About Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has been used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness for more than 3,000 years. TCM is based on Yin and Yang—defined as opposing energies, such as heaven and earth, winter and summer, happiness and sadness. When yin and yang are in balance, you feel relaxed and energised. Out of balance, however, yin and yang negatively affect your health. The more familiar techniques of TCM are herbal medicine, acupuncture, tuina and qigong.

There is a life force or energy in everyone, known as Qi (pronounced "chee"). In order for yin and yang to be balanced and for the body to be healthy, qi must be balanced and flowing freely. When there's too little or too much qi in one of the body's energy pathways (called channels), or when the flow of qi is blocked, illness results.

The ultimate goal of TCM treatment is to balance the yin and yang in our lives by promoting the natural flow of qi. In an analogy, often used to explain its nature, qi is described as the wind in a sail; we do not see the wind directly, but we are aware of its presence as it fills the sail.

The History of TCM

The first writings about TCM date back to 2000 B.C.E. Herbal medicine and acupuncture, including theory, practice, diagnosis, and treatment, were recorded in classical Chinese texts and refined over many centuries.

The practice of TCM stayed in Asia for centuries. Chinese immigrants in many countries had been practicing TCM, but its existence was unknown to most of the world before 1971. That year, a New York Times reporter, who was in China, had to have an emergency appendix operation. After the operation he received acupuncture for pain, and his stories about this experience with TCM fascinated the public. Since then, TCM has gone on to become a mainstream alternative medicine practiced all over the world.

How Traditional Chinese Medicine Works

Disease (alterations in the normal flow of qi such that yin and yang are imbalanced) is thought to have three major causes: external environmental factors, internal emotional states, and lifestyle factors such as diet and work. Through the use of its therapeutic modalities, TCM stimulates the body's own healing mechanisms.

Practices used in TCM include:

• Herbal medicine.
• Acupuncture, moxa (burning a herb near the skin) and cupping.
• Tuina (Chinese medical massage)
• Nutrition.
• Physial exercise (such as Taiji and Qigong which combine movement with meditation).

In TCM, the body's internal organs are not thought of as individual structures, but as complex networks. According to TCM, there are five paired organ systems (kidney-bladder, heart-small intestine, spleen-stomach, liver-gallbladder, and lung-large intestine) and one system that is a function without form (sanjiao), through which qi flows via channels. Despite their specific names, these systems correspond to more than individual body parts. The kidney-bladder, for example, represents the entire urinary system along with the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys. The heart represents both the heart and the brain. This approach has a significant bearing when it comes to conditions treated.