Where does Mainstream AP fit in Chinese Integrative Medicine?

[Guest guest]

Hi Salvador, & All,

 

Salvador, am I correct that your AP concept aims to: (a) identify

the Channel at the root of the Qi (energetic) problem, (b) classify it

as Xu or Shi, and © needle to Supplement (Bu) in Xu and

Drain/Sedate (Xie) in Shi?

 

If so, I can agree with you up to that point. However, IMO, AP is

much more than this. It has evolved from general concepts of TCM

over thousands of years.

 

I have no intent to annoy or flame you in this mail. My aim is to

raise questions for discussion of what is, or is not, essential for

effective AP Dx and practice, and where does mainstream AP fit in

the very wide vista of , and Integrative Medicine.

 

For some time now, Salvador’s mails have put great importance on

his own Channel Qi AP System, which seems to use date of birth

as a key component in diagnosing the root Xu/Shi imbalance.

 

The date of birth concept seems more like astrology to me. It may

have some little part to play in patterns of susceptibility to disease,

but I have seen no satisfactory evidence in AP/TCM texts, or any

other reliable source, to justify its use. I wish that I could be as

certain as Salvador seems to be as regards its clinical value.

Perhaps he might discuss his views on that, and the sources of

those views? What are the names of those books? I would

appreciate the references.

 

I understood that the Law of Change is ultimate Law (if not the

ONLY Absolute Law) in TCM. Change implies reaction to variable

external and internal circumstances. Change/reaction/adaptation,

per se, implies UNCERTAINTY of prediction. I wish that I had

Salvador’s degree of certainty in my therapies, but I have not. All I

see is uncertainty and the need for constant study, not only of AP

but of medical principles and life sciences research in general.

 

AP has evolved from general concepts of TCM over thousands of

years. IMO, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of AP must

address far more than concepts of Xu-Shi. Apart from those

concepts, AP embraces the classical concepts of the Vital

Substances (Qi-Xue, Ying-Wei, Jin-Ye (Fluids), Jing-Essence, etc),

Phlegm, Eight Principles (Yin-Yang, Shi-Xu, Hot-Cold, External-

Internal), Six Levels, concepts of Stagnation/Stasis/Accumulation

(Qi, Xue, Food, Fluids, Phlegm), Bi (Obstruction), trauma,

parasitism, etc.

 

Though Cookbook AP can use classical points (Mother-Son, Shu-

Mu, Yuan-Luo, Horary, Xi-Cleft, Local + Distant, etc.), AP in

complex cases requires skilled use of TCM Theory. It must

address Syndromes/Patterns of disease, including use of AP

points to Move Qi-Xue, Move Stasis, Clear Heat, Warm Cold,

Release Exterior, Warm Interior, Expel Wind / Cold / Damp, Clear

Phlegm, Free Water / Promote Urination (Diuretic), etc, etc.

 

IMO, a Chinese Art Gallery might be a useful metaphor to allow us

to discuss the relationship of AP to Chinese Integrative Medicine.

 

This hypothetical Gallery is huge, spread over several hectares. It

is designed beautifully to incorporate gardens, ponds, streams,

woodland and hills. It has many Exhibition Halls, each with dozens

or hundreds of Masterpieces in their own right.

 

The Exhibition Halls are laid out in five main Sections that cover

most aspects of Chinese Integrative Medicine:

 

(1) Chinese Medical Theory & Diagnostics – Ancient &

Modern: This is an amazing Orientation Hall to set the

scene. It covers everything from basic Yin-Yang & Qi-Xue

theory to computerized expert systems of western

medicine. It covers Another area covers Diagnostics, from

Shamanistic Divination to tongue, face and Pulse

Diagnosis, Root & Branch principles, Syndrome/Pattern

Differentiation, automated screening for cancer markers,

Computerised Pulse Traces, whole-body IR & EMF

scanning, MRI and Kirlian photography, etc.

 

(2) Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) – Ancient & Modern: This

occupies >80% of the total Exhibition space. It covers the

history of HM, harvesting and preparation of crude herbs,

preparation of formulas, modern methods of extraction &

QC, herb & formula indications, advanced research,

including fingerprinting of the active ingredients in herbal

remedies, Biotech applications in identifying, in-vitro and in-

vivo testing for possible efficacy, synthesizing active

components, etc.

 

(3) Acupuncture – Ancient & Modern: This covers everything

from mainstream Body AP, Five Element AP, Microzone

AP (Ear, Nose, Forehead, Hand, Footzone, Metacarpal,

Korean Hand AP, etc), ECIWO, etc; from primitive bamboo

& flint techniques to needle-less AP using Qigong.

 

(4) Acupuncture-related techniques– Ancient & Modern:

Electro-AP, laser, ultrasound, microwave, point-injection

(saline, Impletol, homeo-AP, etc), moxa, Chinese

Physiotherapy * Manipulative methods, Guasha, Massage,

Tuina, Taiqi, etc.(1)

 

(5) Chinese Integrative Medicine: This evolving development

combines the best from other Chinese medical modalities

with the best of modern medical (oriental medical + WM)

techniques. It embraces the best of all systems, including

surgery and microsurgery, intensive care, pharmacology,

physiology, nutrition, psychology, etc. It recognizes that

expert psychiatrists may not be expert herbalists and vice-

versa, expert surgeons may not be expert acupuncturists

and vice-versa. It expects that experts in each area will

cooperate as full team players, of equal professional

status, and with mutual respect between those in the

different areas of expertise. That part of the Exhibition is

mind-blowing, if not idealistic and unattainable. But, who

knows what the future will hold?

 

We spend several days admiring and assessing each exhibit in the

Gallery. Having seen all of the exhibits, we are heading out the

door in silence and awe, when we notice two vans parked outside

the delivery entrance.

 

One driver is carrying an exhibit entitled “Revolutionary AP – The

patented system of Dr. X”. The other is carrying one with the

intriguing title: “Biotech Synthetic Active Ingredients - Panaceas to

replace Chinese Herbal Medicine, patented by Dr. Y”

 

Curious, we follow the drivers back into the Exhibition Halls. Under

instruction from the Curator, both drivers deposit their unopened

exhibits carefully in tiny alcoves off the main AP and CHM Halls.

The Curator tells us that it will be a day or so before they can be

mounted for exhibition. As it is getting late, must leave but maybe

we will get to see them tomorrow …

 

Or, maybe, if we return to the Gallery after hundreds of years of

independent testing, and cross testing with WM and mainstream

AP & CHM, we may see that the concepts of Drs. X and Y occupy

much space in the main Exhibition Halls. Somehow, I doubt it.

 

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My paraphrase of Salvador’s last note on Damp & Diet is:

 

Damp is a generalised term. For example, I found that SP Xu

people can get athlete's foot but SP Shi people are more likely to

have symptoms of body heaviness and mouth herpes.

 

TCM books say that SP Xu can induce excess symptoms of

Damp. A difference between the TCM books and me is that my

Channel Qi AP System can diagnose categorically the root

disharmony to which a patient will be prone. This is powerful stuff;

by knowing with certainty what makes an individual tick (in an AP

sense), I can then make realistic observations which are not based

on hand me down theory.

 

In practical terms at the end of the day, if I diagnose a deficiency I

will tonify points on that Channel (turn needles clockwise and

remove). If I diagnose an excess Channel I will sedate (turn the

needles anticlockwise and leave in). All theories in terms of AP

comes down to choosing points and whether the needles are

turned clockwise, anticlockwise or even . TCM is focussed on

patterns, I am focused on Channels, and use patterns to highlight

the interplay of Root and Branches.

 

For me the Channel is either in excess or deficient (Shi or Xu). I

have verified these findings over many years and countless patients

(i.e. people get better). And so far, in my practical experimentation,

people w root SP Xu show consistent traits, just as much as those

w SP Shi.

 

The picture is invariably complicated because people rarely are just

Xu or Shi in a single Root Channel, so one must note the variables.

 

So your question is hard for me to answer. IMO, in a person w SP

Xu I would not sedate (insert any needles anticlockwise) because

when I did this in the past, I exacerbated or created symptoms.

Also, I have noted that people w Root SP Xu feel better for eating

bananas. Salvador

 

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Best regards,

 

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