The “Measured Pain > Immeasurable Pain” Zoom event at LBCC discussed Traditional Chinese medication as a way to relieve neck and shoulder stress with acupuncture among other methods.
J-Son Ong, LBCC professor in the English Department was the event host. Dr. Liu Shiwen was the guest and he has been practicing Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for 21 years.
Shiwen learned TCM in China and the U.S.
To be a qualifying doctor in TCM, a person needs three to four years of training if they have a medical school background. Without a medical school background it takes an extra two years to be a qualifying doctor in TCM.
Shiwen went over the various forms of TCM which were herbal, massage, qigong, moxibustion and acupuncture.
Chinese herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years, with the earliest type in China dating back to the Han Dynasty and it was called Shen-nong-bi-cao-jing.
“In modern times there are more than 500 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines,” said Shiwen.
Shiwen spoke on how herbal medicine can be categorized into 400 types such as antidotes, heat cleaning medicine and so on.
“As for massage, it is a physical contact kind of therapy that applies force and exerting force under the skin to stretch out the muscle and create more flow in the meridians of the body,” said Ong.
Shiwen also talked about massages, and how they have the effect of unblocking the meridians, promoting blood circulation, adjusting function of the internal organs and strengthening immunity.
Qigong is another form of TCM that was presented which is a physical exercise through breathing, physical activity and consciousness that enhances physical and mental strength.
“Qigong is a more proactive exercise compared to massage,” said Ong. There are different forms of Qigong mainly categorized into dynamic and static.
Moxibustion was the third form of TCM that was discussed which is one of the oldest therapies in TCM.
Technicians ignite moxa grass and use the heat to stimulate the meridians and acupoints of the skin epidermis.
Shiwen explained that the firepower warms up and unblocks the patient’s meridians and adjusts their internal chi. This method helps to both treat and prevent diseases as well.
Moxibustion treats pain and various joints such as pain that can be caused by arthritis.
This treatment while being used lasts for around 10 minutes and both Ong and Shiwen claimed it to be very effective.
Acupuncture was the last form of TCM presented during the event, and it is the type of TCM that Shiwen is mostly familiar with.
“It is a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion which uses needles or fire moxibustion to treat diseases,” said Shiwen.
Shiwen also explained how both acupuncture and moxibustion have been proven to treat around 307 diseases. With 100 of those being extremely effective with relieving different types of pains.
Overall, this Zoom event was intended to help Long Beach City College students and staff understand the background and importance of TCM and how they help relieve pain and prevent diseases.