What is the link between Traditional Chinese Medicine and allopathic Western medicine

Understanding our lymphatic system and how it works WE COMBINE THE WISDOM OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE, MODERN TECHNOLOGY, AND PATIENT-CENTERED CARE FOR YOU TO THRIVE IN TODAY’S FAST-PACED WORLD. Share A study of San Jiao (三膲) and the Lymphatic system. A lot of our patients have asked us why we spend time educating people about lymphatic health and system, which is seemingly a Western concept, when we are primarily a TCM organization? To understand the link between the two, we must first understand the differences between how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine evolved to the same goal of healing the body. TCM evolved over the last 5000 years based on practice and observing experiences of patients, often seeing the body as a whole inter-connected system. Western medicine roots back to the 19th century and is derived from scientific research and studies. However, modern research has started to put medical ‘names’ to the TCM concepts that have existed for thousands of years. For example, “the essence of kidney” is a core concept in TCM theory and modern studies123 have shown that “kidney deficiency syndrome” is equivalent to the aging in modern medicine4. Similarly, some studies showed that what is known as “heart qi deficiency” is associated with cardiac insufficiency in modern medicine567. In this article, we will share how our lymphatic system has been observed to share many similarities with the TCM concept of 三焦 (San Jiao) and meridians. These, along with a renewed understanding on the importance of our lymphatic system in fighting against hormonal, metabolic and cancer related issues with recent studies, is the reason for our increasing focus on good lymphatic health here at Oriental Remedies Group. The Lymphatic System and San Jiao The lymphatic system is an intricate web of lymph nodes and vessels that spans throughout our body, with the primary function of transporting lymph fluids containing toxins, biological waste, different types of proteins and fats throughout the body. (Refer to our Article: Understanding Our Lymphatic System And How It Works for more information on our Lymphatic System). Source: lieske.com San jiao, also referred to as “Triple Warmer”, is not an organ but it is important in TCM because it is an omnipresent structure that contains the different bodily systems and organs, and is deeply involved with the functions of the different organs in the San Jiao by being the passageway for fluids, food essence, waste etc. For the body to carry out its normal functions, there must be a good balance and a clear passageway for the exchange of these essential materials between the 3 different energizers. Despite not having a physical structure, San Jiao serves a very important function as a passageway for the movement of “qi”, heat and fluid throughout the body. It is also vital in the removal of wastes and is closely involved in the metabolism processes in the body. Just like the San Jiao, the lymphatic system also shares similar functions of: 1) fluid regulation2) elimination of wastes and toxins3) playing a part in our body’s metabolism. Figure 1 and 2: Visualization of San Jiao and Lymphatic System Figure 1: San Jiao can be broadly separated into 3 different parts: Upper Energizer (上焦), Middle Energizer (中焦) and Lower Energizer (下焦). Different organs and visceras belong to each of the different parts according to their location in the body. 1) Fluid Regulation: Whether you are diagnosed with problematic lymphatic system by Western medicine or deficient San Jiao by TCM practitioner, they will both point to a pathologic condition of edema. Fluid regulation is a very important function of our body’s lymphatic system. When excess fluid is not removed, water retention happens and water is collected at the area. This is what we commonly known as water retention, swelling or edema. In technical terms, at our capillaries, fluid from blood plasma exits the blood vessels and while most returns almost immediately to the blood in the capillaries by osmosis, some remains in interstitial spaces as extracellular fluids and must be returned to the blood by way of the lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic system removes these excess fluids left behind in the cells and returns them into the circulatory system when the lymph fluids enters the subclavian veins via the thoracic duct and right lymphatic duct. Similarly in TCM, our San Jiao serves an important role in fluid regulation. San Jiao is the connection pathway between various organs and it ensures that fluid is able to flow between the different organs in separate energizers in order for our body to function normally. Our body fluid is derived from food broken down by our digestive system and is processed by different organs to moisten and nourish the viscera and the body. In particular, the most important organs for water metabolism are the lung in the upper energizer, the spleen in the middle and the kidney in the lower energizer. The ancient traditional chinese book Elementary Questions (Su Wen) explains, “The Triple Burner holds the office of the sluices; it manifests as the waterways.” 2) Waste Disposal: Both the lymphatic system and the San Jiao function to eliminate waste from the body. Source: dynamicscience.com.au Our lymph nodes filter waste and foreign particles in the lymph, then adds lymphocytes and antibodies before the purified lymph returns to the circulatory system. In doing so, the lymphatic system ensures that any remaining waste in the cells are returned back into the venous blood are excreted from the body via the kidneys etc. And as lymph capillaries are bigger than blood capillaries, it helps in the disposal of larger wastes such as unwanted proteins. In more technical terms, arterial blood carries oxygen, nutrients, and hormones for the cells. It enters the cells at capillaries and 90% of this fluid, now carrying waste products from the cells, then returns to the circulatory system as venous blood. The remaining 10% of this fluid becomes lymph which enters our lymphatic system. This waste is protein-rich due to the undigested proteins that were removed from the cells. Correspondingly, the kidney and intestines in the lower energizer of San Jiao is

Understanding our lymphatic system and how it works

Understanding our lymphatic system and how it works WE COMBINE THE WISDOM OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE, MODERN TECHNOLOGY, AND PATIENT-CENTERED CARE FOR YOU TO THRIVE IN TODAY’S FAST-PACED WORLD. Share You have heard of the body’s lymphatic system, but how well do you know of its function and the role it plays in our body’s daily function? The fact is that the lymphatic system is involved in such complex diverse (multitude) ways that it is difficult to do a simple introduction of this important system. It is therefore not surprising that most may not have a good enough understanding of our lymphatic system and how it works. The lymphatic system is an extensive drainage network comprising of lymphoid organs, lymph ducts, lymph tissues, lymph capillaries and lymphatic vessels that carry lymph and other substances throughout the body. There are hundreds of lymph nodes in the human body. They are located deep inside the body, such as around the lungs and heart, or closer to the surface, such as under the arm or groin. Functions of the lymphatic system and how it works Essentially, the lymphatic system is responsible for 3 Major functions of the body:  Maintain the balance of our bodily fluid by returning fluid to the heart Help large molecules enter the blood Immune surveillance Lymphatic vessels, also known as lymphatics, are responsible for maintaining the balance of the body fluids. As blood moves through the arteries and veins, 10% of the fluid filtered by the capillaries, along with vital proteins and antigens, leaks out into the interstitial space and becomes trapped in the tissues of the body. The lymphatic system collects this fluid through lymphatic vessels, also known as lymphatics, and returns it to the circulatory system. The lymph is released back into the circulatory system through two major ducts at the neck area: right lymphatic duct and thoracic duct (also known as left lymphatic duct). This removal of excess fluids from body tissues is crucial because water, proteins, and other substances are continuously leaking out of tiny blood capillaries into the surrounding body tissues. If the lymphatic system didn’t drain the excess fluid from the tissues, the lymph fluid would build up in the body’s tissues, and they would swell. The lymphatic system plays an integral role in the immune functions of the body. It is the first line of defence against disease. Lymphoid organs remove foreign material in lymph from entering the bloodstream and act as lookouts in the immune system. When lymph drains to a nearby lymph node, pathogens are detected and allows the system to elicit an immune response and prevent the onset of illness and diseases from invading microorganisms. The spleen also helps the body fight infection. The spleen contains lymphocytes and another kind of white blood cell called macrophages, which engulf and destroy bacteria, dead tissue, and foreign matter and remove them from the blood passing through the spleen.The lymphatic system helps deliver nutrients to our tissues and removes wastes from them. For instance, Fatty acids get packaged into chylomicrons at the small intestines and since they are too big to move to enter the bloodstream through the capillaries, they are instead dumped back into the blood at the thoracic duct via our body’s lymphatic vessels. Source: dynamicscience.com.au Unlike our circulatory system where the heart pumps blood around the body, our lymphatic system does not have a pump. Instead, the unidirectional flow of lymph is maintained by intraluminal valves and smooth muscles in lymph vessels that react to arterial pulse and skeletal muscle. Since the lymph system must be pumped by the movement of our muscles, the less we move, the more stagnant our lymph system becomes. With today’s sedentary lifestyle, pollution, diets low in nutrients and high in fats, sugars, additives, preservatives and, because most of us fail to drink enough pure water to assist our body to eliminate toxins, our lymphatic system becomes overloaded, congested and clogged. Fatigue, stress, infection, emotional shock, lack of physical activity or dehydration may also stagnate the flow of lymph. Consequently, as toxins accumulate, cells are unable to function properly resulting in various metabolic and infectious problems. Effects of a malfunctioning lymphatic system Although further studies still have to be made, many existing studies have observed a correlation between lymphatic vascular defects and obesity, hypertension as well as other metabolic disorders. This is because the immune response and metabolic regulation are highly integrated and the proper function of each is dependent on the other. In addition, research on mouse models has shown that the magnitude of obesity was correlated to the extent of disorganization and leakage of the lymphatic vessels, with the oldest and most obese mice having the most severely disrupted lymphatics. On the other hand, the inability by lymphatics in our small intestines to pick up lipids will result in malabsorption.   Aside from impacting our metabolic system, when the nodes, ducts, vessels or lymph tissues become blocked, infected, inflamed or cancerous, the lymphatic system can become dysfunctional and result in various lymphatic conditions. Common lymphatic conditions A common disorder of the lymphatic system is lymphoedema, a condition caused by a built up of fluid in tissues that result in swelling. It generally occurs in arms or legs and is usually caused by removal or damage to lymph nodes. This failure to drain fluid properly causes accumulation of protein-rich fluid combined with inflammation, adipose tissue hypertrophy, and progressive fibrosis, ultimately leading to reduced quality of life, functional impairment, and physical deformity. Infection can lead to enlargement of the lymph nodes due to an increased immune response in the area in order to fight off foreign pathogens. This is known as lymphadenopathy. The least common but most serious lymphatic disease is lymphoma, which is the formation of cancer cells in lymph nodes. Lymphoma is usually secondary and arises when cancer spreads from a primary tumour (such as in the breast) to nearby or regional lymph nodes. It is rare for a cancer to