Chinese medicine has been developed over the course of thousands of years. Its increasing popularity in the West is due in part to people looking for alternatives to more aggressive Western medicine as well Chinese medicine’s more individualistic view of treatment:
“Oriental medicine is based on the idea that humans are not just a collection of physical molecules, Balusik said. Instead, people are a complex and interrelated system of energies known as Qi, which is pronounced chee, she said.
Acupuncturists use a complex chart that defines pressure points in the body and how they interconnect to regulate the flow of Qi. Acupressure massage of pressure points is used on children rather than acupuncture.
Acupuncture is also successfully used in treating the effects of modern cancer treatments, alleviating pain and restoring appetite, she said.
Each treatment is used in conjunction with prescribing Chinese herbal medicines.
Many people, trying to stay away from chemicals found in modern drugs, are turning to cures found in the natural ingredients of Chinese herbal medicine.
Herbal medicines can be prescribed in tablet and liquid form, sometimes as teas, or items that can be cooked up in a soup, she said.
More than 5,000 different ingredients made from plants, animals, and minerals are used.
Chinese herbs are a good alternative to some of the drug-based anxiety remedies many doctors prescribe, she said.
A Chinese herbal formula may include up to 20 different items carefully balanced to work in unison when taken by the patient.
A special formula is created for each patient, so there can be no sharing of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions, she noted.
Balusik said it is important that an expert in herbal medicines insure the right dose is taken, so there is no interaction between any modern drugs that might be prescribed by a doctor or over-the-counter remedies that a patient may take.
Many patients want to be able to sleep better at night or not consume so many anti-anxiety or pain-relieving medicines that they know are not good for their liver and other organs, she said.
As holistic medical practitioners, acupuncturists consider lifestyle and environmental factors when deciding the best course of treatment that includes lifestyle and nutritional recommendations along with acupuncture and herbal formulas, she said.
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