Traditional Principles of Chinese Medicine
“Think of Western medicine as looking at the tree and Eastern medicine as looking at the whole forest.” Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine often cite this analogy to describe their alternative medicines and practices. The practices do not contradict each other, but rather take two different approaches - while Western medicine looks at nerve endings linking to muscles and organs, Eastern medicine looks at the lack or excess of energy.
Many Americans don’t realize that traditional Chinese medicines date back nearly 5,000 years, passed down by oral tradition until about 3,000 years ago when people began writing down their findings in ancient texts like “Basic Questions of Internal Medicine” and “A Treatise On Cold Damage.Since the Nationalist government feared missing out on scientific progress, classic Chinese medicine was fobade in the 1930’s. However, thirty years later, Mao Zedong chose ten highly respected doctors to create a traditional but standardized practice called Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chinese schools today teach TCM and around the world schools are opening in England, Russia and the US.
“Yin” and “Yang” , from the Taoist ideas, are one of the basic principles of TCM.The school of Chinese medicine uses the term to describe series of opposites; for example, dark and light, movement and stillness, hot and cold. As day turns into night, the body goes through its own cycles. If the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted and there’s an excess of something or deficiency of something, then the body naturally breaks down.
Another principle in traditional Chinese medicine is the idea of the “Five Elements” which are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is believed that these elements are in constant motion and work in an interdependent relationship, as do the various organs and systems within our own bodies. According to the Five Elements chart, if you’re feeling fearful, then it means you need more calm in your life or if you’re angry and frustrated, then you need more patience. The Five Elements Theory is further defined by the Zang Fu Theory, which explains the functions and interaction between various body parts in more detail.
Traditional Chinese medicine doctors can give you many surprising solutions to common ailments. For instance, women suffering premenstrual syndrome can be treated with herbal supplements like angelica to relieve cramping, buplerum to relieve irritability and irregularity with biota seed. The good news about Chinese herbal medicines is that they’re safer and less expensive than other drugs on the market.
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