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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Many people have difficulty trying to understand how the various components of traditional Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, herbs, and remedies can cure and prevent ailments. When entering a Chinese herb shop, one often come across terms such as yin and yang, qi, meridians and so forth. At first, one might be somewhat mystified by these "New Age" terms and the principles behind them.

In fact, acupuncture and moxibustion have been a part of the Chinese medicine dated back as early as 100,000 years ago when China was in the clan commune period, which ended approximately 4,000 years ago.

The basic principle of TCM and its treatment stems from the theory of yin-yang.

How does a doctor diagnose an illness?

There are four main components to Chinese medical diagnosis:

Looking: By examining the patient's exterior, the Chinese doctor can get an insight into imbalances causing illness. The appearance of the face and tongue are the most important.

Listening and smelling: A patient's voice, as well as body odor, can yield vital clues about the health of an individual.

Questioning: Chinese doctors listen to the patient's symptoms and complaints. Particularly important to the diagnosis are the patient's sensations of hot and cold, their bodily excretions (sweat, urine, and feces), whether they are having headaches or dizziness, and any pain they are experiencing.

Touching: Touching often enables a doctor to immediately diagnose an illness, and can be used to verify the conclusions reached using the other methods.

What kind of illnesses are best treated with TCM?

This is a very important question. Both Chinese medicine and Western medicine have an important role to play in your health care. Chinese medicine seeks to bring the body into balance and strengthen its defenses against disease. However, if a condition has persisted long enough to cause changes in the body and it's tissues, Western medicine may be required.

But in modern society, there are many conditions whose causes are not external pathogens, but rather an internal disequilibrium. Western doctors, trained to treat symptoms, might recommend a course of drugs, hoping to beat them back. Chinese medicine, will seek to rebalance the Qi of the patient and rally the body's own defenses. Each approach has its benefits and can be used together to ensure your good health.

How long does it take to see results?

There are a number of factors that determine how you you respond to Chinese medicine treatment:

• Time from onset of injury/ailment: Generally, you'll see quicker results from herbal and acupuncture treatments if the condition is acute, rather than chronic.

• Body type: If the imbalance is great, treatments may take longer to alleviate the condition.

• Life style: Often an ailment is caused by poor eating and sleeping habits, lack of exercise, stress, or other conditions. If you don't make changes to lead a healthier life, results from herbal or acupuncture treatments won't be as good as they would be otherwise.