Traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine. Secret formulas of the East Traditional medicine in China

Traditional Chinese Medicine

is an Eastern traditional medical practice. It has its origin in China several millennia ago. It developed not from scratch in order to cure a person of an illness, but with a long observation of how the human body works and resists.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM, English Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM) is a system of modern teachings and practices that originated in ancient China and arose from careful observation of the functioning of the human body and the subsequent systematization of these observations using a paradigm characteristic of this region, which can be characterized as the doctrine of symbols and numbers. In China, it is considered as part of the science of “life education” (“yang sheng xue” - 養生學), which, in addition to medicine, includes various methods of psychophysiological practices (wushu, qigong, dao-yin, etc.), dietology, and the like. .

Traditional Chinese medicine: how it works

Traditional Chinese Medicine is abbreviated as TCM. Her directions: theory, diagnostics and direct treatment.

Treatment methods: herbal medicine, massage of acupuncture points and acupuncture. A little less often, a rare form of qigong treatment is used - this is a kind of form from oriental medicine, which includes traditional methods of Japanese and Korean medicine, that is, the traditions of East Asia.

The theory of the East states that there is a close relationship between the human body and the environment. In the presence of harmony - a person is healthy. With disharmony - TCM is used for treatment.

At the heart of the foundations of the theory of TCM is a number of philosophical foundations: bn-yang, the five elements, the meridian, the organs of Zang Fu.

History of Chinese medicine

At the heart of traditional Chinese medicine are philosophical foundations. This is of course the Taoist philosophy, the Chinese faith.

The harmony of man with the environment is not only an Eastern belief. This is how people of all faiths should live. Faith in goodness, in the correctness of one's actions, the absence of negative emotions, helping those in need.

Any deviation from the typical precepts has consequences. It doesn't matter how much good you've done before.

Remember, if you start to get a little sick, this is the first signal that somewhere you started to think wrong, with more serious illnesses, more serious “sins” occurred.

The beginning of Chinese medicine takes at the end of the 2nd century BC, during the Han Dynasty Zhang Zhong Jing. An anonymous scientist, he is called the Chinese Hippocrates, was a practitioner and supporter of acupuncture. Treatment methods were also based on warming up the human body. Numerous manuscripts speak of the antiquity of the technique. These are the works of Neijing Suwen, Jia I Ching, Neijing Suwen.

CCM is classical Chinese medicine. It differs from traditional (TKM). At one time, the Chinese government banned everything non-traditional. This was due to the unwillingness m to lag behind progress. There were trials and executions of those who practiced, they were deprived of their lives, despite the positive results.

Mao Zedong, in 1960 lifted the bans on the KKM. Renowned physicians and scientists were commissioned to review and create forms of application. Now this form of TCM. From here went famous, popular all over the world.

The People's Republic of China has set up a barefoot doctor program. This helped expand healthcare in rural areas.

Modern people are accustomed to the fact that any disease can be cured by a pill, that is, pharmaceuticals. However, the effectiveness of classical Chinese medicine has long been proven.

International conferences are held annually, research reports are published in publications, quality control protocols for the introduction of a new drug based on natural remedies, according to Chinese technology.

It has been proven that anger provokes the formation of liver diseases. Experiencing fear, we inhibit the work of the kidneys. The basis of Eastern medicine is a change in human behavior and the use of drugs. Simply put, it is necessary to create a harmonious and balanced life.

Chinese medicine is more effective than Western, you can not argue with that. However, gaps do exist. Treatments like these can work wonders inexplicable. This is a full-fledged independent system, with its own unique methods of diagnosis, disease prevention. These are new methods of healing, where there is phytotherapy, aroma therapy, acupuncture, and the use of natural drugs.

The Chinese consider human health as a kind of ability to respond to external factors. The main rule of Chinese medicine is to eliminate the cause, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest healing methods on the planet, and its history goes back more than three thousand years. True, only in the last sixty or seventy years has the Western world become interested in a scientific explanation of the effectiveness of its methods and techniques. Many of the basics of treatment used in Chinese medicine are recognized as very effective, in addition, they are actively introduced into the medical practice of Western doctors.

What is the essence of Chinese healing?

The approach taken by medicine in China is fundamentally different from the usual Western ideas about human health. While specialists from Europe treat the disease along with its manifestations, the Eastern representatives have been considering the human body for thousands of years as a single system in which absolutely everything is interconnected. According to Chinese doctors, people's well-being directly depends on the circulation of the Qi life energy, as well as on the balance of the female component of Yin and the male Yang. And if the energy metabolism is suddenly disturbed, it will certainly manifest itself in the form of illnesses and ailments. Therefore, it is necessary to treat not the symptoms, but the cause, thus restoring the harmony of the body. China is becoming more popular with us.

Such an unusual approach brings its results. So, according to the World Health Organization, the methods of Chinese medicine really help in the treatment of more than forty different diseases, ranging from asthma to ulcers and so on. But the practical development of the effectiveness of Chinese medicine began quite recently, and it is likely that this list will only grow in the future.

Let's take a closer look at traditional Chinese medicine in this article.

An interesting fact is that in the Republic more than half a million medical institutions provide traditional medicine services. They also include about ninety percent of public and private general clinics. The cost of treatment with traditional methods is covered by compulsory medical insurance for Chinese citizens.

Carrying out diagnostics according to the rules of Chinese medicine

During the diagnosis, Western specialists rely on the results of tests, as well as on hardware studies and a physical examination of their patients. But traditional medicine in China provides for completely different rules and diagnostic methods.

• Examination of a patient in China is to check his condition. The doctor looks not so much at the signs of a particular disease, but at the appearance, while evaluating the color of the skin and nails, the condition of the tongue and the whites of the eyes. Since the disease is considered the result of an imbalance, it necessarily manifests itself in any negative changes in appearance, which may seem completely unrelated to the patient's complaints.
• Listening to the patient is another stage of diagnosis. Chinese doctors can identify the disease by ear, while assessing the sounds of breathing, the sound of speech and the tempo of the voice. Oriental medicine in China is of interest to many.

• You should not be surprised if the doctor begins to ask the patient not only about the general state of health, but also about the mental state of the patient, or his aspirations and desires, as well as about relationships with loved ones. Temperament, just like the character of the patient in determining the treatment will be no less important than his general physical condition. What else is interesting about oriental medicine in China and India?
• The rhythm of the patient's pulse can also tell the doctor a lot about the state of the patient's body. Chinese traditional medicine distinguishes up to thirty pulse scenarios that correspond to various disorders.

Chinese doctors, among other things, check the condition of the joints and muscles, while evaluating the skin and checking for swelling, any muscle blocks. Based on the information collected, the doctor is able to understand what went wrong and prescribe the necessary treatment, which will purposefully affect not the disease, but immediately the whole body. In China, Tibetan medicine is very developed.

Ways of Chinese medicine

Always select individually, because two similar people do not exist. In general, an individual approach in principle serves as a cornerstone in Chinese medicine. The doctor chooses a set of methods that are suitable not so much for the disease as for the person himself. Therefore, even herbal teas, which are actively used in Chinese medicine, are collected for each patient individually. In China, there are dozens of different methods of treatment. Let's consider the most common of them.

Massage

Oriental massage techniques are famous all over the world. Chinese medicine uses a variety of massage techniques, which include such exotic variations as gua sha, which is a therapy with a special scraper made from jade, and tuina, a technique close to acupressure. In the process of Chinese massage, the specialist concentrates on the meridians, that is, the paths along which Qi energy passes through the body. Such massages effectively relieve pain, swelling and various inflammations, thus allowing a deep influence on tissues, improving blood circulation and metabolism in the human body. In addition, it can relieve muscle tension, which can lead to pathologies of the joints, spine, respiration and digestion.

What else does traditional medicine use in China?

Vacuum therapy

Today, vacuum massages are actively used in Western medicine, as well as in cosmetology, but its original foundations came to us from Ancient China. During the massage, cans of various diameters are used. The doctor makes active movements, moving the cans around the body, influencing the necessary points. Based on oriental medicine, this massage is able to improve the movement of energy flows. Western experts believe that vacuum therapy helps strengthen capillaries, improving microcirculation, which helps the body to remove decay products. Vacuum therapy leads to the strengthening of the body's defenses and is often used to prevent infectious diseases.

Acupuncture as an Effective Therapy

For each of us, Chinese traditional medicine is associated precisely with acupuncture, or acupuncture, that is, the impact on active points with thin instruments. There are more than three hundred such points in a person, and each of them is associated with a particular organ or body system. The needles are so small and inserted so shallow that there is usually no discomfort during the treatment. On the contrary, acupuncture allows you to cope with pain. It is also effective against many diseases of the internal organs, in addition, it copes with metabolic disorders, reduced immunity, insomnia and some nervous diseases.

Other techniques

The essence of heatpuncture (cauterization) is that heat is applied to a certain point (acupuncture) with the help of special cigars filled with medicinal herbs. Cigars with wormwood are often used. Acupuncture and moxibustion are done together.

Now Chinese doctors use 361 points, although electropuncture has given impetus to the development of modern acupuncture. Today, more than 1700 points are already known.

Acupressure is called acupressure, which I It is a method of therapy and prevention of diseases by using finger pressure on certain points on the body. This is a type of reflexology. It is a simple, safe and painless method of treatment, so anyone can master it. There is even an atlas of points, they are located by and large on the palms and feet.

Auriculotherapy is considered a method in which the points of the auricles are stimulated for diagnosis and for the treatment of the body. They act on active points with acupuncture or finger pressure. In China, they believe that a person is connected with internal organs.

Phytotherapy in China

The Chinese are very actively using herbal therapy against the most dangerous diseases. Herbal medicine is also no less popular with us, however, Chinese doctors have achieved perfection in combining all kinds of fees to achieve maximum efficiency. Most of the herbs that form the basis of treatment in China act as adaptogens that help the body cope with environmental influences, thus they are aimed at strengthening immunity, regulating blood pressure and sugar levels, and normalizing metabolic processes. Herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine in China uses herbal ingredients such as lemongrass, ginseng, ginger, goji berries, motherwort, and many others.

Finally

In conclusion, it is important to note that traditional medicine directly accounts for about forty percent of all therapeutic methods and methods. It is extremely popular not only at home, but all over the world. There is a fact that in recent decades the West has become deeply interested in ancient ways and methods of treatment. Almost all variations of medicine in China are non-invasive and not dangerous in terms of injuries, in addition, they have an insignificant list of contraindications and side effects, providing an extremely effective healing effect on well-being and the human body.

Preamble

This article is not an attempt to revise the basic foundations of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This is just an attempt to critically rethink the ideas about the theory of Chinese medicine, taking into account its phenomenological essence, i.e. the theory of TCM was formulated on the basis of observed and felt events, without understanding the essence of the processes occurring at a deeper level, inaccessible to study and understanding at that time. The existing opinion, which is quite widespread among Western specialists already using TCM methods, about the transfer of knowledge of Chinese medicine from another highly developed civilization of cosmic or terrestrial origin, or by analogy with the transfer of spiritual knowledge - directly from the Creator, does not stand up to criticism and is not supported by the carriers of this tradition in China and is based on inaccuracies and distortions of the theory of TCM in translation and its subsequent interpretation.

The language barrier, cultural differences between the West and the East, the education and perception of the authors of the translations, at the initial stage of the transfer of knowledge from one cultural environment to another, led to a distortion of the theory of Chinese medicine, the loss of its integrity and an emphasis on simpler, philosophically oriented aspects of TCM. Modern Chinese textbooks and English textbooks similar in structure to them on TCM, for example, "Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine" by Giovanni Maciocha are practically free from the touch of sacredness and hoaxes inherent in the first translations of works on the theory of Chinese medicine and are mainly focused on empirical experience and traditional differential diagnosis, currently practiced in China.

The attitude towards Chinese medicine among Western specialists is clearly ambiguous, from complete denial to unreasonable exaggeration of its capabilities. These extreme points of view are due to the lack of understanding by Western experts of the essence and foundations of Chinese medicine, as well as the fact that modern natural science has long outgrown the natural-philosophical foundations of TCM, which are not supported by modern scientific data and are naturally rejected by specialists.

We often hear from Western doctors that you can understand Chinese medicine only if you were born in China and the Chinese will never reveal the secrets of Chinese medicine to us. I immediately recall the fairy tale of Arkady Gaidar “About the military secret, Malchish-Kibalchish and his firm word”, where the Chief Burzhuin tried to understand this country, where even kids know the “Military Secret” of the Red Army, but did not understand. There is no need to become like the Chief Bourgeois and look for secrets where there are none. The main "Military Secret" of Chinese medicine lies in the combination of the amazing simplicity of the basic theory and vast experience in systematic observation and analysis of the symptoms and signs of diseases, as well as the action of herbs and one or another effect on acupuncture points on the state of internal organs and the body as a whole.

About Western and Eastern Medicine

Every medicine has its own area of ​​application.

Modern Western (conventional) high-tech medicine is the medicine of DISEASE, because we are interesting for it only when we are already sick, and this is confirmed by the results of analyzes and other studies. But everyone knows that in more than 70% of cases of primary visit to the clinic, neither tests nor studies using the most modern equipment reveal anything, and the state of health is “not very good”. This condition is often referred to as a psychosomatic illness, and at best you will be advised to take a break, go in for sports or, in extreme cases, go to a psychotherapist.

Chinese medicine, on the contrary, is initially focused on maintaining HEALTH, prevention, recovery and treatment of psychosomatic and chronic diseases. If a patient of an ancient Chinese healer fell ill, he was cast out of the house in disgrace as a bad doctor who failed to PREVENT the disease.

The main thing

So, we repeat once again - Chinese medicine is based only on SENSATIONS and has a clearly expressed phenomenological character, i.e. The theory of TCM was created on the basis of an analysis of observed phenomena and sensations without taking into account the processes of a deeper level actually occurring in the body, which at that time were completely incomprehensible and unknown. This is the key statement to which all serious researchers of Chinese medicine lean.

For supporters of the version about the direct transfer of knowledge of Chinese medicine "from above", by analogy with religious spiritual knowledge, we quote Mikhail Sankin, the poem "Three Elephants":

“The earth, like a pancake, lies on three elephants that stand on a turtle. The monk is sure of this truth, And the monk is sure of the truth.” Believers are not condemned or discussed. But we do not believe ourselves. By the way, the Chinese themselves do not believe in this either.

Basic principles for assessing the state of the body

Several thousand years ago, the Chinese did not have any fundamental theoretical knowledge or measuring equipment, and could rely only on their powers of observation and their own feelings. Let's try to reconstruct the process of creating the basic foundations of Chinese medicine:

In those ancient times, and even in winter, it was not easy to get something for food and the feeling of hunger and feeling cold often haunted the ancient Chinese. Hunger is associated with feeling Void (Flaw), and having satiated, the person enjoyed the sensation Completeness (Excess) and spreading throughout the body feeling Heat. These feelings are Internal, and the winter cold and heat emanating from the fire on which he cooked food - sensations outdoor. Or in another way - a wise Chinese, sitting on a mountain, watching the change of day and night, listened to his own feelings. At night - the moon and the feeling cold, in the afternoon - the sun and feeling Heat, hungry - feeling of emptiness (Flaw), overate - a feeling of fullness (Excess), what's going on inside is a feeling Internal, outside - feeling Outdoor.

So we got three dichotomies - pairs Cold-Heat, Deficiency-Excess And Indoor-Outdoor- six basic diagnostic criteria of Chinese medicine used to assess the state of the body and its individual organs. It would be logical to add to the list and sensations Dryness And Dampness, but the founders of Chinese medicine attributed these two concepts to the definition of the state Body Fluids(see below).

Three vital substances - Qi, Blood and Body Fluids

Life in those days was dangerous, and a person often saw a red substance flowing from any wound on the body, and sometimes it “went in full swing” if a vessel was touched, through which blood moves through the body. This substance is called Blood. A dead warrior is cold and blood does not flow from his wounds, which means that the feeling of warmth gives the movement of blood through the Vessels, manifested by pulsating points in certain places on the surface of the body. But in a dead warrior there are no pulsating points, the blood is frozen and life is gone, but in a living one it moves, and the feeling of blood movement means Life. And the ancient Chinese called this feeling of movement, the feeling of warmth, the feeling of life, the feeling of pulsation - qi. qi- an intangible, sensual substance, a MANIFESTATION of all life processes occurring in the human body, is associated with blood- material substance and basis qi. No wonder the Chinese used the same character "May" to designate distribution channels. qi and blood vessels.

Nowadays, even a schoolboy knows that the human body is 70-80% liquid. This fact could not escape the attention of the Chinese, and the concept was introduced Body Fluids, which includes sweat, saliva, sputum, vomit, semen, urine, and lymph (interstitial fluid). Blood is also Body Fluid, but due to its visibility and importance of its function as a material substance and basis qi it was placed by the founders of Chinese medicine in a separate category, although Body Fluids can also be considered a material basis qi, and this does not contradict the basics of Chinese medicine.

And two more vital substances - Shen and Jing

Shen- this is Spirit, Mind, consciousness and subconsciousness - an intangible manifestation of life, while jing- Life Essence, is the material basis Shen, since when the Essences of the father and mother are combined, a new life is born and, accordingly, the Mind. In Chinese medicine, the triad Jing - Qi - Shen called the "Three Jewels". There are Pre-Heavenly, Post-Heavenly Essence and Kidney Essence. The Pre-Heavenly Essence is the blending of the Essences of father and mother, which after birth transforms into the Essence of the Kidneys, which is nourished throughout life by the Post-Heavenly Essence produced by the Spleen and Stomach from food and water.

Pathological states of vital substances

Each vital substance, both for the organism as a whole and for an individual organ, can have its own pathological conditions, manifested in the form of symptoms and signs characteristic of them and felt by the patient and the doctor.

qi

qi Void Qi(lack) Qi stagnation And Backflow of Qi.

State of Void Qi characterized by mild shortness of breath, weak voice, spontaneous sweating, loss of appetite, general weakness, fatigue, weak stools.

Qi Stagnant State characterized by a feeling of fullness and wandering pains, depression, irritability, frequent mood swings, frequent sighs.

State of Countercurrent (disturbance) Qi. Remember that the carrier qi are Blood And Body fluids, i.e. Where Blood And Liquids- there and qi. For example, natural movement Qi Stomach- down, food processed in the stomach in the form of a liquid substance moves down - this is a normal movement Qi Stomach. But vomiting, heartburn, hiccups, belching - a typical example Backflow of Qi- stomach fluids rise up, which means qi rises up. Another example is Backflow of Lung Qi. Normally, the movement of Lung Qi is directed down and throughout the body with a current of oxygenated blood. If the Qi of the Lungs rises, there is a cough with phlegm, nasal discharge, sneezing, asthma.

Blood

Blood may be pathological Hollows of Blood(lack) Blood Stasis And Blood Heat.

State of the Void(deficiency) Blood characterized by dizziness, memory impairment, numbness and tingling in the limbs, insomnia, pale lips and a pale tongue.

Condition of Stagnant Blood. The main symptom is aching, stabbing localized pain. Other symptoms are purple lips and nails, dark complexion, purple tongue.

Blood Heat State. The main symptom is a feeling of heat. Other symptoms are skin diseases with red rashes, thirst, red tongue, rapid pulse.

Body fluids

Body fluids may be pathological Dryness, Dampness And phlegm.

Dry state(deficiency) Body fluids characterized by dry skin, dry mouth, dry nose, dry lips, dry cough, dry tongue, scanty urine, dry stools.

Damp state(edema). From the point of view of Chinese medicine, swelling is caused by the transfer of fluids from their normal pathways into the space between the skin and muscles.

State of Phlegm. well and Reflux is a sign of stagnation Dampness- thick, muddy dampness. Reflux- this is the basis for the emergence of seals and formations in tissues, a very unpleasant substance that is very difficult to deal with.

Kidney Essence (Ching)

Kidney Essence (Ching) may be pathological disadvantage And Leaks.

Kidney Essence Deficiency Condition characterized by a lack of sexual activity, early graying and hair loss, weakness in the knees.

Essence Leak Status characterized by the expiration of the seed (spermatorrhea), uterine bleeding.

Mind (Shen)

Mind (Shen) It may be able to Anxiety from Deficiency or Excess. In Chinese medicine, the Heart is considered the seat of the Mind, so the pathology of the Mind will manifest itself in the pathology of the Heart.

Mind's Rest from Lack characterized by anxiety, restless dreams, palpitations, poor memory, fearfulness.

Restlessness of the Mind from Excess characterized by agitation, restlessness, insomnia, fever, thirst, red tip of the tongue.

Yin and Yang

So, we have dealt with the basic diagnostic criteria and the states of the five vital substances. You ask - where yin-yang law? Everyone knows these two words and in any book on Chinese medicine they are spoken of as the basic law of the universe.

In fact, these two words are just philosophical concepts, categories used to reason about dual (opposite, interconnected and interdependent) phenomena, introduced into use around the sixth century BC by the philosophical school of Yin Yang. It can also be said that yin-yang law is the Chinese version of the law of unity and struggle of opposites in Western culture.

At the intuitive (meditative) level, all dual phenomena can be considered from the point of view of yin And Jan. Then Cold, Emptiness, Internal is a category yin, A Heat, completeness, Outdoor is a category Jan. For other phenomena, these examples can be multiplied indefinitely, night (Yin) - day (Yang), etc. and so on.

In medicine, the concept yin the structure and tissues of organs can correspond, i.e. Blood, Body fluids And jing, but the concept Jan- function of organs, i.e. Shen, qi and vital function. What is the convenience of using these two categories in medicine? When we talk about a healthy, harmonious, balanced organ, we mean the conformity of the structure and tissues of the organ with its functions, i.e. talking about balance yin And Jan organ. On the other side yin- This Blood, Liquids And jing organ, and Jan- This Shen, qi and the ability of an organ to do work, to warm (vital function), which means that in a state of balance it is enough Blood, Liquids And jing, and Shen, qi and vital function. An imbalance is characterized by a lack or excess yin and/or Jan. Thus, with just two abstract concepts yin And Jan it is possible to convey various states of the organ (a total of seven states - balance yin And Jan, deficiency of Yin (Empty Heat) and excess of Yin (Full Cold), deficiency of Yang (Empty Cold) and excess of Yang (Full Heat), deficiency of Yin and Yang (Void), excess of Yin and Yang (Fullness).

So, let's sum up. Six basic elementary sensations (states), these are pairs Cold - Heat, Flaw - Excess, Internal - Outdoor, complemented by a pair yin And Jan and make up the eight classical universal basic diagnostic criteria in the theory of Chinese medicine.

If we supplement this list with the states of three Vital substances - these are Qi (Lack, Stagnation, Countercurrent), Blood (Lack, Stagnation, Heat) and Body Fluids (Dryness, Dampness, Phlegm) - nine states in total, as well as the states of Shen - Mind (Anxiety from Lack or from Excess) and Jing - Essences (Lack or Leak) we get - differential diagnosis tool - CONSTRUCTION OF TWENTY ONE "CUBE", which allows you to describe the imbalance of any organ or organism as a whole and the corresponding methods for correcting each condition:

Wu-Sin (Theory of the Five Elements)

Another question will inevitably arise - where is the theory Wu-sin(theory of the Five Elements), the second, obligatory element in books about Chinese medicine?

With anatomy in those days, it was rather weak, not like now, but they still figured it out and identified five so-called dense organs - Liver, Heart, Spleen, Kidneys, Lungs. And also five hollow organs - Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine and Bladder. Why do we capitalize the names of organs? Because here we mean not only a specific organ, but the whole functional system related to this organ. For example, the Spleen includes not only the spleen itself, but also the pancreas, and not only.

The same school that introduced the concepts yin And Jan, to explain the interaction of internal organs, a theory was proposed Wu-sin(five elements, five phases, five movements). Popularity of the theory Wu-sin it rose and fell, and it has many contradictions that limit its use in medicine. Since its inception, it has been constantly criticized, and in modern China it is generally recognized as unscientific. An attempt to replace the real interaction of internal organs at the physiological level with an abstract scheme of the interaction of organs along generative and oppressive connections has naturally come to its logical conclusion, and its study can be interesting only in historical terms. For reference, Japan imported Chinese medicine around the seventh century, and in the process of adapting to national cultural traditions, it was transformed into traditional Japanese medicine. KAMPO, which in translation means "Way of Han" - the Chinese way. As a result of a critical rethinking of the theory of Chinese medicine, the Japanese even then abandoned the application of theories yin - Jan and -Syn, considering them speculative and untrue. Rationalism and common sense cannot be denied to the Japanese, it is worth listening to their opinion.

Causes of diseases

What is a disease and why does a person get sick, what is the reason? The question is relevant now, and even more so then. Able health a person is in a state of harmony and balance with both the environment and the internal harmony of all organs. A healthy person is active, full of desires and plans, eyes “burn”, there is no feeling of the body, it is only an instrument for fulfilling desires, there are no symptoms and signs of disharmony. When all organs of a person are in a state of balance, he is healthy, but the appearance of symptoms and signs indicates a violation of this balance, and this is a disease from the point of view of Chinese medicine.

If you ask a child, who is to blame for the fact that we are sick? Then of course, the first place in the survey will be bad weather! The ancient Chinese, like children, were also of the same opinion. Therefore, the first obvious cause of diseases in those ancient times was bad weather - Cold, Heat, Dryness, Dampness, Wind and Summer Heat (Fire). Let's call them External pathogenic factors. Weather deviations from the norm have always caused outbreaks of diseases. External pathogenic factor attacks Outer layer of our body (skin, muscles and tendons) causing various diseases, including colds. If it is not expelled in time and quickly, it penetrates deeper and becomes internal pathogenic factor that affects the internal organs.

The second, less obvious then, but probably the most relevant now, is our emotions - Anger, Joy, Sadness, Anxiety, Wistfulness, Fear and Shock. Even the ancients noticed that a person obsessed with any one emotion inevitably starts to get sick.

Well, the third, no less relevant in our time - lifestyle - physical and mental overload, lack of physical activity, excessive sexual activity, diet errors.

What happens when we get sick?

First. outdoor or Internal pathogenic factors, affects the three main vital substances - qi, Blood And Body fluids and lead to a violation of their movement and distribution throughout the body.

Second. Movement and distribution disorder qi, Blood And Body fluids leads to an imbalance in the body and in its individual organs.

Third. An imbalance leads to the appearance of symptoms and signs characteristic of this imbalance.

Over several thousand years of existence and development of Chinese medicine, tremendous experience has been accumulated in the analysis of the causes and relationships of imbalance in a particular organ or system and the symptoms and signs associated with it.

Diagnostics

Based on the symptoms and signs revealed during the diagnostic process - examination, questioning, listening and sniffing, as well as feeling the patient, the doctor establishes the pattern of the disease (pattern or several patterns) and determines the nature and location of the imbalance.

The nature of the imbalance is determined by eight diagnostic criteria and the state of Qi, Blood and Body Fluids, indicating the localization of the problem (in a specific organ) and characteristic symptoms and signs, which gives us a picture of the disease (pattern, or syndrome).

An example of an organ imbalance (pattern) description in Chinese medicine is as follows:

• lack of spleen qi(fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools)
• congestion of the blood of the heart(sharp chest pain, bluish lips, purplish red tongue);
• deficiency of kidney yin
• deficiency of kidney yin(pain in the lower back, night sweats)
• Dampness-Heat Gall Bladder(feeling of fullness in hypochondria, bitter taste in mouth, thick yellow sticky coating on tongue)

Treatment

The main principle of treatment- in condition cold it is necessary to warm - in a state Heat need to refrigerate Flaw needs to be filled Excess must be output. As soon as the doctor made a diagnosis using differential diagnosis for 21 conditions, the treatment strategy is immediately clear - a total of 21 possible actions or their combination to correct the condition.

herbal medicine

Herbs were used for treatment before, and ancient healers noticed that a decoction of some herbs warms, and others - cools that a decoction of sweet and sour herbs tones up and quickly remove the feeling voids while bitter and spicy cause sweating or vomit, stool or urination ( drainage), and disperses Congestion and relieve sensation fullness. Decoction of other herbs harmonizes state and removes conflicting sensations. In accordance with these observations, over time, eight basic therapies:

Sweating, Vomiting, Draining (Relaxing), Harmonizing, Warming, Cooling, Toning and Diffusion.

For each herb, the ancient doctors determined the main characteristics that helped them choose the right herb for treatment: First - Nature- Cooling or Warming, Second - Taste- Sweet and Sour - replenishing, Bitter and Acute - removing, Salty - dissolving, Third - Tropicality- Influence on the corresponding functional system, Fourth - Action on the basic vital substances, Fifth - Symptoms, which are eliminated by taking this herb. And they also sorted all the herbs into "shelves" in accordance with the eight methods of treatment, as well as the effect of herbs on the basic vital substances (Qi, Blood and Body Fluids).

Gradually, as they gained experience, the ancient doctors learned to combine various herbs together, favorite combinations appeared that helped the Patients well in various conditions. Combinations named in words. At first, these were simple combinations of two herbs, then three, then they began to combine “twos” and “threes” and learned how to make complex Recipes. Appeared its own system of compiling copybooks, where he was Main component (herb or several herbs) that solved the main task of the prescription, its Deputy helping to solve the main problem, Assistant, whose main task was to weaken the negative effect of basic herbs on other organs, and Conductor, facilitating the solution of problems to all other herbs.

The exact correspondence of the prescription to the current state of the patient - similarity, as in homeopathy, often leads to stunning results in the form of an improvement in the condition immediately after the first dose of the decoction. Preparing a decoction at home is troublesome and at the current pace of life is almost unrealistic. Even the Chinese began to produce the first honey pills, which are herbs finely crushed in a mortar, mixed with a small amount of honey. The rational Japanese were the first to produce concentrated herbal pills by repeatedly boiling and evaporating them to a certain consistency. In modern pills, the degree of concentration corresponds to 5, which allows you to reduce the daily dosage by the same number of times. Over the past two years, certified classic herbal preparations have appeared on the Russian market, only in the professional series of herbal preparations "FORMULA OF FIVE ELEMENTS" there are about 60 of them. Convenient color and digital labeling of herbal remedies in this series makes it easy to navigate in the choice of a drug that matches your condition.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has evolved over several thousand years and continues to evolve. Any scientific theory is based on two main components: empirical facts and an explanatory model. Over the millennia, the Chinese have accumulated a huge amount of empirical facts on the relationship of various parts of the surface of the human body with each other and with internal organs . It was in an attempt to explain this relationship that the ancient healers formulated the theory of “Channels” (Jing-Lo), based on the ingenious for that time ASSUMPTION of the ancient Chinese that there is some unknown BASIS for all vital processes in the body, called Qi. At the same time, there was a transition from the concept of Qi, as SENSATIONS (manifestation and reflection of all vital processes in the body), to the concept of Qi, as the BASIS of these processes. It is on this philosophical idea, where qi is the basis of all processes in the body, and the whole theory of TCM was subsequently developed. Channel theory has become the "cornerstone" of the TCM theory. Within the framework of this theory, Qi moves along special channels connecting acupuncture points, the impact on which leads to the restoration of balance in the corresponding organs.

The studies carried out in China and other countries, including Russia, over the past 50 years to confirm the traditional theory of "channels" and search for their anatomical correlate have not led to anything, despite the huge intellectual and financial resources invested in these studies. On the other hand, scrupulous research and analysis of primary sources and materials of archaeological excavations carried out in China for 20 years (at the Institute of Acupuncture Research at the Academy of TCM in Beijing under the guidance of Professor Longxiang Huang) made it possible to reconstruct the process of the origin of Chinese medicine, which confirms its phenomenological essence, and to make a “seditious” assumption that the theory of “channels” is irrevocably outdated and is now a brake on the development of TCM.

The first acupuncture points were identified when examining patients as pulsating points (in fact, these were the places of the superficial location of the arteries), which, according to ancient doctors, was caused by a vital force called qi. Presence or absence qi(pulsation) determined whether the patient was alive or dead. It was believed that all parts of the body are connected by channels or vessels. qi. By palpation of pulsating points throughout the body, doctors diagnosed the patient's condition. Since the pulsation was not felt along the entire length of the canal, but only at certain points, the doctors connected them into an imaginary canal, thereby “finishing” its invisible part. It is not for nothing that the hieroglyph "may", denoting a channel, also denotes a blood vessel. Of course, at different times, different doctors connected the dots in different ways, and hence the whole variety of theories of channels and meridians. Impact on these points led to relief of the condition of patients and restoration of balance.

IN Treatise of the Yellow Emperor on the Inner (Huang Di Nei Jing), compiled approximately between 206 BC. and 220 BC numerous theories based on movement that existed before were generalized qi by channels. The treatise became a landmark event in the history of ancient medicine and is still used as a textbook on acupuncture throughout the world. After the appearance of the Treatise, acupuncture did not stop in its development: the number of theories, points and channels increased. When clinical facts did not fit any existing theory, they could be neglected so as not to call into question the whole theory. New theories were supposed to not contradict the old ones: among the Chinese, this is expressed by the proverb “Cut off your leg, since the shoes are small.” The classical acupuncture that has come down to us is a mixture of valuable theories and vast clinical experience with misconceptions and incomplete explanatory models.

At present, the situation looks ridiculous. Scientists have been applying the latest technological and scientific advances in the study of the physiological and molecular mechanisms of acupuncture for over 50 years, but students and professionals who want to study acupuncture are still learning from the Yellow Emperor's Treatise and textbooks based on it.

The theory of "Channels" (Jing-Lo) - has fulfilled its historical role, preserving the vast empirical experience of previous generations of Chinese doctors, but now it is holding back the development of acupuncture, which needs a new theory, a new explanatory model.

The main value of Chinese acupuncture, and the Chinese themselves speak about it, is a colossal empirical experience that confirms the connection between individual points on the surface of the body with each other and with internal organs. This connection is manifested by this or that impact on the point by a change in the state of the internal organs in accordance with 21 criteria for differential diagnosis and the elimination of symptoms and signs characteristic of this state.

A few words about reflexology

It is clear that the period of the formation of reflexology in the country was not easy (it all began in 1957) and now is not the time and place to figure out why we, as always, ended up ahead of the planet". From the whole system of healing, only one method was taken - acupuncture. Why, as it always happened with us, ideology and revolutionary methods were dominant: “ The whole world violence we will destroy. to the foundation, and then. We are ours, we are build a new world...". An attempt to replace differential diagnostics with instrumental diagnostic methods was an additional incentive to study the various mechanisms of acupuncture, but, unfortunately, a holistic, comprehensive, scientifically based theory based on neurology has not been created, and the participation of the nervous system (reflex reactions) is not the only and, as practice shows, far from being a decisive mechanism for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture. As a result, there is no trace of traditional differential diagnostics in reflexology, which, together with vast empirical experience, is the main value of Chinese medicine and determines the effectiveness of treatment. It is for this reason that one often hears a common and offensive phrase for a reflexologist: “ the effectiveness of acupuncture falls inversely proportional to the square of the distance from Beijing».

In the "bottom line" in the "baggage of knowledge" of the newly minted reflexologist there is a prescription guide for pricking points by nosology, a description of the topography and symptoms of these points, modest recommendations on the Place, Method and Moment of exposure and an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bphilosophical categories yin And Jan and theory Wu-sin. And then he is one-on-one with the patient, though armed with diagnostic tools according to Voll, according to Nakatani, according to Akabana, he treats the “deficiency” or “excess” qi in the "channel" and by trial and error is gaining clinical experience. Although the theory of TCM, based on rich empirical experience, states that the problems of the acupuncture channel may or may not be associated with problems of the internal organ associated with the channel. Similarly, for the internal organ, the problems of which may or may not be reflected in the acupuncture channel.

A contradictory situation is emerging, on the one hand, modern reflexology uses the latest achievements and technologies in the study of the physiological, molecular and bioinformatic mechanisms of acupuncture, on the other hand, the treatment of deficiency and excess qi and the "virtual" channel, although with the use of diagnostic tools. An amazing combination of modern technology with outdated theoretical models! And as a result, more than 90% of specialists, if they do not give up this occupation - reflexology, then come to the conclusion that it is necessary to study the traditional methodology of differential diagnosis and, of course, use all the richest empirical experience of Chinese medicine.

Unfortunately, until now, modern physics has not reached the understanding of the field structure associated with the concept qi in Chinese medicine. On the other hand, from a modern point of view, discussions about qi in Chinese philosophy and medicine do not correspond to the modern level of development of natural science.

Based on the understanding of the phenomenological essence of Chinese medicine and the ideas of modern quantum wave physics, the consistent movement qi through channels is conditional, schematic. More realistic is the idea of ​​acupuncture points - as nodes in the quantum-wave framework of the human body, which is made up of radiation from each cell of our body. This idea of ​​radiation was first expressed by the Russian scientist Peter Garyaev while studying the human genome. Confirming that each cell contains complete information about the organism is the possibility of cloning. This will also explain the presence of "correspondence systems" in various areas of the body.

Taking into account all of the above, it can be assumed that the acupuncture channel is, in fact, acupuncture point classification system, the same category as yin And Jan and theory Wu-sin. The Frenchman Sulier de Moran was right when he called it a meridian - a conditional line, an element of a coordinate system.

Undoubtedly, Russian reflexologists have made a huge contribution to the study of the mechanisms of action of acupuncture at the neurophysiological, biochemical and biophysical levels and are theoretically ready to offer new theories and explanatory models in acupuncture. Just do not discard the valuable empirical experience accumulated over thousands of years and the traditional differential diagnosis, ingenious in its simplicity, which gives them the opportunity to use in their medical work not only acupuncture, but also another method of traditional Chinese medicine - herbal medicine.

Finally

So let's look back and see what we've done:

• They reduced the theory of Yin-Yang to two banal categories and to an analogue of the law of unity and struggle of opposites in Western culture.
• The U-Sin law was regarded as an attempt to replace the real interaction of internal organs at the physiological level with an abstract scheme of interaction between organs through generative and oppressive connections and was recognized as unscientific.
• The theory of "channels" (Jing-Lo), the cornerstone of TCM, was considered to have played its historical role and was called a "brake" in the further development of acupuncture (reflexology).
• We reduced the concept of Qi to the level of sensations, if we don’t know what it really is.
• Reflexology also got it for neglecting the traditional differential diagnosis and treatment of "virtual channels".

And what do we have left of Chinese medicine:

• An ingeniously simple system for assessing the state of homeostasis (balance) of the body and its individual organs, using only 21 criteria for differential diagnosis, which determines both the state and the action for its correction, the same for herbal medicine, as well as for acupuncture and other methods of influence.
• According to the theory of Chinese medicine, it is believed that a disease is an imbalance in one or more functional systems, which is manifested by symptoms and signs indicating an imbalance in this balance, which is described using 21 criteria for differential diagnosis. Over several thousand years of existence and development of Chinese medicine, tremendous experience has been accumulated in the analysis of the relationship of imbalance in a particular organ (described on the basis of 21 criteria) and the symptoms and signs associated with it.
• Thousands of years of experience in the use of individual herbs and their compositions for the correction of the condition, again based on 21 criteria for differential diagnosis.
• An invaluable empirical experience confirming the connection between individual points on the surface of the body with each other and with internal organs. This connection is manifested by this or that impact on the point by a change in the state of the internal organs in accordance with 21 criteria for differential diagnosis and the elimination of symptoms and signs characteristic of this state.

The concept of "Chinese medicine" is perhaps very common. This medicine has several differences from European medicine, therefore, for many, its principles remain a mystery that cannot be fully unraveled and studied. Chinese philosophy considers the body of an individual as a single system, and a person as a part of everything that surrounds him. For this reason, Chinese doctors do not analyze the condition of the kidneys, liver, heart and other organs separately. After all, a person feels good when all organ systems function in harmony. Those. if the disease has overcome one of the organs, then in the treatment it is necessary to pay attention not only to this organ, but also to the organs that are associated with it.

If a person feels a headache, he, without hesitation, drinks an anesthetic, which only dulls this unpleasant pain sensation for a while. Later, the pain returns again. But people get used to this course of circumstances and do not think that it can be not only a reaction of the body to stress or overwork, but also a serious illness. Chinese medicine differs in that in case of a disease of any organ, doctors do not treat the disease, but directly the person himself. With the help of knowledge of certain points on the human body, doctors manage to cure even the most difficult and serious diseases.

Secrets of Chinese Medicine

Treatment and diagnosis in China is based on such theories as Qi energy, five components and two beginnings. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers the theory of two principles "Yin" and "Yang" as a fundamental judgment.

In a healthy body, there is a constant balance of "Yin" and "Yang". Excessive "Yin" indicates signs of a cold, and excessive "Yang" indicates signs of fever.

Medicine in China in the treatment of diseases uses the relationship of the five elements. These components include "metal", "water", "wood", "earth", "fire". There is a certain number of zones in the entire human body for which these components are responsible. Also, each of them is associated with the weather, seasons, parts of the body, the emotional state of a person, the organs of smell and senses.

The use of 5 components helps to determine the control and support of various processes in the human body. When one of the elements is out of balance, the rest are affected. Unbalance is expressed by such signs: a change in the complexion, the sound of the voice, emotional and internal well-being, improper activity of related organs.

Basic substances in Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine is based on such substances of paramount importance:

1) "Qi" - the engine of life, that is, the energy that is the basis of the entire universe. The energy "Qi" can be created inside the human body from food digested by the stomach and spleen. With the help of this energy, a person can be in motion for a long time, there is support for activity, preservation of heat and resistance to diseases. If there is a lack of “Qi” in the body, then an incorrect metabolism occurs, that is, food is not processed, a person cannot warm up and is not resistant to various kinds of diseases.

2) "Jing" - the essence, due to which the maturation and improvement of the individual occurs. The genetically transmitted essence, stored in the kidneys, enables a person to develop along the following chain: childhood → maturity → old age. This substance is assigned to the management and coordination of growth, reproduction, development. It interacts with the “Qi” substance, thereby helping to protect the body from negative factors. Lack of "Jing" manifests itself in developmental disorders (failure to overcome physical exertion, difficulty in learning), infertility, poor memory, and so on.

3) “Blood” is an indispensable fluid that hydrates and enriches the body. With an insufficient amount of blood, a person’s face becomes pale, the skin becomes dry, dizzy. In the event that the blood stagnates, sharp pains occur, a tumor may develop. Heat in the blood leads to bleeding.

4) "Body fluids" - base fluids that contribute to the hydration of the entire body, in particular muscles, hair, joints, brain, bone marrow and spine. With a lack of fluid, dehydration of the entire body and internal organs, namely the digestive organs, is observed. With the accumulation of fluid, a feeling of drowsiness or heaviness in the body appears.

What causes disharmony

Medicine China considers factors of dissonance, which originate from these three branches: internal (triggered by emotions), external (triggered by climate conditions), various (triggered by lifestyle).

Internal factors include: sadness, anxiety, anger, grief, joy, shock, fear. The totality of these feelings is called the "seven emotions". Every individual is sometimes in one of these emotional behaviors, and this is normal. A long stay in one or more of these conditions has a detrimental effect on a person.

External factors: humidity, dryness, cold, heat, wind, heat. The combination of such causes is called "six pathogenic causes". The manifestation of certain factors at the appropriate time of the year is considered normal. It is bad for the body of an individual if it is time for a frosty winter or a sharp warming in the winter period. Then the person becomes vulnerable to resentment.

Various include also: sports loads, work, sexual activity, dietary restrictions, physical damage. Again, everything is good in moderation. Otherwise, the person is prone to resentment.

Traditional medicine in China is one of the oldest medicines in the world. Since China is a progressive country, the sectors of the economy, medicine, and all areas of production are developing accordingly.

Traditional Chinese medicine has existed for 5 (five) thousand years, and interest in it in the world began to appear only from the second half of the 20th century. This is one of the oldest and, perhaps, the wisest systems of healing, based on the principles of Taoist philosophy, considering a person as a microcosm - a set of interconnected systems, each of which is powered by the vital energy Qi.

When the flow of Qi is disturbed, a person becomes ill, but the doctor is able to restore harmony to his body by applying herbs, massage, and acupuncture. Only traditional Chinese medicine has remained virtually untouched by civilization and technological progress.

History of the Development of Chinese Traditional Medicine

First entries about methods of treatment belong to about 1000g. BC. They were made on tortoise shells and animal bones.

In the 1st century BC. a treatise on Chinese medicine was written, which was a collection of fictional dialogues between Emperor Huangdi (2697-2596 BC) and his ministers on the subject of how nature and the cosmos affect human health. Huangdi in literature, especially in traditional Chinese medicine, is better known as the Yellow Emperor.

Other historians believe that this treatise was probably composed by different authors during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220). The Inner Canon was often mentioned by Zhang Zhongjing (150-219) during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). Zhang Zhongjing (150 - 219) is considered one of the fathers of traditional Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine in the era of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was further developed. In 657, a well-known medical work was published on the production and formulation of medicines. Its author was one of the scientists at the court of Emperor Gao Zong (650 - 683).

This scientist was able to describe more than 800 different substances, including the extent of their therapeutic effects. These were substances such as derivatives of metals, minerals, stones, animal body parts, herbs, cereals, vegetables, fruits and other plants. Information has come down to us that later, in the era of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) there were cases of the use of marijuana (cannabis herb) for medical purposes.

A physician named Hua Tuo (140-208) used cannabis as one of the ingredients in a wine-based potion. This drug was used as an anesthetic during surgery.

Then, over the centuries, several more books were written on the theory of Chinese medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Methods

In Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, hot cupping, auriculotherapy, acupressure, acupuncture, and heat puncture are widely used.

Phytotherapy (herbal treatment) very popular in medicine and one of the most difficult in the world. Formulas of preparations include up to two dozen ingredients, among which there can be both plant and animal and mineral components. Doctors collect them in a preparation so that they mutually complement and enhance each other's action. Various plants are used to treat and prevent many ailments. Ginseng, ginger, smooth licorice, lemongrass, licorice root, motherwort, lingzhi mushroom, cordyceps and many others are widely used. There are about 200 types of herbal mixtures, but only 30 of them can be freely bought.