“One Size Fits All”: True or false?
If you were to visit a Western doctor for a headache it is more than likely you will be prescribed a pain killer – and probably the same one – (barring any allergies) given to the previous patients and subsequent patients the doctor sees that day. No more pain; headache gone. So what’s wrong with that you might ask? Well, nothing at all – if the headache doesn’t come back. But what if it does? Then what? A repeat prescription? Stronger pain killers??
A doctor of Oriental medicine would approach the complaint differently. Instead of dealing only with the symptoms an examination will be done to find out what the cause of the headache is. Which organ/meridian system is at the root of the problem, creating an imbalance in qi flow, which has led to the pain? A diagnosis would be made by:
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checking pulses (6 on each wrist)
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examining the body and coating of the tongue
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noting skin color and condition of eyes and nails
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questioning regularity of bowel movements
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observing behavior, body language and tone of voice
- asking personal questions pertaining to work, home life, any recent stress, etc.
- pressing areas on the abdomen and limbs that relate to other areas of the body
Then the practitioner would ask him/herself a number of questions based on his/her findings which would provide the necessary information to determine the nature, location and origin of the headache. The treatment given would be in the form of acupuncture and/or herbal remedies. Any necessary change in lifestyle, diet or exercise would be discussed.
The approach is holistic. The goal is to treat the symptoms, both physical and emotional, correct the imbalance in qi so that all bodily systems will function normally again, and give advice to prevent any future re-occurrence of the cause of the complaint. Each patient with a headache is given an individualized prescription unique to his/her particular imbalance at that time.
Here is a list of the most common causes of a headache taken from Henry C Lu’s book Chinese System of Natural Cures:
wind-cold syndrome
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| courtesy of Sasha Wolff |
wind-heat syndrome
wind-dampness syndrome
liver yang upsurging syndrome
dampness-sputum syndrome
energy deficiency syndrome
blood deficiency syndrome
kidneys energy deficiency syndrome
blood coagulations syndrome
So, the answer to the question ”Does one size fit all? True or False?” Most definitely false!!!
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