Traditional Chinese Medicine Made Tangible
Written by Diana Hermann, MAcOM, LAc.
Originally written for The Healing Path magazine May/June 2004 issue

I have been told that while you can "take the girl out of engineering", you cannot "take engineering out of the girl." This seems to hold true because although I am no longer working as a civil engineer, I continue to maintain my nature as a logical thinker. When I first began studying Traditional Chinese Medicine, I was certain I would have to learn to think in a new way. It initially seemed that my usual reasoning and problem-solving skills were hindering my ability to make sense of this apparently mystical art. I discovered, however, that I did not need to replace my system of thought; I just needed to add to it.

Many people in our culture are largely unfamiliar with Chinese (or Oriental) medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a unique yet comprehensive medical system with the ability to diagnose, treat and prevent illness. It is frequently viewed not as a science, but as an esoteric art form - something mysterious and obscure to our western thinking. While the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine truly is a work of art, it is also true that this is a well-organized system of medicine whose basic medical theory was founded on keen observation and surprisingly logical thought ...a science.

Science is defined as "the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomenon." Traditional Chinese Medicine, as it is practiced today, is the result of almost 3000 years of observation, identification, description, experimentation, and explanation of phenomena in nature. TCM takes its deep understanding of our natural world and applies it to the diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease. However, for the layperson, it appears perplexing and illogical or even irrational because of its unfamiliar descriptions and explanations of its basic theories. Let’s shed some light on the "mysteries" of this remarkable medicine.

Chinese medicine differs fundamentally from western medicine in regards to its basic view of the human body. Western medicine looks at a biochemical or biomechanical model of the body (i.e. made up of chemical constituents, molecules, cells, etc.). Chinese medicine, on the other hand, views the human body based on a bio-energetic model. This model does not deny the existence of the chemistry and mechanics involved in our functioning; it merely recognizes that the physiology of the body (its chemical and mechanical functioning) is dependent on the energetic functioning of the body.

To better understand this bio-energetic model, we need to define the important concept of Qi ("chee"). Qi can best be defined as matter on the verge of becoming energy and, conversely, energy on the verge of becoming matter. Just as there are various forms of energy in the universe (mechanical, electro-magnetic, chemical, thermal, nuclear), there are various forms of Qi in the body. The different types of Qi can exist in various stages of formation. Think of this like the ability of water to exist in various phases: solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (vapor). It is still water regardless of how material or how ethereal its form. For simplicity sake, let’s just consider Qi as the vital energy of the body.

Like everything else in the human body, Qi is very highly organized. Just as blood is carried through a network of blood vessels and electrical impulses travel along nerves, Qi runs along very specific pathways called channels or meridians. These channels are interconnected, to each other and to the organs. They distribute Qi throughout the body and serve as lines of communication between the organs. At various places along the channels that run closest to the surface of the body, there exist tiny portals where the Qi of the system can be accessed. These are the acupuncture points and each one has specific therapeutic functions. The Qi of the channel or of specific organs can be adjusted by the stimulation of these acupuncture points (via needle insertion, acupressure, or other methods). Chinese herbs can also be employed to adjust or balance the Qi and help heal the body of disease or prevent future problems from developing.

In Chinese medicine it is understood that while each organ has physiological, organic functions to perform, they each have energetic responsibilities to fulfill as well. Let's examine the Liver to illustrate this concept. The Liver detoxifies blood, metabolizes nutrients and synthesizes bile. In addition to these physiological operations, the Liver is responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of Qi. This means the Liver is in charge of making certain that the emotions, the digestion and the general Qi of the entire system flow smoothly. In this regard, the Liver acts as the manager. So while the Liver does not directly perform digestion, for example, an energetic imbalance in the Liver can cause a disturbance in the digestive system because the Liver cannot carry out its managerial responsibilities.

Both internal and external factors can contribute to imbalances in the energetic functioning of the channels and the internal organs, leading to illness and disease. Internal factors include unbalanced emotions. Each organ has an associated emotion and when that emotion is no longer appropriate or healthy, it leads to inappropriate or unhealthy responses from it associated organ and vice versa. The easiest example to relate to is the Liver again. The Liver is associated with anger. When a person becomes stressed, the Liver can no longer ensure the smooth flow of Qi (things get "stuck"), it can no longer direct the digestive system properly and it can no longer maintain smooth emotional responses. Thus, a stressed person may get a headache or develop digestive problems or they may be irritable, easily angered or depressed.

External influences that can lead to internal imbalances include climate, toxins (such as chemicals, drugs, pollutants), and pathogens (germs). We all know the saying "Be careful not to catch a cold!" Well, in Chinese medicine we say you not only can catch a cold from the environment, you can also catch a heat, dryness or dampness which often are driven into the body by wind. Of course this sounds a bit silly, but recall that the theories of this medicine were developed long before we had microscopes and could identify disease-causing microbes such as bacteria and viruses. Early Chinese practitioners described what they observed by likening the phenomena in the body to the phenomena witnessed in nature. For example, when a person suddenly developed an acute illness accompanied by chills, it was said they were invaded by cold (brought into the body by wind) or if they developed an acute fever they likely were invaded by heat or heat-toxins. These analogies were clinically useful because over the course of many many years, herbs and acupuncture points were found to effectively treat these illnesses. So if an herb was able to clear the acute "cold" or "heat" or that the "wind" brought into the body, these herbs were classified as having the ability to "Dispel Wind-Cold" or "Clear Wind-Heat". If they could get rid of the “heat-toxins” that developed in the body they were classified as having the ability to "Clear Heat-Toxins". Modern research has revealed that acute infections are caused by viruses and bacteria. As it turns out, the Chinese herbs that have been used for hundreds or thousands of years to "Clear Wind-Heat" or "Clear Heat-Toxins" actually have strong antiviral and antibacterial properties. Not really a mystery there, just a different way of explaining the cause of illness.

The above illustrations are but a few examples to help make TCM a bit more tangible to the inexperienced person. In addition, new research and new understandings of this ancient medicine continue to bring its theories to modern light. Thus, despite its unusual terminology and initially foreign concepts, TCM makes sense and it works. It balances logic and art quite nicely and remains profound in its simplicity. Whoever said something rational can’t also be beautiful?

About Diana Hermann, LAc.
Diana Hermann is a licensed acupuncturist currently practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine in Fort Collins, Colorado. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and received her Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in 1999. She is nationally certified in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine by the NCCAOM. Diana continued her post-graduate training with clinical internships in the affiliated hospitals of the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. You can contact her at (970) 416-9600 or email diana@hermannacupuncture.com.