Traditional Chinese Medicine
I cannot remember the last time that I saw a general practitioner of Western medicine! Certainly for acute emergencies and when, for example, used alongside Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) allopathic medicine has it's place. I should know at least that much, considering that up until recently I was planning to enter the (conventional) medical profession myself. However, I found that the somewhat rigid entry system did not welcome me with my 'alternative' roots, with quite the open arms that I had hoped for.
However, I am a natural born healer. I have been caring for clients and loved ones for many years and that will never change. The healing work that I use with my clients, students and loved ones is centred in Yoga and naturopathy. This incorporates massage, flower remedies, herbal treatments and supplements, body work and spiritual counselling.
Over the years however, through positive healing experiences in my own health, I have come to regard TCM with the utmost respect. In the right hands, herbal medicine and acupuncture can facilitate healing results that conventional medicine can still only dream of.
The roots of Chinese culture embrace the philosophy of Yin and Yang. These fundamental energies are analogous to the qualities we might intuitively associate with the moon and the sun. So we might call these energies; lunar and solar energies respectively. The qualities of Yin being more soft, cool and receptive. Yang, associated with heat, aggression and force. So diseases and disorders in the physical body, mind and spirit are considered under this light. The symptoms are considered, but the whole person is treated. Let's use the analogy of the earth and it's challenges. Western medicine treats the symptoms of disease. This would be like stopping a war in one country but ignoring it's neighbours and the rest of the world. Whereas, TCM considers the whole picture. Every 'country' is ultimately interrelated and cannot be ignored if lasting harmony is to prevail. In Chinese medicine, the body, mind and spirit are considered to be like one cosmos, where everything is interrelated. In TCM the the lunar and solar energies are brought into balance with a combination of herbs; either dried or in pill form, acupuncture and massage.
However, I am a natural born healer. I have been caring for clients and loved ones for many years and that will never change. The healing work that I use with my clients, students and loved ones is centred in Yoga and naturopathy. This incorporates massage, flower remedies, herbal treatments and supplements, body work and spiritual counselling.
Over the years however, through positive healing experiences in my own health, I have come to regard TCM with the utmost respect. In the right hands, herbal medicine and acupuncture can facilitate healing results that conventional medicine can still only dream of.
The roots of Chinese culture embrace the philosophy of Yin and Yang. These fundamental energies are analogous to the qualities we might intuitively associate with the moon and the sun. So we might call these energies; lunar and solar energies respectively. The qualities of Yin being more soft, cool and receptive. Yang, associated with heat, aggression and force. So diseases and disorders in the physical body, mind and spirit are considered under this light. The symptoms are considered, but the whole person is treated. Let's use the analogy of the earth and it's challenges. Western medicine treats the symptoms of disease. This would be like stopping a war in one country but ignoring it's neighbours and the rest of the world. Whereas, TCM considers the whole picture. Every 'country' is ultimately interrelated and cannot be ignored if lasting harmony is to prevail. In Chinese medicine, the body, mind and spirit are considered to be like one cosmos, where everything is interrelated. In TCM the the lunar and solar energies are brought into balance with a combination of herbs; either dried or in pill form, acupuncture and massage.
Acupuncture
In clinical studies, acupuncture has been shown to be highly effective in managing pain in many cases. It can also offer great relief to women who struggle with painful menses, for example. One of the most glorious aspects of TCM is it's reverence for the female physical body. One gets a sense of this even from the terms that are used to describe the stages of a woman's life. For example, menstruation is called Heavenly Water. Pregnancy is called Ripening the Fruit and Menopause is known as Second Spring. So even as we enter the healing realm, the language reflects the loving respect we might have for the inherent wisdom and beauty of these life stages.
Acupuncture uses the insertion of tiny sterile needles at key points along an energy meridian system in the body, the path of which has been utilised in TCM for many centuries. I have had quite a number of TCM doctors over the years and even with the student doctors, I never felt much more than a pin-prick as the needles were inserted. So if you are frightened of needles as I am myself, please don't worry. Do not put off seeing a reputable Chinese doctor because of this fear. The best part is, once the needles are in, I usually experience a wonderful wave of deep relaxation and sometimes even fall asleep.
Herbal medicine can treat a wide range of imbalances and dis-ease in the body. For example, skin disorders such as eczema, and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome are often treated with great success. It is my experience that a skilled TCM practitioner can treat almost any condition that a conventional medical doctor could treat. The earlier a patient seeks TCM treatment, the more effective the treatment will usually be. The main difference is that TCM treatments seem to have a lower incidence of the side effects, which are often accepted as the norm in Western medicine. One reason for this difference is that in Western medicine, drugs are often synthesized by extraction/replication in the lab of the most potent part of a plant only. This can cause a more extreme reaction in the physical body than if the plant (or combination of synergistic plants) is used holistically, as is often the case in herbal medicine.
Acupuncture uses the insertion of tiny sterile needles at key points along an energy meridian system in the body, the path of which has been utilised in TCM for many centuries. I have had quite a number of TCM doctors over the years and even with the student doctors, I never felt much more than a pin-prick as the needles were inserted. So if you are frightened of needles as I am myself, please don't worry. Do not put off seeing a reputable Chinese doctor because of this fear. The best part is, once the needles are in, I usually experience a wonderful wave of deep relaxation and sometimes even fall asleep.
Herbal medicine can treat a wide range of imbalances and dis-ease in the body. For example, skin disorders such as eczema, and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome are often treated with great success. It is my experience that a skilled TCM practitioner can treat almost any condition that a conventional medical doctor could treat. The earlier a patient seeks TCM treatment, the more effective the treatment will usually be. The main difference is that TCM treatments seem to have a lower incidence of the side effects, which are often accepted as the norm in Western medicine. One reason for this difference is that in Western medicine, drugs are often synthesized by extraction/replication in the lab of the most potent part of a plant only. This can cause a more extreme reaction in the physical body than if the plant (or combination of synergistic plants) is used holistically, as is often the case in herbal medicine.
Healing with plants
If you have never approached Chinese/herbal medicine before then your prescription for a herbal tea (to brew at home), might just look like a bunch of twigs and sticks to you! The smell and taste may be equally as strange and off-putting! However if you can persevere, the results are often stunning and long lasting. The key of course is to find a Traditional Chinese doctor who is reputable and one with whom you feel comfortable.
I cannot recommend my own TCM doctor highly enough! She is of the highest calibre you could ever hope for. Her gentle, compassionate expertise as a doctor never ceases to amaze me. The treatments I receive never fail to give positive results. Just as some of my own clients have referred to me as an Angel, I consider my doctor: Dr. Di Juan Liu to be an Earth Angel whom God sent to me. Her practice is based in East Devon, England. Dr. Juan will be on leave between Spring 2013 - 2014 (approximately). You can find out more about her work here: http://www.sidmouth-acupuncture.co.uk/
During the TCM consultation, the doctor will usually ask to check your tongue and feel your pulse. The condition of the tongue tells a story for the TCM practitioner who is trained to use this as a diagnostic tool. Likewise, the pulse is also taken to aid in diagnosing the bodys' state of health. In TCM the pulse is considered with a much more complex and sophisticated understanding than in conventional medicine.
There are several books on the subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here are two of my personal favourites: the classic, Chinese Medicine by Ted J. Kaptchuk, which was recommended to me by my first TCM doctor. The second, which I discovered later, is written in a more modern and accessible style: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Women. By Xiaolan Zhao.
I cannot recommend my own TCM doctor highly enough! She is of the highest calibre you could ever hope for. Her gentle, compassionate expertise as a doctor never ceases to amaze me. The treatments I receive never fail to give positive results. Just as some of my own clients have referred to me as an Angel, I consider my doctor: Dr. Di Juan Liu to be an Earth Angel whom God sent to me. Her practice is based in East Devon, England. Dr. Juan will be on leave between Spring 2013 - 2014 (approximately). You can find out more about her work here: http://www.sidmouth-acupuncture.co.uk/
During the TCM consultation, the doctor will usually ask to check your tongue and feel your pulse. The condition of the tongue tells a story for the TCM practitioner who is trained to use this as a diagnostic tool. Likewise, the pulse is also taken to aid in diagnosing the bodys' state of health. In TCM the pulse is considered with a much more complex and sophisticated understanding than in conventional medicine.
There are several books on the subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here are two of my personal favourites: the classic, Chinese Medicine by Ted J. Kaptchuk, which was recommended to me by my first TCM doctor. The second, which I discovered later, is written in a more modern and accessible style: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Women. By Xiaolan Zhao.
