The largest Shaolin temple outside of China has just opened in Berlin:

"The ancient order of the Shaolin fighting monks have a new home in the German capital after the largest Shaolin Buddhist temple outside China opened in Berlin on Thursday.

The entrance is guarded by two golden lions, similar to the type which adorn the doorway to many a Western Chinese restaurant.

But apart from the gleaming representations of the king of beasts at the front, the building does not draw much attention to itself. However, the simple brick construction in Berlin is the biggest Shaolin temple outside China.

Shaolin is a school of Buddhism, founded in the middle of the first millenneum in the Henan province of China. Over time, the form of kung fu practiced there became famous all over China and later, the world."

Alternative treatments are increasingly popular, especially in Australia:

" Acupuncture, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and massage account for nearly 40 per cent of all medical consultations in Australia.

It is predicted alternative therapies will overtake conventional medicine within 10 years. "

Acupuncture and other alternative therapies help many people with the pain of arthritis:

"Gill Houlis was in agony. The arthritis which had started in her knees when she was 21 was really taking a grip and the prescription drugs were not working.

As part of a unique scheme to help residents in the West End of Newcastle, her doctor, Dr Bookliss, referred her to see an acupuncturist.

For Gill the relief was immediate.

"I realise now the treatment has been a gradual process over the years, but I remember thinking how I felt better straight away. It was almost instant pain relief."

Now 49, Gill, of Westerhope, has all but abandoned her previous treatment in favour of the acupuncture."

Cupping is a traditional medicine treatment for a number of conditions:

"Used by acupuncturists in China since the third century B.C., cupping is considered most beneficial for back pain and stiff shoulders because it increases circulation and the mobility of affected areas. But it's also pronounced good for digestive and respiratory disorders and sports injuries."

Some good recomendations for keeping free from the flu and other illnesses:

"The approach begins with consistent hand washing, eating lots of garlic and keeping those germy paws out of the leftover Halloween candy. Also, try cutting back on the morning java, sleeping more and stocking up on echinacea, elderberry, vitamins, zinc lozenges and hand sanitizer. Oh, and work out, meditate and keep your attitude up.

"The single best strategy you can employ is finding ways to build up your immune system so it’s stronger," says Dr. Paul Epstein, a naturopathic physician in private practice in Norwalk, Conn."

In China, flu shots aren't widely available, but tea and other remedies are:

"As flu season approaches in China, big pots of herbal tea will start to appear in front of schools, hospitals and herbal shops.

"The tea is free for everyone," says Joanna Zhao, acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine at Five Branches Institute in Santa Cruz. Infused with chrysanthemum, mint and herbs, it is designed to build people’s immune systems in order to fight the flu."

---

"In Chinese medicine, flu treatment begins with prevention.

The free tea distributed in China is designed to help maintain Qi (pronounced chee) — the vital energy that flows through each one of us, Zhao says.

Qi comes from daily life, Zhao says. We get it from what we eat, breathe and our everyday activities. We also have some Qi from when we were born.

If our good Qi is low, it allows the bad Qi — illnesses, like the flu — to come in.

Stress, being overworked, not getting enough exercise, eating junk food and not getting enough sleep are things that drain good Qi, Zhao says.

But if you can keep your Qi flowing — through rest, healthy living and herbs like Jade Screen — you stand a good chance of beating the flu, she says."

Fascinating article about how Chinese medicine can be used to treat women's health:

"When there is a problem within the system such as menstrual irregularities or fibroids or infertility or the myriad other dysfunctions, it is to these meridians and organ systems that we look to find the true diagnosis and to correct the pathology. The herbs we use to treat imbalances are directed to these meridian systems as needed. This illustrates a bit of the poetry of the medicine, but it is of practical use too. This perspective and theoretical framework allows for a way to look at the life cycle of human beings in a way that combines all aspects of our mind, body and spirit."

One woman's experience using acupuncture to help cope with the demands pregnancy puts on your body:

Almost immediately after the treatments began I began to notice physical changes. The heartburn from which I had been suffering disappeared and the water retention in my legs lessened. At 38 weeks, Dr Wang gave me some herbs, to be taken twice a day with a pint of water. These were to act as a detox. By then, the only side-effect of my pregnancy was bad skin."

China is setting up a system to standardize traditional Chinese medicine production in the hopes of marketing more products abroad:

""In China, TCM now holds about one-fourth market share, but contributes approximately 40 per cent of the profits of the pharmaceutical sector," said Li.

"If we can determine the exact effective components in TCM and accord them with international standards, we will be able to promote them to a wider international market," said Jiang Zhenwei, general manager of the Shanghai Medicines and Health Products Import and Export Company.

The Chinese Government is paying more and more attention to the innovation and development of TCM, and has included the innovation into its next five-year plan, according to Li.

Although chemical compound medicines still play the main role in the world's healthcare products consumption, botanical medicines, which fall into the category of TCM, have shown strong growth in recent years.

The first botanic recipe from China will hopefully be approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in United States, and will go into clinical tests early next year."

A study in Hong Kong shows:

"Acupuncture does seem to help lessen the misery of chronic nasal allergies in children as young as 6, a new study indicates.

Hong Kong researchers found that among 85 allergy sufferers between the ages of 6 and 19, those given a series of acupuncture treatments had fewer bouts of sneezing, congestion and runny nose over the next two to three months."