Traditional Chinese Medicine has its origin in ancient Taoist philosophy which views a person as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other. TCM is a complete system of healing that dates back to 200 B.C. in written form. Unlike allopathic medicine which attempts to isolate and separate a disease from a person, Chinese Medicine emphasizes a holistic approach that treats the whole person.
In the TCM view, the body is a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang.
Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang.
This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (or vital energy) and of blood along pathways known as meridians.
TCM practitioners typically use herbs, acupuncture, and massage to help unblock qi and blood in patients in an attempt to bring the body back into harmony and wellness.
Treatments in TCM are typically tailored to the subtle patterns of disharmony in each patient and are based on an individualized diagnosis. The diagnostic tools differ from those of conventional medicine.
There are three main therapeutic modalities:
1. Acupuncture and moxibustion (moxibustion is the application of heat from the burning of the herb moxa at the acupuncture point)
2. Chinese Materia Medica (the catalogue of natural products used in TCM)
3. Massage and manipulation
TCM can be an excellent alternative to hormone regimens to regulate the system during menopause.
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A Guide to Chinese Medicine
Ted Kaptchuck
