TREATING BODY, MIND AND SOUL

When I see patients, I remember what I was taught during my time in China – to look, to listen and to feel. I can generally make a diagnosis even before a patient sits down before me in the consulting room. By looking at the placement of the ears and observing any imbalances the patient may have developed, I can consider where things have gone wrong in the body and decide what to do to harmonise it. The body can be likened to a ship that is overburdened on one side and capsizes, or the smallest wheel in a watch that fails to turn properly and stops the watch from ticking. Even minor problems can disturb the balance of our body and hinder it from working efficiently.

Chinese facial diagnosis, which I learned many years ago, is one of the tools that allow me to pinpoint problems so quickly. Using facial diagnosis, I can look and see what may be amiss with the patient who is sitting before me. The next step is to listen – not always to what the patient has to say, but to the tone of their voice and breathing. At this point I also focus on the energies which vibrate from the body and the feedback I am getting. The next step is to feel all the pulses of the patient, their temperature and to observe what problems, tangible and intangible, that patient might have.

I have a responsibility when a patient comes to me for help to find the problem, fix it and then leave it. I take a very sensible approach to the patient standing in front of me, wanting help. I look at them and ask myself the question, ‘Where is the energy disturbed?’ Life is energy and it is most important that it should be lived to the full. Even when the smallest part of the body is causing problems, help should be sought to restore that part because, in the short time that we are here, we want to get the most out of life.

It is most interesting how the tremendous field of energy that is in the body can be disturbed. It is equally interesting to see, when I use acupuncture, how with just one needle the blocked energy flow can be released and allowed to flow freely again, so that the vital force in the body will work effectively.

Just as a watchmaker has to know the location and function of the different mechanical parts in a watch as well as their names, the alternative health practitioner has to know the names of all the parts of the body, their location and function, and must have an expert understanding of the general principles of anatomy and physiology. We are all familiar with the common names of the organs and limbs. We know that the veins and arteries carry blood to every area, and that digestion is carried out in the abdominal area. We might even know the Latin names for even the most intricate parts of the body. It is important not just to memorise the anatomical names, but also to know what action needs to be taken when problems arise. It is essential for practitioners to look at the body as a whole and to study anatomy (which is interesting for nearly everybody), so that they will have knowledge that will allow them decide what treatments should be carried out to improve a patient’s condition.

Looking at the human body as a machine, we see that it is composed of three parts. The first of these is the skeleton, made up of bones held together by ligaments, joints and muscles which introduce motion, nerves to control the action of the muscles, and blood vessels, which provide a source of nutrition and waste removal.

The second part of the body is the mind, a gift from God that makes us different from our fellow creatures. The third part is the extremely delicate processing and manufacturing plant which is contained within the body, the viscera. This processing plant is designed to take in a variety of raw materials and to convert them into products usable by the various components of the factory of the body. These three parts, whilst often separated by the manipulator, psychiatrist and physician respectfully, are actually part of one complete, functional unit, welded together by the autonomous nervous system.

The autonomous nervous system with its chemical counterpart, the endocrine system, constitutes the great two-way street by which the three major components of the human body are linked. Anything, large or small, which happens in one area will be reflected in one or both of the others. There is a general tendency in modern health practitioners to limit themselves to treating two parts of the body, the mind and the viscera, while ignoring the mechanical and electrical areas, but the three must always be considered as a whole.

Life means movement; perfect form means rhythmic balance. All humans are made up of atoms and it is this life force which maintains the normal rhythm of their bodies.

The nervous system controls every function of the body. If the motor system is disturbed, excessive or deficient physical action ensues; if the sensory system is disturbed, the result will be pain. The sympathetic nervous system is the superintendent of all the bodily functions. We must seek always to establish and improve the circulation of the blood and other fluids.

Interestingly, in Chinese medicine a great deal can be diagnosed from the skin. The layers of the skin are known as the epidermis and the derma, and there is also a third layer composed of fatty tissue, sometimes known as subcutaneous fat. The condition of the skin, the hair and the glands can give us a lot of information about what is taking place inside the body.

The body is basically divided into three parts – the head, the trunk and the extremities.

The head consists of a number of separate bones, fitted together as the skull, covered with muscles, flesh and skin. The head contains the eyes, the ears, the nose and the mouth. Inside and on top of this bony structure, we find the brain – the primary centre for regulating and coordinating body functions.

The trunk – which is the portion of the body exclusive of the head and the limbs – is divided into three sections: the chest, the abdomen and the pelvis. The chest (technically called the thorax), located between the base of the neck and the diaphragm, consists of the trachea, lungs, oesophagus, heart, circulatory system, pulmonary system, veins and arteries, aorta, pleura, vena cava, sternum, ribs and muscles, very intricately put together. The gullet (or oesophagus) is the tube that carries the food from the mouth to the stomach and includes the windpipe, which is technically known as the trachea. Below the thorax we find the large cavity called the abdominal cavity. This is separated from the thorax by a large wall of muscle. The abdominal cavity contains all the organs that are concerned with digestion: the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (known as the colon), the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, the gall bladder and the pancreas. In the lower part of the abdomen (called the pelvic region), we find the bladder and the rectum. The regenerative organs and sex organs are also found in the pelvic region.

The shoulder, arm, forearm and hand are known as the upper extremities; the thigh, leg and foot are the lower extremities. Thus, in anatomy, when we refer to the arm, we mean the upper part of the upper limb, being that portion of the upper extremities located between the elbow and the shoulder, and when we refer to the leg, we mean only the part of the lower limb located between the knee and ankle.

Now we will look at the most important part of the body – the cells. Cells are the building blocks from which every part of the body is formed. They are microscopic in size, so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, and are of various shapes and sizes, depending on their function. Each cell is a complex living unit in itself, able to digest food, take in oxygen, expel waste products and reproduce, with the exception of the nerve cells, which are totally different. The cell centre is called the nucleus. The central portion, where the cell reproduces itself and manufactures additional cells, is the protoplasm, and consists of various elements, such as carbon, iron and sodium, suspended in a thick, colourless liquid-like material containing a large amount of water. The entire cell is surrounded by the cell wall. Up until the nineteenth century, very little was known about the nature of life. Since then we have discovered that life is the renewing of cell tissue and therefore cells may well be compared to bricks, joined together to form all the tissues and organs of the body, including the bones. Some of the cells have the special ability to feel cold, heat, pressure, etc. Together they make up the nervous system, which carries messages to and from the brain. The cells that are able to contract and expand are joined together to build muscles. The more commonly known cells are those found in the bloodstream, the red blood cells and the white blood cells.

The tissues consist of cells linked together to form a special fabric or structure in the body. There are various types of tissues – skin tissue, muscular tissue, connective tissue, cartilage tissue and nerve tissue – which we are all acquainted with. Tissue, and other cells, is massed together to form the organs. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are known as the sensory organs, providing us with the five senses. In my book, The Five Senses, I give a lot of information on seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling.

The body is divided into nine principal systems which are composed of tissues and organs, each having a specific function in its operation. These are:

To understand what being a doctor, surgeon, acupuncturist, manipulation therapist or even a patient really entails, we need to know a little bit about how the body functions as a whole.

Bones are formed of cells and connective tissue. A large amount of lime salts (especially calcium phosphate) accumulate in and around the connective tissue cells in early life, making them rigid, with a stony hardness that permits them to withstand a lot of weight and pressure without bending or breaking. When we examine the bones, such as the clavicle, sternum, scapula, ribs and patella, the large bones, short bones, flat bones and irregular bones, it is quite astonishing to see how they all join together.

I deal with cartilage a lot in my work. It is found in every joint of the body, holds the skeleton together and is not only tough but also flexible and elastic. These properties are essential. In the spine there is a piece of cartilage between each vertebrae, known as the intervertebral cartilage. In addition to assisting the movement of the spine, this cartilage also act as a shock absorber.

The ribs are joined to the sternum (the breastbone) with cartilage, allowing a certain amount of movement, such as is needed when breathing or absorbing a sharp blow on the chest. The surfaces of bones that come into contact with other bones at the joints and sockets, where the bone articulates, are covered with cartilage. As cartilage is also formed of connective tissue and constantly replaces itself, it is of great assistance in preventing wear and assuring smooth movement in the joints.

The skeleton acts as support for the body and protects parts of it. The bones have two other very important functions. If we were to cut a bone – such as the femur – in half lengthwise and look inside, we would see that the outer layer of the bone consists of a very hard substance resembling ivory. The hollow central part consists of a soft pulpy substance called marrow, which is of two types, red and yellow. It is the red marrow in the bones that produces red and white blood corpuscles, as well as the blood platelets which are present in the proper proportion to other elements. The yellow marrow is a form of concentrated fatty material which can act as a form of chemical energy when nourishment is badly needed.

It is a fact that calcium is important to the blood and, actually, to every type of cell in the body. The bones are able to store it when there is an excess in the blood and if our body needs extra calcium, the blood can take it from this store.

When the skin, which forms the external covering of the body, is removed, flesh known as lean meat is exposed. This flesh is actually the muscle tissue and is white in colour: it is the blood circulating through the muscle which gives it the red colouring associated with lean meat.

Wherever movement is needed, muscle tissue is found. It makes up 50 per cent of body weight in an athlete (due to the exercise and growth of the muscles) and approximately 40 per cent of body weight in other people. When it is realised that every movement of the body, including the beating of the heart and the digestion of food is dependent on muscle, there is no need to stress its importance in our daily life.

Muscles are formed of cells which have become elongated and developed into fibres. These fibres are held together in bundles with an intercellular substance which acts as a cement. The bundles are covered with a membrane called a ‘muscle sheath’ and groups of these membrane-covered fibres are held together, in turn, with an outside sheath, much as a group of rubber bands might be held together with elastic tape.

In addition to their function of articulating the skeleton, practically all body heat is supplied by the muscles. This heat is created by the muscles while changing form and pulling. The simple act of standing or sitting calls many muscles into play, creating heat. Part of the reason it is necessary to use covers when we go to bed at night is the smaller amount of heat produced when more of the muscles are at rest.

The blood vascular system is classified as:

I often think of my great friend and teacher, the American naturopath Dr Leonard Allan, who said, ‘Life is energy and energy is life.’

The skull rests upon the spinal column, and has been divided by anatomists for the purpose of study into two main sections – the cranium (containing the brain – also known as the ‘brain case’) and the face (or anterior region).

The cranium is formed by the following bones: the occipital, parietal, frontal, temporal, ethmoid and sphenoid.

The common carotid arteries, with the branches they form, are responsible for the distribution of the blood supply to the brain, as well as to the rest of the head.

The occipital muscle originates at the occipital bone and the mastoid portion of the temporal bone (behind the lower part of the ear), and inserts into the aponeurosis in the centre of the head. The frontal muscle originates from the aponeurosis and inserts into the tissue over the eyes.

The frontal part of the epicranial muscle is the more powerful. It is used in elevating the eyebrows, thus causing the skin of the forehead to fold into lines or wrinkles. The occipital muscle simply draws the scalp backwards.