Click here to print » Close Window Printed from Acufinder.com http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/The+Health+Indexes+in+Chinese+Medicine 04/24/2024 10:54:54 am The Health Indexes in Chinese Medicine By: Sophia Tang, L.Ac. Are you really healthy? What are the health indexes in Chinese medicine system?   Chinese medicine sees our body as a reflection of this universe and sees the material world as consisting of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. In our human body, each organ is attributed to one of the five elements. Each of the five elements has a supporting and controlling relationship with each other. Chinese medicine also treats our human body as a network system. This network system is constructed of 12 major meridians or channels that connect directly to 365 major acupuncture points. Everything in our body is connected with those meridian channels including the organs such as liver, heart, spleen, lung, kidney, gall bladder, intestines, etc. Different types of energy such as Qi, blood, essence (Jin) and body fluids flow through our meridian channel and nourish the whole body system including all our organs. If the flowing of each meridian channel is vibrated at its optimal frequency without any disturbance and blockage, every organ has a harmonious supporting and controlling relationship with each other, and there is no deficient or excess energy within our body, we are supposed to be healthy.   Because Chinese medicine physiology is based on a type of theory that is totally different from Western medicine, it stands to reason that the health indexes based on Chinese medicine are also totally different from Western medicine. I will give you an example: If a person is always feeling the chills with cold hands and feet all the time, the diagnosis from Chinese medicine would be heart yang deficiency. Heart has the fire attribute in the five elements system. It is like sunshine in our human body to warm our body. Yang energy represents functional energy. Without enough functional Yang energy, the heart can not carry its normal function to pump out blood with enough pressure, speed and temperature. The result of this is poor circulation in our body. The body extremities would be cold because the heart is lacking of functional energy and it can’t do the job that it is supposed to do. It is easier for the body to accumulate garbage and become susceptible to tumor growths for people with this type of physical constitution.   If this person go to see a western doctor due to chronic fatigue syndrome and frequent urination, with all perfect figures from the lab test and examination from the doctor, the doctor would tell that person that "your physical health is fine“. However if this person go to see an authentic Chinese medicine physician, he or she would definitely know what is going on with this person's health and can even foresee what physical conditions may be manifested in the future. The healer will then tune up this person with acupuncture, herbal medicine or some other healing modalities. This will prevent these physical symptoms from manifesting into a disease. There is one old saying in Chinese medicine that the top physicians will treat some things and symptoms which have not manifested into a disease yet. There are examinations used by Chinese medical healer to check if a person is healthy. These examinations include visual inspection of tongue, eyes and other part of the body, smelling, questioning and pulse taking. Traditional Chinese medicine healers do not rely on a disease name and laboratory test to tell you if you are healthy or not.   If you would like to know if you are healthy or not check out the following indexes. If you meet these criteria without any uncomfortable symptoms in your body then you are physically healthy from the view of the Chinese medicine system. If not, you should see a traditional Chinese medicine healer to get an examination and to tune up your body, so your body will be back to the balance and meet these criteria of these health indexes according to Chinese medicine physiology. Any unhealthy symptoms won’t be manifested into diseases in the future. Health indexes in Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system Normal appetite. Food tastes good. You get normal hungry feeling. Do not overeat. Have a bowl movement everyday at the same time Urinate 5-7 times during a day , 0-1 time during the night without pain or difficulty Have no problem to falling asleep and can sleep all night through Do not have any abnormal sweat or abnormal thirsty during the day or night. Can sweat during exercise Wake up with penile erection with the male and with sensitive breast nipple with the female Pain free Have warm hands and feet and cool face Have the energy level you desire Woman has 28 days of menstrual cycle without uncomfortable feeling and cramping Let me give your some examples about why meeting those criteria are important about your health Example 1: A person who is always feeling hunger and craving food. This is an indication that there is too much heat in the digestion system, so the digestion system is working too fast. This heat will impact any nearby organ such as pancreases, once the pancreases are not functioning normally it is possible that diabetes may be manifested in the future.   Example 2: A person always wakes up during 1-3 o’clock in the morning. There is an indication here that tells us that there is an unbalance in the liver channel. This unbalance could be something excessive growing in the liver or an energy deficiency or a blockage in the liver channel. If you go to see a western doctor to tell you why you are waking up during this time, they may not be able to tell you there is anything wrong if the examination and the lab testing are fine. If this kind of symptom is lasting for over 2 years and you back to see western doctor again, you might be surprised to find out that the lab testing could tell you something is wrong with the liver, which could be something like growing tumors. If you go to see a well-trained Traditional Chinese medicine healer in the beginning of this situation, they would definitely know what the diagnosis is. They will then tune up the body to get back to balance, so this unbalance won’t be manifested into a serious health issue in the future. All questions asked from a Traditional Chinese medicine healer are the starting point for doing a good diagnosis. All symptoms showing in your body are signs to tell the healer what is going on with your body. So be sure to tell your Chinese medicine physician all symptoms you are having no matter how strange it might sound. Wise people know the prevention is the best medicine for their over all health. The Traditional Classical Chinese medicine system is the most complete medical system since the ancient times. It is the only system that also includes prevention as part of overall treatment. About the Author Sophia Tang is a licensed Acupuncturist and Classical Chinese medicine practitioner. She has a master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the United States.   She is specializing in classical Chinese medicine practice to treat any acute or chronic diseases. These include but are not limited to the common cold, flu, allergies, sinus infection, asthma, lung disorders, smoke, alcohol and drugs addictions, insomnia, anxiety, depression, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, obesity, heart diseases, frequent urination, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflex, digestion problems, infertility, hypertension, diabetes, kidney stones, gallbladder stones, edema, kidney failure, prostate disorder, breast disorder,  autoimmune disorders and just about anything else you may have problems with. To know more about her practice, please visit web site http://www.sophtangacupuncture.com Related Articles: Navigating Your Path to Health with Acupuncture Acupuncture and Preventive Medicine How do I choose an acupuncturist? The Basics of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine: FAQ Printed from Acufinder.com http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/The+Health+Indexes+in+Chinese+Medicine 04/24/2024 10:54:54 am