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A REVOLUTIONARY
Dr Wenrui Guo sliced the
air with her arms as she
became the “white crane
as it spreads its wings” in a
movement of Tai Chi
which she does daily as an
exercise in her small room
at the al-Haram Hospital, in
the shadow of the
pyramids. She performed
this movement with the
presence, attention, and
grace of a ballet dancer.
This was not just a
movement of beauty, but
one of health. In China
people of all ages practice
Tai Chi and Qi Gong daily
in every small park or bus
stop, for they understand
that movement is a
blessing. It is taught to
children in schools as a
form of exercise and
energy balancing.
Today, as the West has
become enamored with
exploring such methods of
alternative medicine as,
healing with fragrance,
sound, color, breath,
imaging, food, plants,
flowers, meditation, herbs,
and massage, two ancient
civilizations meet in Cairo in
a unique program of
bringing the knowledge of
traditional Chinese
medicine to Egypt, a
knowledge the Chinese
have been developing for
over two thousand years,
ever since Neijing wrote his
Canon of Medicine, in 500
B.C.E.
Dr Guo received her
medical training in Beijing
and has for the past
Dr Wenrui Guo
after performing
a succesful
operation on a
patient from
Chile.
twenty-one years been a
professor of acupuncture,
tuin na (healing massage)
and herbal treatment, at
the International Training
Center of Acupuncture and
Moxibustion, which is part
of the Acadamy of
Traditional Chinese
Medicine in Beijing.
She spent two years
training professional
doctors in Yugoslavia in
the art of acupuncture and
for the last two years has
been on loan to Cairo
where she is teaching
professional Egyptian
doctors at al-Haram
Hospital in Giza, the ways
of traditional Chinese
medicine, focusing on
acupuncture, her specialty.
This exchange of medical
ideas is due to an
arrangement between the
Egyptian and Chinese
Ministers of Health. She
has come to Cairo to help
in the development of an
understanding of
acupuncture.
Dr. Guo also treats
outpatients for bodily
imbalances which cause
allergies, asthma, arthritis,
anxiety, depression,
epilepsy, diabetes,
hypertension, migraine,
effects of stroke, sinus,
tinnitus, menstrual
disorders, eczema, acne,
high blood pressure,
smoking, alcohol addiction,
and more. Acupuncture
balances hormones,
improves circulation, and
builds up energy so that
“The acupuncture process
involves use of special needles and
scissors
mastered to perfection”
IN MEDICINE
the body can heal itself.
Traditional Chinese
medicine prevents and
treats disease by
puncturing certain points on
the body with needles, as in
acupuncture; applying heat
with ignited moxa wool,
(moxabustion); herbal
treatment which consists of
intricate prescriptions and
doses of herbs which
change as the illness
changes; cupping, the
heating of glass balls or
cups which are placed on
various points of the body
causing the blood to flow
more freely; and healing
massage. In the Tibb
Nabawi, The Medicine of
the Prophet written by Al-
Jawziyya 700 years ago,
there is a section where the
Prophet Muhammad refers
to the benefits of cupping
as a process of healing the
body.
“Often more than one
branch from this tree of
traditional medicine is used
to heal an illness. For
example, if the body has
excess heat, herbs and
acupuncture may be used,”
said Dr Guo.
These methods of
healing work with the qi, the
vital energy of life, in order
to obtain mental clarity and
emotional balance and
allow one to ride the waves
of life on a boat of
simplicity, tranquility and
adaptability. Western
practicioners are slowly
becoming aware of
Chinese Traditional
Medicine. The practioner of
the East has alsobeen
trained in Western
Medicine so they have the
ability to direct the patient
to the area of medicine
which would be most
suitable for them.
Dr Guo makes her initial
diagnosis of a patient in a
variety of ways. “First I look
at a person’s color, whether
they are pale or have a
yellow tinge to the eyes or
skin. I also look at the color
of the tongue’s coating and
the shape of the tongue.
This reveals a lot about the
person’s condition. I listen
to the patient and ask
pertinent questions. A very
important part of my
diagnosis is based on
taking the pulse of the
patient.” She also related
that the climate and
geography of the patient’s
dwelling place is also
considered.
To know acupuncture one
must understand the 365
points in the body, the 20
meridians (14 have points),
those that are yin and those
that are yang, the ones that
meet at the Gate of Light at
the top of the head, all the
links to these meridians,
there meeting points, the
functions of the organs,
which diseases relate to
them, and the function of
every point.
“For example,” Dr Guo
“A very important part
of my diagnosis
is based on
taking the pulse of the patient.”
said, “The lung organ has
the same function as in
western medicine. It
dominates the skin and
hair. The nose and throat
also have a relation with
the lung, so colds are
treated in the lung channel
in acupuncture.”
“During acupuncture
treatment the patient must
be quiet, not be angry,
hungry, or nervous, they
must relax. The doctor
must be in a relaxed state
of high concentration for
how the needle is inserted
is important. Not anyone
can do this. You must
understand the patient
before you can treat them.”
Dr Guo continued,
“Acupuncture helps your
health by building up your
constitution. Western
medicine tries to cure the
illness, while acupuncture
makes your constitution
strong, thus allowing your
body to cure the illness.
The vital energy and blood
is acquired from the spleen
which functions with the
stomach. If the
qi,–energy–and blood do
not move, one has pain.
Life depends on
movement. If the body
receives no vitamins from
the sun, there usually is a
lack of calcium which
appears as pain in the
joints.”
Excercise is not enough
for good health. It is
necessary to research
which foods are good for
the muscles and bones.
“Some people eat too
much meat, chicken and
rice, which they cook so
long that the nutrients are
lost. A person has a
responsibility to
themselves. They must
sleep enough, have good
emotions and choose and
prepare good food in their
life,” said Dr Guo.
A glow emerged from her
eyes as she summed up
her philosophy, “It is
important not to think too
much, to live simply with
little desire for things, and
to love life. I love life!”
Right: Ali Husien, a
patient relaxes after
acupunture to get his
muscles strengthened
Below: Ms. Linda Smith
of LMG Standards
comes in for
examination about her
health.