traditional Chinese medicine (redirected from Chinese Medicine)

Traditional Chinese Medicine 

Definition

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient and still very vital holistic system of health and healing, based on the notion of harmony and balance, and employing the ideas of moderation and prevention.

Purpose

TCM is a complete system of health care with its own unique theories of anatomy, health, and treatment. It emphasizes diet and prevention and using acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, and exercise; and focuses on stimulating the body's natural curative powers.

Precautions

In situations of severe trauma, TCM should not be substituted for contemporary modern trauma practice; it is most useful as an adjunct to the healing regimen. TCM is not the first line of treatment for bacterial infection or cancer, but may usefully complement contemporary medical treatment for those conditions.

Description

In theory and practice, traditional Chinese medicine is completely different from Western medicine, both in terms of considering how the human body works and how illness occurs and should be treated. As a part of a continuing system that has been in use for thousands of years, it is still employed to treat over one-quarter of the world's population. Since the earliest Chinese physicians were also philosophers, their ways of viewing the world and human beings role in it affected their medicine. In TCM, both philosophically and medically, moderation in all things is advocated, as is living in harmony with nature and striving for balance in all things. Prevention is also a key goal of Chinese medicine, and much emphasis is placed on educating the patient to live responsibly. The Chinese physician also is more of an advisor than an authority; he or she believes in treating every patient differently, based on the notion that one does not treat the disease or condition but rather the individual patient. Thus two people with the same complaint may be treated entirely differently, if their constitutions and life situations are dissimilar. Disease is also considered to be evidence of the failure of preventive health care and a falling out of balance or harmony.

There is some confusion in the West about the fundamental philosophical principles upon which traditional Chinese medicine is based—such as the concept of yin and yang, the notion of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), and the concept of chi—yet each can be explained in a way that is understandable to Westerners.

Yin and yang describe the interdependent relationship of opposing but complementary forces believed to be necessary for a healthy life. Basically, the goal is to maintain a balance of yin and yang in all things.

The five elements, or five phase theory, is also grounded in the notion of harmony and balance. The concept of chi, which means something like "life force" or "energy," is perhaps most different from Western ideas. TCM asserts that chi is an invisible energy force that flows freely in a healthy person, but is weakened or blocked when a person is ill. Specifically, the illness is a result of the blockage, rather than the blockage being the result of the illness.

Besides these philosophical concepts that differ considerably from infection-based principles of medicine and health, the methods employed by traditional Chinese medicine are also quite different. If allopathic Western practitioners could be described as interventionist and dependent on synthetic pharmaceuticals, TCM methods are mostly natural and noninvasive. For example, where Western physicians might employ surgery and chemotherapy or radiation for a cancer patient, a TCM physician might use acupuncture and dietary changes. TCM believes in "curing the root" of a disease and not merely in treating its symptoms.

Another major difference is how the patient is regarded. In Western medicine, patients with similar complaints or diseases, usually will receive virtually the same treatment. In TCM however, the physician treats the patient and not the condition, believing that identical diseases can have entirely different causes. In terms of the principles upon which it is based and the methods used, traditional Chinese medicine, therefore, is considered by many in the West to be a radically different system of health care.

To some in the Western world, this very strangeness is the reason why it might be attractive. To others, tired of what they perceive as their physician's perfunctory, analytical, and sometimes cold manner, TCM offers a more humane, patient-oriented approach that encourages a high degree of practitioner-patient interaction and is not overly dependent on technology.

For example, during a consultation with a TCM practitioner, the patient will receive a considerable amount of time and attention. During the important first visit, the practitioner will conduct four types of examinations, all extremely observational and all quite different from what patients usually experience.

First, the practitioner will ask many questions, going beyond the typical patient history to inquire about such particulars as eating and bowel habits or sleep patterns. Next, the physician looks at the patient, observing his or her complexion and eyes, while also examining the tongue very closely, believing that it is a barometer of the body's health and that different areas of the tongue can reflect the functioning of different body organs. After observing, they listen to the patient's voice or cough and then smell his or her breath, body odor, urine, and even bowel movements. Finally, the practitioner touches the patient, palpating his or her abdomen and feeling the wrist to take up to six different pulses. It is through these different pulses that the well-trained practitioner can diagnose any problem with the flow of the all-important chi. Altogether, this essentially observational examination will lead the physician to diagnose or decide the patient's problem. This diagnosis is very different from one in contemporary Western medicine. No blood or urine samples are tested in a laboratory. The key to this technique lies in the experience and skill of the practitioner.

After making a diagnosis, the physician will suggest a course of treatment from one or all of the available TCM methods. These fall into four main categories: herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and massage and exercise. A typical TCM prescription consists of a complex variety of many different herbal and mineral ingredients. Chinese herbal remedies are intended to assist the body's own systems so that eventually the patient can stop taking them and never becomes dependent on them. Herbal formulas are usually given as teas, which differ according to the patient.

Other common techniques used in a TCM prescription are as follows:

• Acupuncture is based on the notion that the body's vital energy force, chi, travels through known channels or "meridians." The acupuncturist inserts tiny, thin sterile needles at particular, selected points on the body to unblock or correct the flow of energy. These needles are hardly felt as they are inserted and are left in place for 15 to 20 minutes. Some patients report immediate improvement, others feel exhilarated, while some feel like sleeping. In some cases, patients say their condition worsens before it improves. No contemporary scientific explanation exists as to how or why acupuncture works.
• Moxibustion is a variation sometimes employed. Moxibustion is the slow burning on or over the body of special herbal "cones." These are placed on specific acupoints and provide penetrating, relaxing heat.
• Massage is often recommended, and a deep finger pressure technique known as acupressure is often used to promote the proper flow of chi.
• Diet is considered essential to good health, and what might be called "kitchen medicine" is just another aspect of herbalism. One example is a delicious DQ black bean soup that is traditionally eaten by women in China after childbirth and each menstrual cycle.
• Therapeutic exercises are sometimes prescribed as well. In both the exact and flowing movements of tai chi, and the breathing techniques of Qi Dong exercise is considered essential to relieving stress and promoting the smooth flow of chi.

Key terms

Allopathic — Pertaining to conventional medical treatment of disease symptoms that uses substances or techniques to oppose or suppress the symptoms.

Anatomy — The science of the body structure of an organism and its parts.

Holistic — That which pertains to the entire person, including the mind, body, and spirit.

Palpate — To examine the body by touching or pressing with the fingers or the palm of the hand.

Pharmaceutical — Pertaining to drugs.

Therapeutic — Curative or healing.

Trauma — Injury or damage to the body.

As a system of total health care, TCM is prepared to deal with any physical or mental problem, condition, or disease. However, unlike Western medicine at its best, TCM is not able to render the kind of emergency crisis intervention that saves lives during physical traumas. Nonetheless, it works best at achieving its goal of practicing preventive medicine. It has proven effective in treating many types of aches and pains and in helping people with depression and fatigue, as well as circulation and digestive problems. Overall, its emphasis on good diet and exercise, as well as on individual responsibility and moderation in all things, suggest that it is grounded in fundamentally sound principles.

Risks

In the hands of a qualified practitioner, TCM is very safe. However, there is a small chance of not only getting an infection from acupuncture, but also that an existing infection could be spread to other parts of the body by increased blood flow and circulation.

Normal results

Traditional Chinese medicine seeks to harmonize and rebalance the entire human system rather than to treat just symptoms. Since proper internal balance is considered to be the key to human health, TCM strives to cure disease by restoring that balance and therefore allowing the body to repair itself. Its continuing medical goal is to detect and correct abnormalities before they cause permanent physical damage.

Resources

Organizations

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. 2520 Milvia St., Berkeley, CA 94704. (415) 841-3220.

American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27607. (919) 787-5181.

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medicine /med·i·cine/ (med´ĭ-sin)

1. any drug or remedy.

2. the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the maintenance of health.

3. the treatment of disease by nonsurgical means.

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alternative medicine  see complementary and alternative medicine.

aviation medicine  that dealing with the physiologic, medical, psychologic, and epidemiologic problems involved in aviation.

Chinese herbal medicine  a highly complex system of diagnosis and treatment using medicinal herbs, one of the branches of traditional Chinese medicine. Herbs range from the nontoxic and rejuvenating, used to support the body's healing system, to highly toxic ones, used to treat disease.

clinical medicine 

1. the study of disease by direct examination of the living patient.

2. the last two years of the usual curriculum in a medical college.

complementary medicine , complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) a large and diverse set of systems of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention based on philosophies and techniques other than those used in conventional Western medicine. Such practices may be described as alternative, existing as a body separate from and as a replacement for conventional Western medicine, or complementary, used in addition to conventional Western practice. CAM is characterized by its focus on the whole person as a unique individual, on the energy of the body and its influence on health and disease, on the healing power of nature and the mobilization of the body's own resources to heal itself, and on the treatment of the underlying causes, not symptoms, of disease. Many of the techniques used are controversial and have not been validated by controlled studies.

emergency medicine  the medical specialty dealing with the acutely ill or injured who require immediate medical treatment.

environmental medicine  that dealing with the effects of the environment on humans, including rapid population growth, water and air pollution, travel, etc.

experimental medicine  the study of diseases based on experimentation in animals.

family medicine  see under practice.

folk medicine  the use of home remedies and procedures as handed down by tradition.

forensic medicine  medical jurisprudence.

geographic medicine 

1. geomedicine.

2. tropical m.

group medicine  the practice of medicine by a group of physicians, usually representing various specialties, who are associated together for the cooperative diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

herbal medicine  herbalism.

holistic medicine  a system of medicine which considers man as an integrated whole, or as a functioning unit.

internal medicine  that dealing especially with diagnosis and medical treatment of diseases and disorders of internal structures of the body.

legal medicine  medical jurisprudence.

mind-body medicine  a holistic approach to medicine that takes into account the effect of the mind on physical processes, including the effects of psychosocial stressors and conditioning, particularly as they affect the immune system.

naturopathic medicine  naturopathy.

nuclear medicine  the branch of medicine concerned with the use of radionuclides in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

occupational medicine  the branch of medicine dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of workplace-related injuries and occupational diseases.

orthomolecular medicine  a system for the prevention and treatment of disease based on the theory that each person's biochemical environment is genetically determined and individually specific. Therapy involves supplementation with substances naturally present in the body (e.g., vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids) in individually optimized amounts.

patent medicine  a drug or remedy protected by a trademark, available without a prescription; formerly used for quack remedies sold by peddlers.

physical medicine  physiatry.

preclinical medicine 

1. preventive m.

2. the first two years of the usual curriculum in a medical college.

preventive medicine  science aimed at preventing disease.

proprietary medicine  a remedy whose formula is owned exclusively by the manufacturer and which is marketed usually under a name registered as a trademark.

psychosomatic medicine  the study of the interactions between psychological processes and physiological states.

rehabilitation medicine  the branch of physiatry concerned with the restoration of form and function after injury or illness.

socialized medicine  a system of medical care controlled by the government.

space medicine  the branch of aviation medicine concerned with conditions encountered by humans in space.

sports medicine  the branch of medicine concerned with injuries sustained in athletics, including their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

traditional Chinese medicine  (TCM) the diverse body of medical theory and practice that has evolved in China, comprising four branches: acupuncture and moxibustion, herbal medicine, qi gong, and tui na. In all of these, the body and mind are considered together as a dynamic system subject to cycles of change and affected by the environment, and emphasis is on supporting the body's self-healing ability. Fundamental to TCM are the yin and the concept of basic substances that pervade the body: qi, jing, and shen, collectively known as the three treasures, and the blood (a fluid and material manifestation of qi) and body fluids (which moisten and lubricate the body).

travel medicine , travelers' medicine the subspecialty of tropical medicine consisting of the diagnosis and treatment or prevention of diseases of travelers.

tropical medicine  the branch of medicine concerned with diseases of the tropics and subtropics.

veterinary medicine  the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of animals other than humans.

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traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),

the diverse body of medical theory and practice that has evolved in China, comprising four branches: acupuncture and moxibustion, herbal medicine, qi gong, and tui na. Although TCM encompasses a variety of theory and practice, all of its forms share certain underlying characteristics. The body and mind are considered together as a dynamic system subject to cycles of change and affected by the environment, and emphasis is on supporting the body's self-healing ability. Fundamental to TCM are the yin-yang principle and the concept of basic substances that pervade the body: qi, jing (essence), and shen (spirit), collectively known as the three treasures, and the blood (a fluid and material manifestation of qi) and body fluids (which moisten and lubricate the body). Disease arises from a disturbance of qi within the body, the particular pathologic process depending on the location of the disturbance; causes are classified into three groups, external (which are environmental), internal (emotions), and miscellaneous (such as diet, fatigue, or trauma). Diagnosis is by visual assessment, listening and smelling, questioning, and palpation; a single biomedical disease may be associated with a large number of TCM diagnoses, and one TCM diagnosis may encompass a number of biomedical diseases. Once a diagnosis is established, therapy aims at restoring the body's homeostasis by treating the root cause of the disease.

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Patient discussion about traditional Chinese medicine.

Q. What is the medical sense behind Chinese Medicine? and traditional treatments?

A. it's trial and error of thousands of years. not always true but some times even more effective then western medicine. the best idea is to combine them both. at least that's my opinion.

Q. for what known desease there are effective traditional medicines , and particularly , chinese medicines? if i'll compare between the effectiveness of tradition medicines like chinese and modern med's what would the results teach me ?

A. like in any meds chineses or not,,find out what the active compound in the med is,and then take it from there,to finding out how much of the compound you need in a med to be affective on a certain disease,in general chineses meds take lomger to be affective,because of the low dose of a compound,if you have a major disease,i dont think you would want to use chineses meds,i dont think you would want to use chineses meds if you are having an asthmatic attack,or heart attack,or sever pain,cancer,ect,the disease would kill you before the chinese meds started to work....peace.....mrfoot56

Q. What makes traditional medications effective? are chineses medications different than others medicines?

A. What makes modern medications effective? Many natural substances have effect on the body. In fact, most of our current modern medications are actually derived from natural sources. Chinese medications may have lower concentrations of the active substances, so they may be less potent, although they may be as dangerous as well. Another difference is that Chinese medications weren't studies as thoroughly as modern medications.

You may read more here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine