Men’s Health
Nov 6th, 2006 by Michael Max
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, like so many Chinese cities, is all scooters and sprawl, pedicabs, cars, and endless traffic jams as newly moneyed Chinese join the rat race of consumerism.
In addition to being the home of that uniquely spicy and tongue numbing delight, 麻辣火鍋. Sichuan is also a province rich in agriculture, and with a climate that draws forth abundance. A vast number of the herbs in the Chinese pharmacy are grown here.
Not surprisingly, the doctors from Sichuan are renown
for their skill as herbalists.
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There are some people that just seem to have an inside track to the joy of life. The corners of the eyes have those laughing lines, and there seems to be a constant smile on their face. They are like teapots at an almost boil, constantly tipping out laughter as if they are up to some kind of mischief.
I met Dr Fang last year, when passing through Chengdu. Some friends were frequenting his clinic, and spoke with respect about his workhorse clinical skills. He is retired, but like so many doctors, he continues to both teach and treat. Last year, I sat in his clinic, and tried to tune my ears to Sichuan Hua, and gather some gems of insight and method.
One of the interesting things about Fang’s clinic is the amount of men that he sees. In China like the USA, men don’t some so often for treatment. Perhaps it is that life boat mentality of women and children first, or that boys don’t cry. Men just don’t usually come for treatment until things have progressed to a point of more than a little discomfort. Dr. Fang sees a lot of men for urinary issues. Prostatitus and prostate enlargement.
Spending time in the clinic watching doctors like Fang has it’s benefits. But, this year I don’t have the time to take weeks to sift through the crazy quilt of cases that he sees. I want to get the specifics on treating prostate issues, and bring it back to the States.
My Israeli friend, Eran, has been working closely with Dr Fang this past year. He arranges an opportunity for us to I sit with Fang for a few nights of concentrated study on these subjects.
Men don’t often talk about their health. And we especially don’t like to talk about the fact that after the age of 40, our prostates slowly begin to enlarge. We especially don’t like to discuss how by the age of 50 some of us will have changes in our urinary habits, and that by the age of 70 a majority of us will. Live to 80, and most of us will intimately know what trouble a prostate can be.
Western medicine does not have much to offer us. There is surgery, but the side effects of that are not exactly what you would call positive.
According to Dr. Fang. Chinese medicine does not have any cures either. But, it does offer the hope of slowing the process down. What’s more, it offers excellent symptomatic relief for flair ups, that does not rely on antibiotics.
Aging, and it’s associated problems is not something we can stop. But, it is a process that can be slowed, and dealt with in ways that don’t involve sharp knives!
