of the patient’s condition and alerts us to their probablecourse. Knowing that a person is suffering from hyperthyroidism,we can be on guard for thyroid storms. Knowingthat one person has fibromyalgia and another has MS, tells usthat one person’s disease is not progressive and potentially lifethreatening,while the other person’s is.Secondly, knowing a patient’s Chinese disease diagnosis canhelp us determine what their patterns are. For over 2,000years, Chinese doctors have been writing down which patternsare the main ones for each traditional Chinese disease.In Chinese internal medicine or nei ke, there is an openended,indefinite list of Chinese diseases. Because there is nosingle unifying principle grouping these together, as in gynecologyor pediatrics, they are referred to as za bing or “miscellaneousdiseases.” Some of these “diseases” are commonsymptoms, such as headache, stomachache, low back pain,tinnitus, dizziness, cough, diarrhea, and bloody nose. Othersare Chinese categories which have no exact equivalents inmodern Western medicine. The Chinese disease of mountingincludes hernias of various kinds but also covers otheringenuinal and genital region conditions which are not herniasper se, such as hydrocele, scrotal cysts, scrotal infections,testicular tumors, epididymitis, and orchitis. Wasting andthirsting covers diabetes mellitus, but it also covers thecachexia of AIDS and end-stage cancer. Strangury coversgonorrhea, cystitis, prostatitis, and even urinary tract stones.There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Chinese books,both premodern and contemporary, which discuss the commonlyseen patterns and their treatments under each of theseChinese disease categories.Therefore, if one comes across a modern Western diseasewhich one has never seen before and knows nothing about,