Visiting Prof. Chen Jia-xu at the Guo Yi Tang clinic in Beijing

During my Beijing days, Prof. Chen Jia-xu was my Master’s Degree supervisor (2004-2008). Chen is perhaps one of the most famous Chinese Diagnosticians, with a stellar career in the world of Chinese medicine over the last 10-15 years. He was recently awarded a Changjiang Scholar, and he has a long list of key publications, grants and recognitions.

I first met Prof. Chen in November 2002, during my Master’s Degree application at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. At the BUCM, before a candidate is accepted to enroll, they should first obtain a signed document from a professor, affirming their willingness to supervise their research.

Of course, this is not an easy task, because all of the famous professors are really hard to approach, they have next-to-unrealistic standards, and the competition among potential candidates is fierce.

Also, in 2002 I didn’t speak any Chinese, and of course, the most famous and experienced professors did not speak any English.

Therefore, finding someone famous and knowledgeable willing to sign my application was a big challenge.

I was introduced to Chen Jia-xu through Prof. Liu Zhan-wen, an iconic figure of the old BUCM, and who had previously taught me Diagnostics in London, back in 1999.

Prof. Liu sent me to Chen’s office, saying that by the time I graduate he will be famous all over China. And like he had predicted, by 2008 Chen Jia-xu had become already one of the top TCM diagnosticians in the country.

Like I said above, between 2004-2008, I conducted my research on classical tongue diagnosis in epidemics under his supervision, with a focus on the text of the Shang Han She Jian. And I received my Master’s of Medicine in 2008.

Chen’s strong point had always been research. His main focus back in the early 00’s was an experimental approach to understanding and treating depression, and the use of Xiao Yao San. I did not do an experiment with him due to my strong feelings against animal experimentation,. But he taught me how to pursue academia. For this reason, Chen always regarded me as his first non-Chinese disciple.

Today, I visited him in the Guo Yi Tang Clinic, where he was teaching prescription to a couple of his current students. I stayed the entire afternoon, and I took a photo to remember the day.

Comments

Historical traumatology and making wooden splints at the hospital

I t was back in 2018, and I was still working at the Sports Trauma Hospital in Guangzhou, China. That day, a young gentleman comes to the clinic with a martial arts injury. Physical examination/palpation of the limb and also an x-ray revealed a fractured ulna. Typically, in these types of situations, the standard of care at the hospital, required that the patient moves to the inpatient department for further evaluation, processing and to await surgery. During the surgery, the specialist would open a small incision, realign the bone and then secure it in place with pins or metal implants. However, this approach is not always necessary. In the not-so-distant past, for a simple fracture of the ulna with less than 50% displacement and less than 10% angulation, a simple cast and plenty of rest would be sufficient. In any case, the patient outright refused surgery and casting. He simply asked that we use traditional bone-setting to realign the bone, and then secure it in place with wood...

How to explain Chinese medicine to your patients

Most new patients at the hospital, regularly ask for an explanation of Chinese medicine , so that they understand how the treatment works. In the United States, the religious, or those with a background in science are often very suspicious of a system that is being frequently advertised as the product of vague eastern practices , or is surrounded by mystery and/or encompassing near occult methods. Many of my acupuncture students, sometimes also find it difficult to come up with a clear definition that doesn’t include the keywords: qi, energies, yin and yang, five elements , and 5000 years of TCM history . An attempt to explain it as a method of using needles to stimulate “channels and meridians” , or using herbs to access the internal organs according to ancient experiences of the Chinese people, again doesn’t sound scientifically convincing. From my experiences in a hospital setting, when the religious or t...

Fearing Integrative Medicine? -Why? It might just save your tradition!

Chinese Medicine is a medical system that prides 15 centuries of continuous development. And it has not only managed to remain relevant and current, but has also successfully acculturated itself in the mainstream healthcare, becoming a global phenomenon. Yet, there is a misconception among some acupuncturists, that other modalities are now aggressively appropriating parts of their practices (i.e., "scope creep"). I think that this viewpoint, although sometimes valid, should become an opportunity for reflecting back on the reasons why this is happening. But let’s start with a true story: In 2017, an amateur MMA fighter in China, knocked out a famous Taiji master in 30 secs. All sentiments aside, in recent decades Taiji stopped being a martial art (for the most part), and has reached a point where it is now taught as a dance routine with health benefits. As such it has lost its original scope, purpose and application. Chinese medicine in recent years ...

Navigating through the sea of medicine

Search This Blog