FAQ’S

Dr. deWolfe answers frequently asked questions about Chinese Medicine

So, what is Chinese Medicine?

Chinese Medicine is an ancient health-care system based on the idea that balancing active and passive forces within the body enhances Qi, or life force, and leads to healing. To accomplish this, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine are attentive to changes in Qi, or the body’s natural energy flow, which are said to precede biological changes. Practitioners seek to reverse energy imbalance and strengthen the body’s natural healing faculties through such methods as diet, herbal remedies and acupuncture

I don’t get it.

You don’t have to. It still works.

I don’t believe in it.

You don’t need to. It still works.

But don’t you need to believe in it in order for it to work?  I heard this was all placebo effect.

Despite what you may have heard, acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in general, does not work through the power of suggestion. Probably the best evidence we have that this is not a placebo effect is the use of acupuncture on animals. Even thousands of years ago, acupuncture was used on horses and cattle.

More and more you see veterinarians using acupuncture in their practice to treat dogs, horses…it even works on cats. As
we all know, cats are impervious to suggestion.

So, I can be a skeptic and still come in for treatment?

Please do.  I have a number of skeptics with standing appointments.

Someone told me that Chinese Medicine only works on Chinese people.

That’s a new one–even for me.

Chinese Medicine works on all people.

Isn’t this really folk medicine or New Age stuff?

Chinese Medicine is the oldest continuously-practiced system of care in the world; it has been used for thousands of years to treat billions of people.  This is not folk medicine.  This is a highly-developed, systematic, recorded, researched, and peer-reviewed form of medicine with several disciplines that continues to evolve. It has a massive amount of real-world data to justify the application of techniques based on several thousand years of human trials.  (Contrast that with Western Medicine where the average clinical trial lasts a couple of years.)

Why don’t more people use it then?

Plenty of people do use it–approximately 30% off the world’s population. Today, more than two billion people in Asia, the former Soviet Union and Europe are served by Chinese Medicine.  It is also practiced in Allopathic hospitals in China as an adjunct to Western Medicine.

But isn’t Western Medicine the best in the world?  Why would I use Chinese Medicine?

I will be the first to tell you that allopathic (Western) Medicine is absolutely remarkable in acute conditions.  If I were in an automobile accident, I’d be on my way to the ER, not my acupuncturist’s office. Also, Western Medicine is very effective in treating many infectious, communicable diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, and smallpox.

However, when it comes to chronic, degenerative diseases, Western Medicine is not making sufficient progress.  Not for lack of trying–it’s just that Western Medicine is more symptoms-focused than cause-focused.  Or shall I say,  root -cause focused.  I’ve used this example before, but if someone went to an M.D. for hypothyroidism the protocol is to give the patient synthetic hormones to supplement or replace what is not being manufactured by the gland.  (Consequently, over time, the thyroid will stop making the hormones altogether, as it is no longer “needed”.) Chinese Medicine would see that as treating the symptoms, and would instead work with the body using diet, herbs and acupuncture, to help the thyroid produce the hormones on its own.

Western Medicine is a system that relies heavily on pharmaceuticals, which is a business. Not to sound cynical, but we live in a society where “there’s a pill for that.” Pharmaceutical companies are great at packaging symptoms and providing a solution in the form of a medication.  But in most cases, the medication is only treating symptoms, not causes.  Which means the patient has to keep taking the medication. That’s not a solution.  You know the “Check Engine” light in your car?   When it comes on, instead of going to the mechanic, just put a piece of black tape over the light—that’s the kind of solution we are talking about using many prescription drugs.

Symptoms are a sign that something is wrong–but it goes deeper than a disease.  Western Medicine stops at the disease; it treats the disease.  Chinese Medicine goes deeper to the root cause, and treats the whole person.

People aren’t even aware that they have the potential to make themselves truly healthy, without relying on all these medications for the rest of their lives.  My credo is:  You make yourself sick; you make yourself well.   Chinese Medicine is designedaround this.  Most people don’t even know what it means to eat well, or live well.  They think they do, following generic guidelines for diet and exercise.  Truth is, each person is an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses, each with their own lifestyle that causes different imbalances.  In order to address those imbalances (disorders or diseases) we must use an individual approach through diet, exercise and treatments such herbs and acupuncture.

It might seem incredible to us in the West that we have the potential to heal ourselves, but it is true.  I’ve successfully treated many patients with chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, depression (these are all Western names for the conditions) and more, who were not helped using Western methods.

I must say, to an extent Western Medicine is catching on with Preventive Medicine.  Although Chinese Medicine has been preventive for over 4,000 years.

I can understand how diet and herbs might work,  but I still don’t get acupuncture.  How does putting needles in someone help them?  Balancing Qi?  Can you explain this in Western terms?

All modalities in Chinese Medicine–diet, herbs, acupuncture, acupressure, Tui Na, moxibustion (burning herbs on the skin), meditation and martial arts—are used to balance the body.  Acupuncture is probably the best known, and most controversial, treatment method.  Despite massive anecdotal evidence that acupuncture is effective in treating various illnesses, Western science has never been able to reconcile how it works.  They can prove “that” it works, just not “how” it works.  As a result, many doctors remain skeptical.

Since Acupuncture is based on oriental theories like “yin” and “yang” and “the five elements”, a Chinese diagnosis may seem strange and unprofessional to a Western physician in the same way Western medicine can, by prescribing potent pharmaceuticals to a patient they meet for ten minutes, seem unprofessional to an Asian medical practitioner.

The Chinese don’t have a problem understanding how acupuncture works because their culture, philosophy and language acknowledge the existence of “Qi”, or vital energy.  For them, “Qi” is no more mysterious than electricity.  Like electricity, Qi is invisible.  You cannot see an electric current, but its presence can be detected through heat, magnetic effects and so on.  Analogously, Qi variations can be detected through symptoms:  too much Qi causes heat, and manifests in symptoms like redness and diarrhea;  too little Qi causes coldness,  and manifests in symptoms like pale complexion or constipation.  This is a very basic example.  Chinese Medicine attempts to balance the body by “moving” the vital energy (qi) when it is stagnant, allowing the body to heal.  Illnesses and dysfunction are to due to blockages (stagnation) and imbalances in the flow of Qi.  Acupuncture needles release these blockages.

From a Western biomedical perspective, stimulating the acupuncture points has an effect on the body’s neurotransmitters and hormones, thereby allowing the body to repair itself and restore the body to its natural state.  Here is a recent article attempting an explanation:

Wall Street Journal: “How Acupuncture May Work“  June 1, 2010

Okay, let’s say I come in for an appointment, what can I expect?

Chinese Medicine is comprehensive, and a comprehensive examination is the beginning of the process.  First we have you fill out a questionnaire which covers such things as diet, exercise, sleep habits, mood, energy, medical history and more.  Then I invite you into the exam room where I will take your pulse.  In Chinese Medicine the monitoring of pulses is quite different than Western Medicine–I am not just observing the strength and rate of your pulse;  I am feeling for six pulses in each wrist, each corresponds to a specific organ in the body.  I determine the quality of the pulse by frequency, rhythm and volume.

Next I examine your tongue. Like the pulse, each part of the tongue corresponds to a specific organ.  By observing the appearance of the tongue–color, texture, size, shape and coating– I am able to get a better picture of your overall health.  It may seem odd to Westerners to think of the tongue as a diagnostic tool, but it is highly sensitive to internal changes within the body. (Doubt it? Think about how your tongue looks when you have a fever. Or waking up with a hangover.  Very different than what it looks like normally. ) Chinese Medicine offers a very sophisticated method for “reading” the tongue.

Throughout the examination process I am observing your demeanor, speech, posture, complexion, hair, nails and more.  All provide clues to what is called a “pattern diagnosis”.

Finally, we review your patient intake form and I ask a number of follow-up questions including any additional complaints you may have regarding your health.  (Physical, mental or emotional.)   I ask about specific symptoms, like perspiration, dreams, pain, appetite and more.

After we’ve discussed the diagnosis, we then go over specific recommendations for diet, exercise, possible herbal remedies and acupuncture, if needed.

The entire process (at least our initial meeting) can run up to an hour and a half.

Is acupuncture safe?

Absolutely.  When practiced by a licensed professional, acupuncture is one of the safest medical procedures available–relatively painless with virtually no side effects.

Acupuncturists in the State of California are required by law to use brand new, sterile, stainless steel needles for treatment.   Needles are disposed of after one-time use.

A practitioner must be licensed, which means four years of education and training at an accredited university before they can take the state licensing exam.  This intensive training includes 1,000 hours of clinical internship or externship.  Once licensed, an acupuncturist must stay current by completing 50 hours of continuing education every two years.

Do I have to undress?

It depends on the diagnosis, but usually patients can keep their clothes on and pull up their shirt or pant legs to accommodate the needles.

Does it leave any bruises or scars?

Generally speaking, no, acupuncture does not cause bruising.  It all depends on the person and/or the condition, however. If someone bruises easily for instance, or requires needles in a sensitive area, they might experience a slight bruising.

Acupuncture should never leave scars.

How many acupuncture sessions do I need?

Again, this depends on both the patient and the diagnosis.   Plenty of patients feel relief from pain (headaches, joint pain) in one session.  Since Chinese Medicine deals with the root cause of a condition, rather than just the symptoms, treatment (and this may mean diet, exercise, herbs, acupuncture or a combination of modalities) can be a commitment of time and some effort.  Chinese Medicine works gently with the body, so there are few side effects.  Best of all, it offers long-term results.

What do you mean when you say you consider the doctor/patient relationship a partnership?

In order to provide you with the best Chinese Medicine has to offer,  I need you to be open with me about your symptoms and concerns,  as well as be honest about your compliance with my recommendations.  The beauty of Chinese Medicine is that it is individualized–it is continually tailored to meet the patient’s evolving condition.   Both the doctor and the patient are working together to treat the whole person, not just the disease or disorder.

Working together not only means communication, it also means action.  Chinese Medicine works by balancing the body though a number of methods,  some more passive than others.  To get the most out of your experience,  you will most likely need to make changes in your diet and lifestyle.  Some patients balk at these recommendations, but with this system of care you get out of it what you put into it.  I ask that you at least try, and give it some time.  I think you will be quite pleased with the results.