Local Affiliation: Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture

Excerpt from www.earthspiritmedicine.net, the official website of Jeremy R. Werner, L.Ac., CST, ACA, a local Acupuncture Assistant based in Mandeville, LA.  Chinese Medicine is not offered at Natural Health Chiropractic Center LLC, so please contact Jeremy through his website to schedule Chinese medical consultations and treatments.

  Jeremy R. Werner, L.Ac., CST, ACA

Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture
An Ancient Practice of Timeless Perspectives                                             

Tao can be talked about, but not the Eternal Tao.
Names can be named, but not the Eternal Name.                                           
As the origin of heaven-and-earth, it is nameless:
As “the Mother” of all things, it is nameable.
So, as ever hidden, we should look at its inner essence:
As always manifest, we should look at its outer aspects.
These two flow from the same source, though differently named;
And both are called mysteries.
The Mystery of mysteries is the Door of all essence.
                                                       - Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching*

*Translated by John C. H. Wu, Shambala Pocket Classics, 1990

Chinese Medicine is an ancient healing practice that has its roots in Asian cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, Chinese astrology and Taoist philosophy. It has evolved over thousands of years and continues to evolve in our modern times. At the heart of Chinese Medicine is the perspective that each human being is a microcosm, or hologram, of the larger, more expansive macrocosm that is the earth and the entire universe as we know it. Each of us is a landscape that is in constant interaction with our external environment. All things are interconnected and interdependent, and we are individually and collectively in a perpetual dance with the natural world. Even as the new physics shows, every experience is relative, and the observer is not separate from the observed experience.

The fabric of reality is relationship, and the basic tenants of Chinese Medicine reflect this truth.

There are many theories that guide a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, including Yin Yang Theory, Five Phase Theory, Meridian Systems Theory, Zang Fu Organ Theory and others. These theories lead the practitioner to proper diagnosis and treatment, using a number of diverse methods such as acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese nutrition, Feng Shui (or geomancy), the I Ching (or divination), Chinese astrology, Tai Qi and Qi Gong.

Yin Yang Theory

Yin Yang Theory was developed by the Yin Yang School, or Naturalist School, during the Warring States period (476-221 BC). According to this school of thought, it is said that from the Tao, or the Great Mystery, was birthed the Yin and the Yang, through which was created the 10,000 Things. The Tao is Everything and Nothing, the Source of All Things, yet Nameless. The Yin, which births the Yang, is the receptive, feminine, cool, dark aspect of duality. The Yang, which moves the Yin, is the active, masculine, warm, light aspect of duality. The Yin and Yang are inseparable, interdependent, inter-transforming, complimentary opposites. The so-called 10,000 Things, or all things within manifest reality, each have a Yin and Yang aspect, just as each human being has a right and left side, female and male qualities, and an unconscious from which consciousness is sourced. Health is maintained by the dynamic balance between Yin and Yang. If one aspect goes into its extreme, it transforms into its opposite. If the two separate, there is death. Therefore, it is vital to follow the Middle Path and live in moderation in order to enjoy a full, exuberant life.

Five Phase Theory

Five Phase Theory also originated from the Yin Yang School, or Naturalist School.  It is based on the principle that human beings live in dynamic balance with Nature, that each of us is influenced by the seasons, the climate, and the overall quality of the environment.  We hold within ourselves an internal landscape which reflects whether we are in right relationship with the natural cycles of life. Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal are the Five Phases, representing Winter, Spring, Summer, Late Summer and Fall respectively.  Earth may also be seen as the transitional period between each season.  Each Phase also corresponds to a different direction, color, taste, sense organ, tissue, emotion and sound.  Each Phase generates the next and controls, or moderates, another in on-going cycles.  This breath of nature is a fluid wave of creation of which we are all a part.  Disease is thus an experience of being out of balance with this breath and requires conscious intervention to realign one’s being. Chinese Medicine is one transformative tool that facilitates this realignment.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has become more and more popular in the treatment of many illnesses, disease processes and pathological patterns.  It is defined as the insertion of thin, filiform needles into specially selected points on the Meridians - conduits or channels of Qi which distribute this “life force energy” throughout the physical and etheric bodies.  The proper flow of Qi, which is Yang, and its Yin counterpart Blood is essential to sustain proper function of the various tissues and organs (known as the Zang Fu), as well as the proper balance within the psycho-emotional bodies and the Shen, or Spirit.  Treating the Shen, or consciousness of the individual, is primary.  It is through an awakening of the Shen, through the Heart, that initiates and ensures a profound recovery of internal balance.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion - the burning of the Chinese herb Ai Ye (or mugwort leaf, Folium Artemisiae Argyi) in various forms and applying it to acupuncture points and/or needles - may accompany or replace acupuncture treatment depending upon the specific pattern(s) being treated.  This method has a warming and calming effect and facilitates the proper circulation of Qi and Blood through the Meridians, organs and tissues.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

At the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine is the philosophy that the cosmos and the human being, indeed all life, are subject to natural law and order. Both Yin Yang Theory and Five Phase Theory describe the natural forces that influence an individual's health and form an important theoretical basis for the treatment of disease. Chinese herbs are used to help realign an individual with these natural forces to insure greater well-being and quality of life.

The traditional Chinese materia medica consists of hundreds of herbs, each of which is categorized by its primary function and qualified by its taste (bitter, sweet, acrid, salty, sour, or bland), temperature (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold) and channel(s) of influence (Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, etc.). For example, raw Gan Cao (Radix Glycryrrhizae), or raw licorice root, is a Qi Tonic that has a sweet flavor and a neutral temperature and enters all 12 Primary Channels. Most herbs have multiple functions, and many may be used both internally and externally.

Single herbs are carefully combined to create more complex formulas used to treat without side effects a variety of diseases and imbalances, such as headache, joint pain, common colds and flu, digestive problems, PMS, menopausal symptoms, fatigue, insomnia, and emotional imbalances, to name a few. Furthermore, much scientific research has been done to verify the effectiveness of herbal therapy.

Chinese Nutrition

We each need food to sustain ourselves and to maintain our strength, health and general well-being. Through the act of choosing, preparing and eating our foods, we commune with the Earth and take in the nourishment we need from the natural world. When we become imbalanced in our lives, it is important to re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world and learn how best to take care of ourselves.

According to Chinese nutritional theory, each food is characterized by taste, temperature and channel(s) of influence. For example, oats are sweet and cooling and are taken to support the Spleen and stop diarrhea, while beef is sweet and warming and tonifies Qi, the Spleen and Stomach, and strengthens tendons and bones.

Foods are added to or eliminated from the diet to treat energetic imbalances and patterns of disharmony, as well as physical symptoms, including but not limited to pain, sluggishness, indigestion, acne, headache, constipation or diarrhea. When used properly, food therapy supports the natural healing process and adds new flavor and enjoyment to life.

Related Links & Resources

Acupuncture Information, Research & News: www.acupuncture.com, www.acupuncturetoday.com
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: www.nccaom.org
Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners: www.lsbme.louisiana.gov

California Acupuncture Board: www.acupuncture.ca.gov
Asian Institute of Medical Studies: www.asianinstitute.edu
Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine: www.emperors.edu
Samra University: www.samra.edu
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: www.pacificcollege.edu
Worsley Institute of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture: www.worsleyinstitute.com

Beinfield, Harriet and Korngold, Efrem, Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, Ballantine Books, 1991.
Kaptchuk, Ted, The Web That Has No Weaver, Contemporary Books, 2000.
Pitchford, Paul, Healing With Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition, North   Atlantic Books, 1993.
Sankay, Mikio, Esoteric Acupuncture: Gateway to Expanded Healing,Mountain Castle   Publishing, 1999. Unschuld, Paul, Medicine in China: A History of Ideas, University of California Press, 1985.