Traditional Chinese Medicine and its uses
July 5, 2009 by
Filed under Gall Bladder Symptoms
Have you been to a masseuse? If so, then you have participated in one form of therapy recommended by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been in practice for more than four-thousand years. Over a quarter of the world’s population is currently being treated with some form of TCM.
TCM originated in China and is thought to be derived from philosophies based upon Buddhism and Taoism. TCM teaches the patient that living in harmony with nature, moderation in all things, and striving for balance is important to your overall well being, both physically and mentally. The mind, body and spirit make up one system in TCM.
TCM is an extremely complex practice and does require many years of training. TCM teaches there are three constituents of the body: energy (Qi), moisture and blood. In order to diagnose the reason for imbalance in a person, which is causing an ailment of some type, TCM practitioners use the Five Element Theory and the Eight Guiding Principles in order to recommend treatment for the patient.
The Five Element Theory:
According to the practice of TCM, everything is affected by the five natural elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water in the following ways:
Wood Element is linked closely with spring season, the liver and gall bladder.
Fire Element is linked with early summer, the heart and the small intestines.
Earth Element is linked with late summer, the stomach and the spleen.
Metal Element is linked with autumn, the lings and the large intestines.
Water Element is linked with winter, the kidneys and the bladder.
According to the Five Element Theory, we are “one with nature”. Each organ possesses a particular body and mind function. For example, the gall bladder is associated with decision making and the liver with planning as well as storing anger. The practitioner will discover what is troubling you with an interview to find out what is happening in your life, what your diet may be and what emotions are affecting you.
The 8 guiding principals work beside the Five Element Theory for diagnosis. The 8 guiding principals are as follows:
Cold/Heat: determines your overall energy
Interior/Exterior: determines the location of the symptoms
Deficiency/Excess: determines the strength of the illness
Yin/Yang: is a generalization of the principles listed above and determines the dominance in either Yin or Yang
Yin and Yang represents opposites in motion that fluctuate balance.
Main Modern Treatments:
Treatments vary from patient to patient, even those with the same ailments. TCM treats the patient, not the ailment. The following are common treatments used in TCM:
Acupuncture the inserting of needles into the skin at very specific points to affect the flow of energy.
Chinese Herbs these herbs can come from plant, animal (oyster shells, deer antlers) and mineral substances. They are used to treat energy imbalances and various illnesses.
Massage bringing the body back into balance by stimulating energy of the body.
Diet & Exercise foods have yin/yang, warming/cooling and drying/moisturizing properties and need to offset the imbalance. Qi gong (exercise form) optimizes energy with posture, movement, breathing techniques, and meditation.
TCM is a very extensive subject providing a wealth of alternatives to Western medicine practices. With a practice still engaged after more than 4,000 years, it warrants attention.
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