Traditional Chinese Medicine History, Practitioners, Herbs
by Zhang Chan
Posted on 01-11-2020 09:36 PM
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
What is traditional chinese medicine? traditional chinese medicine (TCM) is a healing system of Eastern medicine developed in China more than 2,000 years ago, incorporating therapies that are in some cases millennia older.
In addition to treating illness, TCM focuses on strengthening the body’s defenses and enhancing its capacity for healing and to maintain health. Traditional Chinese Medicine encompasses how the human body interacts with all aspects of life and the environment, including the seasons, weather, time of day, our diet and emotional states. One of its guiding principles is to “dispel evil and support the good.”
It sees the key to health as the harmonious and balanced functioning of body, mind and spirit, and holds that the balance of health depends on the unobstructed flow of qi (pronounced chee) or “life energy” through the body, along pathways known as meridians. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners see disease as the result of disruptions in the circulation of qi.
TCM practitioners focus on the functions of the body (such as breathing, digestion, and detoxification) in determining physiological and pathological changes of the human body. To diagnose and treat patients, practitioners consider the cause, location, function, environmental impact, and nature of the illness, as well as the patient’s emotions. TCM also emphasizes the significance in maintaining a healthy, balanced body.
Some of the key principles that further describe the TCM approach include: yin/yang one of the most fundamental theories in TCM, yin and yang are defined as two opposite forces or energies that exist interdependently in nature to create a greater whole.
An important concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the concept of yin and yang. In this approach, all things, including the body, are composed of opposing forces called yin and yang. Health is said to depend on the balance of these forces.
Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on maintaining the yin-yang balance to maintain health and prevent illness. Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors look at the balance of body, mind, and spirit to determine how to restore qi, the yin-yang balance, and good health.
One cannot exist without the other, and their interconnected relationship indicates how balance exists within the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each person might receive a different treatment for the same illness depending on the person's own qi and yin-yang balance.
TCM is based on theories about qi, a vital energy, which is said to flow along channels called meridians and help the body to maintain health. Treatments, whether acupuncture or herbal remedies, are also said to work by rebalancing forces known as yin and yang.
Traditional Chinese Medicine takes a holistic approach. Whereas in the West diseases are specific to a certain part of the body, Chinese believe that all the systems of the body are interconnected. If there is a problem with one part of the body, it can affect other areas in the anatomy. Also, changes in the environment can have an affect on the body rhythms and cause illness.
TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a profound pathway to create the life you truly want to live, the life you were born to live. It’s a timeless bridge that can initiate and support change and growth in any and every life dimension: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
The human ear is just like a reverse fetus. According to the theory of Chinese Traditional Medicine, each human organ has a corresponding point on the ear. If a certain organ has any disease or changes, it will emit a bio-electrical current from the corresponding point in the ear. By listening to the instrument carefully, a person can detect if there is a problem in any area of the body.
Traditional Chinese Medicine History
Traditional Chinese Medicine history is easy to trace. TCM finds its origin as a branch of traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", and the majority of its treatments as having no logical mechanism of action. TCM is said to be based on compendium of materia medica and huangdi neijing. It’s true that TCM is one of the oldest healing systems on the planet. It has actually been in continuous practice for thousands of years. How can something so old still work for people living today in your life?
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for 2000-3000 years, and they have a unique system to diagnose and cure illness. Tibetan doctors believe that to achieve balance and inner harmony we must devote our body, mind and spirit to higher purposes, like compassion and helping others. Although no person ever stands alone, we must understand who we are individually in order to develop fully.
The practice includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping therapy, gua sha, massage (tui na), bonesetter (die-da), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. TCM is widely used in the sinosphere, where it has a long Traditional Chinese Medicine history.
It is now also practiced outside of China. One of the basic tenets of TCM is that the body's vital energy (ch'i or qi ) is circulating through channels called meridians having branches connected to bodily organs and functions. The concept of vital energy is pseudoscientific. Concepts of the body and of disease used in TCM reflect its ancient origins and its emphasis on dynamic processes over material structure.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has historically been used to treat depression up till today, particularly in Asia. Its holistic, multidrug, multitarget nature fits well with the therapeutic idea of systems medicine in depression treatment. This is all part of Traditional Chinese Medicine history.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, during a typical appointment, will assess your overall health by taking a health history, doing a tongue assessment, pulse assessment, and a physical exam. The exam would identify any imbalances or qi blockages. If Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners identify an imbalance in one of TCM's organ systems, it doesn't necessarily mean that the person has a physical disease in that organ.
The liver, for instance, helps to regulate the smooth flow of qi. If a person has liver qi stagnation, the energy is said to be blocked, resulting in irritability, anger, or depression, a bitter taste in the mouth, indigestion, and a pulse that practitioners describe as "wiry". Traditional Chinese Medicine practioners offer help for medical conditions. People use TCM for anything from carpal tunnel syndrome to lowering stress. Sometimes they use it along with Western medicine.
It may be a good choice if you have a lot of different symptoms with no clear cause or you need to treat side effects from drugs. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners offer solutions for persons who have tried Western medicine but didn’t get results desired to prevent illness.
For thousands of years, medical professionals and healers alike have used acupuncture to help with the healing process of various physical ailments and health issues. It’s a form of alternative healing practices that continues to be used in modern science today for good reasons.
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners focus on a variety of functional entities to help create balance in the human body to maintain and generate health. One type of these functional entities is known as an acupuncture meridian.
Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies include acupuncture, which uses thin metal needles placed along the body's meridians. Acupressure, which uses the hands or fingers to apply direct pressure to points along the body's meridians. In acupuncture, needles puncture the skin to tap into any of the hundreds of points on the meridians where the flow of qi can be redirected to restore health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consists of a plethora of therapeutic approaches aiming to both characterize and treat diseases. Its utilization has gained significant popularity in the Western world and is even backed by the World Health Organization’s decision to include TCM diagnostic patterns into the new revision of the international classification of diseases code which is the global standard for diagnostic health information.
Research in China and worldwide has shown Traditional Chinese Medicine to be helpful for many types of illness. Because Traditional Chinese Medicine differs from Western medical practice in diagnosis and treatment methods, it is difficult to apply Western scientific standards to it. For example, in Western medical practice, any two people with a similar infection (such as sinusitis) may be treated with a standard course of antibiotics.
Practitioners of TCM and Western-trained physicians have often eyed each other suspiciously. The Western convention is to seek well-defined, well-tested causes to explain a disease state. And it typically requires randomized, controlled clinical trials that provide statistical evidence that a drug works. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment seeks to restore this balance through treatment specific to the individual.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbs
Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs are basic to TCM. So many references to Asian medicine either teach traditional theory, or they list the common herbs, but you need to understand the concept of Chinese medicine. Less is taught about diagnosis, so there is a gulf between your discomfort and the proper herbs for treatment. It is your present condition and vital energy that must determine the choice of herbs. You need to be able to interpret your own health to make sure the end justifies the means.
Over the past two decades, although efforts have been made to understand TCM herbal antidepressants at the molecular level, many fundamental questions regarding their mechanisms of action remain to be addressed at the systems level. This is necessary in order to better understand the complicated herbal formulations in depression treatment. It is important to recognize the mechanisms of action of herbal antidepressants and their acting targets in the pathological systems in the brain.
These include monoamine neurotransmissions, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (hpa) axis, neurotropic factor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) cascade, and glutamate transmission. Some herbal molecules, constituents, and formulas are highlighted as examples to discuss their mechanisms of action and future directions for comprehensive researches at the systems level.
Furthermore, the pharmacological approaches to integrate the mechanism of action from the molecular level into the systems level for understanding of systems pharmacology of TCM formulations is also important.
Integration of the studies at the molecular level into the systems level not only represents a trend in TCM study but also promotes our understanding of the system-wide mechanism of action of herbal antidepressant formulations. Your present condition and vital energy are assessed by the following factors: diet, stress, age, fatigue, emotions, life style and attitudes.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Luo Han Guo is a "cooling" fruit, meaning, it dissipates fever from the body. The fruit is traditionally brewed as a health drink which helps treat sore throat, phlegm, cough, lung congestion and constipation. The Luo Han Guo drink is regarded as a general health tonic, promoting general well-being for those who drink it. Luo Han Guo can be bought in the markets, or from Chinese medicinal shops and Chinese grocery stores. An added bonus in is that the Luo Han Guo fruits are very cheap.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system of medicine partly based on the idea that an energy, called qi (say "chee"), flows along pathways in the body called meridians. In this belief, if the flow of qi along these meridians is blocked or unbalanced, illness can occur. Causes of qi imbalance are thought to involve external forces, such as wind, cold, or heat. A requirement to understand the extensive documentation on chinese medications, includes the huge amount of ancient literature, which reaches tens of thousands.
A lot of the information in the ancient chinese texts is metaphorical. The herbs used are not merely supplements that provide a physical effect but they actually ensure the health of an organ by stimulating the chi. Like conventional medicines, traditional chinese herbal medicines may also cause side effects, trigger allergic reactions, or interact with other prescription and nonprescription medicines or herbs.
Before you use any traditional chinese therapies, be sure to tell your medical doctor about any prescription, nonprescription, or other natural supplements you are taking.
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Used For?
Some people use Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat problems such as asthma, allergies, and infertility. Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors may use several types of treatment to restore qi balance. Chinese herbs, combinations of herbs, roots, powders, or animal substances to help restore balance in the body. Cupping, which uses warm air in glass jars to create suction placed on areas of the body to help stimulate qi.
TCM has the power to unlock your true potential and help you develop and use your own unique gifts and talents. Its insightful wisdom and ability to understand and address individual health needs empowers each person with a way to unite body, mind, and spirit—the foundation for lasting, authentic health. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches you how to live a life of balance, wellness, and harmony. Internal forces, such as emotions of joy, anger, or fear. Lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, too little sleep, or too much alcohol.
