Understanding Chinese Yin and Yang in the Field of Medicine (Chapter 3) #FamilyLife
Massage plays an important role in treatment for maladies as varied as fractures and arthritis. Massage seems to have been commonly used even in the Sui and Tang dynasties (158 – 907 BC). During the Ming dynasty, it was considered one of the 13 major branches of Chinese medicine, and its numerous therapeutic qualities were widely enumerated in many texts. According to Chinese records, massage was introduced to the West as a method of healing only about 1,000 years ago. Cupping and bleeding are other widely-used procedures. Cupping uses vacuum suction to activate the functions of the organs, while those with excess yang are made to bleed with a seven-star needle to restore balance. The doctor also may suggest changes in the food the patient eats and even the place he lives in. Summer diseases are treated in winter and vice versa. Once the balance is restored the patient is fully cured, but future imbalances may call for a fresh round of treatment. How much of a scientific b...