Issue 51 - Tse Qigong Centre

Question of MedicineDear Mr. Tse,I understand that TraditionalChinese Medicine (TCM) has a verydifferent view of the human body and itsfunction from that of orthodox westernmedicine (OWM). I would like thereforeyour opinion in TCM terms as to whatmay cause the following two problemswhich I suffer.The first my G.P. refers to asAllergic (or Perennial) Rhinitis, and mysymptoms are a cough to clear catarrh orsaliva, which I’ve had for 20 years now,and a stuffy nose most of the time. Duringsummer for the last 12 years, I also oftenget hayfever, which may result in mywaking during the night feeling wheezy,with a tickly cough and feeling as thoughmy lungs are full of feathers.The second is claustrophobia, amorbid fear of enclosed spaces. I fearbeing trapped and isolated, though it reallyonly affects me if I can’t see outwith myimmediate environment, such as in lifts. Iwonder why it should be so severe andchronic, as opposed to a normal fearanyone might have if they considered thatit may be possible to get stuck in a lift,and which would soon passwithout any likely recurrence.Lastly, I would alsolike your opinion on anothercondition I’ve heard of whichpsychologists call ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder, wherepeople experience dreadfulworrying thoughts which theyfind it difficult to dismiss, andwhich seem to hang aroundin their heads like a bad tuneyou find yourself whistling. These are theobsessions, and to relieve the anxiety theycause, people carry out ritualisticbehaviours, sometimes bearing no relationto the content of the obsessions, such asrepeating actions a certain number oftimes. It seems almost like a sort ofsuperstition, but with the severity of aphobia. May I also ask, is there as yet anyscientific evidence in OWM terms that Qiexists, or to explain how acupunctureworks?Yours Sincerely,AMDear AM,You have asked many questionsabout different conditions and causes.Traditional Chinese Medicine theory isover 2000 years old. It can be said to bevery simple but also very profound. It isbased upon the theory of balancebetween Yin and Yang and that of theFive Elements . The five elements relateto wood, water, fire, earth and metal.Each of these fiveelements relatesto one of ourorgans. Woodrelates to the liver.Water relates tothe kidneys. Firerelates to theheart. Earthrelates to thespleen and metalrelates to thelungs.In turn,each of these five“If someone has weakkidneys, they mayexperience back acheand ringing in the ears.”elements and five organs has its ownemotion to which it relates. That is whythe Chinese believe that going too far withthe emotions can result in damage to theorgans. For instance, over thinking candamage the spleen and its related organ,the stomach. Over sadness can damagethe lungs and fearfulness can damage thekidneys. When we understand therelationship between the organs and ouremotions, we can then begin tounderstand how physical problems canaffect the mind and how mind can affectthe body.When someone is easilyfrightened, then this is a sign that thekidneys are weak. If someone has weakkidneys, they may experience back ache,ringing in the ears, dizziness or bedwetting. They may have sexual problemssuch as seminal emission or impotence,constant tiredness, a lack of focus andwill to complete a task. That person mayyawn a lot and have dark shadows orpuffy eyes and in severe cases, theforehead will be dark. So if someone iseasily frightened of things like the darkor going outside, then they shouldconcentrate on making their kidneysstronger. Exercise and the right diet willhelp. Of course, as my students will tellyou, Qigong is the best!It is the same for what you calledcompulsive disorder. When the mind is notgrounded, a person canhave too muchimagination and thinking.When we do not haveenough fresh air andcontact with nature andwe do not have enoughexercise balanced withmeditation, then the braincan become unbalanced.Maybe that person wantsto stop thinking aboutsomething but finds they cannot. They aremissing the balance.As for sinus problems, sometimesit is the weather which can affects orperhaps even an infection. But it can alsomean there is general imbalance in thebody and the way the Qi and blood flow.Rubbing the face, like we do when wefinish meditation, can help stimulate theorgans and the many Qi points on theface and help make the circulation better.Qi Magazine 4