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What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of healthcare dating back over 3,000 years. References to TCM date back to the Han Dynasty in the ancient Chinese medical text "Huang Di Nei Jing" (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), originating between approximately 300 and 100 B.C.E.

TCM encompasses the following 5 branches (or treatments):

1.	Acupuncture
2.	Acupressure
3.	Chinese Herbalism
4.	Chinese Massage & Manipulation (Tui Na)
5.	QiGong

Acupuncture is the most extensively studied branch of TCM, which research has shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of medical conditions.

Vital energy flows throughout all living things, and the balance or imbalance of this energy flow determines our state of health. The goal of TCM is to achieve and maintain a state of balance. TCM embraces several key principles based on the belief that the body, mind and spirit are one system which is intimately connected to the world in which we live:

The Five Elements

The 8 Guiding Principles

Yin and Yang

Vital Energy and the Energy Meridians

External and Internal Causes of Disease

During a treatment, a TCM practitioner will ask many questions to discover the balance of these principles within the body, including information on current health conditions being experienced, medications being taken, emotional health including any stress or anxiety, lifestyle, personality, and predominating emotions and thoughts. Diagnosis of these principles help to determine which TCM treatment(s) would be appropriate. In Chinese Herbal Medicine, each herb is defined in terms of the element(s), and guiding principle(s) it corresponds to, and designated as either yin or yang in its energy. Often practitioners will prescribe an herb or combination of herbs depending on the imbalance.

With the advent of conventional medicine, TCM began to experience a decline until the 1950s, when Chairman Mao realized that, due to cost, there were little to no medical services available to the mass population of Chinese. This triggered a resurgence of TCM as treatments where considered low cost. When the liosening of political ties in the 1970s opened communication with China to the rest of the world, TCM began to grow in popularity in the west.

With growing concerns about the side effects of traditional medications and therapies, along with the growing desire to turn to a more natural and holistic approach to healthcare, TCM is becoming more and more widespread. The growing cost of healthcare within the U. S. is also becoming a significant factor in the resurgence of not only TCM, but natural therapies in general.

TCM is a complex system that takes many years of training to master. Within the U. S. there are educational institutions accredited by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The NCCAOM is a non-profit organization established in 1982 which offers certification in Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbalism, and Asian Bodywork Therapy. Many states require certification from the NCCAOM as part of their licensing requirements for Acupuncture. Students who receive a degree in Oriental Oedicine may be designated as a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.).

Vital Energy and the Energy Meridians

Similar to the way that blood flows throughout the circulation system of the body and is regulated by the heart, vital energy is distributed throughout the body via energy channels called energy meridians. Continue on to learn about Vital Energy and the energy meridians.

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