Interview from "In Touch Zhejiang" magazine, September 2005

Why Dr. Livingston doesn't presume.

Hangzhou is home to many long-term foreign residents doing a myriad of strange and interesting things. Once such resident is Dr. Greg A. Livingston, an American born and raised in San Francisco now living in Hangzhou and working as a Chinese Medicine Physician at North American International Hospital. Last month, Dr. Livingston wrote an article for IT, so this month we wanted to find out more about the man who told us not to eat ice cream and try to put an end to the rumor that he is descendant from the infamous Dr. Livingstone of the Congo.

IT: So, the first question many people will want to ask is how did you, a westerner, become interested in Chinese Medicine?

Dr. G: In my late teens I developed an interest in sustaining and promoting my own health and longevity and began looking into various ways to improve my well-being. When I got around to taking an in-depth look at Chinese Medicine I was quickly hooked. Not only did CM have a long history of efficacy, it had a long history of critical-thinking doctors who developed the medicine in as scientific as way as possible given the times, and it had a massive modern infrastructure behind it both in China and abroad that was dedicated to further research and development of the medicine. This suited me very well- a holistic medicine based on sound practice and development over the ages that was undergoing modern scientific scrutiny and development. I was soon enrolled in a four-year “Master of Science in Chinese Medicine” program in the US, and when I graduated (1997) I came to study and practice in China for two years.

IT: What do you like most about CM?

Dr G: CM is a holistic medicine, which means there is an understanding of the organism as a whole and of the relationships between various parts of the body. Therefore, when a disease manifests in one part of the body it is possible to determine where it originated and what part it may affect next, and then it can be treated at the origin and prevented from afflicting other parts of the body. In CM, all illness is described as having a root (original cause) and a branch (symptoms). CM is famous for it’s ability to treat the root of disease, eliminating symptoms that may have been around for years but were seemingly unrelated and which, using Western medicine, were only able to be controlled, but not eliminated. Furthermore, with its subtle diagnostics, CM can be used as a preventative medicine thus helping one avoid disease in the future and promoting well-being and longevity. Finally, if CM is practiced well there are few if any side effects. These are a few of the great strengths of Chinese medicine.

IT: So what is your opinion of Western Medicine (WM)?

Dr G: All medical systems have their strengths and weaknesses, including CM and WM. WM is fantastic in its profound understanding of the body on a microscopic level and its ability to successfully treat and/or control a lot of serious diseases. A world without antibiotics, surgery, insulin, or blood pressure medication would not be pretty. That said, WM has its limitations, especially in that it has yet to develop a holistic view of the body. In many cases WM treats the symptoms of disease (the “branch”) because it doesn’t know what the “root” of the disease is. Ultimately, it’s the integration of Chinese and Western medicine that provides the best results. If you know the strengths and weaknesses of both systems, know when it’s appropriate to use what, and know how to integrate CM and WM treatments, then you get the best of both worlds.

IT: What about the limitations of CM?

Dr. G: CM is best suited for treating chronic conditions, although in the proper setting (an integrated Chinese-Western medicine hospital) it can be used in the treatment of severe acute disease. CM lacks the modern understanding of physiology and the diagnostic tools of WM. But again, this is not a problem since one can easily integrate the two. What CM lacks can be made up for with WM and vice-versa. Of course, CM is not a panacea, otherwise I’d be immortal (laughs). It’s excellent in the treatment of many diseases, of some use in other conditions, and of little use in some others. However, for most conditions there’s some benefit that can be derived, so I always encourage people to look into it to see if CM might help their condition.

IT: What kinds of patients typically come to see you?

Dr. G: I practice general internal medicine, which means I see all types of patients with all types of problems: common colds, diabetes, digestive problems, headaches, menstrual irregularities, insomnia, allergies, etc. The majority of my patients happen to be women, probably because women are generally more concerned with their health than men, so I do a lot of gynecology, and this is one area where CM really excels, offering treatment for many conditions that WM has little or no treatment. For example, painful menstruation, irregular menstruation, PMS, infertility, anemia, etc.

IT: So, in terms of examination and treatment, what exactly do you do?

Dr. G: Examination includes the 4 traditional CM exams: “look, smell, ask, palpate”. This means carefully looking at the person, smelling for unusual odors, asking questions, and palpation of the body including pulse diagnosis. I also use WM methods such as lab tests, imaging, etc., when appropriate. Diagnosis will usually be given in both CM and WM terms, and then treatment is usually pure CM. If a patient needs WM treatment I will refer them to an MD. I use herbs, acupuncture, exercise, diet, and lifestyle advice to treat my patients. Not every patient needs or gets all of the above. For example some are scared of acupuncture, so I skip it. I only use sterile, single-use disposable needles in my practice, so there is no need to worry about infection.

IT: How is your treatment different from the typical local TCM practitioner?

DR. G: The main difference is that I spend a lot of time with my patients, explaining things and inviting them to be involved in the decision making process and their treatment. Most patients know very little about CM. They’re curious and want to know what’s going on, and they often want to be involved, so I routinely give dietary and lifestyle advice to complement the treatments. In addition, the extra time also allows me to develop a deeper understanding of patients’ conditions and get at the root of their problems. This is especially important when treating the complex, chronic conditions that often appear in our crazy, modern society.

IT: Thank you, Dr. Livingston, for taking time to talk with us.

Dr. G: You are most welcome. CM is a wonderful medicine and I hope this interview will encourage some of your readers to try it if they ever have the need.