China Traditional Medicine

Archive for April, 2011

Knowing that the human body is an amazing microcosm, carrying vital organs. It is also crisscrossed by hidden ways, invisible currents that ensure coordination of these important systems.

This vast network full of mystery, depends on the autonomic

The body conceals his secret power which can reach and stimulate vital functions. These plants are called “reflex zones”. They work in each individual, as real telephones where instead of picking up the receiver, press a specific location to establish contact with the corresponding organ.

Reflexology is thus defined as an art therapy reflex, using pressure on reflex points concealed on the soles and palms of hands and some body parts.

According Hedi Masafret, reflex points are points nervous, by one of them, are connected to a remote part of the body. We know that no other body part is also weakened as the foot. Nature has provided man walked barefoot, that during his travels, his reflex zones would then come into action to prevent diseases.

However, our environment has changed, soil, field activities of our feet, but is more flattened and uneven asphalt must be added to this the wrong way to put on, years of compression in these cages that are shoes have hampered the movement at this level, direct consequences: cold feet, reflexology poorly irrigated therefore can no longer perform the duties satisfactorily.

To better understand the principle, we retreat in traditional Chinese medicine Chinese massage which is a support movement on reflex areas, the phenomenon is the effect at a distance, that is what the basic characteristic of the reflex.

The Chinese explain the effect of this method as an action brought by the currents of energy flowing in our body, which they call T’chi and Westerners have translated the word “Energy”. The whole invisible conveying this energy is called “Meridian”. These are imaginary routes across a group of organs.

Gilbert Creola confirms in his book: “Take care of yourself by the foot massage” this is a very different vision of the body.

The twelve main meridians are divided into four groups of three, the meridians of each group joining the same body parts. These meridians are:

1. The triple warmer meridian (TR)

2. The meridian of the gallbladder,

3. The liver meridian,

4. The meridian of the lung,

5. The large intestine meridian,

6. The meridian of the stomach,

7. The spleen-pancreas meridian,

8. The meridian of the heart,

9. The meridian of the intestine,

10. The bladder meridian,

11. The kidney meridian,

12. The meridian of the master heart sexuality.

On benchmarks:

To find the points to request, using fingers, rounded objects or elbow. The point corresponding to the diseased organ is usually painful or at least sensitive to pressure.

This point is found, it stimulates the fingertip or with unepointe rounded. This stimulation is maintained for some minutes during which we will print a back and forth in the direction of rotation of clockwise or counterclockwise.

It is a movement to tone. Attention tone here is not the meaning it has in Physiotherapy: reflexology mean increasing the force of the circulating energy.

This is a deep treatment, not only because it attempts to remedy an imbalance that pain on the sign area is less apparent to cure the affected person. The treatment needs to be continued for several days, weeks or months. There are however cases where the corresponding area by stimulating results are obtained as fast and dramatic.

We understand that while the foot massage and / or palm allows us to preserve our natural balance and also to avoid the overuse of drugs, we get better irrigation of the reflex zone and hence from there to the corresponding organ.

Indeed, these techniques from acupuncture also heal many ailments functional. This safe, with no side effects. Rheumatism, headaches, impotence, frigidity, impaired sight, kidney stones, lung disease, enuresis, brain disorders, urinary retention are a few examples and many other cases non-infectious.

You’ve probably discovered through these notions medicine who also has a major interest, that of discovering diseases from new criteria.

It is certain that the man of the millennium will no longer do without the reflexology foot massage, this art came from China, which maintains the health and strengthens the body: hands moving (living) rivers slow, lazy, cluttered with obstacles, and removes their immobility (death).

Some tips:

Foods responsible for gastrointestinal disorder

1. Avoid coffee mix and milk products (milk, raw fruit, white wine and spirits of all kinds, instant tea, heavy bread).

Caution with: puff pastry, cola drinks, chocolate, meat broth, raw onion and garlic)

2. Footwear (shoes in shape unsuitable creating disturbances in the reflex zones following): nose, cheeks, neck, sinuses, eyes, ears, shoulders, balance, chest, thorax, lakes nodes, thyroid, lungs and bronchi.

3. Have positive thoughts

4. Avoid baths

The I Ching, or Book of Changes “is one of the founding texts of Chinese civilization, its origins date back over 3500 years.

This important book of Chinese thought is like no other. It is the fruit of collective work for hundreds of years. It requires patience, preparation and method to anyone who approached. He does not read from beginning to end. It consists of 64 short chapters, each on a situational type of life.

The Yi Jing is often misrepresented as a book of divination, but it is primarily a tool to better understand the quality of the present moment, and it is a help guide decision making.

Consider first the ideogram of the “Yi Jing”, to know its meaning and also to foresee what is the thinking and writing Chinese

* The character Jing, “Book”, is composed of three elements:

Jing1 left, there is a thread of silk which is what is woven into organized network.

Jing3 Top right, the design evokes the texture invisible, an underground power similar to that mobilizes with acupuncture needles.

The entire tool combines the ideas, network and energy flowing. Note that the term also refers to the Jing meridian acupuncture.

* The character Yi, “Changes”, is composed of two elements:

yi1 Above, the sun.

Bottom YI2 rain. These are changing times: after the rain, the sun comes back again then to let up in the rain …

Another meaning of the ideogram Yi: Simple, easy. As if everything became easier when you go with the flow!

Yet another sense: the law sets. Surprising for an ideogram meaning change. There is really getting into Chinese thought, difficult to understand for a Western mind. A portion of the I Ching gives us the answer: “The only thing that will never change is that everything is always in flux!

The “creators” of the Yi Jing

The Yi Jing was developed and written by either a God or a superman but is the result of a collective work for hundreds of years. In fact, China is not inventing anything, it makes visible what is already present. In the legend, the first creator of Fu Xi Yi Jing (father of Chinese civilization), then comes Wen Wang, then the Duke of Zhou, Confucius is the 4th.

In Chinese thinking, man lives between heaven and Earth, observe nature, its rhythms and signs with the idea that by understanding the laws of nature, it will have a better understanding of himself and his operation . This approach has resulted in traditional Chinese medicine.

The ancients also observed that to make a big decision or ask an important act, some moments were more favorable than others. Crossing a step further, they looked for signs and indications that nature could give when specific request was made. The application was then not to know the future, but whether what is intended to do was in keeping with the present moment.

These signs, the Chinese have studied and caused by putting in the fire, before deciding any action, tortoise shells previously marked in pen. When removing the fire, the shells were covered with cracks, specific signs and actually gave information about the “quality” of the moment with regard to the question. Gradually, they considered that the response could take 64 possible forms and noted the signs and indications of each response.

The answers provided reflect the diversity of people, questions, moments … The answers may suggest to be flexible, firm, starting immediately, to wait, to let ripen, to surround yourself, keep your feet on land, put this in a broader perspective … If you look closer, we see that the I Ching offers us more often quality responses yin …

The hexagrams

Each of these 64 forms or responses was represented by what is called a hexagram, that is to say a “stack” of six broken lines (yin) or continuous (yang), which contains the dynamic yin yang.

The hexagrams are ideograms refined, more abstract, which carry with them a clean energy. The interest of the hexagram is to allow a direct visual understanding and linking several hexagrams.

Two examples: the first two hexagrams of Yi Jing.

Heaven, Chinese “Qian”, can be translated as “creative impulse”. Represented by 6 strokes yang, he expresses a powerful ability to do, to create, to lead with energy, strength, force …

Earth, “Kun”, translated as “Elan receptive.” Represented by 6 strokes yin, it appears immediately as opposed to the nature of heaven and demonstrating an ability to complete a project, to act with patience, strength, flexibility, with a highly adaptable …

The notion of chance, the sticking point …

Today, long time to make a draw, it does more than turtle shells to fire but it uses yarrow stalks. The method takes about twenty minutes of precious time to focus, breathe and reveal the energy configuration of the moment. Then comes the analysis of the hexagram, by examining the lines of the hexagram and the reading of the text itself (the general text and the text corresponding mutant lines …).

The draw of the Yi Jing is random. It is this use of “chance” that led to what the I Ching is sometimes regarded with caution or derision … For the West, chance does not involve any causal and not reproducible, which is a undesirable. In the East, on the contrary, it is this quality “not reproducible”, linked to this moment, which constitutes value.

“Chance is the most beautiful in China who can see materialization of the particular quality of the moment … You can read the configuration at any moment the flow of Tao spontaneously take when he gives free rein.” (Cyril Javary).

In China, the bird is a symbol of freedom, chance, the ability to be in perfect harmony with the present moment.

An image could symbolize the “draw” of the Yi Jing: a bird that arises at some point on a branch … this one, not another …

Study of 2 opposing hexagrams “Grand done” and “Alliance”

The following example shows the importance of first analyzing the features of the hexagram, before reading the text.

Hexagram 14, which can be translated as “Grand Directed”

Hexagram 8, which can be translated as “Alliance”

Note that the 5th line of a hexagram (from bottom) is the major line or line “sovereign”.

A simple glance shows that these two hexagrams are opposed, and everyone in-between has a line of supreme quality opposed to the other 5 lines.

Directed large: the yin line, this line “sovereign” is fundamental, it is the sovereign attitude yin, made flexibility and toughness, which is open to all possibilities. It combines yang energies. By its openness, its flexibility, it allows the creative spirit of yang energy.

Management situations, one could say that the trait yin yang sovereign empowers traits that go with independence and effectiveness, perform the work at his direction.

The study of the text confirms the first review of the features. The first words are: “Grand Released – basically encouraging.” Great achievement, is to pass the project to completion, is the ability to make it real with great efficiency. The text of the Sovereign line is clear: “What carrier – as it connects, as it imposes – Opening”

Alliance proposes to establish a center (yang line) around which disparate forces (yin) comes together in a hierarchy. It addresses the problem of focus and unity.

It’s a different management style, one could say that the features follow the yin yang line ruler who sets the course.

The text begins: “Alliance – Opening …”. The hexagram is favorable, but the situation requires a shift, requires alliances and to organize itself vigorously to prevent spreading. The text of the online sovereign online yang reported that the King establishes a solid center for the convergence of energy and as a reference.

Quick study, from the text of hexagram 50 “Ding”, the Cauldron

The text begins by saying: “Cauldron, basically open, Promoting.

The Cauldron, hexagram transmutation, is a moment of great opportunity. It is a hexagram very powerful, it symbolizes the transformation from solid to subtle, a passage from earthly to the celestial, the link between the visible and invisible.

When this hexagram “fate” to win, it means: “You can go there”! However, having in mind that to be fully profitable, energy Cauldron also requires the person who receives a large commitment.

Indeed, the cauldron is complete, turn the past to be able to welcome the new and move to a higher level, it is transmuted.

For the Yi Jing, there is not an answer better than another. The answer “released” the draw at a given time, is always appropriate to question and situation.

It is difficult to accurately assess the effectiveness of acupuncture based on objective and reproducible modern Western science. The first reason probably is that acupuncture was born in the East, and is still predominant in this part of the world where we reason differently. It now belongs to practitioners of Chinese medicine in the West to establish protocols to better measure the effects of acupuncture – is what is being developed. There are also other reasons for the difficulty of measuring the effectiveness of acupuncture: acupuncture is always personalized and not always reproducible, an acupuncture session has a specific effect but also often an overall effect, it is difficult to measure mental well being …

In China, a country as big as a continent and the source of acupuncture, the effectiveness of acupuncture is so obvious that the question of its validity does not arise. For Chinese specialists, acupuncture can treat over 300 diseases. It has proven effective for centuries on millions of patients.
But outside China, a formal international recognition was necessary for that acupuncture can continue to spread and grow.

In June 1979, at a conference in Beijing (Peking), the World Health Organization (WHO), has publicly acknowledged acupuncture therapy as safe and healthy, and has established a list of 43 diseases can be treated effectively (see list at end of document 1).

In 2002, WHO published a list of 28 conditions for which acupuncture was probably effective. This list was based on controlled clinical trials listed in the scientific literature (see list at end of document 2).

Further studies are underway.

List 1: list of 43 diseases (WHO 1979)
Upper respiratory tract diseases: acute sinusitis (and chronic), acute rhinitis (and chronic), Influenza, Tonsillitis acute (and chronic)
Respiratory diseases: acute tracheitis (and chronic), bronchial asthma
Eye Diseases: Conjunctivitis, acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), Myopia, Cataracts
Oral Disease: toothache, pain after tooth extraction, gingivitis, acute and chronic laryngitis
Diseases of the digestive system: Achalasia of the esophagus and cardia, hiccough, gastric ptosis, acute and chronic gastritis, gastric hyperacidity, acute and chronic duodenal ulcer, acute colitis (and chronic), acute bacillary dysentery (and chronic), constipation, diarrhea, paralytic ileus
Illnesses nerve, muscle and bone: Headache, Migraine, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Palsy, Paralysis post-traumatic polyneuropathy, acute anterior poliomyelitis, Meniere’s disease, neurological bladder, enuresis, intercostal neuralgia, shoulder-hand syndrome, scapulohumeral periarthritis, tennis elbow, Sciatica, Low Back Pain, Osteoarthritis

List 2: list of list of 28 diseases (WHO 2002)
Pain, including musculoskeletal (knee, back, neck, shoulder periarthritis, tennis elbow (tennis elbow), sciatica, sprain – facial, headache, resulting from dental surgery, postoperative)
Rheumatism: rheumatoid arthritis
Colic (stones) bile, renal colic
Primary dysmenorrhea
The Gastrointestinal System: nausea and vomiting, epigastric pain acute, acute bacillary dysentery
Throat: allergic rhinitis
Circulatory system: essential hypertension, primary hypotension, leukopenia (low white blood cells in the blood), stroke
Psyche: depression,
Pregnancy: nausea related to pregnancy, repositioning of the fetus, labor induction to delivery
Side effects associated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy