Fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive medical system that has been developed in China over the last 2500 years. In contrast to the somatic and microscopic approach of Western medicine, TCM is a functional and holistic medicine. Its findings and forms of therapy are based on biological or psychological life functions and processes.

Health depends on a balance between the opposing forces of yin and yang. As long as yin and yang remain in balance, body and mind are healthy. However, if one of the forces is excessively strong or too weak, this leads to an imbalance and illness.

In TCM, both sick and healthy people are viewed and treated from a holistic and energetic perspective. Any energetic disorder should be recognized early on, before an illness has developed and reached an advanced stage. Over the millennia, TCM has developed a wide range of diagnostic procedures for this purpose. Prevention has long been recognized as important and has been nurtured.

Tongue and pulse diagnosis are two cornerstones of the diagnosis. By closely observing the shape, color and quality of the tongue and feeling the 28 different pulse qualities, the therapist or doctor can draw conclusions about the internal processes in the body.

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Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the targeted therapeutic manipulation of bodily functions via specific points on the surface of the body, known as acupuncture points. By inserting needles to varying depths at over 450 acupuncture points, qi circulation is balanced and certain organ systems are stimulated or dampened. It is essential for classical acupuncture to be based on a diagnosis based on traditional Chinese medicine. A related method, electro-acupuncture, works with very weak electrical impulses that are delivered to the body through the needles.

Herbs

Chinese medicines contain herbal, mineral and animal substances, with the overwhelming majority being herbal substances. Chinese medicines are not Chinese because they can only be found in China: Some of the approximately 6700 known and documented remedies were imported to China; many of the herbs also grow in our latitudes. A Chinese medicine is Chinese because it is classified according to very specific properties. These include the taste, the temperature and the entry of the channels. Based on these properties, functions are assigned to the medicines according to the theories of traditional Chinese medicine.

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Dietetics

From the early days of TCM, nutrition and individual eating habits have been included in the treatment. Chinese dietetics is as much a part of traditional Chinese medicine as drug therapy or acupuncture. Nutrition according to the principles of TCM is a holistic system of nutritional therapy. Like medicines, all foods are classified according to their energetics (temperature, e.g. cooling, warming, neutral) and their taste (bitter, sweet, spicy, salty and sour). Dietetics adapts the diet to the patient's individual disharmony pattern according to the TCM diagnosis.

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Moxa

In China, moxibustion is regarded as a therapy of equal importance to acupuncture when indicated. Moxibustion warms the acupuncture points by burning dried leaves of Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort), also known as moxa wool. Mugwort is a medicinal plant native to Asia as well as Europe. A point can also be warmed with sticks twisted from mugwort leaves, known as moxa cigars.

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Cupping / Gua Sha

Cupping involves stimulating the acupuncture points with cupping glasses. Cupping therapy is particularly suitable for treating the outer layers such as muscles and skin. Another TCM technique that is as old as it is tried and tested is Gua Sha. This method is particularly suitable for musculoskeletal complaints, muscle and joint pain, but also for flu-like infections and the like. The painful area of the body is pre-treated with special oils, after which the body surface in this area is rubbed using an object with rounded edges.

 

WHO recommendation

The WHO recommendation on acupuncture is available for download here in pdf format (either the document will open automatically in Adobe Acrobat Reader within a new window in your browser, or, if this does not work, you can save the file to your computer by right-clicking on the "WHO recommendation" link below and then selecting the "Save target as..." option).