Treating a Lower Ailment from Above

Does it hurt!?

After listening to the young man's words, Su Ziyang asked a question.

"It hurts! We wouldn't even notice if it didn't hurt. It hurts a lot when I go to the toilet, but it's okay otherwise."

The young man grimaced, clearly indicating that he was indeed feeling unwell.

"That's external hemorrhoids. Internal hemorrhoids mainly cause bleeding, and they're almost never very painful. The main symptoms of external hemorrhoids are pain, swelling, and less bleeding."

Su Ziyang gave the young man a brief explanation.

"Oh, I see. I do have external hemorrhoids. I've only ever heard about internal, external, and mixed hemorrhoids in those ads, but I don't really understand."

The young man nodded, looking as if he had just realized something.

"Here, I'll register. Name, phone number."

"Hao Kai, the 'Crimson' in his name, the 'Kai' beside his ear, meaning 'triumphant return.' 26 years old, his phone number is..."

After registering the information, Su Ziyang still advised the young man to take some traditional Chinese medicine, "Take traditional Chinese medicine and you'll recover faster."

"No, no. I really can't eat it, doctor. I really can't swallow it. Acupuncture, please!"

Hao Kai still chose acupuncture, and Su Ziyang could only respect the patient's choice, taking out a pack of one-inch needles.

"Where's the needle?!"

The young man watched Su Ziyang take the needle, and kept chatting with Su Ziyang.

"Needle tip!"

When Su Ziyang mentioned the needle tip, Hao Kai was stunned. "Holy crap, is this some kind of insult? Doctor, you can't joke like that! I have a problem with my anus and you're going to needle my mouth? Are you kidding us?! Stop messing around!"

Hao Kai wasn't really worried; he just found it strange and assumed Su Ziyang Su Ziyang was joking with him, so he laughed it off.

Su Ziyang put on disposable medical gloves and touched Hao Kai's mouth.

When Hao Kai saw that Su Ziyang was really aiming for his mouth, he jumped off the stool and flew to the side. "Stop it, doctor! It really pricks your mouth! Is this okay? Stop it, stop it!"

"I wasn't messing around with you, come here right now. Sit properly and be serious. Hurry up!"

Su Ziyang gestured for Hao Kai to sit down, Hao Kai immediately noticed that Su Ziyang's face clearly showed two words: seriousness.

So Hao Kai could only sit on the stool with some skepticism.

Su Ziyang lifted Hao Kai's upper lip and saw that there was indeed a small white dot above the frenulum of his upper lip, and next to it was a small, protruding fleshy bump that looked like a miniature chili pepper.

"It's here."

Hao Kai didn't know what Su Ziyang was muttering to himself. He only felt a sharp pain in his upper lip, which made him want to back away. However, Hao Kai Su Ziyang was holding Hao Kai's lips tightly, so Hao Kai couldn't back away too much and could only let Su Ziyang poke his lips.

"Okay... okay, doctor, it hurts a little."

Hao Kai mumbled incoherently, but Hao Kai Su Ziyang ignored his pleas and continued picking at the little fleshy tuft on his upper lip.

"Alright! Go ahead and vomit!"

Su Ziyang brought over the medical waste bin and let Hao Kai spit on it.

Hao Kai spat out a mouthful of saliva, which contained only a tiny bit of blood. There wasn't actually much blood, but it still hurt.

"It hurts so much," Hao Kai muttered, covering his mouth as he complained to Su Ziyang.

"Didn't you just say you weren't afraid of pain?" Su Ziyang smiled as he tossed the disposable acupuncture needles into the sharps box, then chuckled.

"I didn't feel any pain when I got acupuncture before, just a little swelling. Oh my god, it hurt so much I was sweating!"

Once the pain subsided, Hao Kai took off his coat.

"It's alright, it'll be fine this time. I'll prescribe some Borneol and Borax Powder for you. When you get home, apply it to the pricked area to prevent infection. Avoid spicy and greasy foods for the next few days, and try to sit as little as possible."

Su Ziyang opened a box of Borneol and Borax Powder) for Hao Kai on the computer and then indicated to Hao Kai that it was ready.

After catching his breath, Hao Kai finally couldn't help but ask curiously, "Doctor, to be honest, what kind of philosophy is this? If your anus gets sick and pricks your mouth, and I tell others, they'll call me a complete idiot and think I'm making fun of them."

"Haha, I certainly wouldn't joke with you. This is a theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine, called 'treating the lower body to treat the upper body'. You know about Taiji balls, right?"

Su Ziyang began to explain the underlying principles to Hao Kai to prevent Hao Kai from continuing to misunderstand. Previously, Su Ziyang didn't like to explain the theories behind prescriptions or medical principles to patients.

However, Su Ziyang realized that this approach wouldn't work. Su Ziyang even saw a quote online. "Western medicine lets you die knowing exactly what's happening, while traditional Chinese medicine lets you live in a daze."

Of course, it's not hard to see from this statement that it's praising traditional Chinese medicine.

It also points out a very crucial issue: clarity versus confusion.

Due to advanced technology, Western medicine can use various methods to allow patients to clearly see their body's various indicators, such as blood pressure, platelet count, and even internal organs, leading to a data-driven approach.

Many people find that after seeing a traditional Chinese medicine doctor and taking Chinese medicine, patients feel better, but they remain confused about their illness and even their condition.

In fact, Su Ziyang was against the term "muddled" or "confused," believing that traditional Chinese medicine could also help patients clearly understand their condition.

Therefore, Su Ziyang began to explain some simple medical principles to patients in language that they could understand as much as possible, so that patients could understand the underlying principles and the changes in their own bodies.

"I know about Taiji balls. The saying goes, ' Taiji generates Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang generate the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols generate the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Trigrams generate all things.' I know that. Does this have anything to do with Taiji balls?"

Hao Kai was quite knowledgeable about these theories, and immediately launched into a long explanation after Su Ziyang mentioned it.

"It's very relevant. Think of it this way: if you consider the human torso as a Taiji symbol, isn't the head the highest point, and the buttocks the lowest point?"

As Su Ziyang spoke, he gestured a simple Taiji symbol on Hao Kai's upper body.

Hao Kai didn't speak this time, but nodded and listened very attentively to Su Ziyang's explanation.

"The highest point and the lowest point are actually connected in Taiji theory. Therefore, this place can treat diseases in the opposite place. This is said in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon Classic, Basic Questions, Chapter 5: 'When Qi is reversed, if the disease is in the upper part, treat the lower part; if the disease is in the lower part, treat the upper part; if the disease is in the middle, treat the side.'"

Su Ziyang, citing classical texts, explained to Hao Kai the principle behind why pricking the mouth is necessary when the anus hurts.

Hao Kai's eyes lit up as he listened, and he excitedly shook Su Ziyang's hand. "Wow, no wonder Auntie Yu always raves about how you're a miracle doctor! You explained it so clearly, brother!!! The greatest truths are the simplest! The greatest truths are the simplest!"

"You're nothing like the other TCM doctors I've seen before, who kept talking about damp heat and stuff I couldn't understand! Thank you so much, I've learned so much! I've learned so much! Can I add you on WeChat, doctor? I'll contact you if I need anything!"

Hao Kai praised him repeatedly, and then asked for Su Ziyang's WeChat.

"I'm leaving now, doctor. Thank you!"

After Hao Kai left, Su Ziyang took off his gloves and threw them away, then continued to review his Bian Clan Bonesetting Mental Method.

The next afternoon, Su Ziyang met Hao Kai again.

"Hey bro, let me tell you, Doctor Su cured my illness in just one treatment. When I got home that night, everything felt so much better. No pain at all."

Hao Kai brought along a friend named Dou Liangtian.

As soon as he entered the room, before Su Ziyang could speak, Hao Kai began explaining to Dou Liangtian.

"Doctor Su."

Dou Liangtian was clearly much more introverted than Hao Kai, so he greeted Su Ziyang in a rather conventional way.

"Hello!" Su Ziyang gestured for the two to sit down.

Hao Kai didn't sit down, but pushed his brother Dou Liangtian to the seat next to the consultation table.

"Doctor Su, based on what you told me last time, I've assessed my friend's condition. He probably has external hemorrhoids, just like me. Could you give him an acupuncture treatment as well?"

Although Hao Kai explained it clearly, Su Ziyang still inquired about Dou Liangtian's symptoms as usual to confirm it again, and found that Hao Kai was indeed right.

"Why don't you get acupuncture too?" Su Ziyang asked Dou Liangtian for his opinion.

Dou Liangtian nodded. "I've been too busy with work and don't really like drinking herbal medicine. But Hao Kai told me that you gave him acupuncture and he got better, so I'm here for acupuncture too!"

Su Ziyang nodded, then took out disposable medical gloves and acupuncture needles.

When Su Ziyang reached for Dou Liangtian's mouth, Dou Liangtian's eyes visibly widened in surprise. However, unlike Hao Kai, Dou Liangtian did not flinch or do anything else; he simply allowed Su Ziyang to lift his upper lip.

Dou Liangtian didn't react much, but Hao Kai was extremely excited.

"Haha, how about it, bro? Never seen this before, have you? Getting hemorrhoids and having to prick your mouth, it's called treating the upper body by treating the lower body."

Hao Kai rubbed his hands excitedly, leaning over to watch Su Ziyang poke at the white spot and protruding fleshy bump on Dou Liangtian's upper lip frenulum.

"Doctor Su, this is the same thing you used to treat me last time. Does everyone with hemorrhoids have this? Would it be effective if I removed it myself?"

Hao Kai was like a curious child, constantly asking questions.

"It works. Of course it does."

Su Ziyang was not reluctant to pass on this method, as it was not a secret technique to begin with.

After finishing with the treatment, Dou Liangtian spat twice. "It hurts a bit. This is the first time I've ever felt this 'prickly' in my mouth. Brother Kai, you didn't tell me that when Doctor Su touched my mouth just now, it startled me."

Hao Kai brought Dou Liangtian here with a mischievous intention; he wanted to see Dou Liangtian's surprised expression. However, Dou Liangtian remained very calm, which only excited Hao Kai.

"This is called treating the lower body to treat the upper body's ailment, a theory Taiji. You haven't heard of it before, have you? I only understood it after Doctor Su explained it to me last time. Traditional Chinese medicine is truly profound and extensive."

Hao Kai immediately put what he had learned to use, reciting all the knowledge Su Ziyang had taught him the day before.

"That's interesting. Hey Brother Kai, could you write a health article about this on our social media platform? It should get some clicks, right?"

Only after Dou Liangtian said this did Su Ziyang realize that Hao Kai and Dou Liangtian belonged to the same media company.

"Okay. I think that's fine."

Hao Kai also became interested and sat down to ask Su Ziyang some detailed questions about this.

Su Ziyang spared no effort in converting academic terms into plain language.

Hao Kai and Dou Liangtian listened and took notes for about forty or fifty minutes before leaving satisfied. They told Su Ziyang Su Ziyang they would have him review the draft after it was written.