What is Eastern Medicine?
Eastern medicine is a type of healthcare that looks at the body holistically. This means that all aspects of health (symptoms + diet + activity level + mental health + energy) are considered in care and treatment. Eastern medicine looks at the flow of energy, or Qi (prounounced “chee”), through a number of systems of the body-- like the spleen/stomach system for example. The energy travels through channels called meridians, which are all interconnected.
Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points along the meridians to directly stimulate and restore balance to any body system and its corresponding Qi. Others tools of Eastern medicine include cupping, electro-therapy, gua-sha, Chinese medical massage, Chinese herbs and dietary and lifestyle advice.
An Eastern medicine practitioner evaluates the health and functioning of the entire body by carefully assessing each system and their corresponding levels of Qi.
MORE ABOUT QI--OUR LIFE’S ENERGY
We have two different sources of Qi: constitutional and daily. Constitutional Qi is the Qi we were born with--the overall health picture you came into this world with. Daily Qi is what we acquire each day for our basic daily functions through the food we eat and the air we breathe--it can be increased and used each day. However, if we fail to adequately nurture our daily Qi with healthy food and fresh air, if we overexert ourselves, and/or run ourselves down with stress, poor habits, and inadequate sleep, then we start to tap into our constitutional Qi. This chips away at our very life energy and makes us vulnerable to serious health conditions.
The imbalanced use of Qi is the cause of breakdown in the body--it is not the “inevitable” process of aging. When we take care of our bodies and ensure they have the proper energy, we use daily Qi rather than constitutional Qi. This is the key to living a long and healthy life.
HOW DOES EASTERN MEDICINE WORK?
Eastern medicine has been around for thousands of years. Drawing on all the combined knowledge and wisdom accumulated over that time, practitioners have learned how to read the signals of the body for each energy system (shown in the pulse, the tongue, palpation of channels, questions, etc) to determine whether daily Qi or constitutional Qi is being used and their impact on overall health. Treatment is a custom blend of acupuncture, herbs, and suggested lifestyle changes in order to restore both types of Qi to the body and improve overall health.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM MY “REGULAR” [ALLOPATHIC] DOCTOR?
Eastern medicine was designed thousands of years ago around the living active body--those of soldiers, farmers, masters of martial arts, and families.
Eastern medicine is true battlefield medicine; medicine for the living active body.
It focuses on the flow of energy and how that energy manifests in the physical body. In contrast, “western medicine” was developed primarily around the study of cadavers and laboratory animals and looks at treating symptoms.
AN ANALOGY OF Eastern MEDCINE
Think of a car.
A mechanic, through diagnostic testing, isolates the problem, and then fixes it, perhaps replacing certain parts to keep the car functional. This is akin to the relationship western medicine has with the body, seeing it as a set of isolated components.
To continue the analogy: No matter how talented a mechanic, a car will never run without oil and gas. If you run out of gas, your car stops. If you run out of oil, you can damage major components of the car, forcing an emergency replacement of parts. In Chinese medicine, bodily health is seen more like car maintenance--regular oil changes, tune ups, and filling up with gas (where blood and Qi are the “oil” and “gas” of our bodies) is what keeps things going.
EXAMPLE
Let’s take a look at the spleen/stomach system: On a physiological level, one of the primary functions of the spleen/stomach is assimilating and digesting food. On an energetic level, it houses the body’s thoughts and intentions, and is responsible for analytical thinking, memory, cognition, intelligence, and ideas. This system, like all of them, has a certain allocation of Qi that it must use for both its physiological and energetic functions. When a body is drawing too heavily on one of these functions, then not enough Qi is left to complete the other.
For example, if you eat too much, the spleen/stomach system must direct its allocation of Qi to digestion, leaving little energy for processing thoughts and emotions, thus resulting in symptoms like lack of focus, head cloudiness, “hamster-wheel” type thinking, regret, and self-doubt. Conversely, if you worry constantly and over-think everything, then you have less energy for digestion, which can manifest in symptoms like bloating, loose stools or constipation, nausea, and even vomiting.
A CASE STUDY
Here’s a case study to show how a Eastern medicine practitioner would treat both the symptoms and their root cause:
A 31 year-old male came in complaining of low back pain and weakness, fatigue, and low libido. He receives regular chiropractic adjustments and massages. After each treatment, the pain goes away for a couple days and then returns again. He also experiences longer recovery times after workouts, feeling completely wiped out. His low back is tight and lacks typical suppleness.
After evaluating the patient, it was concluded that he had a Qi deficiency stemming from his kidney system, resulting in the recurring back pain and weakness, fatigue, and low libido. He received two acupuncture treatments of Kid 3 (point in the ankle), Ren 4, and Ren 6 (two points on the abdomen, beneath the belly button), and two points in the ear, coupled with 5g of an herbal formula taken twice a day. The patient expressed that he was more calm and centered, he had more restful sleep, his libido had returned, and his low back pain went away; the week he did Crossfit, he felt great post-workout.
This is why an Eastern medicine practitioner’s main objective is to determine which system is being over-taxed, why and how it developed this condition, and how the two Qi types are affected. From there, a treatment plan is concocted to eliminate the current symptoms as well as the systemic root causes, thereby bringing about a
true sense of total health.
IS EASTERN MEDICINE FOR ME?
Find out whether Eastern Medicine is a fit for you by contacting Dr. Kirby now!
I am offering free 15 minute in-person meet and greet sessions.
If you feel your peers, colleagues, or co-workers could benefit from understanding how Eastern medicine or acupuncture can work for them, I am happy to schedule an “Acupuncture 101” presentation. Contact me for more details!