In the last two decades, especially in Mainland China, efforts have been made to combine Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western medicine. The ‘fusion of East and West’, as people call it, has led to the inclusion of TCM in many Western hospitals in China. Patients are diagnosed using standard Western diagnostic procedures (blood tests, X-rays, ECGs etc), but the doctors then prescribe Chinese herbs or TCM treatment methods (such as cupping, acupuncture or massage) rather than Western treatments.
While the combination of Western medicine and Chinese medicine has increased the latter’s popularity in China, correspondence between the two fields encounters many problems that limit the effectiveness of TCM treatments. The main problem stems from a difference in the philosophy of diagnosis. Chinese medicine relies on the understanding that human bodily organs are interrelated. As I have described, through the analysis of the relationships between organs, mainly the Zang and Fu organs, its diagnosis can determine the origin of an illness and formulate a treatment plan aimed at eliminating the origin of the problem rather than temporarily reducing the symptoms. The combination of Western medicine diagnosis with TCM treatment methods or herbs is ultimately disappointing because Western medical treatment prioritises the reduction of symptoms over the elimination of causes.
For example, a patient in a high-pressure, stressful work environment develops a stomach ulcer and experiences pain. When the patient visits a regular Western hospital, the doctor will prescribe ulcer medication. When the same patient goes to visit a hospital that features the New Chinese Medicine, or Chinese medicine with Western diagnostic methods, instead of standard ulcer medication, the patient will receive herbal or TCM treatments. If the same patient goes to a practitioner who uses the TCM diagnostic method, the outcome will be quite different. Firstly, the practitioner will know that the cause of the stomach ulcer is likely to be the stressful work environment, at least in part. Stress is considered a pathogenic factor similar to anger, an emotion governed by the liver. As I have described (see page 53), a diagnostic tool often used in TCM is the Five Elements Theory, which summarises how each Zang and Zang organ interacts. When a negative effect occurs in one of the elements (metal, for example), it will cause a negative effect in a corresponding element (in this case wood). Wood will negatively affect earth, earth will affect water, water will affect fire, and fire will affect metal, which will affect wood and so the cycle continues. When a negative effect occurs in the liver, which is represented by the element wood, it will cause a negative effect in the stomach, represented by the element earth. Using the Five Elements Theory, the TCM practitioner is able to make a link between the two organs, the liver and the stomach, and come up with the proper TCM diagnosis which focuses on removing the negative effect in the liver, which in turn will remove the symptoms occurring in the stomach. TCM treatments are meant to be used in accordance with TCM diagnosis.. In the case of the stressed patient with a stomach ulcer, the proper TCM diagnosis should lead to treatments that are focused on the liver rather than the stomach. At a hospital that combines Western diagnosis with TCM treatment, the patient will receive treatment that focuses on the stomach, which will inevitably be less effective in curing the illness.
To construct the correct method of correspondence between the two fields of medicine, we should first acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of both. The main strength of TCM is its systemisation of the human body organs and its ability to analyse the relationship between each organ in order to determine the origin of an illness. The main weakness of TCM lies in its lack of objective diagnostic tools. Its diagnostic methods are typically subjective and unquantifiable. It is common for different TCM doctors to make different diagnoses concerning the same patient. Lack of quantifiable data makes data analysis impossible, which means the task of measuring the effectiveness of treatment is difficult.
Western medicine’s strength lies in its diagnostic tools. While we should not combine these with TCM treatments, the use of diagnostic tools that are objective and produce quantifiable results is the main area in which TCM diagnosis should strive to improve.
The Meridian Monitoring System
In 1951, Dr Yoshio Nakatani MD phD developed a method of examining the meridian system by measuring the skin conductivity of the 24 meridian points (also known as Yuan points) near the wrists and ankles. He was able to develop a system of diagnostic and treatment methods that utilises electronic readings from these. Over decades of research and clinical testing, Dr Nakatani was able to show that the diagnosis he obtained through his system corresponded accurately to the diagnosis obtained using common TCM methods, such as pulse reading and tongue diagnosis. He named his new method of diagnosis Ryodoraku and it has become a popular tool among acupuncturists and general TCM practitioners worldwide.
However, while Ryodoraku is a revolutionary method for TCM in terms of diagnostic accuracy and objectivity, it does carry certain limitations due mainly to variations in skin conductivity caused by the environment. In areas of high humidity, Ryodoraku readings will differ from those made in areas where the environment is dry. The temperature also has an influence, as skin condition can be influenced by sweating. Ryodoraku is also limited in its repeatability; in order to measure the conductivity of the meridian points, an electric current must be passed through the area. The polarity of the measured area will be altered by the electric current, so the user cannot repeat the measurement on that area until its polarity has returned to its original state. This means it is impossible for Ryodoraku to repeatedly measure one area in order to observe changes during treatment. (There is more on these limitations on page 115.)
In 2006, a research team in Taiwan developed a new method of electronic meridian diagnosis based on Dr Nakatani’s Ryodoraku. Their new piece of equipment obtains data by measuring the body’s own electrical microcurrent rather than measuring the skin’s conductivity. After years of research and experimentation, the new diagnostic equipment, the Meridian Monitoring System, was able to obtain results similar to the original Ryodoraku while resolving to some degree the original’s limitations. And because the Meridian Monitoring System could measure areas repeatedly, real-time measurement became a possibility. After six years of further research and design, the Real-Time Meridian Monitoring System was completed, a breakthrough in technology that has brought revolutionary changes to the way TCM diagnosis is conducted. It represents the future of TCM.
By using the Meridian Monitoring System, TCM practitioners can objectively observe the current state of the patient’s 12 meridians. After appropriate training, the TCM practitioner can use the data collected by the Meridian Monitoring System to determine more accurately which treatment methods are suitable for the patient. More importantly, the data obtained by the Meridian Monitoring System are quantifiable and can be further analysed and discussed among TCM practitioners. This can promote growth in the knowledge-base of TCM diagnosis and the accuracy and effectiveness of TCM treatment.
Meridian Qi Treatment
Just as the Meridian Monitoring System has allowed great advances in TCM diagnosis, the Meridian Qi Treatment has done much to improve treatment and restore the benefits of acupuncture.
History of acupuncture and Qigong
Qigong (or the art of cultivation and control of Qi energy) has existed in China for thousands of years. In Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), one of the most influential books of TCM as I have mentioned, methods for practising Qigong are described, as well as how the fluidity of Qi benefits the human body. Laozi, the author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of Taoism (or Daoism), makes repeated mention in his writings of the existence of Qi. The practice of Qigong has always been an integral part of the Chinese lifestyle and it was especially important in the past for TCM practitioners.
It is a well-known fact that many of the famous TCM masters in history were also successful Qigong practitioners. Some not only practised Qigong, but developed ways of using it to cure various ailments. For example, Hua Tuo, one of the most famous TCM doctors in history, created Wuqinxi (‘The exercise of the five animals’) as a method of using Qigong to improve the overall health of the internal organs. Qigong has long been an integral part of TCM and it is one of the main factors behind the effectiveness of TCM treatments.
In ancient times, acupuncturists were required to practise Qigong prior to learning how to use acupuncture needles. When the acupuncturist applies the needle to the patient, s/he should be able to direct his/her Qi into the patient’s body through the meridian point. This is the main theory used to explain why certain meridian points can influence organs that are not in their immediate vicinity. Qi can travel along the meridian and reach different areas of the body.
Unfortunately, most modern acupuncturists no longer practise Qigong. As a result, the effectiveness of modern acupuncture pales in comparison with that of ancient times. The acupuncture methods described in the past can no longer produce the results recorded. This is due not to errors of documentation, but rather to the quality of the practitioner. Nowadays acupuncture is mostly used for ailments associated with physical pain and muscle strains. The use of acupuncture in curing chronic diseases is very limited due to its lack of effectiveness. Fortunately, with the introduction of the Meridian Qi Treatment, the real benefits of acupuncture can be restored.
Technology that restores the effectiveness of meridian treatment
Meridian Qi Treatment uses a special ‘Qi Wafer’ to generate Qi. By using a specific type of 12-edged crystal, Qi can be focused into a beam and, by directing the Qi beam at certain meridian points, the state of the meridians can be altered.
The effects of Meridian Qi Treatment can be monitored using the Meridian Monitoring System, making it clear that changes occur in the affected meridians. In this way we can observe changes in the meridians during treatment, which is especially useful in medical research facilities. Together these new technologies provide an opportunity for objective assessment of TCM.
