The TCM route to senior health(2)

Homeopath Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) coined the term allopathy, meaning other than disease, to refer to what is now the conventional approach to healing that uses pharmacologically active agents or physical interventions to treat or suppress symptoms or pathophysiologic processes of diseases or conditions. Allopathic medicine began in Europe in the 19th century with so-called "heroic" medicine, in reference to its extreme methods such as blood-letting.

TCM and other Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) on the other hand, have a two-millennia-long history.

The diagnostic methods of Allopathy and CAMs have something in common. Both take into account the patient's complexion, general demeanor and the way in which they describe their ailments. What sets TCM apart is its diagnostic technique of feeling the three pulses, called the cun, guan and chi, on each forearm above the wrist. The cun, guan and chi on the left arm assess respectively the heart, liver and kidneys, and those on the right the lungs, spleen and kidneys. Through comparing the two sets the TCM practitioner can determine the health status of individual organs and of the whole body.

The Suwen, or Basic Questions, is the first text of the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, an ancient Chinese medical text regarded as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia. It defines a correct diagnosis as depending upon a clear classification of Yin and Yang syndromes. In its own words, "If one is good at diagnosis, they should differentiate the yin from yang after the observation of color (of complexion, tongue, urine, stool, etc,) and feeling the pulse." Bright color is Yang, dim color is Yin; a sonorous voice indicates Yang, a low voice is Yin; feeble and weak respiration is Yin, coarse breathing is Yang; superficial, rapid and forceful pulses are Yang, slow, deep feeble and weak pulses are Yin.

The medical establishment has reservations about acupuncture – a main facet of TCM. The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NI CE) recommends it as a treatment only for lower back pain, according to the UK NHS (National Health Service) Choices website, which also cites evidence that it works for a small number of conditions, including migraine and post-operative nausea. It nonetheless states that there is no scientific evidence for the existence of qi or the meridians through which it flows. The U.S. appears more acceptant of acupuncture and CAMs. In 1997 the National Institute of Health successfully sponsored an Acupuncture Consensus on Acupuncture Efficacy in a meeting that confirmed the efficacy, application and safety of acupuncture.

Having had acupuncture treatment on a few occasions I can attest in all confidence to the existence of meridians. There is no other explanation for the sensation similar to an electric shock that comes from manipulation of the needles, or the difficulty in moving a limb in which needles are embedded. Just one experience dispels any doubts of interconnectedness among limbs and nerves.

Veteran movie actress Shirley MacLaine describes in her book You Can Get There from Here, based on the 12-woman delegation she led to the PRC in 1973, the use of acupuncture as anesthetic for a woman undergoing birth by cesarian section. Hers is by no means the sole celebrity attestation to its efficacy. Actor Robert Downey Jr, star of Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man and The Avengers, has become an advocate for TCM, which he says has had profound impact in all areas of his life for many years. Gwyneth Paltrow, Helen Hunt, top model Elle Macpherson and actor Jim Carrie also swear by acupuncture and Eastern medicine in general by virtue of the changes it has brought to their physical vitality and sense of well-being.

Here in China, TCM is accessible to all, rather than to the moneyed few. It is not expensive, and many remedies can be bought over the counter. So the next time you feel a cold coming on, rather than reaching for the Contac, why not visit your local TCM outlet, for example the Tongrentang chain, and obtain a packet of Ganmao Qingre Keli (powder for cold-induced fever). If all you have is a cold, taking three sachets with hot water daily for three days could well make your symptoms subside.

Another thing about reaching seniority is that it makes a body count its blessings. Mine are many. I live in the capital of what will always be one of the world's most fascinating countries, have a job I enjoy and a close circle of friends from all five continents. More to the point, I have the capacity to enjoy all this by virtue of the good health that is due to TCM. Nobody wants to be old, but I would rather be a senior, albeit expat, citizen of China than anywhere else.