Traditional Chinese Medicine
A Blend of Herbs, Acupuncture, Tui Na Massage, Diet and Lifestyle
Ancient China developed a way of looking at health that may have been the first multidisciplinary medical system, seeking balance rather than fighting specific diseases.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complex healthcare program that is based in the belief that health is a body in balance. When the balance is upset a person becomes ill. TCM uses a multidisciplinary approach to restoring that balance. The best known of the disciplines of Traditional Chinese Medicine are herbs and acupuncture. But Tui Na, Qi Gong, diet and other lifestyle changes are also considered part of TCM healthcare program.
Acupuncture/Acupressure
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body’s life force or energy, called Qi moves through the body along meridians. When the Qi is blocked from moving freely imbalances occur, which create illness. In acupuncture fine needles are used to stimulate the Qi to move, freeing the blockages or stasis. Acupressure follows the same principles but uses fingertip pressure on the meridians to accomplish a similar effect.
Tui Na Massage
Chinese massage, Tui Na, is another way to get the energy moving freely about the body. Utilizing those same meridians, Tui Na therapists massage to move the energy in the appropriate direction, with the added benefit of the same muscle relaxation that other forms of massage give.
Chinese Herbal Remedies
Herbs have been an integral part of medicine for all of recorded history and most probably long before. The difference between Chinese herbal remedies and most others is that a Chinese herbal formula is designed to aid in restoring balance. There is not one herb for headaches, for example, as headaches can be the result of many different patterns of disharmony within the body.
Again the concept of balance is key. A Traditional Chinese Medical Herbalist will design an individualized formula for a client, based not just on the signs or symptoms the individual has come to have treated, but also on the person’s basic constitution.
Diet and Lifestyle
Here again, Traditional Chinese Medicine takes a slightly different approach to things. While sharing the concept of mind-body integration for health, in TCM specific foods are recommended based on the individual’s constitution. So a person needing to lose weight might be told not to eat salads or other raw foods, based on how well the digestive system is working.
In the area of lifestyle, meditation in the form of Qi Gong or Tai Qi, is considered a basic part of everyday life in China. Many people take the time to do mindful stretching and breathing exercises everyday, preferably outdoors with feet in contact with the earth, to begin their day.
This combination of acupuncture/acupressure, Tui Na, and herbal remedies, along with diet and lifestyle programs, make up the complete picture of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Photo Credit: Kevin Rosseel
