What is QI (pronounced ‘chee’)
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that there is an invisible internal energy, called Qi, which governs the body’s well- being.
It flows around the body, under the skin, via channels called meridians and is concentrated in small areas called acupoints.
There are over 670 commonly used acupoints in the human anatomy. Today, more acupoints are being discovered and clinically tested.
The Qi is divided into two parts: Yin (negative) and Yang (positive). In a healthy person Qi continues to fluctuate, slightly, between Yin and Yang, but when the fluctuation is large, the person is either unwell or illness is imminent.
One of the main principles of TCM is to control the balance of Qi to prevent or cure illnesses.
Acupuncture manipulates the acupoints and the meridians to echo this principle and promote health and healing.
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How Many Treatments Do I Need?
It depends on the severity of the illness. For example, a short-term ailment such as a cold needs fewer treatments than would be the case for an irritated bowel.
The underlying general Ôhealth levelsÕ of the person before the onset of their illness are also a factor in determining the number of treatments required.
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Can you treat someone who has a phobia about needles?
Yes, certainly. The alternatives include the laser pen, the ku’un needle (which is a spatula shape, made from buffalo bone), magnetized ball bearings stuck with a plaster on the outer ear, moxa, herbal plasters, organic herbs and
t’ui na’ar which is arguable the oldest form of masso-therapy.
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Can you treat someone who has something of a ‘phobia’ about ‘horrible herbal drinks’?
Certainly! With modern technology, yes, we can. The traditional way of using herbs has been to make the ‘drinks’ which we call decoctions. Putting it simply, decoctions are herbs which are boiled in a non-metallic urn for long hours. It is traditional but consumes a lot of time and energy!
I, personally, grind the herbs into powder and put them into capsules (for ease of ingestion).
The herbs can also be made into pills, by reputable Chinese medical manufacturers, in Hong Kong. These companies are under the checks and regulations of the Hong Kong government’s Chinese medical council.
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Could I have the initial consultation one day and treatment another?
Yes, of course. Traditional Chinese Medicine is all patient-orientated.
You choose the timing to suit yourself, but the first treatment should follow the initial consultation as soon as possible.
The following treatments sessions should be as close to each other as possible.
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Why is the initial consultation so lengthy?
It is crucial for the TCM doctor to know ALL the patient’s background and daily living activities so that the treatment will be as accurately targeted at the patient’s need as possible. Consequently, the treatment is very individual because everybody is different.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic medicine which tries to treat the whole person, and so treats the root of the problem rather than just treating symptoms.
Some people, not knowing the holistic approach, might find the first session a little intrusive because a TCM diagnosis is based on including factors that western medicine ignores completely.
For instance, if a TCM doctor, in his enquiries, does not know that his patient has been drinking a lot of coffee, the stimulating effect of the coffee may mask a true diagnosis.
This in turn may lead to an inappropriate course of treatment, by which no-one is helped, not least the patient! In diagnosis, as in life, “Honesty is the best policy!”
In my experience, if I suspect the patient is withholding the truth, I will investigate the situation before I carry on the treatment. If I do not have all the information, I would rather not treat the patient at all, I have turned away patients (and I have ceased donating my services to a voluntary organization) because of this.
For this reason, confidentiality is a top priority in JQT TCM.
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Will TCM work on children?
Children were looked after by TCM before Western medicine came to China – about 200 years ago.
With the modern technology they do not have to have needles for acupuncture [e.g. it may be replaced by laser pen].
They can ingest capsules/small pills instead of a horrible, foul tasting broth (decoction) of herbs. T’ui na’ar is a masso-therapy arguably the oldest type of its kind and could have been invented, all those years ago, for juniors
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What is “painless delivery”?
It is the delivery of babies where pain relief is supplied by the use of acupuncture. Herbs would only be used where the mother or the baby was in distress.
Only 6-8 needles are usually required.
I have painlessly delivered a number of babies, using only acupuncture, with herbs standing by.
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Is it true that acupuncture can be learned in two hours?
This is a little like asking if a non-player ‘can learn to play a piano concerto in a couple of hours?!’
Any rudimentary skill may be learned in a short period of time. Someone might learn to make ‘a noise on a violin in two minutes’, but will it be a pleasant soothing tune or will it be a noise scary enough to frighten the cat out of the house!
The “two hour acupuncture course” is usually only concerned with pain control. The method is said to work on the principle of ‘putting a needle in where it hurts!’, which is not what TCM is about.
Some Chinese doctors would call it the ‘left thumb method’ — the healer uses his left thumb to find the pain, and, when it is found, the needle will be put in that spot! This method can only induce temporary pain relief. After the needles come out, the pain will come back within minutes or, if the patient is lucky, within hours.
The ‘left thumb method’ is not only dangerous but will unavoidably upset the balance of qi, harm the patient’s qi, and therefore his health.
Half of the pain we experience is the result of the body trying to inform us that there is a high imbalance of qi inside the body, and pain is the symptom. If we do not cure the root of the problem, the pain will return, and the problem will not be solved, at all.
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I have had one TCM treatment but it does not seem to work for me, why is this?
TCM is a mild and subtle form of medicine.
Usually it takes two to three sessions to reap the benefit. You may need to persevere with at least three sessions, even though the condition may not, apparently, be improved.
Sometimes the symptoms may, temporarily, appear worse.
However, illnesses which have their roots In long-standing causes, which are unfavourable to the patient’s health, may require long-term (and complete) healing treatment.
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How does TCM treat infertility?
It is based on the principle that “nature will not allow a couple to produce ‘second class’ offspring” If both partners are not in perfect health, it is hard for the woman to conceive.
TCM will try to balance both partners and guide their health towards being in peak condition. This is usually achieved by the use of acupuncture and herbs together.
Both partners need to participate in the treatment regime.
Again, like the other areas of TCM, the treatment takes time. It may take from a month anytime up to six/seven months. It depends on the couple’s health and qi before the treatment.
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Why can’t TCM explain how the treatment works?
TCM is ancient; it was practiced long before the apple fell on Sir Isaac Newton’s head. It may be scientific, but the people who invented it, all those many years ago, did not have the knowledge to understand how it worked.
Traditionally, TCM skills were passed down the generations from masters to apprentices. Within the Chinese culture, the apprentice is not allowed to question anything that he has been taught, but has to follow it blindly.
As an example of this, I have come across a few things that my uncle taught me, especially procedures, which will only work according to the way that he instructed me. Any other way would not work – strange but true!
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Why do the TCM doctors, in your family, participate in voluntary work?
Our belief is that since God has chosen us to be healers, our work ‘is not a right but a privilege’.
Our family believes that helping the unfortunate and destitute members of our society is a way to express our gratitude and appreciation for the privilege of being, as we see it, being divinely appointed to do our work.
Unfortunately, in the post-Thatcher West, people became cynical of altruism.
Quite wrongly, at the pinnacle of selfishness, “greed” was being thought of as “good”! Consequently, a TCM doctor who wants to give back something to the society to which he belongs, may sometimes find himself the subject of an unwarranted suspicion.
The National Lottery winner giving out £10 notes on a street corner becomes the focus of people’s suspicion: “there must be a catch”, “he must be doing it for personal gain”! So it may be for the TCM doctor freely volunteering his skills and abilities.
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Are you participating any voluntary work at the moment?
I had been helping drug dependants, (through an agency that was supposed to help drug dependants), before I went back to Hong Kong in the year 2000.
Due to the management’s ignorance, and the agency’s unfortunate stereotyping of TCM, I was forced to cease the partnership, in the best interests of the clients/patients. Regrettably, the people who lose out are the drug dependants.
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How can TCM help patients with the experience of drug withdrawal?
I personally do not have the facilities to support the drug withdrawal stage.
This, I believe, should be undertaken in a safe and tranquil residential environment.
After that stage, TCM can help eliminate symptoms, such as insomnia, constipation, diarrhoea, flashbacks, anxiety, depression, etc.
Because of these physical symptoms, unaided, the percentage of relapses is often very high.
However, TCM has been proven to reduce, and in most cases eradicate, these post-withdrawal symptoms.
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Will the acupuncture needles bruise me?
Sometimes they can, but not often.
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What other Acupuncture methods are there?
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Can you tell me about the history of herbs in TCM?
Long before the Dynasties began in China, an official court record book, called Tso Ch ‘uan (581 B.C.), described one of the government medical officers using internal and external herbal remedies to cure the court officials’ physical ailments.
Herbal remedies have been used within the Chinese culture – since their history began – but is was only around 200 A.D. when the first medical book of herbs was compiled. It describes about 365 different herbs. Today the number of herbs in TCM is over 5,000!
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Can you tell me about the history of acupuncture in TCM
Acupuncture manipulates the acupoints and the meridians of the body to echo the principles found in the Zuo Ch’uan 左传 Book.
Qi flows around the body under the skin via channels called Meridians and is concentrated in small areas called Acupoints.
There are over 670 commonly used Acupoints in the human anatomy, and there are still more Acupoints being found and clinically tested today.
