When you hear about Traditional Chinese Medicine, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Odd stuff in jars in dark smoky rooms where equally odd old men mutter strange incantations in Chinese as they burn incense in a pot? Actually, there may actually literally be such places and maybe they do practice some form of Traditional Chinese Medicine too – but in these modern times, Traditional Chinese Medicine can also mean medicine that is practiced by even Western followers of the traditional ways of treating patients as the Chinese have learned all these centuries. And for such Western practitioners, Traditional Chinese Medicine may not mean burning incense as well but rather keeping rather immaculate and clinical treatment rooms where any modern patient would feel comfortable being treated for whatever is ailing him.
One part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that many Westerners may have heard of is acupuncture which is closely related to acupressure. Both acupuncture and acupressure are based on the premise that throughout our body certain points exist at which energy might be strongest. When the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner finds some energy points to be “blocked”, he might prescribe a round of acupuncture (meaning, sharp sterile needles are inserted at such pressure points to release your vital energy that has been blocked there), or simply press down on the pressure points in a prescribed way so that the blocked energy finds itself flowing again through your body and the ailment is relieved. Though some Westerners may find this Traditional Chinese Medicine belief to be a bit strange, many other Western medical practitioners now advocate these two Traditional Chinese Medicine practices and may even use them in their own clinical practice.
Depending on who you talk to, Traditional Chinese Medicine may be considered either a form of alternative medicine or a form of complementary medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine may be a type of alternative medicine in that you can opt for Traditional Chinese Medicine practices rather than the conventional Western style of medical treatment – thus you chose an alternative. Traditional Chinese Medicine practices become complementary medicine when you allow both a Western style of medical treatment and the Traditional Chinese Medicine practices to be used side by side at the same time when you are undergoing treatment for your ailment. It may be easier to determine the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine when you opt to have it by itself, rather than mixing it with other forms of treatment. This is because the symptoms of your ailment might get relieved under a complementary medicine type of treatment program so you might get confused as to which treatment option really worked for you.
Not surprisingly, many people of Oriental lineage are strong believers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and may eschew modern ways of treatment so that they can favor Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment options alone for themselves and their loved ones. Is this good? It depends on the ailment – there are some ailments that modern ways of treatment seem to have been very effective at treating (such as cancer) for which there is little evidence that Traditional Chinese Medicine can cure. If you want to be sure of getting well, you may want to pursue Traditional Chinese Medicine only after modern scientific ways of diagnosing an illness have failed to show what you are really ill with. There is some evidence of a so-called placebo effect when complementary medicine methods are used where modern treatment practices have failed to give the desired cure.
Acupuncture forms part of traditional Chinese medicine. Included are Chinese herbalism, tai chi and chi kung. It is believed that traditional Chinese medicine originated around 2500BC and is one of the oldest forms of treatment. Acupuncture did not really become well known in Western countries until the 1950s, except for the few Chinese practitioners treating Chinese patients in those countries such as Britain. Today, even some orthodox physicians are trained in acupuncture and are incorporating it with western medicine and achieving great results.
Acupuncture is centered on Tao philosophy, like the other forms of Chinese medicine. It is based on the philosophy that a vital energy (force) flows along invisible channels in the body with the inseparable opposing forces of yin and yang, which govern each person. 'Yin' is a masculine, active and positive force and 'yang', a female, passive and negative force. When this energy (chi) freely flows through these invisible channels (meridians) and the yin and yang are balanced, the result is health. If the yin and yang are unbalanced and the chi is blocked, the results become noticeable in the form of illness. The purpose therefore of acupuncture is to correct these imbalances and unblock the meridians, allowing the chi to flow freely once again in the body restoring the patient to physical health. Another form of acupuncture called auricular therapy is based solely on the external ear, which contains its own acupuncture points. This type of therapy is very useful for acute conditions.
People suffering from allergies, asthma, bronchitis and other conditions may benefit by acupuncture. Acupuncture is also helpful in relieving pain. Acupuncture aids the body to release its very own pain-reliever, known as endorphins, which has effects similar to morphine. The success of the acupuncture also depends on the responsiveness of the patient. Some people seem to be more responsive than others especially children that receive treatment.
During the initial consultation the practitioner will ask questions about the patients history, the present complaint, life style, diet and exercise routines and emotional health. Skin colour, the state of the nails, eyes and tongue, body odour and careful examination of the pulse points form part of the diagnosis. The human body contains 59 meridians and about 1000 pressure points. To treat imbalances the acupuncturist will stimulate the pressure points that occur along the meridians. Inserting fine, solid needles into the skin, applying heat and fingertip pressure form part of stimulation. The points involved are usually found on the forearms, hands, feet and lower legs. Sometimes all three methods of stimulation may be used. Treatment may include recommendations on diet and exercise.
Always ensure you choose a fully trained and registered practitioner when seeking acupuncture treatment. Inform the practitioner of any orthodox treatment you may be receiving before diagnosis or treatment in acupuncture. Acupuncture is most often used in conjunction with Chinese herbalism, as it can be contraindicated with some forms of complementary therapy. Parents should always consult an acupuncturist who has had special training in the treatment of children, before embarking on a diagnosis in acupuncture. The treatment for children will consist mainly of fingertip pressure (acupressure) to the relevant acupuncture points, rather than applying the more traditional method of needles.
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