Traditional Chinese medicine not only “soaks wolfberry in a thermos cup”, but also has many advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, let’s take a look!
Photo by Li Weihai
Which diseases are suitable for seeing Chinese medicine?
When I’m sick, should I see Chinese medicine or Western medicine first? Professor Liu Chuiliang, director of the Department of Anesthesiology, Foshan Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced several “advantageous” diseases suitable for traditional Chinese medicine in the book “Which diseases are suitable for Chinese medicine and which diseases are suitable for Western medicine” ①:
1. Migraine
First check to identify the cause, after excluding organic problems, take traditional Chinese medicine conditioning. Most migraine headaches have no etiology and are functional disorders, and there is no better way for Western medicine.
2. Insomnia
Insomnia is mostly a functional disorder. Traditional Chinese medicine can treat it from the perspectives of qi and blood, yin and yang, and has a good effect. Western medicines that are sedative and hypnotic can easily lead to dependence and can only be taken for a short period of time.
3. Constipation
The treatment of constipation by western medicine is relatively short-lived and can only be used as an emergency measure. Do not take too many laxatives to avoid drug dependence.
4. Facial Paralysis
Western medicine does not have a particularly good method. Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and physical therapy are more reliable.
5. Cervical Spondylosis
Traditional Chinese medicine massage therapy is a major feature of the treatment of this disease, and it is more advantageous to cooperate with traditional Chinese medicine. It should be noted that because improper massage is easy to cause danger, you must choose a regular Chinese medicine hospital, and you can’t just go to a small clinic with unknown details.
6. Idiopathic alopecia, alopecia areata
The etiology of these diseases is generally unknown, and Western medicine is not easy to treat. TCM has a certain curative effect based on syndrome differentiation and treatment from the perspectives of deficiency of qi and blood, deficiency of viscera, phlegm-dampness and heat stasis.
7. Primary Dysmenorrhea
Western medicine is not effective in treating primary dysmenorrhea, mostly symptomatic treatment. TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment effect is better.
8. Menstrual disorders
Most of them are functional disorders, and the effect of traditional Chinese medicine is more obvious.
9. Complex Chronic Diseases
Such as chronic nephritis, rheumatism, stroke sequelae, etc., Western medicine may take hormone therapy, which has certain side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine selects prescriptions through syndrome differentiation, drinking decoction or acupuncture, which has good effect and little damage to liver and kidney function.
10. Other sub-health states
If there is no abnormal state in the indicators such as the chemical examination of Western medicine, such as sub-health symptoms such as physical weakness, irritability, loss of appetite, etc., all of them can be conditioned by traditional Chinese medicine.
What should I pay attention to when seeing a Chinese doctor?
Zhou Lihua, a famous Chinese medicine practitioner in Henan Province and the director of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, published an article in the headline “Professor Zhou Lihua of Chinese Medicine” in 2021, saying that if you go to see a Chinese medicine, in order to better ensure the curative effect, here are a few tips for patients advice. ②
1. Don’t be prejudiced against TCM
It stands to reason that traditional Chinese medicine should not be controversial. It is a summary of the experience and theory of ancient Chinese and modern people using natural medicines and characteristic treatments to fight against diseases. Although it has its limitations, it does have advantages in many diseases, or some stages of many diseases.
However, some people have prejudice against traditional Chinese medicine. Even if Western medicine is ineffective and they have no choice but to go to traditional Chinese medicine, they often have a bullying attitude.
2. Whoever seeks medical treatment, decoct Chinese medicine according to whoever’s request
There are many details in the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine. It is weighed according to different conditions, different prescriptions, and different physiques of patients. Whoever seeks a Chinese medicine doctor must follow the decoction and taking method taught by the doctor. Do not decoct and take traditional Chinese medicine according to your past experience, which not only affects the curative effect, but may also aggravate the side effects.
3. Try not to wear makeup, especially heavy makeup, when visiting a Chinese doctor
Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to “observing words and colors”, and a lot of information relies on inspections. If you put on makeup, especially heavy makeup, it will cover up your complexion and expression, which is a major obstacle to judging the disease.
In addition, don’t scrape the tongue coating before seeing a doctor, and don’t eat some foods that are easy to stain the tongue coating, such as cucumbers, red heart pitaya, etc.
4. The doctor’s words are more important than your own questions
Some patients see Chinese medicine, from the beginning to the end of the question, and even keep interrupting while the doctor is writing the prescription, which is actually not wise.
For the really key and important issues, the doctor must explain it. It is better to let the doctor concentrate on thinking about the disease and write the prescription, and then firmly remember the doctor’s explanation.
5. Don’t think too much about Chinese medicine
Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine will publicize or record those cases with particularly good curative effects. In fact, because the probability of occurrence is very low, it is not easy to appear, so it is easier to attract people’s attention.
In fact, traditional Chinese medicine is not so magical. Many diseases require a course of treatment, especially those diseases that cannot be cured by Western medicine for a long time. There may be extremely individual cases of special effects, but most of them are not so lucky.
Therefore, patients must be mentally prepared, and they can’t directly deny the fact that a Chinese medicine practitioner takes seven medicines without any change.
6. Don’t compare and negate Chinese medicine with each other
The particularity of the discipline of Chinese medicine makes it difficult to reach a completely consistent theoretical point of view. Different prescriptions can only indicate different treatment ideas or entry points. The vast majority of Chinese medicine practitioners are seeing a doctor in a down-to-earth manner.
7. Don’t haggle on taboos when seeing a doctor
The taboo is because of the disease, the purpose is to make the disease recover faster, so try not to take many taboo drugs.
This article is compiled from:
①”Which diseases are suitable for traditional Chinese medicine and which diseases are suitable for Western medicine”, Liu Chuiliang, Guangdong Science and Technology Press
②2021-03-22 headline number “Professor Zhou Lihua of Traditional Chinese Medicine”