Six patterns not treatable

In my practice of traditional medicine, I've come to realize quite many factors are involved in the recovery of sickness and illnesses. We all know there are many illnesses and sicknesses about body of human beings. How diseases develop and change is getting more and more complicated. Methods to treat or cure, however, are not that many and far reaching. Therefore if factors such as attitude, mindset, living lifestyle, diets and others can be of positive and appropriate ones, recovery of course will turn out to be better, and faster.

If certain factors are not cooperative, it will be difficult to help/treat/cure...

According to 扁鵲(Bian Que), there are six scenarios/situations/patterns in which it's not easy to treat and must be approached with great care:

Title: 六不治, Liu Bu Zhi, Six-(patterns/traits)-not-(easily)-treatable

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驕恣不論於理，一不治也；

輕身重財，二不治也；

衣食不能適，三不治也；

陰陽并，藏氣不定，四不治也；

形羸不能服藥，五不治也；

信巫不信醫，六不治也。

有此一者，則重難治也。

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In PinYin pronunciation:

1. Jiao Zi Bu Lun Yu Li, Yi Bu Zhi Ye;

2. Qing Shen Zhong Cai, Er Bu Zhi Ye;

3. Yi Shi Bu Neng Shi, San Bu Zhi Ye;

4. Yin Yang Bing, Zang Qi Bu Ding, Si Bu Zhi Ye;

5. Xing Lei Bu Neng Fu Yao, Wu Bu Zhi Ye;

6. Xin Wu Bu Xin Yi, Liu Bu Zhi Ye.

You Ci Yi Zhe, Ze Zhong Nan Zhi Ye.

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1. Arrogant attitude not rationalized on truth, one not (easily) treatable thus;

2. Ignore body emphasize money, two not (easily) treatable thus;

3. Clothes diets not able suitable, three not (easily) treatable thus;

4. Yin Yang conflict, organs energy not stable, four not (easily) treatable thus;

5. Shape weak can not take herbs, five not (easily) treatable thus;

6. Trust witchcraft not trust medicine, six not (easily) treatable thus;

Got any one these, then hard difficult treatable thus.

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Explanations/Interpretations:

1. People who are arrogant, stubborn and spoilt and who refuse to be rational; it's not easy to treat them. These people may not cooperate in changes of lifestyle and diets. And their mindset so strongly fixed it's hard to share with them some other useful perspectives. Some could have been taking modern chemicals for many years and walk in to ask if the traditional medicine can 'fix' their chronic illnesses in two weeks, for example. Some always believe branded names and luxurious presentations; many ended up over doing surgery or operations, and some having their organs removed at some 5-star public-listed hospitals. And after which they turn to traditional medicine for help after all the invasive and removal surgeries... And many times they expect the side effects or the original illnesses can be 'fixed'in two weeks..., for example. For such people, with lack of rationale, it's not easy to treat them.

2. People who ignore their bodies but emphasize on making money; it's not easy to treat them. There are quite a number of people who craze with materialistic possessions to the extend they may not know the value behind physical possessions and therefore they don't know how to use money as tools for something more useful than physical world. Being too busy with making money and thus having too little time to listen to their bodies need (or family's or friends' need) is always a problem itself. There are also some people who are too stingy to spend money on medical need; an extra figure in their banks make more sense than a healthy body. For such people, a discount of 50 percents of the medical cost may be more helpful than the actual treatment itself. For such people, who don't know the true value of monetary sense, their illnesses are difficult to treat.

3. People who don't wear appropriate clothing or eat proper diets and herbs (and live a proper lifestyle); it's not easy to treat their diseases and illnesses. Revealing too much body parts can be more prone to windness and coldness, especially during autumn and winter, for example. People are also conditioned to take cold and icy drinks; and some women don't bother to reduce them before and during menstruation and thus menstrual pain and some pre-menstrual syndrome persist, for another example. Some work in the evening and at night shifts; the body clock has some hard time adjusting to activity at night. People who work at night will bound to have heaty liver and low immune system. Some inappropriateness is due to ignorance, some due to free will to indulgence, some due to the hardship of making ends meet...

4. People whose body have conflicts in Yin and Yang, plus whose energy of internal organs isn't stable; it's not easy to treat them. There are people with lots of conflicts among internal organs in terms of physical substances and functionality. And some organs can be weak too from chronic battles with illnesses and with each other. It's analogous to a person whose family members are fighting each other and lots of enemies outside too. It's chaotic and it's obviously a difficult situation. When the equilibrium between physical substances and their functionality is broken, plus the invasion of external pathogens, it's difficult to treat the problem.

5. People whose body are too weak to take herbs; it's not easy to treat them. This happens to people whose stomach and spleen functions are so weak they can't help to take it and digest and absorb the efficacy of foods or herbs. It'll take a very long time to treat such cases. It can be equally long to use acupuncture/tuina to treat because the body, too, reacts very slowly to external stimulants into the body. For such people, they have to start taking very original, simple and organic foods to have a good start to recover their spleen and stomach functions, before other organs can benefit from it.

6. People who believe in witchcraft but not in medicine; it's not easy to treat them. There are people who believe much more in deities or spirits, be they up there in heaven or down there in hell. Even though I talk about the relationship of body, mind and soul with my patients, I tend not to get into the soul part. I believe we are who we are by the way we think, talk, interact, and act with choice. And therefore we should just do our parts well on earth. There are situations, however, I do share my thoughts on souls with someone I suspect involves beyond physical or mental problems.

For anyone who's found to have one of the scenario, it's quite difficult to treat and must be approached with great care.

In short, those that aren't rational and don't take care of their bodies well are not easy to treat.

If I may add some of my own ideas of 'difficult cases' or 'not-easily-treatable cases', I'd say:

7. People that indulge themselves in desires (Seeing beauty, tasting great foods, smelling sweet scents, hearing sexy voices, touching softness and sophistication) especially the sexual pleasure; it's not easy to treat their illnesses. All indulgence in senses exhaust energy, depending which organs is more responsible over which senses. Over activity in sex reduces original kidney qi, the kidney energy, which is the ultimate reservoir of all energies. When it's not sufficient, all functions of other organs go down dramatically.

8. People who want only fast relief or simple ways out; it's not easy to treat their medical problems. Fast reliefs are usually symptomatic relief, they hardly target on the real internal problems that give rise to the illnesses. Similarly, people who are impatient or just look for 'miraculous' cure; it's difficult to help either.

9. People who have yet to find a balance of things and issues; it's not easy to treat their diseases. These people tend to blame most things on others and create unnecessary conflicts and dismays in life. They may also over worry or be lustful over materialistic items. There are also people who think they can plan most things like 20 years ahead but then ignore how to live to the fullest these very days. When a balance isn't there, the mind will be occupied by tedious things in life and lose her main direction. Mind is more powerful than the body... in a way. Please strive to strike a balance of things and issues.

10. The list goes on; but the not-so crucial ones let's not worry about them. And some of them overlap too. Remember, live at this very moment.

Now, do we still wonder why there are so many difficult-to-treat illnesses in the world?

Or care to shed your own ideas of how things can be better dealt with?

PS:

- The writing's from 六不治(Liu Bu Zhi; Six-Not-Treatable) of 扁鵲(Bian Que), recorded by 司馬遷(SiMa Qian) in his historical records of 《史記》(Shi Ji; History Record; Historical and literature records from roughly 3000 B.C. to 122 B.C., in China). According to what Mr. SiMa wrote, Bian Que lived during the era of 春秋(Chun Qiu; Spring Autumn; 770 B.C. - 476 B.C.), practiced medicine in countries of 齊(Qi) and 趙(Zhao). Bian Que's stories span a time frame of a few hundred years (A debate questioned by many scholars to be comprising of many reasons). A small section of the the book 《史記》 recorded Bian Que's exceptional (and miraculous and unbelievable) therapeutic skills.

- The Chinese characters are in old/complicated versions to reflect the original feel.

Swine Flu and Herbal Prescriptions for prevention

Viral infections are actually better treated with herbal prescriptions. Many scientists use herbal active ingredients for treatments of viral-based diseases such as AIDS, influenza. Unfortunately they mostly base their research on microscopic level of one or two active chemical ingredients from the herbs rather than the overall effectiveness of hundreds of natural chemical compounds found in the herbs. And they have neglected the usage of these herbs based on traditional theories such as characteristics, nature, taste, target organs of the herbs and so on.

If we read newspapers in Chinese language around the world, there are plenty of info about herbal treatments as well as precautions of influenza, and influenza A (H1N1; formerly Swine Flu) belongs to one of them. Different body types require different prescriptions. And different stages of the disease manifestations require alterations to prescriptions too. Therefore, the timing is crucial.

For precautions or strengthening our body immune system, one can use a formula such as: 防风 (Fang Feng) 6g, 黄芪 (Huang Qi) 12g, 白术 (Bai Zhu) 12g, 大枣 (Da Zao) 1pc. This formula is good for those who tend to sweat relatively more and get cold easily. The tongue impression should be pale and a little obese and pulse being weak. This formula also helps for people of weak digestion due to weak spleen. By enhancing the energy production of spleen and lungs, our bodies thus are able to generate a layer of protection around our skins, preventing us from catching cold and flu. If the local weather is hot, add 菊花 (Ju Hua) 9g.

Where as for people whose bodies are lacked of energy and inner fluid, the following formula can help to retain fluid in the body so as to prevent inner heat. They are: 党参 (Dang Shen) 12g, 麦冬 (Mai Dong) 9g, 五味子 (Wu Wei Zi) 6g. People with this body type tend to have less fur coating on the tongue and complain of dry mouth.

In terms of creating a shield around the skin to prevent flu infection, former prescription is more powerful. The later serves better in preserving yin fluid to prevent onset of sore throat, headache, itchy throat and so on.

There are also those whose bodies are of the heaty and mighty type. For this category of people, they can afford to take prescriptions that are more cooling and detoxifying: 夏枯草 (Xia Ku Cao) 15g, 板蓝根 (Ban Lan Gen) 9g, 金银花 (Jin Yin Hua) 9g, 紫花地丁 (Zi Hua Di Ding) 12g, 蒲公英 (Pu Gong Yin) 15g, 连翘 (Lian Qiao) 6g, 生甘草 (Sheng Gan Cao) 6g. This formula is also suitable for people who live in high-risk cities as it's very effective against viral threats. Do bear in mind that the cooling and bitter nature of these herbs can hurt the stomach and spleen functions if used for unnecessarily long period. Alterations is necessary to suit different manifestations due to local climate and seasonal changes.

Mosquito fogging brings bad karma

Mosquito spraying/fogging has been carried out through out the world for many years with little successful results. The act of killing virus-carrier mosquitoes with chemicals has brought many unforeseen results.

To these days, many then unforeseen and destructive results have been known:

- Creating super mosquitoes: The use of many chemical insecticides in the past half decade or so has proven just one thing: The nature will prevail over human beings and new species of mosquitoes which can survive stronger insecticides will form by mutation. The next leading role of the movie will be the “super mosquitoes” who are not deterred by chemical pesticides. Then, what’s next? More and stronger toxic chemicals? And the same vicious cycle repeats again?

- Killing and extinguishing of its natural predators: Chemical insecticides/pesticides kill parts of mosquitoes, not all. And it also kills some other species. For example, sparrows, birds, frogs, bats and freshwater fishes could also be killed because of the fogging. And some of them are actually natural predators of mosquitoes as they feed on mosquito larvae. The decrease of the number of natural predators will only increase the number of new breeds of mosquitoes. The flourishing of mosquitoes today is the result of disturbance of natural ecological balance, partly due to fogging.


- Toxification of human beings and animals: The insecticides human beings used are synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, pyrethrins and malathion. And these are toxins. If they are toxic and harmful to mosquitoes, why can’t we understand they could be toxic and harmful to human beings/animals? In many parts of the world, there are hardly any control over the quality and quantity of insecticides/pesticides used in actual fogging. The more we use these chemicals, the more we and our children and grandchildren will suffer. The weaker our immune system becomes, the poorer health we have and the shorter our lifespan will be.

- Destruction of organic lifestyle: This is the time where more and more health conscious people are practicing the life-nourishing organic lifestyle with organically grown local produces. Many governments have also supported and hopefully will draft proper policies in helping the growth of this natural and productive agriculture. Can we imagine how chemical fogging destroys the work of organic plantations? It’s directly going against the balance of nature.

The government officials may or may not understand how ecology and nature works. Acting upon public complaints of mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue fever, Malaria, West Nile fever and so on, they are busy showing the public and media they actually do their job by busy killing mosquitoes, seemingly fulfilling the demand of general public.

Instead of opting for the chemical fogging/spraying, a government which has green/ecology wisdom will:


- Push for green environmental education: Educating public about the impossibility of killing all mosquitoes. The more fogging we do, the more adverse consequences we and our children will face. Educating public on how reducing meat intakes can reduce attracting mosquitoes; reducing the use of anti-biotics for stronger immune system which even upon bitten the body will not be affected so easily.

- Push for ecology education: The environmental department can protect the growth of frogs, sparrows, birds, freshwater fish, bats and home lizards and so on.

- Encourage the use of natural mosquito repellents and other techniques: Growing more plants which crushed leaves can repel mosquitoes like citrosa, lemon thyme, marigolds around the neighborhood. Introducing naturally and organically produced insect repellents and aroma essential oils like Eucalyptus, Cedar wood, and tea tree oils.

- Take better care of the neighborhood environment: Clean up all stagnant dead water, and scattered rubbish which actually helps the growth of mosquitoes breeding. This community-wide mosquito abatement program definitely helps in getting rid of mosquito-breeding sites.

The nature has warned us again and again on how poorly we take care of our surroundings and environments. However, many years of ignorant actions/inactions cannot be rectified by the wrong move of fogging. If we do not wake up to the callings, a red card is sooner than we can expect.

Note:
1) The writing is inspired by Mr. Simon Chau, a social and environmental activist, of www.simonchau.hk. The outline of the writing follows his style as it provides the consequences as well as solutions to what human beings can do to help.

Avian bird flu & Chinese medicine

Unknown pathogen: In 2003 Avian bird flu global spread, antibiotics were not effective at that time. The so-called “supportive treatment” of traditional Chinese medicine played an important role in enhancing body immune system, ability to fight virus, stabilizing situations and in preventing cases from deteriorating. The incredibly small percentage of 7% death rate in China showed to the world how Chinese medicine can be so useful in viral infections.

Pic: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/ai_human_en.htm (Data as of 04.07.2006)

SARS: The major symptoms of SARS are fever, cough and muscle pains. By taking pulse and reading the tongue TCM doctors are able to write down the prescriptions and stop the virus from spreading. This unique characteristic of Chinese medicine is most suitable for eruption of acute diseases. Western medicine has to locate the pathogen first before prescribing medicine; without known pathogens, no drugs can be used. This happened when SARS first broke out where western medicine doctors didn’t know the cause and therefore was clueless to help.

During the treatment of SARS with western medicine, there were side effects of osteonecrosis, osteoarthropathy，steroid-related diseases, DM and etc. With application of Chinese medicine in SARS, it’s recognized by WHO (Who Health Organization) as a safe way.

China has a long history of conquering acute viral epidemics, contagious epidemics for 5 thousand years. SARS definitely was not the first.

SARS 2003 in China

In 2003 SARS spread widely; there were 5,200 cases of SARS in China, whereas the death toll was only 7%, the lowest in the world. Principal of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Beijing, Prof. Cao Hong-Xin (HongXin) said during an interview that: “The low death toll of 7% is related to application of traditional Chinese medicine in China in treatment of SARS. The later patients at Beijing Xiao Tang Shan SARS hospital all got well mostly because of the use of Chinese medicine.”

He said everyone realized that antibiotics were not effective at that time. The so-called “supportive treatment” of Chinese medicine played an important role in enhancing body immune system, ability to fight virus, stabilizing situations and in preventing cases from deteriorating. According to Prof. Cao, China has a long history of conquering acute viral epidemics, contagious epidemics for 5 thousand years. SARS definitely was not the first.

In the history of human beings there have been thousands cases of contagious epidemics. Death tolls of Europe Black Plaque went up to tens of millions. But in China, none of those epidemics caused more than 5 million lives. One of the reasons was due to the fact that Chinese medicine was able to come in with “supportive treatment” even before the cause of the disease was known.

The major symptoms of SARS are fever, cough and muscle pains. By taking pulse and reading the tongue TCM doctors are able to write down the prescriptions and stop the virus from spreading. This unique characteristic of Chinese medicine is most suitable for eruption of acute diseases. Western medicine has to locate the pathogen first before prescribing medicine; without known pathogens, no drugs can be used. This happened when SARS first broke out where western medicine doctors didn’t know the cause and therefore was clueless to help.

During the treatment of SARS with western medicine, there were side effects of osteonecrosis，osteoarthropathy，steroid-related diseases, DM and etc. With application of Chinese medicine in SARS, it’s recognized by WHO (Who Health Organization) as a safe way.

Prof. Cao has been attracted to “miraculous” TCM since young and decided to pursue the studies when he grew up. Since the age of 14 years old, he’s taken the initiative to read TCM books. After graduation from high school at 18, he went to Heilongjiang College of TCM. He was a gifted child as he got his Ph. D. as a relatively young age. At the age of 37, in 1995, he became the vice principal of Heilongjiang College of TCM, the youngest ever. In 1999, at the age of 41, he became the headmaster of Heilongjiang University of TCM, the youngest ever. When he was transferred to Beijing to be the principal of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Beijing, he was the youngest principal in 50 years. He specialized in liver diseases in his Master program and kidney diseases in his Ph. D. program. After Ph. D., he worked on stomach diseases.

According to Prof. Cao, there are 4 major categories of diseases affecting human beings, and TCM is effective in all these diseases. They are: 1) Cardiac diseases (Stroke, heart diseases), 2) Tumors (Various cancers), 3) Viral diseases (SARS, AIDS, and Hepatitis), 4) Metabolistic Immune diseases (DM) and etc. These diseases are related closely to stress, diet, working environment and so on. Besides these diseases that can cause pain, there are other diseases such as insomnia, depression, aggregation which can also be treated effectively with Chinese medicine.

Prof. Cao said: “70% of the people are not healthy these days. They’re just sub-healthy. In order for people to be really healthy, in TCM, we call it “treating diseases before they happen”. Prevention is better than cure. There are many methods such as Qigong, TaiJi, dietary plan, Tuina, Emotional therapy and many others (like yoga).

Glossary: SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Beijing Xiao Tang Shan SARS hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Beijing, Prof. Cao Hong-Xin (HongXin).

What is acupuncture? What can it do?

Q: What’s acupuncture & how does it work to treat diseases?
A: Acupuncture is a natural holistic approach of healing. With insertion of sterilized disposable needles into the acupuncture points to balance the qi (energy). If qi is too much, stagnant or too little, it will cause diseases. The right manipulation techniques adjust the qi to its appropriate conditions and enhance our body‘s immune system.

Q: What diseases can be treated with acupuncture?
A: Acupuncture has been proved - through controlled trials - to be effective for(*1): •Adverse reactions to radio and/or chemotherapy•Dysmenorrhoea•Headache•Hypertension(HBP)•
Hypotension(LBP)•Stroke•Luekopenia •Sciatica•Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA)•Low back pain•Allergic rhinitis•Depression•Biliary colic•Periarthritis of shoulder•Neck pain•Nausea & Vomiting•Knee pain•Neck pain•Tennis elbow•Renal colic•Facial pain and etc.

Diseases for which therapeutic effect has been shown(*1): •Abdominal pain•Bronchial asthma•Cancer pain•Diabetes mellitus(NID)•Cholelithiasis•Facial spasm•Insomnia•Female infertility•Obesity•Herpes zoster•Hyperlipaemia•Chronic cholecystitis•Male sexual dysfunction•Meniere disease•Osteoarthritis•Polycystic ovary syndrome•Premenstrual syndrome•Neurodermatitis•Chronic ulcerative colitis•Alcohol, tobacco, opium, cocaine & heroine dependence•Sore throat•Tonsillitis•Raynaud syndrome•Female urethral syndrome•Schizophrenia•Gouty arthritis•Chronic prostatitis and etc.

Q: Is acupuncture safe?
A: Acupuncture has no side effects. There is minimal risk of organ penetration. The locations, angles as well as depth of insertions are closely observed to avoid injuries. Proper sterilization and disposable needles are used.

(*1): “Acupuncture: review and analysis of reports on controlled clinical trials”, WHO (World Health Organization) research paper. Geneva 2002. ISBN 92 4 154543 7 (NLM classification: WB 369)