Chinese Acupuncture

THINGS are turning. Some GPs and physiotherapists offer acupuncture on the NHS, and others are even taking courses in homeopathy and herbal medicine, so it seems the barriers between orthodox and complementary medicine are beginning to break down. But could they ever really work side-by-side? In China, they already do, and Barnstaple acupuncturist Ross Chellow, right, has first-hand experience of the system in action.

AFTER completing a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Westminster University, I travelled to China on two occasions to work in the acupuncture and massage departments of a state-run hospital in the city of Hang Zhou. There I found myself working in a totally integrated system, where both traditional and modern medicines had their place in the treatment of disease.

In the hospital where I worked, orthodox medicine and surgery were the most common forms of treatment used on the wards. However, one large modern building, designated for the practice of what they think as traditional medicines (but which we might call complementary), housed a herbal medicine department, a pharmacy, an acupuncture department and a massage department. The herbal department was the largest and was further subdivided into specialities, including gynaecology and dermatology.

My days were spent mainly in the acupuncture department treating out-patients. The majority of them had previously been hospitalised, many as the result of a stroke, which was the most common condition we saw in the acupuncture department. Stroke patients were referred for acupuncture the moment they were discharged from their wards, and those who suffered less severe strokes were brought straight to us by their family. It seemed to be well accepted in China that, when recovering from a stroke, you went for acupuncture treatment.

I remember one in-patient who was sent to see us by the doctor on his ward. He was wheeling along his drips with one hand and holding a lung x-ray with the other - it turned out that he was undergoing chemotherapy for lung cancer and had been sent to us to see if we could use acupuncture to control his nausea and improve his breathing. Unfortunately, this was at the end of my stay, so I did not get to see his progress, but I was still impressed by the referral between the different medicinal disciplines.

For two afternoons a week we took our equipment up onto the wards to administer treatment to patients in their beds. In the morning, the doctors on the wards would call us to let us know which of their patients they wanted us to visit and what they wanted us to do.

On my first day on the wards, we went to see an old man suffering from a blood disease. We were told that he had had hiccups for more than 24 hours and that was what we had to treat. This all seemed very strange to me, but on seeing him I realised the stress this seemingly simple condition was causing. A few needles and 45 minutes later his hiccups were gone, although we did have to repeat the procedure two days later.

Another patient had had part of his colon removed. He had become very constipated and his abdomen was swollen, the skin stretched tight around a well-dressed wound. The doctor told us that she thought strong laxatives would be too harsh for the patient and preferred the idea of using acupuncture to stimulate the natural movement (peristalsis) within the intestines.

We used acupuncture with a mild electrical stimulation and, on returning to work the following day, we were told that all had gone well and he had passed a stool the previous evening.
These experiences taught me that even the practitioners of modern medical science felt that there were times when the traditional approach was more appropriate than their own.

But did this work the other way round? The answer was most definitely yes. Nearly everyone who came to the massage department with a serious back problem had been given a C-T scan of the affected area of the spine, prior to any treatment. This was especially relevant because Chinese massage uses similar joint manipulations as is seen in osteopathic or chiropractic therapies.

Although the traditional diagnostic methods of feeling, observing and questioning were used and respected, the additional information gained from a scan was in many situations extremely useful. By comparing the originals with scans taken at a later date, it was also possible to assess progress of treatment or even the lack of it.

There were some cases of spinal injury that did not respond to acupuncture and massage. Sadly, the patients remained in serious pain and in these cases the orthopedic team was contacted and surgery was discussed. However, this was always seen as a last option.

Although I did not work in the herbal department myself, I was told by my colleagues that modern methods of diagnosis were used extensively. Patients with kidney stones, for example, were usually treated using herbal medicine. Prior to treatment, x-rays were taken and the stones were counted, measured and their shapes noted. Stones over a certain size, or of a certain shape, could not be treated with herbs and another form of treatment was appropriate. The progress of those who could take herbs was carefully monitored by further x-rays.

My experience of working in London with herbalist and fertility expert Dr Xiao Ping Zhai revealed a similar approach. All her male patients with a low sperm count or poor sperm quality were tested prior to treatment and again at regular intervals during treatment. Although the results of the tests did not dictate the herbs she prescribed, they did show her whether or not the treatment was effective. It also demonstrated her abilities to the medical profession, which in turn led to a close working relationship between herself and many assisted fertility units. Many babies have been born against the odds using this fusion of traditional and modern medicines.

It seems as though much has been achieved within China's healthcare system through an open communication between two very different systems of medicine.

After last year's House of Lords report into complementary and alternative medicines, it now seems possible that state legislation could be applied to many therapeutic disciplines. This is an essential step to ensure high standards of education, treatment and patient safety. Let us hope that it also leads to greater levels of communication with the medical profession and, as it has done in China, open new avenues of treatment and drive forward mankind's understanding of disease.



For further information on traditional Chinese medicine, please contact Ross Chellew at Violet Flame Centre, Natural Health Care, First Floor, 25 Castle Street, Barnstaple EX31 1DR Tel: 01271 329100.