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The practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine
dates back to 3000B.C. The philosophy and art of Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) can be compared with that of the ancient Greek philosopher-physician
Hippocrates (500 B.C.), the father of Western medicine. Hippocarates
believed that man was strongly related to all the natural elements.
He believed in treating “the man, not the disease.”
He examined the individual as a whole, not limiting his observation
to merely the organ or body part in which the disorder seemed to
be located. When making a diagnosis, Hippocrates observed “the
patients habits, regimen, pursuits, his conversation, manners, thoughts,
sleep patterns, sometimes his dreams and tears.” According
to Hippocrates, it is most important to consider the seasons of
the year, the winds, the quality of the water and all other natural
phenomena, which are part of the individual’s environment.
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Similarly, Traditional Chinese
Medicine treats such considerations as highly relevant to making
a medical diagnosis.Since 3000B.C., Chinese practitioners have considered
the mental, spiritual, and physical aspect of the person before
making a diagnosis, thereby treating the cause of the problem, not
the symptom. It is unfortunate that Hippocrates’ philosophy
of treating the whole person has been lost in this era of medical
specialization in the West. |
During this 5000year history of medical practice,
the Chinese have consistently treated the whole person. From its
first roots, TCM has developed into a highly effective form of medicine
which benefits us all by guiding us toward a better way of healing
and preventing illness in the first place.
Cause of Disease
According to Traditional Chinese medicine, we are alive and healthy
because our body is in a state of harmony. This state of harmony
is a balance between Yin and Yang, between the different organs
of our own body, and between our body and the environment in which
we live. This harmony is constantly broken, not only because of
our own daily activities, which are accomplished through the functions
of the different organs of our body, but also because of the different
influences from the outside environment that can affect both our
body and the performance of our organs.
When a person is healthy, any disharmonies are quickly restored,
and thus a dynamic equilibrium is maintained. In this state, the
body remains healthy and maintains a normal physiological balance.
When this dynamic equilibrium is broken and is not restored, we
will feel ill and then disease will occur. In Traditional Chinese
Medicine, the factors that can damage or break this equilibrium
in the human body are the causes of disease.
Concepts of Chinese Herbology
The history of traditional Chinese therapies goes back many thousands
of years. Herbology, acupuncture, moxibustion (applying heat to
an acupuncture point), acupressure, massage therapy, body manipulation,
physical and breathing exercises, vacuum cupping, and Qi Gong are
some of the popular therapies included in Traditional Chinese Medicine. |
However, Chinese herbology is considered
to be the main root.There are more than 3000 species of plants,
animal products and minerals included in the Chinese Materia Medica.
Each herb has its specific characteristic in nourishing the human
body. Preparations of up to 15 different herbs are uniquely prescribed
according to the individual patient’s condition and the practitioner’s
diagnosis. |
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Acupuncture
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