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◦Philosophy
This system, which is thousands of years old, views illness as a disruption
of bodily humors such as
qi (internal
life force),
blood, yin, yang, heat, cold, phlegm and wind. These humors travel through
organ
systems and
channels. If these humors are excessive, lacking or stagnating, they cause
physical disease. What symptoms appear depends on which humor and which organ
system is affected. The Heart and Liver are particularly tied in to emotional
disturbance.
What Western physicians term "schizophrenia" can be caused by a variety of
problems in the Chinese system. One of the more common views is that the
symptoms result from blood stasis. Specific remedies are used for each
problem. Other examples, along with remedies, include:
-deficiency
in the Kidney with excess heat, treated with Two-Immortal Decoction (made up of
Rhizoma Curculiginis Orchiodis, Herba Epimedii, Radix Morindae Officinalis,
Cortex Phellodendri, Radix Anemarrhenae Asphodeloidis, and Radix Angelicae
Snensis)
-injury to
Heart yin, disrupted Liver and Spleen qi, treated with Licorice, Wheat and
Jujube Decoction (Radix Glycyrrrhizae Uralensis, Semen Tritici Aestivi Levis,
Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae) with some added Ramulus Cinnamomi Cassiae, Os Draconis
and Concha Ostreae
-ascendant
Heart yang with imbalance between water and fire, treated with Magnetite and
Cinnabar Pill (Magnetitum, Cinnabaris, Massa Fermentata)
-excessive
heat and chronic phlegm, treated with Vaporize Phlegm Pill (Calcined Lapis Micae
seu Chloriti, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, RAdix Scutellariae Baicalensis and Lignum
Aquilariae)
-warm-febrile disease in the Pericardium, treated with Calm the Palace Pill with
the Cattle Gallstone (Calculus Bovis, Cornu Rhinoceri, Secretio Moschus, Rhizoma
Coptidis, Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis, Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis, Realgar,
Borneol, Tuber Curcumae, Cinnabaris and Magarita)
◦Benefits
This view of health looks deeper at the cause of a disease than Western
medicine does, allowing for a more specific treatment.
◦Side
Effects/Warnings
Due to the specific nature of the diagnosis, consultation with a
professional is essential in ensuring the right formula is prescribed.
Formulas must be chosen carefully to ensure the plants included are the
correct ones and are pure.
◦Evidence
Evidence for this type of treatment is primarily anecdotal from centuries of
Chinese medicine.
One study investigated the efficacy of a traditional Chinese treatment to
invigorate the blood and relieve stasis compared to antipsychotic drugs. The
Chinese treatment was more beneficial for the anxiety, depression and for
increasing movement in patients with slowing. It also had fewer side effects.
Antipsychotics did more to decrease movement in patients with agitation. (Wang)
Some studies in China are demonstrating that traditional Chinese treatments
augment antipsychotics in their efficacy (Zhu et al. & Luo et al.) ◦Links
Health World's
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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