Stories
from China
When I
was a new graduate, my first time in China I completed my internship in the
Hangzhou Shi Zhong Yi Yuan - Hangzhou Chinese Medicine Hospital. It was a
fabulous experience which forever shaped my continued love of Chinese medicine.
One day a
boy with bells palsy came into the acupuncture clinic. He was around 5 years
old and while his parents were keen for him to have acupuncture, the boy wasn't
convinced! Not only was he scared from the sudden facial paralysis that had
struck his face literally overnight, he was surrounded by patients with needles
poking out from all parts of their body in the acupuncture outpatient clinic of
this busy hospital.
It's
quite normal in china for people to be treated all together in the same room. Some
are seated with needles in their shoulder and face, others lying on beds being
treated for back pain etc. While everyone looked quite relaxed and taking the
treatment in their stride, the boy was rightly overwhelmed by the whole
experience.
Bells Palsy
is a condition which causes sudden facial paralysis. In western medicine, they
don't know the cause although stress and sudden blast of cold wind to the face
are agreed possible causes this conditions etiology in WM remains somewhat
mysterious.
In Chinese
medicine, we consider Wind - the external pathogenic factor; to be a culprit in
causing the sudden contraction of the muscles of the face, resulting in
one-sided facial paralysis. THere is often a lot of numbness, the person can't
smile or close their eye properly. There can be moderate to severe pain as
well.
Back to
China...the boy with this condition was coaxed onto the bed by the doctor and
they chatted in Chinese for a bit while I looked on and wondered if they would
just force the kid to have the treatment? ...what would be the outcome of this
situation?
The
doctor, was Dr Zhu and was experienced over 30 yeas in his role. As he
proceeded to calm the kid down, it was clear he had treated many children
before. Taking an acupuncture needle he turned it around and tapped the points
on the kids' face with the handle end, asking the kid if it hurt or not (Tong
Bu Tong?). For each point the kid said (Bu Tong) "no" "no"
"no". The kid's crying had now stopped and he lie there quite relaxed
as the doctor cleverly quickly switched the needle around, inserting each point
on the boys face quickly and painlessly.
He came
in every day for 10 treatments. By the third day he was starting to look
better, his facial paralysis was reducing he was able to jump up on the table
and didn't need any coaxing to get the rest of the treatments. The doctor had
given him a great first experience which caused him to accept the rest of the
treatments.
PHOTO:
Doctor Zhu and myself all the way back in 2001.
