Discover the fundamentals of pain through the Chinese medicine perspective, as guided by insights from Qihui Jin, WTHN Healer and expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Let’s delve into this ancient understanding to offer fresh perspectives on managing pain in your everyday life — from transformative strategies to unexpected approaches.
The Duality of Pain: Acute and Chronic
First, Qihui helps identify two primary classifications of pain in order to approach treatment effectively. Those are:
Acute Pain: Often sharp and sudden, this type of pain serves as an immediate alarm system, warning you of a specific issue such as a burn or sprain. Qihui describes it as a "protective signal" that is generally short-lived. “It tells the body to be cautious, helping to prevent further damage.”
Chronic Pain: A pesky, more persistent discomfort that can last for extended periods, impacting the quality of life significantly. It might be due to a long-term condition or even a past injury that hasn’t healed properly. According to Qihui, chronic pain encompasses physical, psychological, and social elements, requiring a holistic approach for treatment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Take on Pain
TCM offers a deep understanding of pain derived from centuries-old texts. According to ancient texts like “Huangdi Neijing, pain is perceived as a disruption in the flow of Qi (energy) and blood, which is often associated with cold pathogenic influences. Within the concept of the Six Exogenous Pathogenic Factors, Wind, Cold, Dampness, and Dryness most often disrupt circulation of Qi. These types of pain are considered to be of excess nature and can be treated through dispersing techniques in acupuncture.
“Internal imbalances due to emotional stress or traumatic injuries can also lead to pain,” says Qihui. He highlights the necessity of distinguishing between diagnostic patterns, such as deficiency (Xu) and excess (Shi). These are concepts that help interpret whether the body has stagnation or obstruction of Vital Substances such as Blood, Qi, Yin and Yang, or if they are lacking or empty of Vital Substances — all processes your acupuncturist or Healer can distinguish.
Targeting the Root Causes of Pain
In TCM, there is an important treatment principle: "急则治标，缓则治本" (ji zé zhì biāo, huǎn zé zhì běn), which translates to:"Treat the symptoms when they are acute; treat the root causes when they are chronic." This advocates for treating acute symptoms promptly while addressing the underlying causes during chronic stages.
Acute Pain Management: For acute pain scenarios, the primary objective is to provide immediate pain relief through acupuncture to promote harmony and balance within the body. This is done by adjusting the flow of Qi, eliminating stagnation of Qi and blood, or harmonizing Qi and blood, as well as regulating meridians and calming the mind.
Chronic Pain Management: Chronic conditions require a holistic approach to address both symptoms and the underlying root cause with acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion. This strategy aims to identify and treat the deep-rooted causes of the pain, enhancing overall circulation, function of internal organs, supplementing deficiencies, and reducing excesses to fundamentally alleviate suffering.
Recognizing the Hidden Signals of Pain
Pain isn’t always straightforward, Qihui notes. It can also manifest through subtle signs, including "swelling, redness, or even emotional stress.” Qihui suggests being vigilant about these sneaky signs to adopt a proactive approach in managing pain. This includes utilizing TCM’s diagnostic tools that involve examining facial expressions, pulse, and the conditions of the skin and tongue.
Discover the fundamentals of pain through the Chinese medicine perspective, as guided by insights from Qihui Jin, WTHN Healer and expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Let’s delve into this ancient understanding to offer fresh perspectives on managing pain in your everyday life — from transformative strategies to unexpected approaches.
A Holistic Approach to Relief
When it comes to pain relief, Qihui says that sometimes the simplest remedies can be the most effective, like meditation and adequate sleep, and of course — acupuncture. Sharing experiences in pain relief, he recalls assisting numerous individuals experiencing neck stiffness. Through carefully placed acupuncture points and subtle movement, he has been able to regain their range of motion with a gradual reduction of pain.
In Conclusion
Pain, with its multifaceted nature, demands a deep understanding and holistic approaches for effective treatment. Qihui illuminates the path towards such treatments through the rich teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine, accessible to the modern day at WTHN. Meet with Qihui or another WTHN Healer to embrace this ancient wisdom to unlock efficient pain management strategies to enhance your quality of life one step at a time.