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TCM is comprised of Acupuncture, Chinese herbology, Cupping , Moxibustion,Auricular acupuncture, Electroacupuncture ,Tuina and Food therapy. TCM originated roughly 3000 years ago, and today is used by a quarter of the world's population.
TCM is based on the concept of Qi (pronounced chee) which is the life force or vital energy. Qi is the animating force that serves to warm us, protect us from external pathogenic factors, promote the functions of the body and hold our organs and tissues in place.
In a broader sense, TCM is also based on the idea of yin and yang. These terms refer to a conceptual framework that comes from observing and analyzing the natural world. They relate to an opposite but complementary relationship between phenomenons.
Examples of yin/yang are cold/hot, night/day, dark/light. In traditional Chinese medicine, there must be a harmonious balance between yin and yang and a smooth flow of qi throughout the body for good health to exist. Simply put, a disharmony between yin and yang and a disturbance in the flow of qi may result in disease.
The goal of traditional Chinese medicine is to guide the body back into balance. Traditional Chinese medicine is holistic; it treats the whole person (mind, body, spirit), not just the illness.
What is Acupuncture ?
The energy called Qi travels along specific pathways that cover the body called meridians. Each pathway is associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ. Acupuncture allows qi to flow to areas where it is deficient and away from where it is in excess. If qi is blocked or obstructed in its flow, pain will occur.
Acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body, therefore pain or illness will be resolved. Acupuncture points are places along the meridians near the body's surface where qi can be manipulated by the insertion of acupuncture needles.
There are hundreds of acupuncture points and each point has a predictable therapeutic effect. Problems can be addressed by needling points close to and distant from the problem being treated, because the meridians run throughout the body. For example, a headache may be treated by placing needles in the head, hands and feet.
Each person is unique and gets his or her own unique diagnosis. Therefore, the acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription will be tailor-made depending on your diagnosis. Ten different people can present with a migraine headache and each one may be treated differently, depending on their other signs and symptoms and health history.
Traditional Chinese medicine excels at treating chronic or degenerative problems. At the other end of the spectrum, traditional Chinese medicine can be used preventively to keep you in balance. For instance, if you have a tendency to catch colds or the flu frequently, regular acupuncture treatments and supplementing with specific herbs, or homeopathy can lead to a reduction or cessation of those episodes. For health maintenance, some people like to come in for a "tune-up" anywhere from 2 weeks to every 3 months, around the change of the seasons.
In contrast, the Western explanation of acupuncture incorporates modern concepts of neuroscience. According to the National Institutes of Health, researchers are studying at least three possible explanations for how acupuncture works:
- Opioid release. During acupuncture, endorphins that are part of your body's natural pain-control system may be released into your central nervous system — your brain and spinal cord. This reduces pain much like taking a pain medication.
- Spinal cord stimulation. Acupuncture may stimulate the nerves in your spinal cord to release pain-suppressing neurotransmitters. This has sometimes been called the "gate theory."
- Blood flow changes. Acupuncture needles may increase the amount of blood flow in the area around the needle. The increased blood flow may supply additional nutrients or remove toxic substances, or both, promoting healing.
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