“Where there is free flow, there is no pain”
Chinese proverb
Pain is something we all can agree on. It hurts. Although it is probably true to say that no two pains are ever alike. The Western definition of pain is usually described as something along the lines of ‘a highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury’. This seems reasonable, though if you think about it its saying little more than ‘it’s a bit ouchy!’
The Chinese medical model of pain is a bit more descriptive, in that they say pain is caused by an absence of flow. This means that, as long as Qi (energy) and blood flow freely and smoothly without hindrance or obstruction, there is no pain in the body. However, if, due to any reason, the flow of qi and blood is hindered, blocked, obstructed, or does not flow freely, then there will be pain.
This is quite obvious really, if I were to give you a good pinch then the pressure would cause a blockage of Qi and the brain would interpret this, via the nervous system, as pain. If I was to squeeze a bit harder, then the flow of blood would become impaired, probably resulting in a visible bruise and a more intense pain.
All seems very simple but as usual with Chinese Medicine things get a lot more complicated rather quickly. Firstly the type of pain most be ascertained, is it deficient or excess in nature? The best way to imagine this is in good old Daoist tradition with the analogy of water. Imagine a river. There are basically two ways in which it could stop flowing. Firstly it could be damned or blocked so that the water can’t get through (think of me pinching you!). This known as an excess type of pain. Secondly there could not be enough water in the river so that it just pools and stagnates and this is deficient in nature.
As a general reliable rule, pain that is excessive is more intense and sharper in nature, and made worse with pressure. Pain of a deficient nature tends to be more dull and aching and is alleviated with pressure. Within acupuncture an excess type of pain can be relatively easy to treat as you first ascertain which channel or channels are involved. You then needle the area where the pain is, to release the damn, and you then needle further down the channel to pull ‘the water’ down, ensuring free flow once again. Pain of a deficient type can be a little more complicated as you have to build up the ‘water’ so that it can flow again. This will also involve needling the site of the pain to try and increase the flow but the causes of the deficient energy will also need to be addressed.
The next big area of investigation is in to environmental factors that affect pain. Mainly Heat, Cold, Dryness and most pertinently to people here in Somerset, Damp. All of these factors can be created, for various reasons, within the body, but they can also invade from outside. Cold entering the body is something we’ve probably all felt at some time, be it from an ‘ice cream’ headache, or a cold aching lower back which constricts the flow off Qi down the leg meridians causing sciatica. Heat can be likened to inflammation and we rarely experience dryness here, but the problems that internal and external Damp causes within the meridian and organ systems are too numerous to list here. So I must leave you now with wise the words of the Yellow Emperor in the ‘Classic of Internal Medicine’.
‘If a disease is due to too much of something, that something should be drained. If it is due to too little of something, that something should be supplemented. If it is due to heat, that heat should be cooled. If it is due to cold, that cold should be warmed. If it is due to dryness, that dryness should be moistened. And if it is due to dampness, that dampness should be dried.’
Simple really, and it gives rise to my most welcome advice when suffering from the pain that Dampness can cause…go on holiday somewhere warm and Dry!