Chinese Medicine Philosophy
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the body as an integrated whole. All parts of the body and organ systems are linked in obvious or subtle ways. Disease may originate locally or be caused by an imbalance in the whole system.
In TCM a patient’s complaint is considered only as one of the symptoms of the underling imbalance. When this imbalance is resolved the patient should expect significant improvement or complete disappearance of the original complaint.
The principal aim of TCM is to restore equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual; between yin and yang.
One does not have to feel ill in order to benefit from TCM. In our clinic the Practitioner, by using TCM principles, works to detect and to correct the existing imbalance in the body long before it becomes a serious problem.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Overview
Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM, includes a range of traditional medicine practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medical system in much of the Western world.
TCM practices include such treatments as Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and both Tui Na and Shiatsu massage. Qigong and Taijiquan are also closely associated with TCM.
TCM is more then three thousands years old and is rooted in meticulous observation of nature, the cosmos, and the human body.
Major TCM theories include those of Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human body Meridian/Channel system, Zang Fu organ theory, six confirmations, four layers, etc.
Ancient (classical) TCM history
Much of the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine derives from the same philosophy that informs Taoist and Buddhist thought, and reflects the classical Chinese belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment on all levels.
Theory
The foundation principles of Chinese Medicine are not uniform, and are based on several schools of thought. TCM have been influenced by Taoism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism.
Since 1200 BC, Chinese academics of various schools have focused on the observable natural laws of the universe and their implications for the practical characterization of human body and mind place in the universe. In the I Ching and other Chinese literary and philosophical classics, Chinese writers described general principles and their applications to health and healing.
Western Medicine versus Chinese Medicine
There are some principle differences between Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine Philosophies.
For example, Western man with his/her two thousand years of intellectual tradition will try to find straightforward, visible, scientifically provable relationships between cause and effect.
TCM philosophy, on the other hand, does not see such a straight forward relationship between cause and effect. Cause can easily become an effect, and effect can become the cause.
TCM look at the body holistically. State of general health determines how severe and/or how chronic an original complaint is. So the treatment always addresses both: the whole body and the specific complaint.
If the treatment address the complaint only it would be considerably less effective.
Western Medicine is better then Chinese Medicine in addressing life threatening and very acute health problems such as stroke, heart attack, broken limb, etc.
The main strength of Chinese Medicine lies in addressing of non-life threatening and chronic problems. It happens that most of the health complaint people have are exactly of this nature (non-life threatening and chronic).
Western and Chinese Medicines do not conflict, or contradict, of compromise each other. They look at the body from very different frameworks. When two approaches are combined they have complimentary, synergetic effect and therefore quicker and better results.
TCM Terminology
Unlike the Western anatomical model which divides the physical body into parts, the Chinese model is more concerned with function. Thus, the TCM spleen is not a specific piece of flesh, but an aspect of function related to transformation and transportation within the body, and of the mental functions of thinking and studying.
Terms Chinese Medicine practitioner would use might sound strange to the “western” ear (i.e. Yin, Yang, Essence, Qi, Blood, Wind, Dampness, Heart organ-system, Lung organ-system, etc.) These do not represent specific organs or substances but rather functions of different organs and pathologies of these functions. TCM has specific acupuncture points and specific herbal formulas which address a dysfunction determined by TCM diagnostic procedure and expressed in Chinese Medical terminology
