Traditional Chinese Medicine

About Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an indispensable part of the glorious culture of the Chinese nation.

Totally different from the principles of western medicine, theories of traditional Chinese medicine emphasize the balance of the whole body. In the treatment process, the diagnostic procedure involves four steps: observing, listening and smelling, inquiring, and palpating. Among them, palpating is the most important. Other methods of treatment include acupuncture and moxibustion, breathing therapy(Qigong), and medical massage.The enormous size of a Chinese pharmacy is overwhelming, and the selection of its remedies may include odd things like dried monkeys, toads, tortoises, and centipedes to mention a few.

The development of traditional Chinese medicine spans several thousands of years and is chronicled in many important books. The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Interior Medicine, Shen Nong's Canon of Herbs, the Compendium of Materia Medica are some of the more influential medical books.

With its unique theoretical framework, diagnostic methods and abundant historical literature, it stands as an integral part of the medical sciences of the world. Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine is regaining its importance. Both western medical care and traditional Chinese medicial practice exist in China, although the Western medical system seems to be dominant. Large public hospitals in cities across the country offer both traditional Chinese and Western approaches to medical treatment. Those whose problems are not too serious or urgent, are more likely to see a traditional doctor, who can better restore harmony to their body.

Great importance has been attached to traditional Chinese medicine since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Party and the People's government have formulated a series of guiding principles and policies to support and promote development of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The ongoing effort to promote and further develop Traditional Chinese Medicine will surely continue to make remarkable contributions to the common wealth of the nation as well as the whole of mankind.

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of healing that developed in China about 3,000 years ago and has changed very little over the centuries. It's based on the idea that laws of nature can be used to understand the inner workings of the body. Your health, like the universe at large, proponents say, is subject to constant battling between opposing forces such as heat and cold, male and female, joy and sadness, which manifest themselves in your body as too much or too little activity in particular organs. An imbalance between any of these forces can cause a blockage in the flow of your qi (chee) or vital energy traveling through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. TCM practitioners typically use acupuncture and herbs to help unblock your qi and bring your body back into harmony and wellness.

A TCM practitioner will ask you questions about your emotional and mental life as well as your physical symptoms. Knowing whether you are indecisive or have an explosive temper may help him determine what type of gallbladder trouble you're having, for example. He or she may also take your pulse several times, once for each internal organ, and check the color and texture of your tongue, and then craft a customized treatment designed to enhance your overall health, rather than zeroing in on an infection or injury.

In most cases, your practitioner will use acupuncture to stimulate certain points along your meridians in order to bring your qi back into balance. But he might also apply small mounds of burning herbs (a technique called moxibustion) or suction cups (cupping), or use deep tissue massage. Then he may prescribe a combination of herbs and other ingredients designed to correct whatever imbalances he thinks are causing your troubles. Typically, you'll brew these herbs into a strong-tasting tea, or they may come in pill or extract form. Finally, your practitioner may recommend that you try practicing Qi Gong or Tai Chi, slow, gentle martial arts that combine breathing, movement, and meditation to balance and strengthen your qi.