Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is an organic and homeopathic system of treatments, medicines and techniques designed to bring mental and physical health to people without negative side-effects. It’s practices and theories have spread to various countries in Asia and Chinese immigrants in various other parts of the world have brought Chinese medicine with them.

Chinese medicine is also called Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM. It can be traced back to a number of texts that can be traced back thousands of years. The first such text was the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon, which is the fundamental basis for TCM.


Principles of Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine is an alternative medical system based on an organized set of principles and theories. Essential to Chinese medicine is the Taoist concept of yin and yang. These two forces are present in all things: yin is a cold, quiet and passive force, while yang is a hot, boisterous and active force. While yin and yang are opposites, they are also interdependent and present everywhere. According to Chinese medicine, each part of the human body must have the proper balance of these two forces or risk becoming unhealthy.

The concept of qi is also important to Chinese medicine. Qi is considered to be the essential life force in human beings and other creatures and is an immaterial yang force; its yang counterpart is known as blood (though this is a different concept than actual blood in the body). Various channels criss-cross the body for the purpose of carrying qi. If these channels are blocked or damaged, the body can be seriously harmed.

Like in Western medicine, Chinese medicine assigns each bodily organ a specific purpose in accordance with Chinese medicinal principles. When the flow of qi is disrupted in any particular organ, procedures and treatments seek to restore it.


Herbal Medicine

Herbs and other plants are one of the main ways of treating illnesses in Chinese medicine. Various plants are thought to have certain properties and are usually mixed into a beverage or tea. A Chinese medicine practitioner might also add in certain plants to undo the harmful effects of the medicine; great effort is taken to minimize the damage to the body, and balance of all the ingredients is given much thought.

Each herb is given specific traits and qualities. For example, herbs always fall somewhere on a yin and yang spectrum. Some are extremely cold (yin-dominant), others are extremely hot (yang-dominant), and still others fall somewhere in between. The taste of the herbs is also taken into account; the flavors of sweet, salty, pungent, sour and bitter are indicators of an herbs effects and impact on the body.


Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the process of sticking small needles into special points in the body with the goal of alleviating health problems. Chinese medicinal theory holds that qi, or life force, circulates throughout the body. In some places it can get stuck or blocked up. In these cases needles are used to unblock the flow of qi and return the body to normalcy.

Chinese medicine practitioners study the routes and pathways that qi and blood use to flow throughout the body. Classical texts refer to 14 main channels through with these substances travel through.

Needles used in acupuncture should always be brand new and sterilized. Reputable practitioners will always use clean, new needles. Many patients are afraid of pain but a skilled acupuncturist ensures that patients feel little or nor pain when the needle is inserted into the body.


Massage

Massage has been used to cure both mental and physical ailments in China for centuries. Hands, elbows, arms, fingers and knees are all used in Chinese massage.

The major school of Chinese massage is known as tuina. In tuina the masseuse may knead, rub, roll or press the patient’s body. The word tuina itself means “push-grasp” in Chinese, referring the motion of the masseuse’s hands. This technique can be used to treat muscle and skeletal disorders and the symptoms of chronic stress such as digestive, respiratory and reproductive problems.

Another major school of massage is known as zhiya (also called acupressure). This style focuses on applying pressure at particular points on the body. Instruments are often used to enhance the treatment, such as a spine roller (a bumpy roller that is rolled up and down the spine). Zhiya is related to the Japanese massage style called shiatsu.

Traditionally massage was used on infants and the elderly, since they are considered to be the most sensitive members of society and could be affected negatively by other treatments. Now anyone can benefit from Chinese massage. Many hospitals in China even have a massage department to treat patients with various problems.


Qigong

Closely related to Chinese medicine, qigong is a practice that combines exercise, breathing techniques and meditation to enhance the flow of life energy, or qi, throughout the body. Qigong also helps a practitioner to achieve a balance between yin and yang forces in his or her body. Qigong is as much about mental health as it is physical health, and can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

Qigong is often practiced in groups, though once a student learns enough he or she can practice without the help of others. The practice involves the use of controlled breathing techniques and slow, deliberate motions that simulate the flow of qi in the body.