Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a system of health care based on the late-twentieth-century standardization of medical practices that originated in China some 2500 years ago. The Classics of Internal Medicine or (Huang Di Nei Jing) is the oldest medical book in China, and contains the framework upon which TCM is based. This art has been continuously refined through the clinical experiences of some 200 generations of practitioners. Today, there are many hospitals in China that practice Traditional Chinese Medicine exclusively, and others that combine Eastern and Western healing methods. Scientific research, conducted in China, Japan, Australia, Europe and North America, is providing further verification of the effectiveness of TCM therapies. The World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the United Nations, acknowledges the ability of Traditional Chinese Medicine to facilitate healing in many diseases.
There was a time when Traditional Chinese Medicine was dismissed by Western doctors, many of whom still say there is no scientific proof it works. Most of the massive data supporting TCM comes from clinical observation. Dr. Mui ICTCM,Victoria founder, insists there is plenty of scientific data, “but not enough interest from Western doctors to seek it out.” For example, a 1985 French study proved by using radioactive tracers that the acupuncture meridians essential to TCM theory actually exist.
Working :
Practitioners of TCM seek to promote or restore health by diagnosing and treating "disharmonies" or imbalances in the qi, or natural vital energy of the body. A typical TCM evaluation will include three components:
* The first assesses the balance between yin and yang--complementary but opposing qualities that represent the natural dualities of the world, such as male/female, day/night, and hot/cold.
* The second considers the correspondence of the ailment to the five Chinese elements--wood,fire, earth, metal, and water. It is believed that each internal organ and body system is related to an elemental quality and that the body reflects the natural world in this way.
* The third determines which organ or metabolic system requires the most support from therapy.
The Five Element Theory :
The five element theory, also called the five-phase theory, holds that everything in the universe, including our health, is governed by five natural elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This theory underscores the Chinese belief that human beings, both physically and mentally, are intertwined with nature. Although it is difficult for Westerners to relate this philosophy to the Western approach to medicine, it is fundamental to the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In the five element theory, each of the five elements has a season and particular organs and senses associated with it, such as taste, color, sound. The wood element, for example, is associated with spring, the liver, and the gall bladder. Similarly, the fire element is associated with early summer, the heart, and small intestines; the earth element corresponds to late summer, the stomach and spleen; metal is associated with autumn, the lungs and large intestine; and water is associated with winter, the kidneys and bladder.
In contrast to Western medicine's teaching of a separation between the mind and body, TCM views each organ as having particular body and mind functions, as illustrated in the belief that the liver is involved in planning, and in the storage of anger, while the gall bladder is the organ of decision-making.
To determine a patient’s composition of the five elements, a TCM practitioner asks many detailed questions that will provide clues as to the nature of their imbalances. They will ask about the person’s occupation, stress associated with it, what they like to eat, what physical problems they are experiencing, etc. Although a person may be oriented towards a particular element -- a person who is aggressive might be described as having a "wood" personality -- the Chinese believe that aspects of each of the five elements are present in every person at different times.
The Eight Guiding Principles :
In addition to the theory of the five elements, TCM practitioners employ the Eight Guiding Principles to analyze and differentiate the energetic imbalances in the body or the nature of a patient’s condition. The eight guiding principles actually consist of four polar opposites: yin/yang, cold/heat, deficiency (xu)/excess (shi), and interior/exterior.
Cold/Heat: This principle is used to determine the overall energy of the patient. A cold condition would be one marked by a slow metabolism, chills, pale skin, and a low-grade fever, while a hot condition would be characterized by a heightened metabolism, sensations of heat in the body, high fevers, and a flushed complexion.
Interior/Exterior: This principle describes symptoms in terms of the location of the patient’s problem. Exterior conditions are those caused by the invasion of the body by pathogens, and are usually acute and superficially located with a short duration. Exterior symptoms are those that affect the hair, skin, muscles, joints, peripheral nerves and blood vessels. Interior conditions result from pathogens that enter the interior of the body. Interior symptoms affect the organs, deep vessels and nerves, brain, spinal cord, and bones.
Deficiency/Excess: This principle describes the strength of an illness. In TCM, a deficient condition would be viewed as a lack of blood (such as in anemia), energy (Qi), heat, or fluids. Chronic illness would fall in this category. An excess condition, by contrast, means that the body has too much of something, such as Qi or blood. In TCM, an acute condition would be seen as an excess condition.
Yin/Yang: These principles are the generalization of the above principles, and a condition can be categorized in terms of the relative dominance of either yin and yang. In Chinese medicine, all organisms have both yin and yang qualities and a balance of the two is necessary for good health. In general, yin energy is associated with cold, female energy, and represents the solid organs. Yang is associated with hot, male energy, and represents the hollow organs. Chronic illness is seen as yin, while acute illness is seen as yang.
According to TCM, the combination of these principles determine the nature or quality of the three consituents of the body, which are energy (Qi), moisture, and blood. As described above, Qi is vital life energy. Moisture is the liquid medium which protects, nurtures, and lubricates tissue, and blood is the material foundation out of which we create bones, nerves, skin, muscles, and organs.
Traditional Diagnosis :
When making a diagnosis, doctors of TCM are concerned with the whole person. They focus on physical and psychological characteristics as key indicators of health and disease. Included in this procedure are tongue and pulse diagnoses, coupled with a detailed history of signs and symptoms. From this, the physician pieces together a pattern of disharmony which is used to formulate a diagnosis and tailor a treatment specifically to the individual. TCM not only alleviates symptoms, but also directs its attention to treating the underlying causes of disease, thus returning the body, mind and spirit to a balanced state.
Diet and Exercise :
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, diet and exercise play an important role in maintaining good health by contributing to an optimum balance of vital life energy (Qi). In fact, the Chinese believe that diet is one of the three origins (diet, heredity, and environment) or sources of qi. Therefore, according to TCM, the foods we eat directly influence the excesses and deficiencies in our bodies.
Unlike the American diet, which emphasizes a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, the Chinese approach to diet is grounded in the five element and eight guiding principles theory. Foods are seen as having yin and yang, warming and cooling, drying and moistening properties. Certain foods are better for some people than others, depending on their type and condition. A person with a "cold damp" condition should not eat a diet of raw fruits and vegetables (which are yin), because they would further exaggerate the loss of body heat and fluid secretion.
Conversely, foods that are fried, broiled, high fat, or spicy are seen as warming (yang) because they generate heat and stimulate circulation. A person whose diagnosis is "hot dry" should avoid these foods, according to TCM.
In general, the Chinese approach to diet is to optimize digestion and increase qi, moisture, and blood, and aid the organ function. In this sense, it can be seen as an extension of herbal medicine.
In addition to diet, TCM includes a form of exercise called Qi gong, which is believed to optimize the flow of Qi in the body. Qi gong incorporates posture, movement, breathing, meditation, visualization and conscious intent in order to cleanse or purify the qi.
The two types of Qi gong practiced :
Internal Qi gong: Used by individuals to maintain health by regulating Qi and harmonizing the internal energy of the body. Internal Qi gong uses certain movements and breath work or visualization to gather and circulate Qi in the body.
External Qi gong: The practice of transferring the practitioner’s Qi to another person for healing purposes. This form of Qi gong is similar to other body work modalities in the West, such as therapeutic touch.
The movement postures of internal Qi gong have become the most common form of practice today and have been used as the basis for Tai Chi and other martial arts practices.
Precautions :
* If you have a chronic condition or a new acute problem that is seriously disabling you, get a diagnostic evaluation from a conventional primary-care physician before consulting an acupuncturist.
* Plan on coordinating your care between your biomedical doctor and your acupuncturist. If they won’t work together, find ones that will.
* Be sure your acupuncturist uses sterile, disposable needles.
* As with any health practitioner, if the condition is not improving in a reasonable time, get a second opinion. There are increasing numbers of practitioners familiar with both Western and traditional Chinese medicine, should you need a re-evaluation.
* Ask if your acupuncturist has passed the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine herbal exam.
* Herbal remedies are regulated as "foodstuffs" under current Federal laws. This means that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated their effectiveness and safety as therapies. Be sure to work only with a licensed and certified practitioner to ensure that you get the best care
