Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

Chapter 11 / Acupuncture and CVD 171
same words are used from time to time, they mean different things. For
example, the spleen is not the same in classical Chinese medicine as it
is in the West, because it also looks after the functions that, in Western
medicine, belong to the pancreas. The pancreas does not exist in Chinese
medicine, nor do the hormone-producing glands or the nervous system,
including the brain.
Although organs are well-defined structures in Western medicine, in
Chinese medicine they are not viewed as solid components whose existence
can be proven. Instead, they are defined by their functions and their
mutual relationships. Therefore, Chinese medicine describes organs that
don’t exist in the Western sense. The Sanjiao organ does not exist as an
anatomical structure but as a functional relationship between the organs,
which influence the body’s water metabolism. Feelings are also attached
to the organs; for example, anger and a hot temper are linked to the liver,
whereas happiness is linked to the heart.
The ancient Chinese masters were not particularly interested in
proofs—that these things (qi, meridians, and organs) didn’t exist in the
physical sense doesn’t matter. The important thing is that in the context
of the culture, the system works and, therefore, the descriptions should
be understood as a poetic expression of the things we can observe.
Can poetry be proved? It can be used, and we can decide whether it
is worth listening to.
How Acupuncture Works According to Chinese Theory
Acupuncture generally works by harmonizing the body’s energy
balance. In parts of the body where there is too much energy, the needles
help to remove the excess and bring the body back into balance. Acupuncture
in the foot to treat a headache works by taking the surplus
energy away from the head. Another type of headache is best treated
using needles in the hand, but from a Chinese perspective, the mechanism
is still the same—the removal of an energy surplus in an acupuncture
meridian. This time it is just a different meridian which is out of
balance.
It is important to understand that headaches can be treated in many
different ways in Chinese medicine, depending on the nature of the
headache and the patient’s general state. The Chinese doctor will construct
a complete picture of the patient’s situation and then work out his
or her treatment based on this.
If the Chinese doctor decides that there is an energy deficiency somewhere
in the body, the goal of the acupuncture treatment will be to supply
the person with energy and to harmonize the energy that already exists
in the body. This is the theory behind moxibustion, where a special herb