General Philosophy
Therapy with Chinese herbalism rests on the basic theories of traditional
Chinese medicine. In brief, the basic theories of traditional Chinese
medicine include concepts of Qi, Yin and Yang, and "Nature." Qi is the
vital energy that runs through the body and determines the physiology of our
organ systems. Qi in turn is influenced by a balance between Yin and Yang
within our bodies. Yin and Yang are the two basic complementary energies
of Nature. Yin and Yang exist in all Nature in a specific balance.
Our bodies are part of Nature, so Yin and Yang exist within our bodies at the
same balance that they exist at in the rest of Nature. When we do
something to our bodies that changes the natural balance of Yin and Yang, our Qi
suffers, and thus, our body physiology suffers. This derangement of
physiology manifests as symptoms. The original insult, or "thing" that we
did to change the balance of Yin and Yang in our body must have been something
"un-natural" to skew our Yin/Yang balance.These theories form the basis for the practitioner's 1) historical
questioning, 2)physical exam technique, 3)the decision of appropriate herbal
intervention (which is based on actually two parts a. the theory of what is
wrong in the body, and b. the theory of what certain herbs do to the
body. Using these two pieces of information, the practitioner can
logically link together the ailment and the needed herb for its correction).
Below are examples of traditional Chinese method.
- A Chinese herbalist's method of historical questioning is similar to the
Western method of history gathering. Typical questions center on
symptomatic descriptions, review of other systems, questions on
precipitating factors, exacerbating factors, relieving factors, course of
symptoms, quality and quantity of symptoms, type of onset, etc.
Questions on family history, past medical history, social and traumatic
history are also popular topics.
- Physical Exam: In contrast to the history, the physical exam of
traditional Chinese medicine differs substantially from that of Western
medicine. In the traditional Chinese health system, pulse and
tongue analysis are the most important physical assessment methods
for determining one's condition. These techniques were established by
the Han Dynasty, and were described in The Classic of the Pulse. Pulse
technique records rate, strength, regularity, pulses at the right and left
wrist at three points per extremity, and the character of the pulse. The
tongue is inspected for the thickness and color of the tongue coating (fur)
and the color and texture of the underlying tissue. It is believed that 1) both
tongue and pulse are sensitive indicators of illness, and that 2) the practiced
herbalist will usually be able to correlate abnormalities of pulse and
tongue with the patient's
symptoms well before the imbalance results in abnormal blood
chemistry or x-rays.
- Decision making: the practitioner will put together the patient's
clinical picture in terms of a Qi disturbance, and will thus choose an
intervention that will correct the Qi flow by treating the underlying cause of
Yin/Yang imbalance. Herbal medicine uses plant, animal and mineral
substances to activate internal relationships that effect the balance and
circulation of the Qi. As listed on the History page, Chinese herbs
have been used to regulate Qi flow and/or tip the balance of internal
forces. See the list under Written History, on the
History page to review these uses.
- Interventions: Chinese Drugs Therapy is commonly used to treat
several
diseases. Herbal interventions come in hundred of types of herbs, and each
can be prepared in some or all of many forms: decoction, infusion, tincture,
powders, pills, plasters, poultice, bolus, drafts, capsules. Many of these
forms are available from commercial herb companies.
Chinese Herbalism and AIDS
Chinese herbal medicine is attractive to the individual patient for several
reasons, some of which may include 1) a belief that it is a more "natural" treatment of
disease than western medicine, 2) a belief that herbs may have less adverse effects that the
FDA-approved therapy, 3) a belief that herbal medicine is safe/effective simply
by virtue of its long history of use, etc. There are many such reasons,
and the number and type will obviously vary with the specific person, but they
can be categorized as personal beliefs.
In addition to the personal beliefs, there are several practical, logistical,
and even scientific
reasons why herbal therapies should be investigated specifically for
anti-HIV/AIDS therapies. These include:
- Relatively lower cost that is possible with the availability of Chinese
herbs. Although the final cost could obviously be effected by
the cost of preparation/extraction, the availability of the raw material
cuts down the initial costs.
- As made clear in the introduction and several other studies, AIDS
patient are using alternative therapies, including herbs, based on their
personal convictions, whether the modality is well-supported by clinical
evidence or not.
- Many preliminary studies have already shown anti-HIV activity of
dozens of herbs. Whether these initial findings will develop into any
future treatments for AIDS is
dependant on the development of future studies.
The Studies can be seen in the next section, The
Studies. |
