what is traditional chinese medicine?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has been used for more than 2,000 years to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease and illness. TCM is based on the principles of Yin and Yang, opposing energies such as winter and summer, earth and heaven. When the Yin and Yang of the body are relatively in balance, health and wellness result and one feels relaxed and energized. Out of balance, however, and they negatively affect one’s health.
Scholars and practitioners of the medicine also operate under the principle that there is a life force or energy, known as Qi (pronounced "chee"), in the body. For Yin and Yang to be balanced and for the body to be healthy, Qi must also be balanced and flowing freely. When there is too little, too much, or a blockage of Qi in one or more of the body's pathways (meridians), acute/chronic illness and pain can result.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Diseases processes—large and small— arise from acute or prolonged (chronic) disruptions in the normal flow of Qi, resulting in an imbalance of Yin and Yang. TCM ascribes these disruptions to three major causes:
1) external or environmental factors such as excessive heat or dampness, 2) internal emotions such as anger, grief, worry, and
3) lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, and diet.
Through the use of its therapeutic modalities, TCM stimulates the body's own healing mechanisms to restore these relative imbalances. Therapies used in TCM include:
Acupuncture (and electro-acupuncture)
In TCM, the body's internal organs are thought of not only as individual structures but also as complex networks. According to TCM, Qi flows through organ systems — the kidneys, heart, spleen, liver, lung, gallbladder, small intestine, and large intestine, by way of meridians. Despite their specific names, these 5 systems correspond to more than individual body parts. The kidney, for example, represents the entire urinary and reproductive system along with the adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys. The heart, meanwhile, represents both the heart and the brain.
