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.

“It is important not to think too much,

to live simply with little desire for things,

and to love life. I love life.”