The four pillars of Chinese medicine diagnosis are looking, listening, touching and smelling (though for obvious reasons smelling is not as diagnostically significant). Assessing the body by these methods is crucial to understanding the nature of a person’s illness. This approach to understanding disease is not necessarily unique to Chinese medicine however modern medicine has moved away from viewing the body as a functioning whole and instead a set of discrete systems. Though the disease diagnosis that is obtained through Western medical technology can be helpful information when performing acupuncture or prescribing herbs, it should not replace the traditional tools of assessment that are a cornerstone of Chinese medicine. Touch as an assessment tool is remarkably sophisticated in its ability to yield information about the nature of an injury or illness. We have all had the experience of feeling for fever, inflammation, pain, hot and cold.
In modern times, the use of touch primarily refers to taking the pulse and pressing on acupuncture points. One of the classical techniques “Xun”, translated as “going along the channel” is a way to assess disease, and has been all but lost. “Going along the channel” involves the practitioner sliding their finger along acupuncture meridians and feeling for palpable abnormalities. These objective and palpable changes to and in-between the fascia, connective tissue and musculature yield valuable information about the body’s internal physiology. This diagnostic technique is referred to as channel palpation, and one of the reasons I am here studying in Beijing. Channel palpation gives us information about the state of individual meridians and thus the state of internal organs giving us a clearer picture of the body as a whole.
There was a time when Western medicine also heavily relied on touching the body, a tool that has become rare in a modern medical setting. Advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of disease has undoubtedly saved many lives, however the common sense approach of observation, touch and asking questions should not be sacrificed. The hands on methods of assessment are an intrinsic part of Chinese medicine and remain important even if there is a Western medicine disease diagnosis. Channel palpation along with the other “pillars” of Chinese medicine diagnosis make it possible to treat the patient rather than the disease. This individualized approach to diagnosis and treatment has proved clinically successful for thousands of years. Though in modern times disease is often defined by the corresponding lab work, the individual’s constitution, lifestyle and their environment play an important role in how the body exhibits symptoms. This is why simply treating a disease diagnosis greatly limits effectiveness and results. Treating the disease rather than the person often ignores the critical manifestation that are evident by simply looking, touching and talking, therefore it is imperative to remember the necessity of a hands on approach to diagnosis and treatment.
We live in an exciting time where modern science can give us detailed information about disease and physiological functions. During my time spent in the hospital and clinic here in Beijing, I have had the opportunity to observe specific and detailed disease information obtained from channel palpation making it possible to treat chronic, complicated and confusing conditions. One of the challenges that acupuncturists face today is to retain and utilize the classical techniques of diagnosis and treatment. As Dr. Wang says, “There are no magical points to treat insomnia, eczema or heartburn…” Acupuncture is a medical system that uses individual pattern diagnosis to treat conditions rather than a standard set of protocols. Understanding Western disease diagnosis while treating within the parameters of Chinese medicine is vital to clinical success makes it possible to effectively treat a wide range of conditions.