Fire and Emotional Illnesses Elisa Rossi This article – drawn from the book Shen – Psychological Aspects of Chinese Medicine: the Classics & Contemporary Practice (currently in translation) – examines the various pathologies associated with emotional illness, paying particular attention to their links to fire. The concepts of constraint (yu) and stagnation (zhi) of qi, fire (huo), phlegm (tan), blood stasis (xueyu), empty fire and ‘restlessness and agitation’ (fanzao) are discussed with reference to classical Chinese texts by authorities such as Liu Wansu, Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi.
Five Element Acupuncture in the Land of the Great Khaan Richard Graham This article gives an account of the author’s experience as a volunteer with Health Volunteers Overseas at the Shastin hospital in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. He spent 4 weeks working with the medical team in the hospital’s rehabilitation centre treating musculoskeletal conditions, neurological problems (especially those associated with stroke), physiological diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, congenital deformities and growth problems, and mental and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. As a practitioner and teacher of Five Element acupuncture, the author’s pulse reading and treatment strategies intrigued his new colleagues, with concepts such as entry and exit blocks, Aggressive Energy and Possession being totally new to them. Most of the patients given Five Element acupuncture appeared to show improvement, with the most noticeable improvements coming from patients who had recently (within 6 months) suffered stroke.
Qigong - The Original Root of Classical Chinese Medicine Zhongxian Wu This article, structured in a question-and-answer style similar to that used in the Nei Jing, highlights the importance of daily qigong practice and the significance of the Three Treasures (san bao) – jing, qi and shen – and their refinement through qigong practice. Qigong as a therapeutic practice is discussed and its place at the very root of classical Chinese medicine is emphasised.
Case Study Research Methods in Chinese Medicine Barry Nester The case study has been used extensively in many diverse disciplines including medicine, psychology and education. This paper explores the purposes of case study research in the field of Chinese Medicine (CM). Various types of case study including intrinsic case study, instrumental case study and collective case study are examined for their use in research of CM. The case study can be used to understand health, illness and Chinese medicine healing practices holistically. Case studies can provide powerful stories to illustrate the diversity of Chinese medicine practice. They can also be used to document change and development in individuals while having Chinese medicine therapies. Case studies can in some instances generate theoretical positions and sometimes suggest limitations of current theories and practices. Case studies also enable CM students and practitioners to better understand the relation between CM theory and clinical practice.
School Phobia – A Case Study Ruth Young This case study concerns a boy of 12 who had become school phobic after being severely bullied on moving to secondary school. The author initially trained in Five Element acupuncture at Leamington followed by a TCM course at Reading which aimed to integrate the two styles of acupuncture. The study, which includes information on the patient’s background, diagnosis, treatment plan, diet and lifestyle advice and treatment outcome, is presented as an illustration of how successful very simple Five Element acupuncture can be in the treatment of quite severe mental health and emotional problems.
Fire – A ‘Lighter’ Perspective Gerad Kite This article, written from the perspective of a Five-Element practitioner and teacher, begins with an account of his experience of the Fire element and its significance for him personally. It moves on to give the classical context of the author’s understanding of the Fire element, outlining the roles of the four Fire Officials (heart, small intestine, heart protector and three heater). The Five-Element approach to treatment is then illustrated using two vividly portrayed and sharply contrasting examples of patients with Causative Factors in the Fire element, addressing the diagnosis, treatment and outcome in each case. Read the whole article
Spinal Canal Stenosis: A Clinical Experience with Acupuncture Dr Sanjeev Rastogi and Dr Atul Rastogi This case study, based upon the trial of acupuncture in a patient with lumbar canal stenosis, opens up a new vista in conservative management protocol to deal with this condition. Spinal canal stenosis, being a multi-level disorder and an associate of age-related co-morbidities, poses a considerable difficulty in selection of the right approach of management. Surgical decompression does not always result in reversal of neurological deficits and can lead to reluctance in choosing this option. Conservative management, on the contrary, often results in good patient compliance and substantial improvements. The addition of acupuncture to conventional conservative management makes it more likely to lead to a measurable and positive outcome, as is evident in the case study presented here.
Modern Research on Traditional Chinese Pulse Diagnosis Lisheng Xu, Kuanquan Wang and David Zhang This paper presents modern research on Traditional Chinese Pulse Diagnosis (TCPD). In order to demystify TCPD and prove its efficiency, some fundamental knowledge such as concepts, significance, diagnosis methods, and standard pulse patterns are outlined at the outset. Then we review modern research on TCPD mainly from four aspects: objectifying TCPD, analysis of pulse waveform, the mechanism of pulse formation, clinical observations and comparisons of pulses. For each of these aspects, general background information and brief explanations are given. In particular, it is very important to distinguish the pulse images based on traditional Chinese medicine and those derived from the sphygmogram based on western medicine. As an example, our pulse acquisition system is presented. Furthermore, typical pulse waveforms in our pulse database and their results as processed by modern signal processing methods are demonstrated. Finally, the potential and the problems facing modern research into TCPD are pointed out.
What is the Great Mystery of the Point Yin Tang? Dr Holmes Kaikobad This article explains the nature of the point yin tang explaining its critical location in relation to certain energy meridians of the body and how these meridians or channels connect to the heart yang. All these channels carry some aspect of the Fire element that is by nature yang, heated and red, and thus the area – situated on the most visible part of the face becomes a sensitive reflector of the most visible kind of body qi. The possible colour and textural changes at yin tang are discussed along with possible diagnoses and treatment strategies.
The First Step to Auditing our Practice – A Group Project in Swindon Hazel Andrews and Janice Booth This article reports on research conducted by a team of seven BAcC members practising in North Wiltshire. The research comprised a basic practice and patient audit, collecting information on the type of patient coming for treatment, presenting conditions and their duration, and patient perceptions of changes in their symptoms over the first six acupuncture treatments (using MYMOP2 forms).
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