The System of TCM

If you are new to traditional Chinese medicine, you may have many questions about this ancient practice and its potential benefits for your health. This overview will help you quickly understand its philosophy and components.

Traditional Chinese medicine encompasses four distinct treatment methods: herbology, acupuncture, manipulative therapy, and food remedies. It also includes remedial exercises like qi-gong and tai-ji. This medicine has been around for over 3,000 years, and it grew out of the necessity of maintaining good health among the Chinese people. The Chinese learned the benefits of consuming herbs, inserting needles in the body (known as acupuncture today), eating the right foods (known as food remedies), massaging the body (known as manipulative therapy), and exercising the body (known as qi-gong and tai-ji).

Today, traditional Chinese medicine is practiced alongside modern Western medicine in China. Traditional Chinese medicine is considered by many Chinese to be equal to or even more valuable than Western medicine. While modern medicine may be available to all, traditional Chinese medicine can successfully treat many diseases and ailments that cannot be cured by Western medicine.

When seeing a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, the doctor will observe your complexion, look at your tongue, take your pulse, and ask you many questions about your symptoms, eating habits, and food preferences. Then, the doctor will diagnose what is wrong with your body and recommend treatment, which could be acupuncture, herbs, or food cures. Virtually all kinds of disorders are treated by traditional Chinese medicine in China, and each patient receives a personalized treatment plan based on their diagnosis.

There are several key differences between Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Western medicine focuses more on treating symptoms, while traditional Chinese medicine focuses more on addressing the underlying causes. Western medicine is more useful for first aid and surgery, while traditional Chinese medicine is more effective in treating chronic cases, skin and internal diseases in particular. Many Western remedies are based on animal experimentation, which may not be effective for humans, while remedies in traditional Chinese medicine are based on successful clinical experiences.

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on a classic published in the third century B.C., entitled Nei-Jing, or The Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine. While many Western medical books become outdated quickly, many books on traditional Chinese medicine written by Chinese physicians in the past have become timeless classics.

In conclusion, although traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine operate differently, consulting with both can provide the best possible medical care available in modern society. Traditional Chinese medicine can successfully treat many ailments that cannot be cured by Western medicine, and it offers a personalized treatment plan for each patient.