Traditional Chinese medicine, or ancient Chinese medicine as its sometimes called, has a history that goes back at least 2,500 years, and some say as far back as 4,000 years. The starting point in understanding traditional Chinese medicine is to understand the fundamental difference between the Chinese approach to healing the human body and the Western approach.

This form of medicine is based on the theory that a particular illness is simply the result of an improper flow of “life force” through the body, which is sometimes referred to as “Qi” (pronounced chee). When there’s an imbalance, great harm comes to the body.

Traditional Chinese medicine includes a range of ancient Chinese medicine practices originating in China. Even though its considered an alternative medical system in much of the Western world, it’s well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia.

These Asian treatments for health involve herbology, massage, exercise, diet, and acupuncture. Within these different treatments are also different elements that make up ancient Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine is holistic, while Western medicine is reductionist. Let’s explain what that means, starting with the latter.

Most medical methods in the United States or Europe tend to focus on parts of the body, or a single cause for a particular disease. For example, if you have a backache, a Western doctor will focus his or her treatments on that part of the body. They seek to “reduce” the problem to a single cause, and look at the back as an isolated  “part” of the body, separate from the rest. Thus the term reductionist, or reductionism.

The Chinese approach is the opposite. It takes the view that the body is a whole unit. It says that you can’t simply isolate one part of the body from the rest, and treat individual parts of the body as if they are chopped up, so to speak. To say that the hand is not connected to the wrist, and the wrist to the arm, and so on up, is ridiculous in the Chinese medical view. So traditional Chinese medicine is holistic – it always takes “the whole body” into account when treating any one part of the body.

While Western medicine is marvelously effective in its own way, the drawbacks are many and obvious. Take what we call the “side effects” of drugs, for example. If you have a headache and take an aspirin, the “side effect” may be bleeding in the stomach because aspirin is hard on the stomach.
A Chinese doctor would draw the obvious conclusion: Both the head and the stomach are part of one body! To cure a headache, it’s best to find a treatment that won’t fix the head by sacrificing the stomach!

This is why traditional Chinese medicine relies on procedures such as acupuncture, herbal remedies and massage therapy, and more. The goal of the Chinese medical practitioner is to get your body to heal itself naturally. It does not focus on one issue at a time, as does Western medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes that the body has an overall energy, and that there is a recognizable pattern to that energy. It also does not consider as important individual organs of the body, but rather bodily functions, such as digestion, breathing, body temperature, and more. Traditional Chinese medicine seeks to make all of these functions work in balance with each other.

Another fundamental aspect of traditional Chinese medicine is something called “Qi”. This is made up of five functions: Actuation, warming, defense, containment and transformation.

Traditional Chinese medicine views any illness as an indication of overall “disharmony” or “imbalance” in a variety of aspects, from the energy flow of the body, to the Qi we just mentioned, and still other aspects, such as the Xue (blood) and Jinye (bodily fluids) and more.

Perhaps one of the first things most people think about when they consider Chinese medicine is acupuncture, which is the insertion of very fine needles at strategic locations throughout the body as a way to relieve pain, treat disease and promote general health. It’s important to note that there are actually different methods and traditions, and that not all acupuncture is of the traditional Chinese variety. The practice of acupuncture originated in China in about 200 B.C., but over the centuries, other styles have emerged, including those influenced by Korean and Japanese cultures, and now Westernized versions.

However, the bottom line is, a qualified traditional Chinese medicine practitioner will know the difference, and can answer all of your questions about the specifics of how acupuncture is used in the Chinese way.

Perhaps the other major “leg” of Chinese medicine are the variety of herbal and other substances that are recommended to bring the body back into balance from a state of imbalance, and thus relieve disease and discomfort. The range and variety of Chinese herbal remedies is vast and varied, and again, anyone is well advised to consult with an experienced practitioner to make best use of the herbal treatments that come down from thousands of years of Chinese medical practice.

It would take an entire book, or maybe several books, to comprehend the true scope of traditional Chinese medicine, but what we have discussed here provides a broad overview, and hopefully, you have a better understanding of this fascinating subject.

Understand two of the most popular elements that make up ancient Chinese medicine, or Traditional Chinese medicine: Qi and Yin and Yang

Understanding  Qi

The Chinese people believe that Qi, pronounced: “chee,” is energy that conducts all forms of life. Every movement, thought, and breath is governed by Qi. It is said to run through invisible meridians of the body, and is the force that gives people the capacity to just “be.”

Qi provides balance between the yin and yang; also known as “being opposite to one another.”

In traditional Chinese medicine, this means that within the body there is deficiency and excess. These two extremes are then brought together to create equilibrium, or to bring the body’s balance and homeostasis back to where they should be for optimal health.

Some Qi exercises include Tai chi chuan, Standing Meditation, Yoga, Brocade BaDuanJin exercises and other Chinese martial arts, plus breathing and meditation exercises.

Understanding Yin and Yang

Simplified, Yin represents a negative and passive force, while the Yang represents positive active force. Yin and Yang support each other as well as oppose each other.

There is always some Yin within Yang, and some Yang within Yin. You simply cannot have one without the other, as they are mutually dependent forces. A qualified herbalist will know to what degree of turmoil any persons’ body is in, and how much of the Ying or Yang is needed to rectify the body back to its equilibrium.

Ancient Chinese Medicine is Popular Worldwide, and is Better Known as Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ancient Chinese medicine treatments for health have become increasingly popular, and more people every day are turning to them for help. In fact, traditional Chinese medicine is what many people turn to when normal doctor visits and their procedures have not seemed to help.

Traditional Chinese medicine treatments for health are so popular, that they are still used side by side with conventional medicine in hospitals within the United States.

Even though they are considered “alternative treatments,” they are not viewed as such by the rest of the world. In fact, ancient Chinese medicine is a highly recognized source of healing among many cultures all over the world.