TCM- Traditional Chinese Medicine – Over view

TCM encompasses many different methodologies, including reflexology, acupuncture, moxibustion (burning an herb above the skin to apply heat to activate acupuncture points and meridians), cupping therapy, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na (Chinese therapeutic massage), Gua Sha (scraping or rubbing therapy), dietary therapy, and tai chi and qi gong (practices that combine specific movements or postures, coordinated breathing, and mental focus). TCM is rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism and dates back more than 2,500 years.

In TCM the focus is on maintaining health and preventing illness, rather than curing of conditions after they have already happened. This is summed up in the belief that an okay doctor cures your illness, but a good doctor prevents the illness from occurring. In earlier times a doctor did not get paid if you got sick, because he didn’t do his job well.

In present day China practitioners of TCM will mainly use acupuncture, moxibustion, gua sha, cupping, herbal medicine, and tui na for acute issues, but these methods are also helpful for prevention. And they would use reflexology, tai chi and qi gong for prevention and to maintain balance in the body, as well as for acute issues.

A note on acupuncture and herbal medicine: acupuncture is a very effective treatment method if done correctly, but can have dangerous effects if done incorrectly. We would recommend that your practitioner be trained in TCM, and not just have a stand-alone acupuncture class. Herbal medicine is also effective, but again we would recommend that your provider be trained in TCM methods. Unlike vitamins, which are formulated for general consumption, herbal treatments are formulated for an individual. For example: two people may have an issue with too much fire in the body. Even though they have the same complaint, the formulation may not be the same, if the fire issue has a different underlying cause.