Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system of medicine dating back well over 2,000 years, with the first written work: the Huang Di Nei Jing (“Cannon of Medicine”) compiled around 200 to 100 BC. Central to the basic knowledge of TCM are key fundamental theories that incorporate specific patterns and structures within the natural world, such as the laws of interdependence in nature, to form a dynamic philosophy of the body’s innate healing capacities. TCM encourages a holistic view of the individual by interconnecting the patterns and relationships within their physical, mental and emotional systems, not only to each other, but also to the flux of energy among the natural elements and surrounding environments. The philosophies in TCM, though often viewed by the West as metaphorical and not easily translatable, are nonetheless highly refined and sophisticated in ways that Western Medicine may have yet to attain. Many patients in the West successfully used TCM when diagnosis and/or treatment with allopathic medicine had failed.
The main treatment modalities in TCM are acupuncture and moxabustion (the burning of Moxa herb, mugwort, around specific acupuncture points), Qi Gong (specific exercises to enhance the flow of vital energy), specific dietary recommendations, as well an extensive pharmacopeia of herbal medicine. These modalities have been and continue to be proven highly effective under scientific study in the treatment of disease.
The origins of TCM as a form of energetic healing are spiritual in nature. The overall health of a person is believed to be interrelated with their psychological, emotional, and spiritual health, and as such, many of the diagnostic and treatment protocols within TCM take into account this relationship between the physical functioning of the body and a person’s mental/emotional energies and experiences. Even with such relative subjectivity, clinical studies on the effectiveness of TCM treatment on a number of diseases have proven it to be a highly efficacious system of medical treatment that is both sophisticated and wise. TCM has been used successfully to treat many health problems including cancer, chronic degenerative diseases, immune deficiencies, depression, digestive problems, allergies, heart disease, inflammation issues, hormone imbalances, fatigue, chronic and acute pain, infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, and many others.