by Martina Gottheis
annyeong-haseyo! That's Korean and means: Hello!
So, hello, everyone! I'm Martina, and I was thrilled when Astrid asked me if the effects of aromatherapy oils could be complemented by TCM. Astrid and I met years ago at the stables. I was still in the middle of training as a TCM therapist (human) and had just begun my role as a caregiver, coach, and service staff for my pony. We quickly began talking and exchanging ideas, as we both share a passion for holistic approaches and healing methods.
That wasn't always the case for me, though – so I'd like to start this blog by describing how I came to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). I worked successfully for many years in sales and strategic marketing in the chemical industry. And this success came at a price: when I followed my husband to South Korea, I suffered a double herniated disc. Of course, AFTER the last moving box had been unpacked and the contents stowed away. I then had to take advantage of a random visit home to receive the diagnosis that surgery was recommended: 90% of the spinal canal was blocked – fortunately, I was able to deny the question of incontinence.
Until then, I was under the impression that a pill (or several) would solve my pain and health problems without me having to change my lifestyle. However, since I truly wanted to avoid spinal surgery, I contacted the Jaseng TCM clinic in Seoul for an alternative to purely conventional medicine.
The Jaseng Clinic treats conditions according to TCM, but also utilizes conventional medical diagnostic methods, for example. And this is the difference from Germany or the Western world: in South Korea, the approach is complementary.
In South Korea, TCM (known in Asia as "Traditional Oriental Medicine"—to avoid confusion, I'll stick with the term TCM) is taught and practiced as Korean Traditional Medicine. KTM not only includes TCM in its curriculum, but also teaches aspects of conventional medicine. The idea is to apply both approaches and treatment methods in harmony.
The KTM course lasts six years and is equivalent to a conventional medical course, degree, and doctorate. ( Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine ) So I went to the Jaseng Clinic for treatment – with acupuncture, moxibustion, Tuina (Chinese manual therapy), and not-so-tasty Chinese and Korean herbal tinctures, I successfully avoided surgery. And every German orthopedist still congratulates me on it today.
I also learned that it's not just about the body, but also about maintaining a healthy mind, the body in general, and lifestyle. I practiced Kouksundo ( Jeonghwan Choi ), a Taoist form of meditation, and learned to cook—completely without additives! The beloved convenience foods didn't exist at the time of my stay in Seoul. Okay, there were convenience foods for Korean cooking—unfortunately, I couldn't figure out what they were for, so I preferred to rely on my individual herbs instead. This included regular exercise in the fresh air, and a good balance between stress (I was still studying for a distance learning course at the time of my stay) and relaxation.
To summarize, this brings us to the five basic pillars of TCM: acupuncture (+ moxibustion), herbs, Tuina (Chinese manual therapy), diet, and meditation (Qi Gong, Tai Chi). The general lifestyle is not specifically mentioned, but for me it completes a healthy, balanced, and contented lifestyle. And of course, this principle applies not only to humans but also to our horses. In China, TCM was applied to household animals thousands of years ago, as early attempts were made to understand the symptoms of illness and to cure them. It is believed that animals were given acupuncture as early as the Stone Age (presumably based on the empirical principle) in order to activate their healing powers ( Huisheng Xie, Vanessa Preast ).
The treatment of illnesses with herbs (phytotherapy) has probably been used for thousands of years, both preventatively and in acute cases, even in the Western Hemisphere, in our pets. One example is herbal mixtures for coughs or respiratory illnesses ( Christiane Gohl ). And I think you know how helpful the administration of psyllium husks or linseed, for example, is for diarrhea.
Tuina is a Chinese manual therapy form – the term "Tuina" is composed of the words "tui" = "to push" and "na" = "to grasp." Tuina was widely used in China over two thousand years ago and was and is used to treat a wide variety of ailments in all parts of the body, thus going beyond "purely manual therapy" ( Han Chaling ). This makes it difficult to compare it to Western manual therapies such as physiotherapy or chiropractic measures, as these focus on physical problems, namely muscle, tendon, and skeletal issues. The osteopathic approach is probably closest to Tuina.
I never treat horses purely with physiotherapy, but rather combine physiotherapy techniques with methods such as Qi Gong Tuina. Qi Gong Tuina is a form of therapy that, in addition to addressing physical blockages, also delves deeper, harmonizing and strengthening the core, the lungs, and other functional systems (depending on the patient's needs). This allows me to take a holistic approach to treating my patients.
Current studies indicate that many of the illnesses that are becoming more common in horses today, such as diffuse metabolic disorders, allergies, respiratory diseases, or illnesses without a clear diagnosis, indicate a connection between nutrition (dietary) in combination with a lack of exercise. This means that we need to go "back to basics" when it comes to feeding, in terms of quality, degree of processing (easily digestible feed), and ingredients ( Christina Fritz; Souel Maleh ). The pillar of "Qi Gong / Tai Chi" is naturally an exciting aspect in connection with horses. Horses are intelligent and highly social creatures with a strong body language and communication skills. Studies in England have shown that horses are perfectly capable of reading and understanding the facial expressions of their humans. The long-held idea that a smiling human (bared teeth) is perceived as a threat by a horse is therefore incorrect ( Alena Brandt ). But doesn't that also mean that we can help our horses to relax by signaling this to our horse partner when we interact with them?
I regularly practice Qi Gong with my pony and, during the exercise, I can feel my pony calming down and relaxing. I also regularly include short sessions during training, and I feel that our cooperation is more harmonious this way, and that my pony is challenged during more difficult training sessions but not stressed. As with humans, the pillars described are just pieces of the puzzle: the interaction and coexistence within the herd, the type of accommodation, the alternation of demands and relaxation during time with the human, etc., complete the picture.
List of sources:
- Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine: Oriental Medicine in Korea ( Link )
- Jeonghwan Choi: "What is the Definition of Kouksundo (Sundo)?" ( link )
- Huisheng Xie; Vanessa Peast: “Xie's Veterinary Acupuncture” ( Link )
- Christiane Gohl: “What the stable master still knew” ( Link )
- Han Chaling: “Guide to Tuina” ( Link )
- Christina Fritz; Souel Maleh: “Diseases of Civilization in Horses” ( Link )
- Alena Brandt: “Communicating with horses through looks” ( Link )