The mechanisms of acupuncture are similar to the mechanisms found in Western medicine. However, most people do not realize this because there were errors translating an ancient Chinese language into English. The translation errors need to be cleared up in order to fully understand Chinese Medicine. The two words that are causing considerable damage are Qi (pronounced CHEE) and meridian.
People in the west think that Qi means energy; Qi does not mean energy. The correct translation for Qi is air or vital air and it refers to the oxygen that gets distributed to our organs and tissues through the circulatory system. The word meridian does not refer to invisible energy channels in the body. During translation the word meridian was substituted for the Chinese word jingluo (pronounced ‘jing low’). Jingluo refers to a system mapped out by the Chinese that follows the nerves, arteries, and veins throughout the body.
By mapping out the systematic way that oxygen (Qi), and blood are distributed the Chinese discovered that blood flow was vital to health. They knew healing agents were in the blood. They learned that if there was an obstruction in blood flow to a particular area of the body, that area would result in disease or pain. By increasing blood flow, the symptoms would disappear. The Chinese discovered blood circulation two thousand years before European physician William Harvey discovered it in 1628. Harvey’s discovery was given enormous importance in the medical community. If Harvey’s discovery was considered important 400 years ago, imagine the importance of the same discovery 2,500 years ago.
Where did the mistranslation of Qi as energy circulating in invisible channels come from? It comes from a French man named Georges Soulie de Morant. De Mornat translated Qi as energy and replaced the Chinese vascular system (jingluo) with the word meridian. Turns out Soulie de Morant’s energy/meridian model had no historical basis and his translations of Qi and meridian are still not backed up by language experts. As a result of these mistranslations Chinese Medicine in the west had been reduced to an energetic form of healing where energy flows through invisible channels called meridians. This is very unfortunate because the medicine is based on anatomy and blood circulation.
To make things more confusing, western based Chinese medical colleges teach Soulie de Morant’s translations. I know this because I paid a lot of money to become an acupuncturist and that is what I was taught in school. After a decade of clinical practice, I understood how damaging these mistranslations have been. Today colleges are still teaching the energy/meridian model and many acupuncturists are not aware of the translation errors. This is unfortunate because I found it difficult to practice acupuncture without a foundational understanding of these key concepts. Finding out about the mistranslations was humiliating to me but at the same time enlightening to discover that classical Chinese Medicine is consistent with our modern, scientific understanding of how the body works.
By understanding the fundamentals, we can now change our own western version of Chinese Medicine and begin practicing it in the way it was intended. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are a complete system of healing that has successfully treated many common conditions for over 2,500 years. The medicine focuses on natural ways to heal the body through acupuncture, herbology, diet, massage, and exercises. Chinese Medicine works well with Western Medicine and we are fortunate to have both of these systems available today.
References:
Doane Online Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.doane.us
Kendall, D. (2002). Dao of Chinese Medicine: Understanding an ancient healing art. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Rabiatti, D. (2009). William Harvey and the discovery of the circulation of blood. Journal of Angiogenesis Research, (1)1, 1-3.
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