TCM Tuesday - More About Meridians

The holidays have begun!  Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!

We have talked about a broad overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, and we have discussed Qi and a little bit about the Meridians as well in my previous TCM Tuesday (#TCMTuesday) blog entries.  Today I would like to discuss more about the Meridians specifically.  Meridian theory is study that I have enjoyed, and every day I learn more.  I'm very passionate about it.

As outlined previously, the Meridians are pathways of Qi (energy) flow throughout the body.  In general, our Meridians flow from the chest to the hands, the hands to the head, the head to the feet, and the feet back up to the torso.  These are the main 12 meridians, and these are associated with "organs," and as you can see they do a good job covering the body!  We call the Meridians by their associated "organ" names, as well as a number designating where along the channel the point is located.  In Chinese, the names of the points are all descriptive of either the physical location or the function of the point, which is very eloquent, if you speak the language (which sadly, I do not.  Yet.  It's on my bucket list!) 

You might have wondered for a brief moment why I put the word "organs" in quotes above.  Well, it is because the Chinese view the body's physical organs not only as having physical responsibilities, like the Heart pumps our blood and the Stomach digests our food, but they have also assigned them energetic responsibilities.  For example, the Heart does move the blood, but it also controls the Mind.  Because of this duality, some organs do not have Meridians associated with them, such as the Uterus, and some Meridians do not have a physical organ associated with them, like the Triple Burner, which is responsible for the movement of water throughout the body, amongst other important things.  We'll talk more about energetic meridians next. 

Aside from the 12 main Meridians, there are Extra Meridians.  These meridians are not associated with organs of the body, and they have widely different functions.  Some of them tie the other 12 main Meridians together so that they are interconnected (being connected is a very important precept in TCM - everything is connected!).  Others have specific functions such as controlling proper movement and coordinating it with your brain function and eyesight.  Still others play a large role in the body's defenses against invading pathogens, and in the body's procreation processes.  What's really important to remember is that for nearly every function of the body, there is a meridian (or more than one meridian), that is responsible for moving the energy of the body so that the function can be completed properly.

When an Acupuncture Physician performs an evaluation, we ask you a lot of questions, some of which may seem completely irrelevant to your complaint.  What we are looking for is a pattern of symptoms.  That pattern of symptoms will show us the imbalances in your Meridian system.  When we do Acupuncture, the points we choose allow us to manipulate the Qi flow in those pathways and correct it so that the symptoms you have come to see us about can be corrected by the body. 

This is a very special type of medicine, because it combines the physical with the energetic.  And while Western Science has not necessarily pinpointed exactly how Acupuncture works, we are well on our way.  Many dollars and other currencies all over the world are used to study this medicine because it has been found to be so effective for many things.  I encourage this research, and hope to eventually do research of my own. 

Acupuncture is an enticing "black box" puzzle - we can input symptoms and points into the box, and on the other side we get relief of symptoms.  I believe the mystery lies in human anatomy and physiology itself; and for all the advances in science today, we are still discovering new and fascinating processes in our own bodies.  For now I am content to provide the relief my patients desire using the TCM Meridian system and Acupuncture, marveling at the wonders of the things we do not fully understand, and looking forward to providing life-long wellness plans for anyone seeking a better understanding of themselves.

--Marissa Byrum, AP, DOM, Dipl. Ac., is an associate at Ideal Balance Center for Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine in Temple Terrace, FL.