Osteoporosis and Chinese Medicine (article)

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Osteoporosis and

The osteoporosis (deterioration of bone tissue) is becoming a more

and more increasingly occuring disease, which leads to risk of

fractures, particularly of the hip, spine and wrist.

 

The Western medicine defines as one of the main causes of the disease

the abnormal metabolism: the inssuficient reserves of calcium in the

bones, fast lost of mineral and vitaminal content in the bone tissue

due to shortage of estrogen formation and other hormones in the body.

 

For prevention and treatment og ostetoporosis mainly are used methods

for regulation of the metabolism process and the hormonal balance, as

well as increase of the calcium and estrogen intake in the body.

 

The Chinese medicine examines two factors as main causes of

osteoporosis: deficinecy of energy (qi) in the kidneys and disharmony

between the functions of the spleen and stomach.

 

The energy deficiency in the kidneys is the most important

precondition for developing osteoporosis. It is manifested in such

symptoms as an overall weakness and fatigue, pains in the lower back,

waist and knees; easy bone fragility, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia,

frequent urination, night sweating, dry mouth, sensitivity to cold,

cold extremities, and asthma.

 

According to the principles of Chinese medicine and qigong therapy,

the kidneys are in charge of the condition of body fluids, part of

which are used for the formation of bone marrow. The bone marrow

nourishes the bones and maintains them healthy and strong. That is

why, in the ancient medical treatises of China it is said that " the

condition of the kidneys defines the condition of the bones " and " the

kidneys stimulate the formation of bone marrow " . If the vital energy

and the body fluids are insufficient, then the bone system would

suffer as well, and there will present conditions for developing

osteoporosis and fragile, soft bones with frequent fractures even in

the lightest traumas.

 

If the roots of a tree are strong, then the trunk and the branches

would be strong and unbreakable. The same happens within the human

body: the kidneys represent the roots that give power to the bone

system (the branches) and the whole body.

 

When the spleen and stomach functions are in disharmony, the body

cannot adequately derive nutrients from the intaken food, which by

itself leads to shortage of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, acids,

hormones, and other important components.

 

The cause of disbalance in the work of the digestive system are many,

but the most frequently seen are: qi and blood deficiency;

insufficiency of energy in the spleen due to improper eating;

overanxiety and stress; prolonged ilness; pathogenic Dampness and

Heat in the spleen; pathogenic Fire in the liver, which supresses the

normal work of the digestive system; accumulation of pathogenic Cold

in the stomach due to intake of cold food and drinks.

 

Prevention and Treatment

 

For prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are used foods and herbs

that have the action to tonify and warm the kidney qi, regulate the

functions of the spleen and stomach, restore the body fluids and

stimulate the formation of bone marrow. These are: soy and soy

products, green beans, chives, nettle, avocado, black ear mushrooms

(Jew's ear, also known as mu er) and tremella ( " Silver ears " , or yin

er), fragrant mushrooms (shiitake, or xiang gu), corn, yams

(dioscorea, or shan yao), carp, clams, cuttlefish, eel, cummin,

trigonella, rosemary, cinnamon, anise seed, clove, fennel, curcuma,

grapefruit, pomello, tangerines, plumes, jojoba (Chinese dates),

grapes, cherry, lotus root and seeds, chestnuts, walnuts, ginseng,

royal jelly, ganoderma (spiritual mushroom, or ling zhi), astragalus,

Chinese angelica dong kuai (dan gui), woldberries (lycium, or gou qi

zi), schizandra berries (wu wei zi), hip, drinaria (gu sui bu), etc.

 

From another point, in order to have healthy bone system, it is

necessary to use methods for increasing the pure energy in the body.

The energy (qi) is that which maintains all vital processes and

regulates the functions of the inner organs. Its deficiency in the

body weakens the immune system and leads to various disbalances,

disturbances in the work of the bodily organs and condition for

disease formation.

 

The thousand-year old experience of Chinese medicine proves that the

methods of the qigong science and practice for increasing the inner

energy through training of the quiet exercise (qigong meditation)

represent one of the most natural, certain and effective ways of

prevention and treatment of diseases.

 

There exist not a few examples with qigong practitioners who by

replenishing the vital energy, have got rid of different bone

diseases, including osteoporosis.

 

The increase of energy circulation within the body enhances trhe

quality of the inner organs and their activity, improves and

strengthens the bone marrow, straightens the position of bones and

joints, removes the pains and the pathogenic conditions. Day by day,

the qigong practitioners become more vital, more capable of working

and rejuvenated. The osteoporosis patients who use the method of

qigong increase in a natural way their kidney energy and regulate

metabolism. Gradually, the bone tissue is replenished and it becomes

possible to maintain healthy and powerful bone system.

 

The holistic approach for preserving health and treatment of

osteoporosis is based on active use both of inner methods for self-

regulation of the vital processes in organism and increase of more

pure energy (such as the training of qigong) and outer, complementary

methods, such as nutrition and fitotherapy, fitness, massage, and

others, along with the curative methods of Western medicine, with

which they can completely combine.

 

 

Anna Pecheva

Hanlin Academy

http://www.hanlin.hit.bg