| About
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
What are the
Characteristics of TCM?
TCM, unlike western medicine, is holistic.
TCM believes that the body is inseparable from nature andthat
the body automatically regulates its internal function to
adapt to the regular changes that occur in the environment.
Because of this, diet and lifestyle are taken into account
during your diagnosis and they are assessed at each treatment
session. TCM considers that every part of the body and mind
is connected. For example, if a patient has back pain, sore
knees, and ringing in his ears, he might be advised to see
an orthopaedist, a neurologist and an ear doctor by his doctor.
In contrast, a traditional Chinese doctor's diagnosis of these
symptoms would be a malfunction of the Chinese organ-function
known as the Kidney. TCM does not treat a single symptom like
western medicine - for example, by giving an aspirin, for
a headache. TCM treats symptom-complexes and the cause of
the symptoms to rebalance the body so that the body can cure
itself. A traditional Chinese doctor would rather prevent
disease than cure it. In ancient times, superior Chinese physicians
were only paid when their clients were well and not paid when
they were ill. So TCM is best continued as a seasonal tune-up,
once the initial problem is under control.
Top What
is the basis of TCM? Thousands
of years of clinical experience led to effective treatment. Later, this knowledge
was organized through Chinese philosophy using the concepts of energy (Qi) and
change (Yin-Yang theory). If Qi is not excessive or deficient in any part of the
body, a person is well. Disease is the result of unbalanced Qi. Qi
flows through channels or meridians which form a two-way communication between
the organs and the surface of the body reached by these meridians. The energetic
state of an organ can be determined by studying certain regions on the surface
of the body. A similar concept, known as referred pain, appears in western medicine.
For instance, a symptom of a heart problem can be pain radiating down the little
finger side of the hand. TCM explains this pain by means of the Heart meridian
that runs from the heart to the anterior and medial surface of the arms. The pain
is the result of a Qi deficiency. Conversely, unlike western medicine, stimulating
specific points on the body, called acupoints, influences the energy flow to the
associated organs through their meridians. For example, some heart problems can
be treated by stimulating certain acupoints on the Heart meridian. Top What
is Qi and how can it be balanced?
Scientists hypothesise that Qi can be explained
by the equivalence of energy and matter or is a form of electromagnetic
energy containing information or a yet to be discovered form
of subtle energy. Even though Qi is still being investigated,
it can be used, just as electricity was used before its nature
was known. Like electricity, Qi is invisible. Although you
cannot see an electric current, its presence can be detected
through heat, magnetic effects and so on. Analogously, abnormal
Qi variations can be detected by symptoms, such as heat, redness,
diarrhoea (too much Qi), or coldness, whiteness, constipation
(too little Qi). Qi is balanced by eliminating these symptoms.
Top What
are the causes of disease?
Diseases can be caused by a whole range of
factors such as gender, exogenous climatic factors; epidemics,
pathogenic factors, internal
injury by the seven emotions
(excess worry, fear, fright, sadness, joy, pensiveness/thinking
and anxiety); improper work, rest, exercise or diet;
trauma, retention of phlegm, fluid and blood stasis. If a
person's vital energy is strong enough, the person will not
surcumb to illness, because of their resistance to the disease
factors.
Top What
forms of treatment are used in TCM? Different
ways of stimulating acupoints lead to different types of treatment such as needles
(acupuncture), heat (moxibustion), pressure and other forms of Chinese massage
(Tuina), vacuum pressure (Cupping) and exercise (Qigong). Using modern technology,
acupoints can also be stimulated by electricity, lasers, ultrasound, infrared
and other forms of radiation. Chinese breathing, herbal
and dietary therapy are based on altering the body's Qi by using the Qi in the
air, herbs and food, respectively. Top How
is the correct form of treatment determined? The
correct form of treatment is determined by diagnosis. TCM has developed an extremely
sophisticated system of correspondence between outward signs and internal organ.
Accordingly, practically everything such as skin complexion, bones, meridians,
smells, sounds, mental states, preferences, emotions, demeanour and body build
reflect the state of the internal organs. Many of the so-called symptoms and signs
of TCM would not be considered as conveying important information in western medicine.
For instance, inability to make decisions, which confirms a weak Spleen, and so
on.
From centuries of clinical experience, TCM
also obtains information about the whole body by examining
a small part of it. A striking example of this principle is
Chinese pulse diagnosis. Detailed information about the whole
body can be derived by palpating 12 pulses located on a small
section of the radial arteries on the
wrist . Other examples of this principle are facial
and tongue diagnoses.
The
symptoms and signs are woven into a pattern called a "symptom-complex"
which is a complete summary of the functional condition of the body at a particular
stage of the illness. Symptoms are linked to a basic imbalance in the body's energy.
This imbalance is the disease in TCM. The treatment restores the imbalance so
that the body can then heal itself. Top What
is acupuncture? Acupuncture
is a method of balancing the body's Qi by inserting needles and sometimes applying
heat or electrical stimulation at precisely located acupoints. Once the Qi is
balanced, the body heals itself naturally. Top What
is herbal therapy? Herbal
therapy is not directed to a single symptom or part of the body, but depends on
a pattern of symptoms, called the symptom-complex. The aim is not to kill bacteria,
viruses, cells, and so forth, but to rebalance the body so that it can heal itself.
Recall that symptoms indicate an imbalance of Qi. For example, if one of the symptoms
is fever (heat) then one of the herbs in the formula would have the property of
coldness in order to normalize the patient's temperature. Centuries of clinical
experience have led to the elimination of large doses of toxic herbs and dangerous
prescriptions. A traditional Chinese formula is custom designed for each patient.
After a short trial the formula is redesigned. Unlike drugs, proper herbal treatment
is virtually free of dangerous side effects. Top What
is Tuina? Tuina is a form
of massage. It treats and prevents disease by massaging the bodyin such a way
so as to increase blood circulation, correct displacements of bones and soft tissues
and stimulate nerves and meridians to influence the body's internal function and
energy Top Which
form of treatment is best? The
type of treatment depends on the disease and the patient. For example, sometimes
acupuncture is better than herbal therapy; other times the reverse holds. In some
situations a combination of treatments is the best. For instance, in treating
a frozen shoulder, acupuncture might be used to reduce the swelling, inflammation
and pain. Then, Tuina could be used to correct displacements of soft tissue, nerves
or bone; to increase the circulation of Blood and Qi and to increase the range
of motion. Top Does
TCM have any advantage over western medicine? Considering
a disease as a symptom-complex has three important consequences. Some Western
diseases, whose precise cause is unknown or complicated, cannot be treated effectively
by western medicine, but can be alleviated by TCM - for example, arthritis and
gastrointestinal illnesses. Other conditions which may require surgery - for example,
protruding discs and pinched nerves, can often be treated, with good results,
by acupuncture and Tuina. Over the centuries, TCM
has discovered how to eliminate symptoms. Once all of the symptoms of a symptom-complex
are eliminated, the body's Qi is balanced and natural healing occurs. These techniques
can also be applied to drug-induced symptoms, such as those resulting from cancer
chemotherapy. Another important consequence of the
symptom-complex is in prevention. TCM can detect a "disease" (symptom-complex)
when there is no corresponding western disease or any pathological changes. The
patient may feel a little "out of sorts". By bringing the body back
into balance, more serious illnesses are prevented. In China, people who appear
well go to the doctor periodically to have their energy balanced, just like a
tune-up for a car. Top Does
TCM work? After the Communist
Revolution in 1949, the Chinese wondered if TCM was really effective or just superstitious
folklore. To settle this question, they conducted thousands of experiments and
clinical trials during the fifties, which verified the effectiveness of TCM. As
a result, in 1958, the Central Committee officially sanctioned TCM and established
five-year traditional medical schools. They decreed that traditional doctors had
to study western medicine for one year and western doctors had to study traditional
medicine for one year. The efficacy of TCM continues to be verified by clinical
and scientific studies. TCM is now practiced worldwide. More people have been
treated by TCM than by any other system of medicine. Top Can
TCM treat my illness?
TCM can basically treat any illness and can
be used in conjunction with western medicine when the person
has a lifelong illness, such as some forms of anaemias. TCM
can help reduce the side-effects of long-term use of pharmaceuticals
and invasive western medicine. It has proven effective in
improving conception rates in people who undergo IVF and is
also effective in treating infertility in both males and females.TCM
can treat conditions associated with pregnancy. For example,
morning sickness, recurrent/threatened miscarriage, anaemia,
sinus, hypertension, insomnia and fatigue.
It is also able to successfully treat most other illnesses
such as colds/flu/coughs, headache, gastrointestinal illnesses,
muscular skeletal, weight, hypo and hypertension and other
cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, depression, menopause,
menstruation problems, stress and anxiety, chronic fatigue,
back pain, frozen shoulder, tendonitis and stroke complication.
Top
How
Many Treatments Will I Need?
Each
person is different, so it is very difficult to forecast how many treatments will
be needed. Generally speaking, though, the older the illness, the longer the duration
of treatment.
Top
| 
