China is the only country in the world where Western medicine and traditional medicine are practised alongside each other at every level of the healthcare system. Developed over thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has a unique theoretical and practical approach to the treatment of disease, and accounts for around almost half of all health care delivered in China. Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the interaction between mind, body and environment, in order to prevent and cure illness and disease.   

Chinese views and beliefs about the universe and the natural world are very different from Western medicine. It is based upon a very complex system of which the patient needs only a brief outline.  Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners believe there is no separation between mind and body. 

Chinese Paper Cutting Yin & Yang, Ba Gua, Zodiac

Illness, of any kind, can be treated through the body using a combination of

• Herbal remedies (Traditional Chinese Medicines)   
• Acupuncture, acupressure and moxibustion
• Massage therapy
• Breathing exercises called qi gong (pronounced chee goong)
• Movement exercises called tai chi (pronounced tie chee)
• Diet

TCM practitioners say that TCM can

• Prevent and heal illness          
• Enhance the immune system
• Improve creativity
• Improve enjoyment of life and work in general.

Beliefs behind Traditional Chinese Medicine                                                                                                                                           

According to traditional Chinese belief, qi, (pronounced “chee”) energy is essential for good health: when illness occurs, qi becomes unbalanced. Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to restore the balance of qi energy. 

 

Qi is made up of positive and negative qualities known as ‘Yin' and 'Yang’.  Yin is represented by water and yang by fire.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, yin and yang are found in everything.  The balance of yin and yang maintains harmony in the body, mind and universe. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine also links five vital organs in the body to one of five elements – fire, water, metal, earth and wood, each element having both yin and yang qualities.  When illness causes an imbalance of yin and yang in the body, treatments aim to cure the problem by restoring the balance.  For example, with a high temperature (fever), a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner might say that there is too much yang in the body and prescribe herbs to bring the fever down by controlling the yang.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis

Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis is a complex process which involves looking at the whole individual and the usual environment.  The remedy should treat the whole person and not just a single health problem. 

On a first visit, the practitioner will ask general questions about health, lifestyle, diet, relationships and medical history.  This first visit usually lasts 60 to 90 minutes.  The practitioner needs this time to diagnose the problems and then to decide which treatments to recommend.  

The Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner uses hearing, touch, sight, smell and questioning to help make a diagnosis, as well as a physical examination, which may include

• Looking at the tongue (each area of the tongue relates to a different organ in your body)          
• Looking in the eyes          
• Looking at the skin colour and complexion          
• Watching body language          
• Feeling the pulse (heart rate)          
• Examining the skin and nails          
• Feeling the abdomen          
• Smelling the skin, breath or urine          
• Feeling the temperature of the skin          
• Listening to the breathing and speech patterns

Pulse taking is a very important part of diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine and may involve checking up to 200 pulses in the wrist and arm.  It is not as simple as when a western medicine doctor or nurse takes your pulse.  

Most treatments involve acupuncture and herbal remedies, which are usually made into a tea.  The practitioner will advise how, as well as possibly offering advice on diet, exercise and relaxation techniques such as Meditation, Qi gong, Tai chi etc.

A return appointment would probably be recommended after 2 to 4 weeks.  A course of treatment would, naturally, depend on the reason for the treatment.

 

However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognises that health is more than just the absence of disease, and it has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance the capacity for well being and happiness.