TCM understands the body differently than western conventional medicine. I often make the following comparison:
- Conventional medicine sees illness as a problem in itself – like in a Petri dish with test germs. When a problem arises, it is either a problem caused by an “intruder” or something is “broken.” This is solved by killing the “invader” (the germ) or else repairing the structure.
- TCM focuses more on health AND disease within the body as a whole – like a gardener looking at a garden as a WHOLE: “Hm, that’s interesting. Why is this corner of the garden so dry and this other part of the garden relatively wet?” When there is a problem here, in TCM we understand it as a disharmony in the relationship between the human and the universe, or within the body, a disturbance within an organ or in the relationship between disparate organs’ functions. We ask ourselves how we can improve this – either by harmonizing these relationships or by promoting or rebalancing the strength of our own body.
Auf der anderen Seite betrachten wir bei einer Diagnose auch die Organe und die Substanzen des Körpers. Die Substanzen sind Qi (Energie, um alle Funktionen zu erledigen), Blut, Körperflüssugkeiten, Jing („Essenz“ oder Eigenschaften und Tendenzen, die wir von unseren biologischen Vorfahren erben), Yin und Yang. Die Organe hören sich an wie schulmedizinische Organe: Leber, Gallenblase, Milz/Pankreas, Magen, usw. Aber die TCM betrachtet ein Organ einfach als seine energetischen und körperlichen Funktionen, die manchmal ähnlich sind wie in der Schulmedizin, und manchmal ganz anders. Wenn die TCM z.B. von der Leber spricht, spricht sie von einem Organ, das eine Beziehung zur Zeit und Energie des Frühlings hat: Wie eine Pflanze, die durch den Erdboden bricht, um nach oben und außen zu wachsen. Eine gesunde Leber nach TCM hilft, alle Funktionen des Körpers regelmäßig und mit Gelassenheit durchzuführen, – so wie sich eine gesunde Pflanze im Frühling durch den Erdboden drückt und dann mit einem „Ahhh…“ ausatmet und loslässt. Das führt zu regelmäßiger und effektiver Verdauung, regelmäßiger monatlicher Blutung und ausgegelichenen Emotionen, usw. Eine Leber mit eingeschränkten Funktionen schränkt alle andere Funktionen des Körpers ein: Stress führt zu Gluckern im Magen oder Durchfall, unregelmäßiger monatlicher Menstruation, oder reaktive Emotionen und Reizbarkeit. In der TCM heißt die Diagnose „Leber Qi Stau“ und ggf. mit „Milz Qi Mangel“ oder „Leber Blut Mangel“ oder „Blut Stase.“
If conventional medicine has made a specific diagnosis, this does not always mean that TCM also makes a specific diagnosis. For example, some people have a “cold” with a sore throat, thirst and fever or a feeling of fever, while other people experience a “cold” with neck tension, no thirst and a feeling of cold. Why is that? In TCM we see this as an important difference not only in the disease but also in the constitution of people, and we find that different people need different treatments, even if they have similar ailments.
And how do we arrive at a TCM diagnosis? This is what you will experience in the course of a consultation:
- Interview: Every appointment begins with questions and answers. I want to better understand how you got to the current state: What makes it better? What makes it worse? What other problems or issues are you experiencing, that could play a role?
- Tongue Diagnosis: The tongue, like many other parts of the body, mirrors the whole body. It shows us whether the qi, blood, body fluids, yin and yang in the body as a whole and in certain organs have an optimal quantity, quality and movement. Just look at your own tongue: how fresh does it look? Is the tongue fur too thin or too thick? What does your tongue look like when you’re tired or when your stomach isn’t feeling well? Not for nothing is it said: “The tongue speaks volumes…”
- Pulse diagnosis: As in conventional medicine, we take pulses. In TCM, however, we read the pulse a little more closely. We are interested in not one but three different positions to be read on each wrist – each position reflecting the functions and strength of a particular organ system. Interestingly, there are actually multiple perspectives on the pulse in both TCM and other Asian medicines. I was fortunate to learn not only TCM pulse diagnosis, but also Tibetan Medicine with a therapist/teacher who is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area – Robert Levine. This experience taught me much more information about possible pulses and the corresponding diagnoses, as well as some flexibility in understanding the nuances of what I might perceive in a pulse.
- Abdominal diagnosis: Palpating the abdomen is a skill that was not so closely studied in ancient China due to physical taboos. In Japan, however, it became very important when therapists there used TCM and developed it further in their own way. The abdomen, like the pulse, is another mirror of the whole body, and Japanese therapists have refined “abdominal palpation” particularly for prescribing herbal formulas. In recent years I have supplemented my studies in this direction.
With all this information I create a diagnosis and a treatment plan according to Chinese medicine.
Questions?
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