His Medical Skills Know No Borders
Upon entering the clinic of Dr. Liu Wan Cheng, there was a white vastness, and a solemn air thick with academia. An inspection of the four walls revealed news articles in various languages, such as Chinese, English, and Hungarian. Chinese newspapers call him the “Needle God”. An English article (The International Who’s Who of Intellectuals) refers to him as a “Godlike Acupuncturist”. Another article says “I realize that as a professional journalist, I should not infuse my personal views into an article, but in light of Dr. Liu’s medical skills I feel it necessary to add my opinions and praise”. A Korean report says “He is a famous Chinese, a famous researcher.” A Hungarian article says “Small needles in the hand of Liu can produce miracles, the needle comes and illness goes”. According to Ye Shi Fu, Chief Editor of the Sing Tao Daily who was cured by Dr. Liu of backaches and a case of nerves using acupuncture, “The acupuncture skill of China’s Dr. Liu is not only a medical skill but an art form.”
I am astounded. Language is bounded by national borders, but medical skills know no borders. This is the first time I have heard of an expert acupuncturist communicating in so many nations using a silver needle. Are his medical skills so uncanny?
Dressed in white, with slightly graying hair, Dr. Liu appeared and saw me gazing at the articles. Slightly abashed, he smiled and said “They make me out to be so great, but it’s just experience really. You’ve come to interview me, you should look at the results that I produce, especially what I can do for uterine fibroids. This interview is after all about ‘Effective Treatment of Extra Large Fibroids’ and the facts are here.” He is an elder, but it also struck me that he displays a quality of a traditional gentleman of modesty. We sat around his desk and began to go through his materials.
Dr. Liu is currently at the height of his skills in Chinese medicine and at a prime age. He is originally the Director of Clinical Acupuncture Research of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Research Institute of the province of Hei Long Jiang. Dr. Liu, a doctorate, was trained by a famous scholar of TCM and acupuncture, of the Nanjing University of TCM, and consultant to the International Acupuncture Association, Professor Qiu Mao Liang. After years of arduous training under the tutelage of numerous reputable people, and still just in his mid-thirties, Dr. Liu was already making a name for himself in the TCM circles in China using acupuncture effecting miracle-like results in the treatment of difficult illnesses. One time he cured the sciatica of a young Danish teacher who was working in China at the time. She had come to him in distress and left delighted. In the province of Hei Long Jiang he had also successfully treated the wife of a political commissar of the provincial military command, the provincial secretary, and the provincial director of the general office. In the 7th national five year plan of China, he was selected to head research on the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding with acupuncture. After five years of research, he acquired significant results that won him a 4th class award for Scientific Advancement in Hei Long Jiang province, and also brought relief to the numerous women suffering from the condition. Major newspapers in Harbin reported on his successes. Health News also ran a major article “Liu Wan Cheng Develops Acupuncture Techniques for Treatment of Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding” in a first edition. Because of Dr. Liu’s superior medical skills, and high medical ethics, writers have referred to him as a valiant and god-like acupuncturist.
In 1991, the vice president of an alliance federation in Hungary was intrigued by the reputation of Wan Cheng Liu, and invited him to practice his trade in Budapest. Over the next eight years, Dr. Wan Cheng Liu would conduct over ten thousand treatment sessions in Hungary with striking results. Ordinary problems such as back and leg pains, sciatica would disappear under Dr. Liu’s proficient acupuncture techniques. Even more unusual was Dr. Liu’s successful treatment of numerous cases of uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts in Hungary. So significant were the results that he was interviewed on Hungarian national TV. To this day he still keeps the video tape of the program.
I asked him in how many countries he has treated people. His response was “Hungary, Korea, Germany, Indonesia, Kong Hong, and all by invitation.” In Hungary, he not only cured many Hungarians, but also many Koreans and Japanese. The Korean ambassador and many of the employees in the embassy were his patients. In Korea, he cured a company director and his wife, and a Korean air force general. Because of this, he is known by Koreans as a famous Chinese national.
I asked Wan Cheng Liu what ethnic groups make up his clientele in Canada. Canada is a multicultural country and naturally the people that come to see him are of many different ethnic groups, he explained. Cheerfully, he named some; the Chinese, English, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Lithuanian, Armenian, Japanese, Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Portuguese, Spanish, East Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Palestinian, Afghanistan, Polish, Sri Lankan, Jamaican, Rwandan, Somali, Kenyan, Trinidadian, Korean, Laotian, Yugoslavian…spewing out 30 some groups in a breath. It’s as if the whole world believes in acupuncture, I noted. Dr. Liu continued, “Yes, and I would also add that Mao Ze Dong had the foresight to preserve acupuncture.
At a time when the Chinese decided to purge three old practices (feet-binding, opium smoking, and Chinese medicine) after labeling them outmoded, Mao Ze Dong said, ‘Acupuncture is not uncouth. In the future the whole world will use it.’ Mao Ze Dong had good sense. At the time I was learning acupuncture, there certain biases; those in the practice of western medicine did not have a high regard for Chinese medicine, and those in the practice of Chinese medicine did not have a high regard for acupuncture. Today there is not a country where acupuncture is not practiced. Furthermore, the more developed the country, the more popular is the practice of acupuncture. ”
It is true, acupuncture has no borders.
I asked Dr. Liu, with people from so many ethnic backgrounds coming for acupuncture treatment, do they all believe in acupuncture? Dr. Liu’s response was that of course they believe, acupuncture is a science, a natural method of treatment of disease, and after all are people not currently trying to return to the natural ways? If you as a practitioner have a strong grasp of the fundamentals and the theories behind acupuncture, you will produce results with acupuncture. With results, nobody can refute you. Without results, even the people closest to you will doubt you. Dr. Liu also added that a patient of his has children practicing acupuncture professionally. Instead of going to her children for treatment, she chooses to come to Dr. Liu instead.
The Founder of Amur School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
Not only has Dr. Liu achieved outstanding results in clinical practice, he has also contributed to new developments in the area of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture theory, obtaining significant results in research. With decades of continuous clinical experience built on top of standard traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture theory, he published his new theories and new acupuncture techniques in dozens of academic essays in publications, first within China then outside of China. He published A Practical Handbook of Filiform-needle Puncturing Techniques, followed by Acupuncture Treatment of Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding, and then participated as coauthor in the creation of A Running Commentary on Compendium of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, a major Chinese classic on traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
In 1991, with in depth theory of traditional Chinese medicine as a basis, Dr. Liu founded the new model “Amur School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture”. This institute’s body of knowledge developed rapidly, combining the theory, research, and clinical experience of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, with the methodology of modern innovative medical science. Dr. Liu is originally from Hei Long Jiang province in the North East. The North East is also known as “White Mountain Black Water”, White Mountain a reference to a mountain in Ji Lin province and Black Water a reference to a river in Hei Long Jiang province. “Amur” is also another name for the river in Hei Long Jiang province and Dr. Liu chose this name for the institute as a tribute to the place of his origin.
The state of the human body is in constant flux and the Amur institute’s main emphasis in treatment is to utilize that state of constant flux to stimulate change in a direction that would improve vitality. In acupuncture, the correct combination of acupuncture points and skillful application are used to adjust the state of the human body. Acupuncture is done naturally using hand techniques, without the application of electrically devices, and therefore there are no side-effects.
As a famous healer and a teacher of the subject, the accomplishments of Dr. Liu have been recorded in Famous People in the Field of Chinese Medicine, Collected Biographies of Famous Doctors of Chinese Medicine, and in 1994--Cambridge’s The International Who’s Who of Intellectuals.
I noticed that Dr. Liu did not advertise much and asked him how he got his patients. He said that many referrals came from patients. I asked him what it took to gain a patient’s trust. His answer was that two main points were to be satisfied.
The first point is medical ethics. The practitioner must be honest with the patient about whether he/she can or cannot treat the condition. Dr. Liu says “I have a motto, ‘Don’t take someone for a fool because there is no fool in the world. If you take somebody for a fool then you are the biggest fool of all.’ Therefore the practitioner must be perfectly clear and honest with a patient.” According to Dr. Liu’s experience, one acupuncture treatment should produce results. If no results are apparent after three acupuncture treatments, then one should consider other options such as Chinese herbs, or other doctors of Chinese or Western medicine. Acupuncture requires skill and it is not as simple as one might think; one does not gain the ability to treat people after just learning a bit of theory. Through the misuse of needles, consequences can be as severe has causing aerothorax or even death. Examples of this have been recorded in ancient texts as well as modern texts. The use of Chinese herbal medicine is the same; if no results are apparent after three to five daily doses of herbs have been used, then other options should be explored. The patient should not be kept on the herbs year in and year out unless there are special circumstances. Most Chinese herbs are not harmful, but those who do not have a thorough understanding of the herbs should not be prescribing them. Even those trained in the use of herbs should remember that human life must be treated with utmost care.
The second point that must be satisfied is results. Chinese people tend to be familiar with and accept acupuncture. The average Chinese patient will attempt a couple of more treatments if the first treatment does not produce results. Non-Chinese people tend to stop coming if the first treatment does not provide results. Clinically, results are imperative.
In order to promote the Amur School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Dr. Liu sometimes teaches advanced level courses on the new theories and methods of this school of acupuncture. Students in the course must have a certain level of prerequisites. Some former students now have their own practices and some use their knowledge to treat family and friends.
The Marvelously Effective Treatment of Extra Large Uterine Fibroids
Acupuncture can relieve headaches; that I believe. Acupuncture can relieve backaches; that I believe. Acupuncture can be used to treat uterine fibroids; I was momentarily skeptical. In front of me were Dr. Liu’s records of the treatments. 40 year old Miss Chang came for treatment in February for multiple uterine fibroids, the biggest being 12.3 x 11.5 x 10.2 cm in size, classified as an extra large fibroid. By March 13, after one course of treatment, the fibroid had shrunk to 12.07 x 10.8 x 9.2 cm. Dr. Liu discussed with the patient whether to continue treatment. “Continue of course”, the patient replied happily. After a period of time, the fibroid shrunk to 7.6 x 7.6 x 7.4cm.
To me this is a miracle; acupuncture was used to shrink this large uterine fibroid to this degree. But to Dr. Liu, this is common. According to Dr. Liu, Miss Chang had had a 10+ cm fibroid at 30 years of age, and at the time lacking in options, had surgery to remove it. Unfortunately, not long after the surgery, a new crop of fibroids appeared. Frustrated and worried, she sought treatment with Chinese traditional medicine and acupuncture. After treatment for a few years, the fibroids not only did not shrink but had grown rapidly. The one year before she came to Dr. Liu, her fibroid had grown from 6.0 cm to 12.3 x 11.5 x 10.2 cm. During that year, she had been undergoing continuous treatment with Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. The practitioner treating her explained that without acupuncture the fibroid would grow even faster. Although Miss Chang had no expert understanding of medicine, she understood that the practitioner was only giving her words of consolation.
In a time of desperation she held on to one shred of hope and came to Dr. Liu for treatment. In this case, faith did not abandon the one in need, she found the right doctor, she found the right path, and as a result she obtained results worth celebrating. Shown proof, Miss Chang no longer believes the confounded explanation that treatment merely slows down the growth of fibroids.
Dr. Liu has extensive experience at treating uterine fibroids. Early in his work with treating dysfunctional uterine bleeding, he began to pay attention to fibroids because some cases of dysfunctional uterine bleeding were caused by fibroids. It was in Hungary when he began investing extensive time in the treatment of fibroids. It was then that he authored the article “Acupuncture Treatment of Uterine Fibroids: 32 Clinical Cases” which was presented at the International Acupuncture Conference. The article documented a 96.9% effective rate, a 34.4% cure rate, and a 3.1% non-effective rate (one case) of treatment of fibroids with acupuncture, generating intense interest in academic circles.
Uterine fibroids are a common gynecological problem occurring in women between the ages of 35-55. Although considered benign, unlike devastating cancerous tumors, it can still pose significant health problems for women. Until now, the most common treatment available for fibroids is surgery, with myomectomy (local removal of fibroids), or hysterectomy (total removal of the uterus). There were no better methods. Total removal of the uterus can prevent the growth of any more fibroids, but this produces an imbalance in the endocrine system. Removal of the individual fibroids still leaves the possibility that new fibroids will grow. Then what is one supposed to do? Dr. Liu is not opposed to surgery, but some people are very reluctant to undergo surgery. Dr. Liu treated a female patient named Erzsebet in Hungary for fibroids. Her fibroid was not large, only 2.5 cm X 2.0 cm, but she had extremely heavy periods and she was told she should have surgery. She was terrified, afraid that after surgery she would no longer be a “real” woman. Because of this, she refused surgery. Later she heard of Dr. Liu’s acupuncture treatments for fibroids and she underwent two courses of treatments and the fibroid vanished and her periods became normal. This woman was so excited that she told television reporters, “The Chinese doctor gave me a second chance at being a real woman.” From this we can see that Dr. Liu is able to treat fibroids with acupuncture, paving another path in treatment options for fibroids, giving patients affected by the condition another ray of hope.
Ovarian cysts, which Hong Kong people refer to as “water cysts” is another gynecological problem, not as frequent or as difficult to treat as fibroids are also within Dr. Liu’s area of expertise. 40 old Ms. Li’s ultrasound report showed a 2.3 cm cyst in her right ovary. After treatment by Dr. Liu, an ultrasound showed that the cyst had vanished.
A woman of German descent came to Dr. Liu seeking treatment for back pain. While providing a medical history, she revealed that she also had a kidney cyst. Dr. Liu suggested treating the kidney cyst as well. The woman was skeptical that he would be able to treat the kidney cyst. After continued treatment for a certain length of time the back pain disappeared and treatment was stopped. A year later, Dr. Liu’s clinic had been relocated. The woman visited the new clinic and asked why she was not informed of the relocation of the clinic. “You no longer have back pain, so for what reason would I notify you of the move?” asked Dr. Liu. To this the woman responded, “There’s no back pain, but there are other problems”. Dr. Liu analyzed her pulse and said “You are experiencing chest discomfort and numbness in the right arm“. She responded, “Yes this is why I’ve come to see you, and I also some good news to tell you.” “What news do you bring?” asked Dr. Liu. She happily replied, “Your acupuncture is really effective, my kidney cyst is a lot smaller now. It’s quite incredible.” With this she produced her ultrasound report explaining to Dr. Liu that before the acupuncture treatment the kidney cyst was 36.96 ccm3 and after the treatment it was 26.90 ccm3, showing quite a significant shrinkage. According to her, each year she plans to have about 30 treatments with Dr. Liu because she has a lot of ailments. She had spent a significant amount of money annually on pharmaceuticals, especially for this kidney cyst. Since acupuncture is effective, why not use it instead? According to Dr. Liu, a growth or a cyst smaller than 6 centimeters is relatively easy to treat with obvious results.
Laughter in the Clinic
Hearing of Dr. Liu’s high medical skills and ability to treat difficult medical problems, a woman suffering from frequent and painful urination with incessant dripping, and insomnia (which was also disturbing her husband’s sleep), phoned Dr. Liu and asked if he was able to treat such problems. Dr. Liu said it was trivial. It would be treated with acupuncture. The woman asked how many acupuncture treatments it would take, to which Dr. Liu replied “one”. The woman was quite surprised, and in disbelief. She decided to give it a chance and came to the clinic. Just as Dr. Liu had said, after one treatment the woman was basically well. The next morning the woman phoned and the first thing she said was, “Dr. Liu, allow me to bow to you.” Dr. Liu asked why and she said that she was well again and she just wanted one more acupuncture treatment to make sure she stays well. Dr. Liu told her that it wasn’t necessary, but if she wanted another treatment, that would be fine also.
A young man of 24 years of age developed from work-related stress, insomnia, sweating, and trembling of the hands so severe that he could not drive. His father brought him in for treatment. Dr. Liu considered this a case of neurastheria. There was vast improvement in the condition after a few treatments and he was able to drive himself to the appointments. The condition was remedied after treatment for a certain length of time. For the last treatment, the father also came. Upon arriving he said, “Dr. Liu, Chairman Mao was the peoples’ savior, and you are my son’s savior. He is now whole again, his health is good, and his can work. Originally I was worried for his health, and worried that his career would also suffer as a result. Now that has passed and I am so grateful to you!”
One female patient suffered insomnia, and sleep medication did not help. She would be counting sheep till the later half of the night and it would be 2 or 3 in the morning before she would fall asleep for an hour. She would be exhausted and lethargic during the day. She was dispirited. She came for treatment. After one course of treatment, she was relieved of the insomnia. She had no trouble sleeping 6 or 7 hours a night. She was once again filled with spirit.
Stories from Dr. Liu’s practice are numerous. Due to the limited length of this article, it is impractical to recount them all. These are all true stories. It is common for Chinese people to recommend Dr. Liu to other Chinese people, or for Chinese people to recommend him to non-Chinese people, but it is rather extraordinary when non-Chinese people also recommend Dr. Liu to Chinese people. Patients are usually moved by Dr. Liu’s expert medical skills and sincerity, some seeing him as “a path offered by the heavens”. His silver needles have indeed remedied a great number of illnesses for his patients, freeing thousands of people from anguish. His medical skills will continue to bring immense benefit to society.
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