The following article was published in the March 2006 newsletter by the Washington State Chinese Cancer Network Association (WSCCNA), a local non-profit organization dedicated to serve cancer survivors and their families in the Chinese community.
本文刊登于華州華人防癌互助協會二零零六年三月的防癌互助通訊。
互助協會於2005年9月24日特邀中醫師劉宇鈞醫師為癌友談針灸和養生。其實我們生活在這個環境裏，每個人或多或少都會接觸到致癌的因素。曾有醫學報導，有些人因爲車禍意外死亡被送到醫院，而醫生卻無意中發現他們的身體裏有癌細胞，不過這些人在活著的時候完全沒有癌症的症狀，那是爲什麽呢？從中醫的角度看，這是一個人的衛氣（保衛之氣）還沒有極度衰落。針灸對癌友有用之處就是可以有效的提升衛氣，以及調理體内五臟六腑的盛虛，特別是對脾胃、腎和肝而言：一方面增加衛氣的生成，另一方面增強衛氣在身體裏的循環。（注：衛氣在西醫中相對於免疫系統的一切。正確的施針並不會使癌細胞運行到全身那是一個誤解。）關於養生方面，主要和生活方式、飲食和情志有關：生活方式要順應四時，有適當的運動，盡量不要工作過勞、睡眠晨昏顛倒、或者是連續幾天不睡覺；飲食盡量不要吃太多生冷和油膩的，要少量多餐，不過飢不過飽；情志要隨和，對外來的壓力要學會以柔制剛四兩撥千斤，同時嘗試重新了解自己、自己的理想和活著的目標，藉以減少已有的、或是將有的、無形的、也是不必要的壓力、擔心和憂慮；所謂久思傷脾，更重要的是在思過以後作出一個決定，然後照著去做。在講座中，劉醫師更教了大家一些特別調理脾胃和補腎的簡單氣功，希望各位癌友身心健康。(想從西醫的角度了解癌症，大家可以參考世界衛生組織的癌症網頁, 網址是http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/zh/)
Chinese medicine practitioner and licensed acupuncturist Hugo Lau was invited to speak at the Cancer Network gathering on September 24, 2005 about acupuncture and optimal health
Living in our present environment, each of us is bound to come into contact with some cancer causing factors. It has been reported that doctors had found cancer cells in people who died of car accidents even though they did not exhibit any cancer symptoms while they were living. How come? From the perspective of Chinese medicine, it was because the defensive qi (energy) of those people was not yet depleted. Acupuncture is useful to cancer patients because it can promote their defensive energy and regulate their internal organ systems, especially to the digestive, kidney, and liver systems. While it enhances the formation of defensive energy, it also enhances the circulation of such to all parts of the body. (Note: Defensive energy in Chinese medicine corresponds to the immune system in western medicine. Acupuncture when done correctly will promote defensive energy and not metastasis of cancer cells.) Regarding optimal health, there are mainly three aspects: lifestyle, diet, and mentality. Optimal lifestyle is to live according to the seasonal changes, have appropriate amount of exercises, try not to overwork or have irregular sleeping pattern. Optimal diet is to not eat too much raw, cold, or oily food, try to eat frequent small meals, not over-eat or starve one self. Optimal mentality is to be easy-going and calm, learn to be flowing and flexible to deflect external stresses, also try to re-evaluate and understand one self, the reasons of ones hopes and goals of staying alive, so as to reduce any existing or potential, invisible and unnecessary stress, worries and anxiety. According to Chinese medicine, thinking too much hampers the digestive system. Whats more important is to make a decision and a plan and follow through with it. At the workshop, Dr. Lau also taught the group a couple of easy and simple Qi Gong exercises designed to strengthen the digestive system and kidneys. [Please refer to the Cancer Website by World Health Organization for more information and understanding from a western medicine perspective. The site address is http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/zh/]