Qi Spot

The Three Wise Men of Biblical fame gave the infant Jesus presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  (Well, strictly speaking there was no mention of the number of wise men who visited but the number three was inferred from the number of gifts – go figure.)  Gold is obvious – fit for a king.  Frankincense is used by priests in temples.  Myrrh?  Apparently for burial.  Traditional catholic theology (okay, I’m catholic) deduces that the three gifts represent Jesus’ royalty, priestly character, and eventual death.

However, it shall be seen that myrrh is more than meets the eye.  I’m rushing a bit today because I still have many holiday obligations, so I’ll just link to and quote this article: (http://www.hc2d.co.uk/content.php?contentId=13588)

‘Gloomy’ myrrh good for heart

22nd December 2009

Myrrh, the Middle Eastern tree resin, may contain powerful heart-healthy compounds, according to new Saudi research.

Nadia Saleh Al-Amoudi from King Abd Al-Aziz University in Saudi Arabia said that myrrh resin could be used along with other plants to give a big boost to heart health.

She said, however, that more research would be needed before scientists could find a safe way of administering it to people.

Raw myrrh resin can be toxic and should not be eaten.

Though the substance has many sources in Africa, India, and the Middle East, myrrh comes primarily from the dried sap of a number of trees native to Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Jordan.

Though the name of the resin entered English from Ancient Greek, it is thought to have originally come from a language source located in the Middle East or East Africa, where it has been used as a traditional remedy for sore throat, congestion, bad breath, cuts, and burns.

For the purposes of the study, Al-Amoudi fed a cocktail of myrrh resin and other plant materials to albino rats, and found that it increased their blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “good” cholesterol.

Myrrh is known in the west as one of the three gifts of the Magi and is part of the Christian story of Christmas, and it has other medicinal associations for various cultures around the world.

Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicinal system of India, has its own uses for myrrh.

Chemists working with Ayurvedic medicine have found that Indian myrrh contains compounds which lower blood lipids.

The compound found in Indian myrrh inhibited a gene in the livers of test animals that affects cholesterol absorption.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), myrrh is used to treat menstrual problems, as well as problems affecting the heart, liver, and spleen.

TCM also employs myrrh and used along with frankincense for treating arthritis.

Okay, time for a few side notes:  myrrh appears to be a blood stagnation remover (will have to research more) and it affects three zang fu organs associated with Blood: the Heart generates (moves) Blood, the Liver stores Blood and the Spleen controls/holds Blood.

Frankincense too eh?  Those wise men were truly wise!  Note that gold compounds were also used in western medicine for arthritis.  Perhaps the wise men were thinking that Jesus, being the son of a carpenter, would have arthritic joints from woodwork?

I don’t normally just cut and paste blog entries here in my own blog, but this article is too good for me not to quote and is so self-explanatory that I can’t really comment on it further except to say, “yeah, that’s right.”  I’ll just highlight some goodies.

The Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine: How Does it Really Work? <http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/cw-radar/the-science-of-traditional-chinese-medicine-how-does-it-all-really-work>  by Trista Baldwin, posted by Andrea Wong (yeah I’m a bit confused…) posted and accessed 11/19/2009

Relegated to the realm of alternative medicine in the West, TCM is often viewed as a system based more on ancient superstition than science. Trying to understand TCM from the viewpoint of 20th century science is akin to trying to decipher Old English without a modern translation. There is a methodical approach at work; it’s just difficult to understand.

Couched in the ancient language and philosophy of the time, with references to qi, the five elements and yin and yang, that approach is often misinterpreted as being overly philosophical. However, the applications are actually quite practical. Qi refers to a physiological process; yin and yang to balance. The five elements (wu xing) are in fact a system used to describe the interactions and relationships that connect the various systems in the body to each other and to the environment–the flow of energy or fluids, for example. These systems are further confused by the Western understanding of anatomy.

When a TCM doctor refers to the Lung, this is not the same as its anatomical counterpart. The Chinese organs are interrelated systems. “An organ has its own qi , and delivers that to another organic system which gets its energy from another system and so forth,” explains Doris Rathgeber, general manager of Body & Soul Medical Clinics. As such, “A cough might actually be related to a problem with the Kidney,” explains Dr. Shao Lei, head of the acupuncture department of Huashan Hospital Fudan University. “This is often hard for patients to understand.”

Western studies on TCM have focused particularly on the workings of acupuncture and herbology, although explanations are not easily forthcoming. Many of the world’s pharmaceuticals come from herbs, but “it’s still hard to measure why the combination of one herb with another herb works,” Rathgeber says. Herbal prescriptions alter according to changes in the patient’s constitution and environment, making herbal remedies harder to test in isolation.

The healing effects of acupuncture, though not fully explained, are strongly linked to the nervous system. Piercing the skin with a needle triggers the sensation of injury. The brain generates an immune response, stimulating the area and strengthening the immune system in one fell prick. “The nervous system is interconnected,” adds Shao. “One point affects another.”

Despite its strengths in preventative and palliative medicine, neither Shao nor Rathgeber believes TCM needs to be practiced in isolation. Acute conditions requiring antibiotics or other Western treatments should not be avoided if necessary. Neither doctor shies from using Western diagnostic tools such as X-rays, MRIs or lab tests to more clearly pin-point the exact cause of a perceived deficiency. “Western medicine is more concerned with exact measurements, whereas TCM focuses on the overall result,” says Shao.

“For me, it’s not important if TCM is proven scientifically,” states Rathgeber, “more that it’s proven to work for the patient.”

Okay, room for ONE comment.  For me, whether it works for my patients or not is most important, but it is also important to prove TCM scientifically.  By not doing so, we are discouraging more MDs from integrating TCM into conventional medicine and thus giving more benefit to patients.