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Oriental Medicine
Oriental Medicine is the Most Widely Used Medicine
in the World
Chinese medicine, a 3000+ year-old medicine, is practiced in more countries
than any other medical system in the world. It is a complete medicine
(as is western medicine), meaning that it can stand alone in diagnosing
disease and prescribing treatment for a vast amount of health problems. Because
it is a complete medical system, it can be used in place of western medicine.
In
fact, many people have chosen Oriental medicine as their primary health
care system. It can also be used as a complementary medical system
to western medicine because it is better at diagnosing and/or treating
certain types of conditions and diseases, particularly, chronic diseases,
gynecological problems, fertility issues and diseases that go undiagnosed
by western medicine.
Western medicine, on the other hand, would
be the better choice for life threatening situations and major acute
conditions. It would be wise to consider Chinese
medicine and Western medicine as mutually
beneficial rather than mutually exclusive.
CHINESE MEDICINE vs. WESTERN MEDICINE
One of the major assumptions inherent in traditional Chinese medicine is
that disease is due to an internal imbalance of Yin and Yang. By correcting
this imbalance, the body is returned to a healthy state. Western medicine
assumes that disease is due to an external force, such as a virus or bacteria,
or a slow degeneration of the functional ability of the body. Both Chinese
and Western concepts are valid alternatives. 
Western medicine is based on the Cartesian philosophy that the body represents
one functioning system and the mind another. While it accepts that each
system may affect the other, it sees disease as either physical or mental.
The Chinese assume that the body is an integrated whole. Each organ has
a mental, physical and spiritual function that cannot be separated.
Western doctors have worked on the premise that an external force, or chemical,
can cure disease. However, although some pills are of great value, both
the general public and the medical profession have become considerably
more skeptical about the widespread use of chemicals. Traditional Chinese
medicine, on the other hand, states that the body has the potential to
cure itself of disease if guided (or needled) to do so.
Some people have looked upon Chinese medicine as not just an alternative
but a superior system of medicine. Chinese medicine is another medical system,
with certain benefits to the individual over Western medicine but it is
not superior nor a cure all. The major  disadvantage
of Western medicine is that it has the potential to cause a great deal of
harm. Acupuncture, on the other hand, is most unlikely to cause any serious
damage as it is a particularly safe form of therapy; this is undoubtedly
one of its main advantages.
Oriental medicine is the fastest growing form of health care in the
United States, moving from decades of relative obscurity to its current
position beside Western medical practice. Although many people
think Chinese medicine is limited to acupuncture, it is actually a complete
medical system that also includes herbal remedies, diet, exercise and
massage.
Lorraine Harris is a licensed acupuncturist and nationally certified
as a practitioner of Oriental medicine. This training encompasses
all aspects of Chinese medicine. Additionally, Ms. Harris has background
education in the biosciences and experience with some western modalities. This
training enables Ms. Harris to help patients integrate their Western
healthcare with the Oriental medical care Ms. Harris provides.
CHINESE MEDICINE PHILOSOPHY
Yin and Yang
Within Chinese Cosmology, all of creation is born from yin and yang. These
are polar opposites such as winter and summer, night and day, cold and hot,
wet and dry, inner and outer. Harmony of yin and yang brings health, good
weather, and good fortune, while disharmony leads to disease, disaster,
and bad luck. The strategy of Chinese medicine is to restore harmony.
Each human is seen as a microcosm of the world in which the doctor and patient
together strive to cultivate health. Each person has a unique terrain to
be maintained. The doctor uses acupuncture, herbs and food to recover and
sustain health in the person.
Body Constituents (Qi, Moisture, Blood, Spirit, Essence)
The human body is comprised of qi, (pronounced chee), moisture, and blood.
Qi is the force that gives us our capacity to move, think, feel, and work.
Moisture is the liquid medium that protects and lubricates tissue. Blood
is the material foundation of bones, nerves, skin, muscles, and organs.
Human beings also have a psyche and soma, Spirit (Shen) and Essence (Jing).
Shen is the immaterial expression of the individual; and Essence represents
the body's reproductive and regenerative substance.
Organ Networks
(Liver and Gallbladder, Heart and Small Intestine, Spleen and Stomach, Lung
and Large Intestine, Kidney and Urinary Bladder).
The body is divided into five functional systems known as Organ Networks.
These Networks govern particular tissues, mental faculties, and physical
activities. Many of the physical functions of these Networks (identified
thousands of years ago by the Chinese) are similar to those identified by
the West today.
Body Climates
(Wind, Dampness, Dryness, Heat, Cold) In nature we have extreme climactic
conditions that wreak havoc in the world. These same forces – extreme
wind, dampness, dryness, heat, and cold – can damage the balance within
the human body, weakening or obstructing the movement of qi in the organs.
HEALTH and ILLNESS
All illness is understood as a consequence of either a depletion or a congestion
of qi, moisture and/or blood. Depletion leads to weakness, lethargy, frequent
illness, poor digestion, and inadequate blood flow. Congestion results in
aches, tension, tenderness, pain, a distended abdomen, irritability, and
swelling.
DIAGNOSIS
Practitioners of Oriental Medicine assess a person's health by feeling the
pulse and by observing the face, tongue, and body of the patient. This information
is interpreted in the context of the patient's complaints, work and living
habits, physical environment, family health history, and emotional life.
TREATMENT
The goal of treatment is to adjust and harmonize Yin and Yang. This is
achieved by regulating the qi, moisture, and blood in the Organ Networks.
The weak organs are tonified, congested channels are opened, excess is
dispersed, tightness is softened, agitation is calmed, heat is cooled,
cold is warmed, dryness is moistened, and dampness is drained. Treatment
may incorporate acupuncture, herbal
remedies, diet, exercise, and massage.
Duration of treatment depends on the nature of the complaint, its severity,
and how long it has been present. Acupuncture is scheduled as often as
three times a week or as little as twice a month. Response varies. Some
need only a few sessions while others need sustained care to reverse entrenched
patterns established over time. As symptoms improve, fewer visits are
required, individual progress being the yardstick.
Your path to radiant health...
Lorraine Harris's Asheville acupuncture clinic is conveniently located
in South Asheville. Ms. Harris is a licensed acupuncturist and
Chinese herbalist and Nationally Board Certified Practitioner of Chinese
Medicine. She is the only Mei Zen-trained cosmetic acupuncturist in Western
North Carolina (WNC).
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