Should we care about other people’s lack of awareness and negative behaviors?

Question: I would like to ask you a question that has troubled me for a long time. I read a lot about TCM, nutrition, natural health, exercise, Taoist philosophy, Qigong, etc., and incorporate much of it into my daily living. However, when I read, hear, watch or experience what I perceive to be a steady decline in spirit and compassion in humanity it affects me greatly.

What is the foundation of Qigong?

The basis of Qigong is absolute faith. Everything rests on uncovering this faith in your heart. There can be no personal transformation, no real change without this faith. It is a faith that believes that anything is possible; that anything can happen at any time, that horizons are boundless, that human life is meant for a destiny far beyond what our minds can imagine. When you have this kind of faith, there is nothing you cannot accomplish. And it is this faith that gives you hope to keep trying, even when things seem hopeless.

I’m concerned–and have been for years–about what doctors call my “lazy colon.” I was advised–years ago–to take Metamusil every day. I rarely forget to do so. Still no improvement in relieving my constipation. I’d be interested in knowing if Dr. Lu has any advice about I might deal more effectively with this problem.

From the Chinese medicine point of view, a condition related to an organ is often not a problem with the organ itself. Chinese medicine looks at the human body as an organic whole. Often organs have relationship problems with other organs. And relationship problems can cause function disorders.

Every fall I catch a cold and tend to have a cough throughout the entire winter. This past winter I had three separate treatments of antibiotics, yet my cough still remains. I’ve tried homeopathic remedies as well, but those didn’t seem to help. Is there anything TCM can do for my condition?

A cough is one of the most difficult conditions to treat – it is not a simple thing. According to TCM there are many possible causes of a cough. An energy imbalance in each of the organs, not only a problem with the Lung, can lead to a cough. From the TCM point of view, the best doctor does not try to stop the cough, but rather tries to find what has caused the cough and how to release it from your body.

I am an avid skier, and every winter by the end of the season, my knees are sore and somewhat painful. A couple of years ago I twisted my right knee very badly while skiing. I immediately applied ice to it, yet this knee seems to grow worse with time – it aches and seems to be weaker. My doctor has been advising surgery. Can TCM help with this type of problem?

Generally speaking, sports injuries fall into two categories. In one, the tendon is injured – the tendon and muscle are overstretched and hurt. This kind of injury will cause motion problems; the body has limited motion and the person will experience pain. The other category involves injury to the bone, such as a broken bone. In the first case, if the injury does not involve damage to the bone, acupuncture and Tuina (Chinese acupressure) can help.