Nicholas Sieben Acupuncture

My last article discussed pain resulting from the environment, manifesting in “weather-like” conditions in the body. Most of us know however that pain can also result from stress. This type of pain is often called “psycho-somatic,” or coming from the mind.

Acupuncture treatment works with the “humors” of the body: the qi, blood and body fluids. Insertion of hair-fine needles into specific acupuncture “points” along the body have regulating effects on the body’s qi, blood and fluids.

Qi is the dynamic energy force that maintains function within the body. It is the force that allows the heart to beat, the stomach and intestines to have peristaltic activity and the nerves to fire. The blood within Chinese Medical thinking is similar to the western concept, with one major difference. The blood, within Chinese Medicine, is seen as the conduit of the spirit. The spirit and mind have a strong relationship in Chinese Medicine. The spirit resides in the heart, which circulates the blood, and has a strong effect on the mind. The mind is not seen as residing in the brain in Chinese Medical thinking. The brain is seen more as the depository for memory, as well as being an organ of evolution. The daily mental and emotional components commonly associated with the “mind” are associated with the spleen/pancreas and heart within Chinese Medicine.

Pain may be the result of an external pathogenic factor such as “wind,” “cold” or “damp” lodged in the muscles. These climatic metaphors can be likened to the western germ concepts of bacterial, viral and fungal agents. These climatic factors stagnate the body’s qi, causing pain from blockage in the body’s energetic flow.

Pain can also come from stagnation of the blood. When wind or cold enter the body, the first line of defense is the qi. If the “invaders” overpower the qi, the blood is the second line of defense. Chinese physiology teaches that blood can transform into qi and vice versa, based on the body’s need. The blood is always supporting the qi in protecting us from the environnment when we are healthy. However, once a pathogen reaches the blood level, this indicates the body’s superficial immune capacity has been overwhelmed. The body can no longer “release” the pathogen out of the body. The blood will capture the pathogen and trap it within a minor blood vessel that is created on the surface of the skin. These are the spider veins many of us have on our skin. They are not just unsightly blemishes, but unresolved pathogens being held dormant by the body. They can also be trapped as nodules or growths, showing the involvement of the body fluids to maintain the dormant state of the pathogen.

Stagnation of blood can also result from the mind and emotions. Pathogenic factors are differenciated in Chinese Medicine as coming from the exterior (outside the body), or from the interior (inside the body). Wind, cold, damp, virus, bacteria, fungus are all seen as external pathogenic factors; whereas the emotions are seen as internal pathogenic factors. The emotions and their expressions are natural. It is only when we have difficulty letting them go, or when they become exhuberent that the emotions become a problem. Emotional stagnation manifests in stagnation of the blood. Over-exhuberant emotional expression results in heat, which eventually leads to blood stagnation. Any form of stagnation within the body can manifest in pain.

In my clinical practice as an acupuncturist, I treat a lot of people for pain. Diagnosing the cause of the pain is a process which I liken to detective work. When someone first comes into my office, before rapport has been established, I may be presented with only the exterior picture of the situation: where the pain is located, what it feels like and how it behaves. I treat what I see; I follow the clues I’m being given. I have the help of the person’s pulse, which can often show things that the patient is either not telling me, or that they don’t even know about what’s going on inside their bodies and minds. Each treatment is like peeling a layer of the onion to reveal more of the true nature of the condition.

Sometimes the person is only experiencing the body’s reaction to something deeper. For example, heat/inflammation is often the body’s natural immune response to cold or a viral agent lodged inside the body. When the heat is cleared, the cold may then reveal itself. The same is true for mental/emotional situations. When I am assessing a patient’s condition, I am asking “what is this really about?” Over time, during the course of the treatment process, the answer to this question becomes more and more clear: both to me as well as to the patient.

The response of the blood to an overwhelming pathogenic factor, regardless of whether it comes from the environment or from our emotional responses, is to put the issue into a state of suppression or repression. The issue may become unreachable: we may push it out of our minds, or forget about it altogether. This is the body’s natural way of protecting us, so the issue will not disrupt our daily life. Yet, the issue may present itself psycho-somatically: most often through pain, sleep or digestive disturbance. So even though it is not in our face, it is disrupting our quality of life.

The treatment process of healing is just that: a process. Sometimes the issues can be grasped and resolved in a short-time. However, other issues take time. It all depends on the intensity of the issue, as well as the body’s strength. The body is not going to let a potentially destructive issue come out of repression unless we are ready to deal with it. This is the reason why treatment can often take time, especially if the root of the issue being treated is chronic and strong.

Chinese Medicine believes all conditions can be treated. There is a saying my teacher used to say: “in Chinese Medicine, there are no incurable diseases; only incurable people.” Some of us lack the fortitude, will, courage or patience to heal. Understandable: some issues are very intense, scary and seemingly insurmountable. However, I have seen what appears to be miraculous healing occur numerous times: changes people couldn’t imagine. It just takes time, patience and courage. Time to peel the onion, courage to face the shadows, patience to weather the set-backs that are natural to the healing process.

Sometimes the initial period of treatment is about developing the will, courage or strength to begin the process of healing. The actual symptoms may not change right away, but the overall strength of the body will. A chronic condition can weaken the body’s blood and qi over time. Or, the condition may have manifested because of the weakness in the body. The qi and blood must therefore be rebuilt before the process of clearing and detoxing can begin. To detox without the necessary strength is dangerous, potentially further weakening the body from the strain.

Sometimes it is the repressed issue that is weakening the body. The body may refuse to rebuild itself until the issue is released, or “purged.” This is often the case with lifestyle choices, such a food addictions. Until the offending lifestyle habit is discontinued, the body will remain weak and stuck. Treatment is always considered on a case by case basis. Everyone is different, this is why course and duration of treatment always varies person to person.

Acupuncture, as practiced in the style of Classical Chinese Medicine is highly individualized, tailor made for each person. There is no standard treatment protocol for any condition. Protocols are actually thought of as worthless within this way of thinking. All of our conditions come from very different sources. None of us walk the same path in life, however similar they may seem. Therefore, medical treatment of our difficulties cannot be the same for more than one person. This is often why the initial period of treatment involves some detective work, to discover the cause of the condition, and the particular way the individual body wishes to heal. With necessary commitment, all conditions can be unraveled.

‎”Do not fail to learn from the pure voice of an ever-flowing mountain stream splashing over the rocks…study the teachings of the pine trees, the bamboo, and the plum blossom. The pine is evergreen, firmly rooted, and vulnerable. The bamboo is strong, resilient, unbreakable. The plum blossom is hardy, fragrant, and elegant.”
“The Art of Peace” by Morihei Ueshiba

The climatic images of “wind,” “cold,” “damp” (rain), and “heat” are central to Chinese Medical language. Chinese Medicine, as a system, was created during an agricultural time, where the community was very close to nature. The ancient Daoists (as influenced by the School of Naturalism) looked to the laws of nature for clues into the mysteries of human life, death, health and disease. Classical Chinese Medicine, as developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD), was largely based on Daoist ways of seeing the world.

The ancient Chinese Medical classic “Nei Jing,” teaches that any extreme in life will bring about disease. As in nature, when any of the five elements become extreme, they can overpower the others and bring about “storms.” A tornado is an extreme manifestation of wind; a flood is extreme water, a drought comes from extreme heat, a freeze from extreme cold. Ancient Chinese medical masters observed similar occurrences within the human body. Therefore, all pathology within Chinese Medicine is classified as climatic metaphors.

Pain, for example, is clinically differenciated as being a “cold,” “heat,” “damp,” or “wind” condition. They each have specific characteristics and tendencies. A “wind” condition affecting the muscles will tend to radiate and move around. Conditions affecting the nerves are often under the classification of “wind” diseases: shooting pains that travel from one area to another.

“Cold” pain is often fixed and very painful, causing constriction and craving heat. “Damp” pain has a heaviness to it, as if there is a heavy weight. It can be more dull than “cold” pain, as the dampness has a less constrictive nature, and more of a heavy quality to it. Both cold and damp can cause numbness, restricting blood flow to an area.

“Heat” obviously has a burning sensation. It can also consume the tissues of the body, including the flesh causing wasting and degeneration of bone, nerve and skin.

The nature of a condition can also be assessed through visualization. The complexion of the skin (or affected area) will communicate the nature of the pathology. “Heat” conditions are red and swollen; “cold” are pale and tight; “damp” can be swollen and soft – and cold or hot, depending on other factors attached to the dampness.

These may seem like very simplistic methods of diagnosis; however the Daoists teach that simplicity is often the best way to approach a problem. Nature is simple, and to the Daoist, nature is perfect. It has its own order, and it is self-regulating. The body is part of nature: so why shouldn’t it also be subject to its laws?

The opening quote, from Ueshiba, speaks of nature as the best teacher. Pain can be a great indicator about the climatic forces within our own bodies. Once we understand what we are dealing with, through looking to nature we can find ways to resolve our afflictions. The way the tree deals with wind; the way the stream deals with a flood or a freeze provide great insight to dealing with our own human problems.

Treatment of “weather” challenging our bodies is achieved through our own “internal wind-like qi-energy.” “Qi” is the Chinese word for the vital energy force that allows our bodies to function. It is the force that allows the heart to beat and the lungs to inhale. There are different types of qi in the body. The type of qi that contends with weather is called “wei qi,” often translated as “defensive qi.” It moves in the body like wind. It has a circular movement, like a tornado. Wei qi can be seen as the physiological “wind” and “heat” within our bodies that protect us.

Wei qi is activated to release the intruding weather through the process of sweat and urination. Treatment with acupuncture helps to support the wei qi in its natural function. A western translation of this process is supporting the immune system to expel a viral, bacteria or fungal agent from the body. Wei qi doesn’t kill the agent, it just releases it from the body. Much like the marital art practice of Aikido, which does not attack directly; instead it blocks intruders and gently throws them down, subduing them. I’ve often seen 70 year old female Aikido practicioners throw down 30 year old men, often with a smile on their face, hardly breaking a sweat. Wei qi, when it is working at its best, is much like this.

Acupuncture treatment often mimicks the nature of the offending weather. Cold, by its constrictive nature can bind up and block wei qi movement. Therapeutically, heat is often added to an acupuncture treatment to scatter the cold and free up the wei qi. Damp can gum up the wei qi (which manifests often through the body fluids). Treatment of damp also involves heat to dry up the wetness. Heat can cause excessive movement of the blood, and drying up of the fluids. Often a drop of blood will be exuded from the acupuncture point after insertion, to release the heat. Or points on the head and neck are needled to help “vent” the heat out of the highest points of the body, where heat rises to.

Acupuncture treatment of pain is very effective, and subtly profound. It utilizes the ancient Eastern scientific method, which was that of observation of natural phenomenon. Nature within the body was observed and classified to uncover the laws and tendencies of human physiology. Diagnosis and treatment is based on the energetic laws of nature: temperature, weather and the Five Elements. Daoism aims to discover the “primordial qi:” the energy force that is the root of all phenomenon. Through working with “qi,” one can work with the force that maintains and restores life. Preservation of health and vitality is very important to Daoist medicine. Distress symptoms, such as pain are indicators that the body’s “qi” is compromised. Acupuncture restores the vitality and proper direction to the qi, so the body can heal itself. It is perhaps the most “natural,” organic treatment modality of all.

Our bodies are marvelous, innocent, very honest mechanisms. I am always moved by the way many of us fight our bodies. Pain is a drag. But it can also be a blessing. Our bodies tell us when something is out of balance. I’m often amazed by how many ailments can be eliminated through sleeping or eating: the essentials. When we are working too hard, or worrying too much, our bodies will let us know. Listening to our body’s messages, or not, can be another story altogether.

It’s easy to feel disheartened when our muscles ache, or our skin is breaking out in rash, or our menstrual cycle is out of whack. For most of us, we don’t know how to address these imbalances. We haven’t been introduced to a system that teaches us how to interpret our body’s messages. Before I learned about acupuncture, I thought the only options for treating my body’s ailments were pharmaceuticals that made my stomach hurt, gave me nausea, or seemed to weaken me.

Working with my first acupuncturist was like a formal introduction to my body. She said, “Nick: this is your body; Body: this is Nick. I think you two could be very good friends if you get to know one another.” And so we did. The chronic asthma which was the bane of my existence, I learned was a reaction to wheat and dairy in my diet. My body wasn’t a faulty machine that hated me. It was just trying to tell me that certain foods weren’t good for me. When I would get restless, obsessive, bored and moody at night, it was my body telling me “Go to bed!” I frequently complained, “Well, everyone else gets to stay up past 10pm!” My body replied, much as my mother might: “I don’t care what everyone else is doing. You need to go to bed!” We eventually worked it out.

Obviously I needed a guide as I learned to decode the messages being sent by my body. This is what acupuncture did for me. Today, I feel very connected to my body. When it speaks to me, I listen. I don’t fight it nearly as much as I used to. Sometimes I complain like a five-year old child when my toes ache, but only for a minute; and then I do the Tai Ji my body is asking for and get on with my life.

I frequently converse with patients about the different voices within our heads. This isn’t crazy talk, believe me. Ekhart Tolle talks about this in his books; the Buddhists do as well. When we listen closely, the voices sound differently. They are telling us many things: criticism, desires and fantasies, worry. Some are voices from the past; some are other people’s voices, some are our own. Underneath these chattering voices, often called “discursive thought” by the Buddhists, is a calm voice that sounds very different from all the others. I think of this voice as “the wisdom voice.” It relates to the essence of our being: our spirit.

The wisdom voice, I’ve found, cares about our best interest. It knows the truth of who we are; it knows what is best for us. However, it can be drowned out by the critical voice, or the victim voice, or the fantasy-desire voice, or the singing-dancing-bright color voice. Practices to work with our minds can be very helpful: meditation practice, martial arts such as tai ji, body therapies such as acupuncture and talk therapy. All of these practices require time and focus into the different voices within the mind. We are constantly being given messages from within: some are helpful and some are harmful. The voice that is always telling us we are not good enough can obviously cause us damage. The voice that is full of desire, constantly grasping at the world can lead us to do things we might later regret. The voice that tell us who we should be can lead us away from our truth. I think it is important to get to know all of these voices, so we know who is telling us what. Then we can choose.

And if we can’t figure out who is saying what, we can always listen to our bodies. A headache for example is often a message that we need to stop; that we are overdoing it. Backpain can be a similar message. It can also be a message of fear. Alternating body temperature can be an indication we are confused about something; unable to make a decision. Insomnia can indicate we’ve fallen out of touch with ourselves. There are numerous messages. Chinese Medicine is helpful in providing insight from very wise medical and spiritual sages who observed many people, decoded psycho-somatic messages, and recorded them for our benefit.

Beyond anything anyone else can tell us however, the most powerful experience can be sitting quietly with ourselves. The quiet time spent on the massage table, after the acupuncture needles have been inserted, often leads to very powerful internal results. The wisdom voice communicates with us. And somehow we come to place where we see more clearly who we are and what we need to do.

As Aikido master Morihei Ueshiba says: “Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”

Since the weather has become humid, many people have been complaining of depression and lack of motivation. The sun is bright, the weather is warm, the flowers are in bloom? Why the blues?

I think many of us are reacting to the climate: the same type of humid-hot weather inside us is resonating with the weather outside, causing lethargy.

The problem comes from blockage in the chest. The Lungs are feeling stifled and our energy feels depleted. The Classics of Chinese Medicine speak about our relationship to nature. We are part of nature. Therefore, what’s inside us reacts to what’s outside of us. Symptoms that occur with a particular type of weather indicates we are harboring the same type of weather within. This is the nature of weather in our bodies: it only gives us problems when the surrounding environment is also expressing a similar state.

So for those of us who are struggling with Damp Heat: some insight into the problem can be helpful. Chinese Medicine views all conditions physically, mentally/emotionally and spiritually. Chinese Medicine is a physical science, as well as a philosophical system. What is happening physically in our bodies can give insight into what we need to do mentally and emotionally to evolve and heal. The same is true when we are experiencing mental-emotional systems. They are signs of some physical imbalance in our bodies.

Damp-heat is philosophically seen as desires that are being dampened: we want to do or express something, but for some reason we’re not able to. Something is holding us back: the dampness. Or, it can come from something we are holding onto, which is creating heat from being stagnant. The dampness is a response to control the heat. The dampness can also be our resistance to fully letting something go. Or, the dampness can be our confusion about a situation: we don’t quite know what to let go of, or which direction to go. If it sounds sticky, it is! That is exactly the type of environment that is created internally. The heat thickens and dries the fluids in the chest and abdomen into a thick-sticky mess. This interferes with vitality, sinks the mood, and can even lead to digestive problems.

Damp-heat can also be the result of a bug caught in a prior season that we have not fully eradicated. The bug is kept in the chest, waiting to be expelled. For some reason, the body lacks the energy to fully expel the problem. The chest and diaphragm tighten to keep the problem from moving deeper into the abdomen. Chest tightness creates depression. It also blocks the chest, which is the area where the energy for the body undergoes its final production before it is circulated throughout the body.

When the chest is blocked, a whole host of symptoms can occur, including depression and lethargy.

To move past the sense of stuckness which comes with Damp-Heat blockage in the chest, we must focus on opening our chest, and letting go. We must also be careful not to consume foods that will further complicate the condition: excessive dampening or heating foods. Spicy foods, tropical fruits, hard cheeses, alcohol and fried foods can all exacerbate the problem: they will create more dampness and more heat. We may crave these things, and feel comforted by them; but after the rush of pleasure or ease, they will make the problem worse.

We must also be willing to talk and get things “off our chest.” Exercise that makes us sweat is helpful, including Tai Ji, Yoga or Qi Gong. We probably won’t feel like it, but we should do it anyway: to get things moving. Even stretching the arms high above the head can help: to release the diaphragm.

An emotional release can also be helpful: to watch a tear-jerking movie or read a poem that moves us, or listen to some music that will move our hearts. Anything to get the energy in the chest moving!

Acupuncture treatment can also be helpful. If the chest is blocked and unable to release, the help of an energetic medical system can provide the needed boost to open up. Chances are: we just need a little adjustment to get back on tract.

“Half the people in the world are deluded by ghosts, and half are confused by other people. Getting each other all excited, they practically fill the world. Those of lofty illumination try to save them by speaking clearly, but they do not heed. Those in positions of authority try to restrain them by law, but they do not stop. False doctrines increase in popularity day by day – in the future, who knows where it will end?” Cultivation of Realization by Unknown.

Classical Chinese Medicine frequently speaks of “ghosts” in its literature. This is often a bit alienating to our non-superstitious modern culture. Some say the ancient Chinese were talking about the spirit world, others think “ghost” is a metaphor for addictions, delusions and obsessions.

The word “ghost” is translated as “gui.” Sometimes it is seen as a type of “phlegmatic” condition, causing turbidity in the blood that affects the mind and emotions. Whether the “gui” is an actual “ghost invasion,” as some like to say, or a fixation that has manifested into an accumulation of blood and fluids, is inconsequential. In both cases, the “gui” distract the mind, scatter the spirit and weaken the will. It may even lead to destructive or compulsive behavior.

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Taoist book Cultivation of Realization says “Ghosts are people who have already died; people are ghosts who have not yet died.” The image of a “ghost” is a wandering spirit, often fixated on a particular desire in the future or memory in the past. They can be distracted, sad or malevolent. However, in literature, they always appear distracted: living outside of the present moment, unable to move on.

Sun Si-Miao, a great Chinese Medical scholar of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 BC), detailed the influence a “gui” can have on a person’s life. The person begins by acting or feeling a bit “off.” The person feels like he is not quite himself. Soon he may be also begin acting not like himself: going to places and doing things that are not in character. The person begins to isolate, protecting his fixations and secret activities. The person may feel controlled by these fixations. Inevitably, his health will suffer, and he will experience inflammatory symptoms. The “gui” has taken over control of the spirit. The spirit may have no choice but to depart. Loss of spirit is loss of life. Miao warns that “gui” can eventually consume and kill us if we let it.

The image Miao presents resembles the behavior of an addict. The “ghost” image is also reminiscent of a mental fixation, like paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

A “gui” resonates with the yin (more substantive) aspect of the human spirit.

The spirit is composed of many aspects. The “Shen” is the spirit-aspect associated with the heart: it is the most yang (non-substantive) aspect of the spirit. While the “Po,” associated with the Lungs, is the most yin.

The “Shen” is associated with the conscious mind and a sense of animation about life: the sense of purpose. The “Po” relate to primal drives, which operate on the subconscious level.

As we are getting to know ourselves, in our quest to gain control over our lives, we may notice there seems to be more than one voice inside our heads. Eckhart Tolle speaks of this in his book The Power of Now. To some, this may sound crazy. But anyone who has meditated for an extended period of time will understand what he’s trying to say.

Part of learning about ourselves is coming to understand which “voice” we are listening to. During my last extended meditation retreat, I observed some rather disturbing voices inside my head. Late into the first day of the retreat, it felt as if I’d entered a hurricane. The storm was inside my head of course, but no less frightening. My mind was filled with insistent, shouting voices; craving and demanding, manipulating and plotting. The voices were very strong, like bullies that you can’t help listening to and following. The voices were filled with the desire to consume and conquer, only seeing the world as a way to quench these desires. The little dictator inside my head was very anxious, threatening me and telling me stories of what would happen to me if I didn’t follow its directions. I felt as if I’d entered a Fascist regime.

What was really disturbing, was the realization that I frequently listen to this voice as a guide in life. The experience was a face-to-face meeting with my “gui,” as it was influencing my “Shen” and “Po” spirits.

I frequently converse with my patients about this subject during acupuncture treatment. Many people come to my treatment room for support in letting go of obsessions, fixations and addictions. Others feel a sense of confusion, depression or lack of direction in their lives. Acupuncture treatment is a body-mind-spirit healing modality. To work on one level, is to work on all three. Invigorating the “qi” energy of the body can do a lot to break up blood and fluid accumulations disturbing mental and physical function. However, the highest form of healing is empowering patients to learn how to treat themselves.

As a healer, I must first know how to listen to a patient before I can treat them. For a person to be able to treat herself, the same is true. This is why I encourage a dialogue between myself and the patient during treatment. The ideal is to put the “Shen” spirit back in control: so we may consciously choose which voice to listen to; to gain a type of spiritual control over our lives. I say “spiritual control,” to differenciate it from the type of control most of us are accustomed to: that of the mind. Our minds are commonly controlled by fears, desires, drives and guilt: often put into us by others. Is the voice inside our heads the rigid, punishing first grade teacher we were scared of as kids? Is it the voice of the media telling us we must look a certain way or we will end up alone and sad?

As we cultivate a greater understanding of the voices within our heads, or the accumulations we’ve been holding onto, we get closer to experiencing our true inner compass.

Self-awareness is key to health. It is all the more important as we cultivate our capacity to heal ourselves and maintain balance. The healer’s role in this process is as a guide. I’ve devoted my professional life to the study of the human mind, body and spirit. Part of this study is learning to read a person’s energy, through the pulse and through observation of patterns. While it is ultimately up to the patient to make the changes necessary in life, working with a healer can provide insight, direction and support in recognizing and letting go of our “gui.”

Many of us who are committed to taking care of ourselves do a lot to keep our bodies and minds strong. Some of us go to the gym to build muscle tone, go jogging or do cardiovascular-aerobic activity to keep our hearts healthy, see a therapist to keep our minds in order, or meditate and do yoga to find balance and peace. These have become the standards of healthy practices within our culture.

Acupuncture teaches that the exterior of the body must be strong and healthy to protect the inside the body. The muscles, skin, bowels and sense organs are the “outlets” of the internal organs. They are the ways the vitally important viscera are able to detox poison so they can keep the body healthy and alive.

Without the heart, liver, lungs and pancreas, the body is not able to function. This fact is acknowledged by all. Living in the world, we are exposed to a lot of “poisons” that challenge the internal organs. Stress, food additives, mercury, pesticides, virus, bacterial, fungus and inter-personal conflict are all examples of “stressors” on the body.

External stressors such as virus and pollution can eventually find their way into the internal organs if the muscles and skin are not strong enough to buffer.

The emotions and diet, originating from inside the body, have quick effects on the internal organs. If the skin, muscles, bowels or sense organs are “blocked,” the internal organs have no outlet to detox. They must therefore either hold onto the poisons, or translocate them into the joints where they are held until the body can no longer handle them. When there is no more strength to hold onto the poisons, they will begin to leak out, causing auto-intoxication, or systemic poisoning throughout the body, which can be fatal.

Acupuncture teaches the importance of keeping the muscles, skin, bowels and sense organs “open” and unblocked; this is what keeps them strong. I’ve yet to find a more effective therapy for keeping things open and moving than acupuncture. It is a system of medicine that works with “energy,” acknowledging that free flow of the body’s vital energy and fluid-humors is essential for health.

A common treatment practice within acupuncture is the use of “Gua Sha” to free up stagnant blood flow within the muscles. “Gua Sha” uses a massage tool with a blunt edge to scrape the skin. It feels like a deep massage: relaxing and loosening muscle tension. The skin reacts to “Gua Sha” in a dramatic way. The stagnant blood within the muscle will come to the surface as a red, purple or blue “bruise.” The bruise can look bright and dark depending on the amount of blood stasis in the area. The “bruise” does not hurt however. Instead, there is a feeling of looseness that is relieving.

Blood stasis within the muscles is a major taxation on the body’s immune system. There is a common saying in Chinese Medicine: “to expel wind, one must move the blood.”

The climatic metaphor of “wind” is used to describe any factor that is challenging the body. “Wind” can be in the form of a virus, bacterial or fungal agent; it can also be in the form of pollution, or even a change occurring externally or internally that the body is having a hard time adjusting to.

The blood must be moving freely through the muscles in order for “wind” to be discharged. “Wind” that is not able to be discharged can move deeper into the body, eventually finding its way into the internal organs. “Wind” can also be chronically “held” in the muscles as pain, stiffness, numbness or neuropathy; or in the sense organs or bowels as allergies.

The ancient Chinese acknowledged the necessity of keeping the external anatomy of the body “open.” Going to the gym may build the muscles, but it won’t “open” the muscles if they are blocked. Psychotherapy can bring stuck emotions or thoughts up to the surface of consciousness, but if the muscles, skin and sense organs are blocked, they won’t be able to be discharged.

Acupuncture discovers the exact areas of blockage in the body, and opens the “outlets” by freeing the vital energy and blood, so proper detox can occur.

The body is a magnificent machine: it is able to regulate and heal itself. However, the body must be open and “free-flowing” for this to occur. If we are “stuck” physically or mentally, our capacity to let go of toxins, and bring in nourishment will be compromised.

Within Chinese Medicine, which is heavily based on Taoist spiritual philosophy, the body is honored as “the vehicle of the spirit.” The processes of “letting go” and “taking in” are both physical as well as spiritual. There is no separation between the spiritual and physical within Classical Chinese Medicine. Blockage in the body will affect spiritual “openness” and receptivity, manifesting in the mind and emotions. We may feel clogged with toxic thoughts or emotions, overwhelmed with stressors, or devoid of will or motivation. To clear the stagnation affecting the spirit, the “outlets” must be opened. There is little difference between detoxing on the spiritual level and on the physical level. To treat one level is to treat all levels.

Treating the body is treating the spirit, as the spirit manifests through the body. Yoga and meditation are often used to “release the spirit.” Just as psychotherapy brings buried thoughts and emotions to the surface, yoga and mediation can do the same on the spiritual level. However, if the “outlets” are blocked, the body, mind and spirit will have a difficult time “letting go” of whatever has been unearthed.

Acupuncture is a powerful support tool in mental and spiritual, as well as physical cultivation and detoxification. Working with an acupuncturist allows the exact area of blockage to be located, supporting a focused and individualized method of “opening up.”

Chinese Medicine was created during ancient times, around 200 B.C. The ancient world was very different from the technological world we live in today. Medically, there were not machines and tests to look inside of the body and observe tissue cells. Yet, ancient doctors were still able to assess form and function within the internal body. They knew when a organ had diminished in function or underwent tissue damage or was dealing with a virus or bacterial agent, without the use of blood tests, x-rays or cat scans.

How were the ancients able to “see” inside the body without fancy machines to rely on? Did they have x-ray vision? Were they psychic?

The great minds responsible for the development of Chinese Medicine observed that there were ways to assess internal body function without cutting into or looking inside the body. The outside of the body acts as a mirror for the inside in many astounding ways. One can tell a great deal about the internal body simply by observing a person’s complexion, tongue and pulse.

The ancient Chinese created seemingly simple diagnostic tools to get a sense of what was happening inside the body. It is often stated within Chinese philosophy that the greatest sophistication can often be found within the simplest things.

I’ve written about the pulse in prior articles. Today I wish to explore the skin, muscles and joints as indicators of issues within the internal body.

The skin is one of the best ways to gain clues as to what’s going on inside the body. Eczema, psoriasis, acne, rashes, a sty, hemorrhoids and swellings often are the result of something going awry within the deeper aspects of the body. The internal organs “vent” inflammation outward: into the skin and sense organs. Muscle problems, joint aches and pains are also indicative of deeper issues within the body that are “calling out” for attention.

The internal organs are the most important part of the body; when they are damaged life is threatened. Therefore, the body will do its best to protect them, often siphoning pathology from the organs to less essential aspects of the body, such as the skin, joints, muscles and sense organs.

What we may think of as a “local problem” may actually be coming from a deeper place. For example, frequent urinary tract infections are often the result of mental-emotional strain on the heart. The heart is seen as one of the most important organs. Therefore, it will not tolerate inflammation coming from stress or other pathology. It siphons its inflammation into the small intestine, which drains it out the bladder. The inflammation showing up in the bladder is rooted in the heart, and will not be fully resolved until the heart is treated.

Joint pain is another example of organs displacing problems. The joints are common storage areas for pathology in the body. When an organ is faced with a threat, be it bacterial, viral or fungal, and it lacks the ability to discharge the microbial agent through the sweat, urine or bowels, it has no choice but to store it somewhere in the body. Storing the pathogens in the organs themselves is far too risky, as they may begin to damage organ tissue and interfere with organ function, leading to major problems. So, the organs often store pathogens in the joints. Anything being stored over time within the body will create inflammation. Stasis and storage naturally leads to heat build-up. Heat consumes blood, fluid and tissue. Therefore storage will eventually lead to pain and degeneration. Once the holding area is sufficiently damaged, it will no longer be able to hold onto the pathology, and it will be released back to the organ. The organ will have no choice but to deal with the pathology and the major problems it will create.

Problems on the skin can give clues as to the type of problem affecting the body. The skin and sense organs are the most common areas for the internal organs to vent inflammation. Within Chinese Medicine, inflammation is commonly seen as the body’s immune response to “foreign invaders” such as viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens. The immune system is heat-based; fever is the body’s natural way of eradicating microbial agents. Heat naturally rises and diffuses: going up and out. Therefore, the immune system will vent to the skin and head when faced with an internal challenge.

Skin conditions that are level with the skin and show a change in color or texture are indicative of “wind” pathogens; they can also be itchy. Those that are swollen, or filled with fluid are “damp” pathogens; and finally those that have hardened are coming from “heat” pathogens; they are usually also red. Each of these climatic metaphors can be associated with a Western microbial agent: viral, bacterial and fungal.

Skin conditions can come from allergies to the external environment. However, this is not always the case. Think of common reactions to food allergies: the immune response to the allergen, which is seen as a foreign invader can show up on the skin, sometimes as acne, or itchiness, redness or even swelling.

Swollen gums, a sty on the eye, polyps in the nose and hemorrhoids are also indicative of pathology that is venting to the exterior from the internal body. To fully eradicate the problems showing up on the external body, the dysfunction within the internal body must be addressed. The immune system must be strengthened to allow the body to fully discharge whatever is lingering within.

Inflammation is a sign of an immune reaction, indicating there is something within the body that is causing a challenge. It is common within Western Medicine to give drugs to clear the inflammation, which is essentially stopping the immune response of the body. These treatments do very little to resolve the condition: they simply keep the body quiet and stop the symptoms. In my opinion, if this is the extent of the treatment for the inflammatory condition, it is dishonoring the body.

The inflammatory response is twofold: it vents some of the excess pathology or tension building up from heat. It also warns us that there is something going on within that needs to be addressed. To simply clear the inflammation is like someone who is living a highly stressful lifestyle that is damaging his body who deals with the problem by taking a valium. The drug may “take the edge off” and provide temporary relief, but it is doing nothing to address the underling problem: the stressful lifestyle that the person may say in jest “is killing” them.

Acupuncture is a system of medicine that honors the body and its immune response. When I treat someone, I treat them systemically. I don’t just focus on taking away the symptoms: they will go away as the internal root of the problem is eradicated. Otherwise, the problem will continue to return. The symptoms are there for a reason: to either help the body deal with an internal problem that is building up, or to remind us that we have to make a change and place more focus on our own healing.

Some of us feel we are just “too busy” to deal with the problems in our bodies. We just want the symptoms gone, so we can go on with our hectic lives. I respect this. I tell patients with this type of mindset the truth of what I see, and the risks of not dealing with “lowgrade” issues. To the ancient Chinese, a “lowgrade” issue was seen as the most dangerous type. It is a ticking timebomb, building up, getting ready to explode and cause major problems. When the condition eventually comes out of its “lowgrade” state, it can be devastating, and at its endstage. This is why I stress the importance of dealing with “lowgrade” issues, instead of clearing symptoms through anti-inflammatory or steroid drugs.

All healing systems are based on a view of the world. There are many “truths.” Cultures focus on an aspect of the universal “truth,” and build systems of healing to reflect their view of the world.

Acupuncture was created in China over 2000 years ago. It is an impressive system of healing, as its lifespan is so long. Fads come and go. Yet for some reason, acupuncture has endured. One of the reasons for the endurance of Chinese Medicine lies in classical Chinese culture’s focus on scholarship: throughout history, Chinese philosophers and physicians have published many books chronicling the medicine.

As a healer, and as a philosopher, I am a Classicist. I believe solutions to our modern problems can be found by looking to the great thinkers of the past.

The Chinese Medical system is a vastly different way of looking at the world than our Western Model. Eastern and Western science have a yin/yang relationship: they can compliment one another, but they’re still very different in how they see the world.

Acupuncture was created by Taoists. Taoism is a spiritual philosophy that has influenced Chinese culture since the beginning of civilization. It has influenced the social as well as spiritual beliefs of China, as well as its science and medicine. To understand Chinese Medicine, one needs to gain an appreciation of Taoism.

The Taoists were most interested in discovering “the primordial qi:” the energy source from where all life comes from. As a spiritual philosophy, the Taoists focused on the source of life, coming from a chaotic “oneness,” sort of similar to the “Big Bang Theory” in Physics. From this “oneness,” which they called the “Tao,” came differentiation and opposites: male and female, light and dark, substance and non-substance: “Yin and Yang.” From the interaction of Yin and Yang, all phenomenon are born. Chinese Medicine, as created by the Taoists, focuses on this aspect of reality: the “Qi,” or energy that creates and sustains life.

I often like to describe “qi” like this: we know the heartbeat is what pumps the blood in the body, which brings oxygen to all of our body tissues. Yet what makes the heart beat? Western Science would call this an electrical energy that is regulated by the hormonal system and the brain. The Chinese would call this electrical energy “Qi.”

“Qi” is the force that makes everything work in the body: it moves the blood, allows the lungs to breathe, the muscles to move, the peristalsis of the gut to digest and move the food. “Qi” is physiological function. “Qi” is life. When “Qi” is exhausted, there is no more life. Without movement or “qi,” there is no longer function, and no longer life.

Acupuncture was the medical system that was created from the worldview of “Qi.” To maintain and restore health, the ancient Chinese worked with the “qi” of the body.

The Taoists devoted their science to understanding the movement of “qi” in the body. They discovered “qi” moves through specific pathways in the body, relating to each of the major organs. For example, the Stomach contains “qi” that allows it to process the food we consume. From the organ, there is a pathway where “qi” flows into the lungs to support lung function. There is also a pathway that travels along the foot, leg, groin, abdomen, pancreas and spleen, chest and into the sense organs of the face, giving function to all of these structures.

The Taoists also discovered that there’s a way to measure the “qi” of the body. To be able to work with “qi” one must have a way of assessing and measuring how it’s working. They discovered the “qi” of all of the organs and channels can be measured on the radial artery of the wrists. Pulse Diagnosis was the result of this discovery.

Pulse Diagnosis is much more sophisticated and developed by the Chinese than it is in Western Medicine, perhaps because the pulse is the main way of diagnosing in Chinese Medicine. The beat and strength are only two of the things measured. Also, the quality, shape and texture of the pulse are assessed, reflecting how the “qi” is affecting the blood, body fluids and hormonal system, as well as how the “qi” of each organ and channel are affecting one another. Through the pulse, every aspect of human life can be measured: physical function, mental and emotional states, as well as the spirit.

Acupuncture is unique in that the tools used to allow the patient to heal belong to the patient himself. No substance is given as in pharmaceutical or herbal medicine. The acupuncture “points” in which the acu-needles are inserted belong to the patient. The healer is not giving the points to the patient, but stimulating something that is already there. The healer is not giving the patient “qi,” but manipulating and directing the “qi” that they already have. It is the patient who is healing himself. The acupuncturist simply directs the self-healing process already possessed.

In a way, acupuncture is the simplest, most organic way of healing. It is also amongst the most self-empowering. In our modern world, with so much technological complication (all of the machines and tests and drugs), I’ve found a sense of calm clarity going back to the Taoist system of healing; back to the point of view that each of us possess an innate capacity to heal. Our bodies simply need to be adjusted at times. The “qi” that maintains our health may need to be untied or directed to a particular area. But, in the end, it is always our own “qi” that is doing the healing. We have the power to restore ourselves to health. This was the message of the Taoists: by returning to the source of all life, we can restore ourselves to health.

“Stop thinking, and end your problems. What difference between yes and no? What difference between success and failure? Must you value what others value, avoid what others avoid? How Ridiculous!…I am like an idiot, my mind is so empty.” Dao De Jing, Chapter 20.

Worry, anxiety, resentment and fear are draining. We all feel this. Physiologically, the emotions create internal heat and consume the blood of the body. Many of us are literally “bleeding ourselves to death” through our emotions. To some of us, our emotional dispositions are so ingrained and unconscious, we’re often unaware of the pain, suffering and weakness we’re creating. The emotions may manifest as unconscious behaviors which disrupt our relationships; creating chaos, confusion and misunderstanding that complicate our lives.

One of the strengths of Acupuncture is bringing consciousness to unconscious, habitual patterns. Through awareness, we can begin to transform and let go of patterns that are harmful to us.

Chinese Medicine is thousands of years old. Throughout its history, the great scholars and doctors of the past have linked the body and mind quite extensively. Emotional and mental disturbances are described physiologically, relating to imbalances within the blood, fluids or energy systems of the body. “Moving the blood,” “discharging fluids,” or “moving energy” are common strategies to treat problems of the mind and emotions. To the Chinese, it is not enough to “change the thoughts” through talk therapy; one must also change the physiology of the body. Mind and body are linked. To Classical Chinese Medicine, there is no separation between the two.

The mind and emotions circulate through the blood within Chinese Medical thought. Therefore, mental, emotional and behavioral imbalances are often due to disturbances within the blood. The blood can become disturbed through the influence of heat, cold or phlegm. To change the mind, effect the emotions and behavior, one must work with the blood, fluids and energy of the body: by working on the physical, the acupuncturist is able to effect the non-physical.

Chinese Medicine views worry as a problem associated with the Stomach and Spleen, with involvement of the Lungs. There is a fear of loss within worry: a premonition of grief; fear of something painful occurring. Whereas anxiety (often confused with worry) can be seen as more free-floating: there is discomfort around the unpredicatability of the future, whether it be a positive or negative result. Anxiety can often be about something exciting or positive happening. Both emotions create taxation on the blood and energy of the body through generating heat or phlegm which “harass the Heart” (the organ which “houses” the spirit: responsible for the circulation of blood).

The Dao De Jing advises us to “stop thinking,” promising our problems will be ended if we are able to achieve this. But how do we do this? It is easier said than done.

The classical texts of Chinese Medicine say, “worry binds” the energy of the body; anxiety and excess joy “scatter” the energy; fear “suspends” it; grief “depletes”; anger “ascends” the energy; and shock makes it “chaotic.”

The emotions are seen as natural occurrences, only becoming problematic when they are unable to be expressed and discharged, or when they are overwhelmingly strong.

The primal of emotions of fear, joy/anxiety, anger, grief, worry/obsession and shock are associated with the body’s viscera: Kidneys, Heart, Liver, Lungs, Spleen and Kidneys respectively. Whereas, chronic unprocessed emotions are associated with the bowels: resentment with the Gallbladder, jealousy with the Small Intestine, vengence with the Stomach, spite/retribution with the Large Intestine and guilt/shame with the Bladder.

The viscera are seen as solid organs which store the “Jing Shen,” or “spirit-essences” of life.The various attributes of the spirit, as well as “the virtues” are stored in the solid organs.

The bowels are hollow, governing movement and transportation. The Large Intestine governs the movement of the exocrine fluids: sweat and the fluids that lubricate the sense organs; the Small Intestine governs the endocrine or hormonal fluids which lubricate and nourish the viscera, brain, bones and marrow. The Stomach governs the blood, seen as the medium by which the mind and spirit circulate. The Gallbladder governs the marrow, seen as accumulated experiences which are housed in the brain. The Bladder governs the muscles, the instruments of movement. The Triple Heater (no Western organ equivilent) governs the qi, or energy of the body, which creates relationship.

Chronic unresolved emotional states are related to stagnation within the hollow organs. Stagnation affects the “humors” the governed by the bowels.

Chronic emotional states are like seasonal allergies, which are often due to stagnation of the exocrine fluids. The stagnant exocrine fluid traps the allergen in the senses or the skin, preventing full release and resolution of the condition. Therefore it continues to reoccur and cause symptoms. The symptoms are often in the form of excessive, drawn-out attempts of the body to “release” the allergen via tearing, running nose, sneezing. The fluids become stuck, blocking full resolution from occurring.

Longterm mental-emotional disturbances are often the result of stagnation in the blood or fluids. For example, obsessive thinking, which often accompanies worry, is a disturbance of the Spleen. However if the worry lingers and becomes stuck, it could effect the Stomach, disrupting the production and circulation of blood, eventually transforming into vengence. Obsession that is strong and lingering often has the more violent quality of “wanting to get even”; wanting to do something drastic to stop the unproductive, pestering thoughts of obsessive worry. The Stomach can easily become exuberant, manifesting as impulsive manic behavior.

To release the stagnation causing behavior, one must “unblock” the bowels to restore movement, creating an opening for stagnant blood and fluids to be discharged.

The bowels are outlets for the viscera. This is also acknowledged in Western Medicine: it is through the Large Intestine that the Liver is detoxed. Toxicity is drained via the bowels.

Discharge of the primary emotions occurs through the bowels. The chronic emotional-behavioral state is an indication that the bowels have become blocked. Therefore, the primary emotions are unable to find passage out of the body-mind. Behavior is therefore a symptom which can be relieved through “opening” the bowels.

Guilt and shame, for example, can be seen as a chronic emotional state, which may manifest through unconscious behavior known as “Fei Yang.” “Fei Yang” is translated as “flying away”: a type of “fight or flight” behavioral disposition, manifesting as panic attacks, or going beyond the body’s natural limits in work or play. A person manifesting “Fei Yang” will often appear to be moving very fast, highly reactive: almost in a state of desperation. They are unconscious of what they are running from, yet may feel they have to achieve a great deal in a short time; that there’s no time to rest; sometimes pushing themselves to the point of adrenal exhaustion. This is a symptom that the Bladder has become blocked. The underlying “root” emotion to “Fei Yang” is fear. The Bladder is the bowel associated with the Kidneys, which stores the virtue of faith, the spirit attribute of the will, and allows the emotion of fear to be felt and expressed.

Unblocking the Bladder will address the behavioral aspect of the “Fei Yang.” It will also give the Kidneys an opening to discharge the chronic fear which is the root of the condition.

The “empty mind” the Dao De Jing says is the key to “ending our problems” could be re-worded as “the empty bowels.” When the bowels are open, nothing gets stuck. The emotions are able to be felt and discharged. Nothing lingers.

Like a healthy river, the water of the body must continually flow. When it becomes stagnant, disease manifests. To eliminate the process by which we consume ourselves, we must therefore purge our constipation: open up and let go. Health is allowing our body’s water to move unimpeded; eliminating anything that blocks the flow.

Penicillin is celebrated as the drug that began the modern era of antibiotic treatment. The drug was developed in 1928 by Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. However, antibiotic treatment was used as early as the 17th Century in China to treat epidemic pestilence which was ravaging the population.

Antibiotic treatment has become standard in modern medical practice. When I was a child, I was given antibiotics frequently: for just about everything. There was a pervasive “fear of fever,” in which antibiotics were administered to clear fever and prevent damage to the body.

The history of Classical Chinese Medicine provides a greater view of fever as well as the uses of antibiotic treatment for many types of conditions, from a mild infection to bubonic plague.

Within Chinese Medicine, fever is seen as a positive physiological healing response. However, the potentially destructive power of fever is also acknowledged.

There are two major traditions within Classical Chinese Medicine for treating infectious, viral/bacterial/fungal type conditions. These traditions were developed as a response to major epidemic plagues challenging the Chinese population at the time.

The oldest tradition within Classical Chinese Medicine, in which much of Chinese Herbal Medicine is based, is called the Shang Han Lun tradition (200 A.D.). The newest innovation within the Classical era of Chinese Medicine was the Wen Bing tradition (1600 A.D.).

Shang Han Lun views the heat of the body, manifested as fever, as a positive, healing response. Fever is the immune system’s warm “yang” energy, which generates sweat to flush out the invasive pathogenic agent (viral, bacterial or fungal). Within this tradition, acupuncture and herbal treatments promote warmth and encourage sweat, as “cold” is seen as the force challenging the body, which must be expelled.

Chinese Medicine uses climatic metaphor to describe the pathogenic process. Viral-type pathogens have a cold nature to them, and are therefore called “cold” pathogens. Whereas, bacterial pathogens have a warm nature, and are called “heat” pathogens. Fungal pathogens are called “damp.”

The nature of the body’s immune system is heat. Heat drives all physiological function. Heat is considered healthy and natural to the body. When “cold” challenges the body, the immune system generates heat to expel the cold. When “heat” enters the body, the same thing occurs. Physiological heat moves the blood, which will help eliminate the externally-contracted heat. To clear the body’s physiological heat will interfere with the immune system’s “yang” energy.

During the time of the Shang Han Lun, the dominant conditions affecting the population were acute, seen to possess a “cold” nature. It is “cold” that creates the body’s aches, headache, fatigue, cough, sneeze, wheeze and chills commonly associated with colds or flu. The fever is the body’s immune response to the “cold.”

If the body is strong, fever will generate adequate fluids to sweat out the “cold.” If the body’s immune energy is slightly insufficient, the “cold” will be released through urination.

However, if the body’s immunity is weak (or blocked), the mild “cold” condition will progress. If the condition begins to affect the throat, heat becomes problematic and must be regulated. Throat symptoms suggest a condition is either blocked as it is trying to come out of the body, or it is moving deeper into the body from insufficiency of immune strength.

Treatment still focuses on releasing the pathogenic condition from the body through sweating and urination. Heat is seen as something to be regulated, yet still a positive healing mechanism. Even if the condition progresses further (into the abdomen), treatment is still focused on flushing the system through the bowels.

Later in history, the Wen Bing tradition developed a system resembling modern antibiotic treatment strategies used today. Wen Bing doctors observed the Shang Han Lun method as ineffective in treating the pestilent epidemic that was spreading quickly through China at the time, decimating the population. The pestilent condition was quickly overwhelming the immune system, creating overwhelming heat which quickly consumed the body, causing death.

When a pathogen is overwhelming, the body’s natural mechanism for survival is to put the condition into “latency.” Latency is a process by which the body absorbs the pathogen into the deeper areas of the body, where the blood, body fluids and bone can contain it, and keep it dormant. Symptoms often go away. However, a latent pathogen continues to challenge the blood, fluids and tissues of the body which are keeping it dormant. These humors are slowly consumed, causing degeneration and eventual re-emergence of the condition; however now with greater systemic weakness and therefore greater seriousness.

The strategies of the Shang Han Lun tradition focused on preventing the process of latency from occurring. However, at the time of the Wen Bing tradition, the only way to save people afflicted with the epidemic of the time was to induce a state of latency.

Latency is created through clearing heat and diminishing the body’s natural immune response of fever. In essence: stopping the body from fighting the pathogen; storing it away somewhere in the body, ideally until it can be adequately dealt with at a later date.

The Chinese Medical classics frequently state, “a superior healer understands transmission,” emphasizing the importance of knowing where a condition has progressed from and where it is likely to go next. This is very important when inducing a state of latency into the body.

Today, we are not dealing with pestilence such as the Bubonic plague. The overwhelming diseases of today are HIV and Cancer.

HIV is closer to the type of condition the Wen Bing tradition was inspired by. HIV is infectious and overwhelming. Modern medicine has not yet found a way to expel HIV from the body. The most it has been able to do is support a state of latency, allowing it to remain a lowgrade chronic degenerative disease, preventing the quick and overwhelming destruction of the disease in its early years.

Cancer resembles more the Shang Han Lun tradition’s point of view. It is not infectious, it cannot be spread. It results from poisoning coming from the external or internal world. It is a degenerative condition, often slow and insidious. It is possible, when the body is strong, to expel the cancer-causing toxins from the body, and eliminate the pathogenic process of the condition.

Classical Chinese Medicine can provide insight into treatment of these two major modern health challenges. The Shang Han Lun and Wen Bing traditions grew out of major health crises in China. The best medical minds were involved in the creation of these systems. Therefore, there is tremendous wisdom and insight within these systems relating to the nature of disease and its progression, as well as to human physiology and immune function.

Commentators have said the Shang Han Lun tradition is most appropriate for non-contagious conditions that affect the individual; Wen Bing is most suited for highly contagious epidemic pestilence that spreads quickly from person to person.

Classical Chinese Medicine stresses the importance of intention when treating a condition. One must understand where the pathogen is moving when administering treatment. Is the treatment eliminating symptoms by pushing the pathogen deeper into the body: into a state of latency? Or is the treatment temporarily making the symptoms stronger to clear the pathogen from the body? Just because symptoms disappear, this does not always mean the disease process has been stopped. A superior healer understands and respects this. To fully heal from a condition, the root must be identified and addressed. Physiological function must be restored, so the body’s innate capacity to heal can occur.

The Shang Han Lun tradition stresses the importance of a “healing crisis” in the resolution of a condition. To fully eliminate a destructive pathogen, a detox must occur where symptoms may temporarily become stronger as the body is “clearing.” This can be confusing to many people, as most modern antibiotic treatment employs the Wen Bing-like strategy of eliminating symptoms through inducing latency.

To the Classical Chinese, compulsory use of latency-inducing treatments, especially for people who possess strong immune function, is irresponsible and ultimately harmful. It is essential inviting the development of chronic degenerative conditions. Latency should be used in emergency situations, when the immune system is too weak to overcome a destructive pathogen, such as in the case of HIV; not for a mild flu or respiratory infection.

Medical strategy is strongly influenced by the philosophies of the time. One can always debate what is best. In the end, it is both a cultural as well as personal choice. However, my intention is to provide the wisdom of the past via Classical Chinese Medicine, so we may all have as much knowledge as possible as we choose how we wish to heal.

Fever does not damage the brain until it reaches 107.6F, and usually does not exceed 105F untreated.