Traditional Chinese Medicine explained

TCM is a medical system developed over 2,500 years ago. A variety of treatment methods are used, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping therapy, gua sha, tui-na, as well as constitutional medicine.

By using the various therapeutic methods, the underlying goal in TCM is to bring the body into a state of balance or equilibrium. An ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang represents the dynamic balance of opposing yet complementing forces. The human body is understood in these Yin and Yang terms. The organs and different aspects of the body (front/back, upper/lower) are classified as either Yin or Yang. Furthermore, within each of these Yin and Yang organs, there is yet another classification of Yin and Yang- the substance or the functional aspect of each organ.

The functional relationships between the organs are based on the Five Element Theory. The basic physiological relationship between the internal organs are categorized into wood, fire, metal, water, earth cycles. The generating and controlling relationships between the organs details how a disease in one organ affects another. This is one of the reasons why TCM is viewed as a superior method for treating the whole body and not compartmentalizing a disease.

TCM also understands the body to be interconnected energetically through channels or meridians. Along each meridian exists specific points, located by anatomical markers, which varies from person to person. There are over 400 documented acupuncture points on the human body. These points are often stimulated in pairs and groups in order to regulate, tonify or sedate the energies that flow in that meridian.

When a TCM practitioner is determining the imbalance in the body systems, they are compiling a list of disease patterns and differentiating the syndrome. This may differ from a western or allopathic medical focus of disease diagnosis. The TCM practitioner uses observation of the tongue, pulse, palpation, occultation, and questionnaires to determine a TCM diagnosis.

Here are some examples of TCM diagnosis and treatment protocols:

• Lung Qi deficiency- the patient will experience shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, wheezing, cough , fatigue, weak voice and pale complexion. The tongue will have a pale body and thin white tongue coat. The pulse palpation will be weak and thin in quality. The practitioner will use points along the Lung channel as well as its connected channels on the Stomach and Kidney to tonify the Qi flow in the Lung organ. Some Lung Qi herbal tonic formulas are Bu Fei Tang and Sheng Mai San, which includes herbs like Gingseng root and Astragalus root.

• Liver Qi stagnation- the patient may experience mental depression, irritability, distention or pain on the hypochondriac region and breasts, chest stuffiness, poor appetite, belching, irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea. The tongue will have thin white tong coating and the pulse quality will be wiry. The practitioner will choose points along the Liver channel to move the Qi stagnation as will has Qi moving points on the Large Intestine, Gall Bladder, and other channels are the stagnation is affecting. A classic formula used for Liver Qi stagnation is called Xiao Yao San and Chai Hu She Gan San which uses Bupleuri root along with other herbs to spread the stagnated Qi in the Liver channel.

Most patients do not have a single, straight-forward, text-book TCM diagnosis. In the clinical setting, patients often have complex combinations of syndromes, which will be prioritized and differentiated to the root and branch aspect of the diseases. For example, in the above case of Lung Qi Deficiency, it may coincide with Wind Damp invading the body, which comes from the root cause of Lung and Spleen Qi deficiency leading to dampness accumulation in the channels and even in the Bladder. There may be superficial edema and/or urinary difficulty. In this case, a formula like Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang will be applicable. Herbs to tonify, such as Astragalus roots and Atractylodis roots, are used in adjunct to dampness expelling herbs, such as Stephania root. Often after the treatment of an acute phase of the disease, the root or the underlying condition of the body (often the constitutional make-up of the person) will be addressed.