TCM Natural Therapy

Moxibustion

2011-11-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

Moxibustion (Chinese: 灸; pinyin: jiǔ) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into a stick that resembles a (non-smokable) cigar. They can use it indirectly, with acupuncture needles, or burn it on the patient's skin.

The word moxa comes from Japanese mogusa (艾, mugwort) (the u is not very strongly enunciated) blended with combustion "burning", hence literally "burning of mugwort". Yomogi (蓬) is the name of the herb in Japan. Chinese uses the same character as mogusa, but pronounced differently: ài, also called àiróng (艾絨) (meaning "velvet of ài"). The Chinese character for moxibustion is 灸術 jiǔshù.

Practitioners consider moxibustion to be especially effective in the treatment of chronic problems, "deficient conditions" (weakness), and gerontology. Bian Que (fl. circa 500 BC), one of the most famous semi-legendary doctors of Chinese antiquity and the first specialist in moxibustion, discussed the benefits of moxa over acupuncture in his classic work. He asserted that moxa could add new energy to the body and could treat both excess and deficient conditions. On the other hand, he advised against the use of acupuncture in an already deficient (weak) patient, on the grounds that needle manipulation would leak too much energy.

A huge classical work, Gao Huang Shu (膏肓俞), specialises solely in treatment indications for moxa on a single point (穴).

Practitioners may use acupuncture needles made of various materials in combination with moxa, depending on the direction of qi flow they wish to stimulate.

Moxibustion can be applied directly, by rolling tiny pellets or beads and burning them directly onto the skin on designated acupoints, or placing the pellets on small circular shields on the skin; or indirectly using sticks that come in two types – a soft, smokey kind with loosely-packed moxa (pictured above), or hard, smokeless kind with compressed moxa that is shorter in length and requires a holder once the burning tip gets close to the fingers holding it. Although the smoke from the soft sticks can be somewhat of an irritant, some practitioners prefer it, believing it to carry special healing properties.

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga & Body Mind Spirit

2011-10-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

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Bian Stone Therapy

2011-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Bian Stones are generally used as an instrument similar to acupuncture needles. It is a tool to treat back & neck pain. The therapy used to be an original form of acupuncture, which utilize "Bian Stone" to perform treatment, instead of using needles. These stones are made of materials found in the coast of Shan Dong, China.

Bian Stone has been applied in Traditional Chinese Medicine for various soft tissue injuries, especially, cervical spondylosis, acute or chroniclower back pain, as well as skin disorders. Bian Stone therapy is effective in regulating Qi, blood, Yin and Yang; opening collateral channels; dispelling rheumatism and clearing away heat and thus tranquilizing the mind.

The therapy is usually started with a warming up Traditional Chinese Medicine massage to open up the meridian of body, followed by a series of Bian Stone treatment with pre-heated bian stone. This therapy can be applied with other traditional Chinese Medicine therapy, such as Acupuncture, or Cupping to achieve the optimal effect on cervical vertebra disease.

Meridian Massage Therapy

2011-10-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Meridian Massage helps balance the body’s systems and strengthens the flow of energy.

If there’s a blockage of energy in the meridian or an over or under energy in the organs, there are meridian massage techniques that can help strengthens the flow of energy.

Face Acupuncture and Massage

2011-09-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

use a bottle to roll your chin

massage your chin with metacarpophalangeal joints

hold the bottom of your chin and roll to the two side

massage your chin w/ two fists

Facial Gua Sha (Step by Step)

2011-09-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture

2011-09-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Commonly known as cosmetic acupuncture, acupuncture facials, or an acupuncture face lift, it has attracted great attention in the last few years, especially in the big cities like New York and Los Angeles. It used to be a treatment only for the rich and famous in Hollywood. "A 1996 report in the international journal of clinical acupuncture reported that among 300 cases treated with cosmetic acupuncture, 90% had marked the effects with one course of treatment. The effect include: The skin becomes improved of elasticity of facial muscles, ruddier complexion, and overall rejuvenation."

How Does Facial Rejuvenation Work?
In traditional Chinese medical terms, treatment works by the flow of Qi to the face. In Western terms, the treatment increases collagen production as well as blood and lymph circulation tot he face and scalp.

What can Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture do for me?
Diminish facial fine lines and deeper grooves and furrows.
Reduce facial puffiness and swelling
Firm jowls and double chins
Minimize bags under the eyes
Tighten pores and brighten eyes
Smooth uneven skin tones
Reduce and smooth dark circles under eyes
Combat acne, dry skin and other skin problems
Treatments also addresses overall health, so other health or hormonal issues can be addressed during the session.

Are there any contraindications for this type of treatment?
Facial rejuvenation treatments are contraindicated for individuals who have pituitary disorders, high blood pressure, heart disorders, pacemakers, diabetes, vertigo, Meniere's disease, AIDS or hepatitis.

When can I expect to see results?
Many people see some results their first treatment. The effects of treatments are cumulative and results are more dramatic and lasting after a series of treatments.

How long does the procedure take?
Approximately 2 times a week for 5 weeks. The procedure can take up to 8 weeks. Once the procedure is completed it can last up to 5 years, if the patient takes care of their face.

Acupuncture Meridian Therapy in Pueblo and Canon City

Acupuncture Therapy : Acupuncture Bleeding Needles

2011-09-19T19:24:00.001-07:00

Acupuncture Therapy : Acupuncture Training

2011-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Relax Your Back ~ Just Roll it

2011-09-19T01:34:00.000-07:00

Sit Back and Relax ~
Using a Self-Help Massage for Healing

Relax! Guided Meditations Help You Feel Wonderful!

Get A Grip On The Human Body

Yin (Arm) Channels 手三阴经

2011-09-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Lung Channel of Hand Taiyin (Greater Yin)

The Pericardium Channel of Hand Jueyin (Absolute Yin)

The Heart Channel of Hand Shaoyin (Lesser Yin)

Click on a point on the heart channel to view detailed information on that point. (As you rollover the point its name will be displayed).

Basic principles of pattern discrimination (八纲辩证)

2011-09-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

The process of determining which actual pattern is on hand is called 辩证 (pinyin: biàn zhèng, usually translated as "pattern diagnosis", "pattern identification" or "pattern discrimination"). Generally, the first and most important step in pattern diagnosis is an evaluation of the present signs and symptoms on the basis of the "Eight Principles" (八纲,pinyin: bā gāng).

These eight principles refer to four pairs of fundamental qualities of a disease: exterior/interior, heat/cold, vacuity/repletion, and yin/yang. Out of these, heat/cold and vacuity/repletion have the biggest clinical importance.The yin/yang quality, on the other side, has the smallest importance and is somewhat seen aside from the other three pairs, since it merely presents a general and vague conclusion regarding what other qualities are found.In detail, the Eight Principles refer to the following:

Exterior (表, pinyin: biaǒ) refers to a disease manifesting in the superficial layers of the body - skin, hair, flesh, and meridians. It is characterized by aversion to cold and/or wind, headache, muscle ache, mild fever, a "floating" pulse, and a normal tongue appearance.
Interior (里, pinyin: lǐ)refers to disease manifestation in the zàng-fǔ, or (in a wider sense) to any disease that can not be counted as exterior. There are no generalized characteristic symptoms of interior patterns, since they'll be determined by the affected zàng or fǔ entity.
Cold (寒, pinyin: hàn) is generally characterized by aversion to cold, absence of thirst, and a white tongue fur. More detailed characterization depends on whether cold is coupled with vacuity or repletion.
Heat (热, pinyin: rè) is characterized by absence of aversion to cold, a red and painful throat, a dry tongue fur and a rapid and floating pulse, if it falls together with an exterior pattern. In all other cases, symptoms depend on whether heat is coupled with vacuity or repletion.
Vacuity (虚, pinyin: xū) often referred to as "deficiency", can be further differentiated into vacuity of qi, xuě, yin and yang, with all their respective characteristic symptoms. Yin vacuity can also be termed "vacuity-heat", while yang vacuity is equivalent to "vacuity-cold".
Repletion (实, pinyin: shí) often called "excess", generally refers to any disease that can't be identified as a vacuity pattern, and usually indicates the presence of one of the Six Excesses, or a pattern of stagnation (of qi, xuě, etc.). In a concurrent exterior pattern, repletion is characterized by the absence of sweating. The signs and symptoms of repletion-cold patterns are equivalent to cold excess patterns, and repletion-heat is similar to heat excess patterns.
Yin and yang are universal aspects all things can be classified under, this includes diseases in general as well as the Eight Principles' first three couples. For example, cold is identified to be a yin aspect, while heat is attributed to yang. Since descriptions of patterns in terms of yin and yang lack complexity and clinical practicality, though, patterns are usually not labelled this way anymore. Exceptions are vacuity-cold and repletion-heat patterns, who are sometimes referred to as "yin patterns" and "yang patterns" respectively.

After the fundamental nature of a disease in terms of the Eight Principles is determined, the investigation focuses on more specific aspects. By evaluating the present signs and symptoms against the background of typical disharmony patterns of the various entities, evidence is collected whether or how specific entities are affected. This evaluation can be done

in respect of the meridians (经络辩证, pinyin: jīng-luò biàn zhèng)
in respect of qi (气血辩证, pinyin: qì xuě biàn zhèng)
in respect of xuě (气血辩证, pinyin: qì xuě biàn zhèng)
in respect of the body fluids (津液辩证, pinyin: jīn-yė biàn zhèng)
in respect of the zàng-fǔ (脏腑辩证, pinyin: zàng-fǔ biàn zhèng) - very similar to this, though less specific, is disharmony pattern description in terms of the Five Elements [五行辩证, pinyin: wǔ xíng biàn zhèng])

There are also three special pattern diagnosis systems used in case of febrile and infectious diseases only ("Six Channel system" or "six division pattern" [六经辩证, pinyin: liù jīng biàn zhèng]; "Wei Qi Ying Xue system" or "four division pattern" [卫气营血辩证, pinyin: weì qì yíng xuě biàn zhèng]; "San Jiao system" or "three burners pattern" [三角辩证, pinyin: sānjiaō biàn zhèng]).

The Six Excesses (六淫)

2011-09-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Six Excesses (六淫, pinyin: liù yín, sometimes also translated as "Pathogenic Factors", or "Six Pernicious Influences"; with the alternative term of 六邪, pinyin: liù xié, - "Six Evils" or "Six Devils") are allegorical terms used to describe disharmony patterns displaying certain typical symptoms. These symptoms resemble the effects of six climatic factors. In the allegory, these symptoms can occur because one or more of those climatic factors (called 六气, pinyin: liù qì, "the six qi") were able to invade the body surface and to proceed to the interior. This is sometimes used to draw causal relationships (i.e., prior exposure to wind/cold/etc. is identified as the cause of a disease), while other authors explicitly deny a direct cause-effect relationship between weather conditions and disease, pointing out that the Six Excesses are primarily descriptions of a certain combination of symptoms translated into a pattern of disharmony.

It is undisputed, though, that the Six Excesses can manifest inside the body without an external cause. In this case, they might be denoted "internal", e.g., "internal wind" or "internal fire (or heat)".

The Six Excesses and their characteristic clinical signs are:

Wind (风, pinyin: fēng): rapid onset of symptoms, wandering location of symptoms, itching, nasal congestion, "floating" pulse; tremor, paralysis, convulsion.

Cold (寒, pinyin: hàn): cold sensations, aversion to cold, relief of symptoms by warmth, watery/clear excreta, severe pain, abdominal pain, contracture/hypertonicity of muscles, (slimy) white tongue fur, "deep"/"hidden" or "string-like" pulse, or slow pulse.

Fire/Heat (火, pinyin: huǒ): aversion to heat, high fever, thirst, concentrated urine, red face, red tongue, yellow tongue fur, rapid pulse. (Fire and heat are basically seen to be the same)

Dampness (湿, pinyin: shī): sensation of heaviness, sensation of fullness, symptoms of Spleen dysfunction, greasy tongue fur, "slippery" pulse.

Dryness (燥, pinyin: zaò): dry cough, dry mouth, dry throat, dry lips, nosebleeds, dry skin, dry stools.

Summerheat (暑, pinyin: shǔ): either heat or mixed damp-heat symptoms.

Six-Excesses-patterns can consist of only one or a combination of Excesses (e.g., wind-cold, wind-damp-heat). They can also transform from one into another.

~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Concept of Disease (症. 病. 证的关系)

2011-09-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

In general, disease is perceived as a disharmony (or imbalance) in the functions or interactions of yin, yang, qi, xuĕ, zàng-fǔ, meridians etc. and/or of the interaction between the human body and the environment.

Therapy is based on which "pattern of disharmony" can be identified. Thus, "pattern discrimination" is the most important step in TCM diagnosis. It is also known to be the most difficult aspect of practicing TCM. In order to determine which pattern is at hand, practitioners will examine things like the color and shape of the tongue, the relative strength of pulse-points, the smell of the breath, the quality of breathing or the sound of the voice. For example, depending on tongue and pulse conditions, a TCM practitioner might diagnose bleeding from the mouth and nose as: "Liver fire rushes upwards and scorches the Lung, injuring the blood vessels and giving rise to reckless pouring of blood from the mouth and nose.". He might then go on to prescribe treatments designed to clear heat or supplement the Lung.

In TCM, a disease has two aspects: "bìng" and "zhèng". The former is often translated as "disease entity", "disease category", "illness", or simply "diagnosis". The latter, and more important one, is usually translated as "pattern" (or sometimes also as "syndrome"). For example, the disease entity of a common cold might present with a pattern of wind-cold in one patient, and with the pattern ofwind-heat in another.

Disease entities

From a scientific point of view, most of the disease entitites (病, pinyin: bìng) listed by TCM constitute mere symptoms. Examples include headache, cough, abdominal pain, constipation etc.

Since therapy will not be chosen according to the disease entity but according to the pattern, two patients with the same disease entity but different patterns will receive different therapy. Vice versa, patients with similar patterns might receive similar therapy even if their disease entities are different. This is called 异病同治，同病异治 (pinyin: yì bìng tóng zhì, tóng bìng yì zhì, "different diseases, same treatment; same disease, different treatments").

Patterns

In TCM, "pattern" (证, pinyin: zhèng) refers to a "pattern of disharmony" or "functional disturbance" within the functional entities the TCM model of the body is composed of. There are disharmony patterns of qi, xuě, the body fluids, the zàng-fǔ, and the meridians. They are ultimately defined by their symptoms and "signs" (i.e., for example, pulse and tongue findings).

In clinical practise, the identified pattern usually involves a combination of affected entities (compare with typical examples of patterns). The concrete pattern identified should account for all the symptoms a patient has.

Five Element theory (五行學說)

2011-09-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

The following list of Five Phase correspondences gives some idea of the elaborate nature of this theory as it pertains to every aspect of our lives in space and through time. It is also the philosophical basis of Chinese astrology and the practice of Feng Shui.

Source: ValueLifeIntl

The Zang-fu (藏象學說)

2011-09-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Zang-fu in context of yin/yang and the Five Elements

Each zàng-fǔ organ has a yin and a yang aspect, but overall, the zàng organs are considered to be yin, and the fǔ organs yang.

Since the concept of the zàng-fǔ was developed on the basis of Wǔ Xíng philosophy, they're incorporated into a system of allocation to one of five elemental qualities (i.e., the Five Elements or Five Phases). The zàng-fǔ share their respective element's allocations (e.g., regarding colour, taste, season, emotion etc.) and interact with each other cyclically in the same way the Five Elements do: each zàng organ has one corresponding zàng organ that it enfeebles, and one that it reinforces.

The correspondence between zàng-fǔ and Five Elements are stipulated as:

Fire (火) = Heart (心) and Small Intestine (小肠) (and, secondarily, Sānjiaō [三焦, ‘’Triple Burner‘’] and Pericardium [心包])
Earth (土) = Spleen (脾) and Stomach (胃)
Metal (金) = Lung (肺)and Large Intestine (大肠)
Water (水) = Kidney (肾) and Bladder (膀胱)
Wood (木) = Liver (肝) and Gall Bladder (胆)

五臟分別與五行對應，即心火、肝木、脾土、肺金、腎水 :

五臟的相生關係：肝生心、心生脾、脾生肺、肺生腎、腎生肝。

五臟的相剋關係：肝剋脾、脾剋腎、腎剋心、心剋肺、肺剋肝。

根據陰陽學說，每個臟器又可根據其生理活動，分為陰陽兩類狀態

六腑對應經絡中的陽經，如足陽明胃經、手少陽三焦經等。

TCM model of the body (中医理論)

2011-09-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

TCM's view of the human body is only marginally concerned with anatomical structures, but focuses primarily on the body's functions (such as digestion, breathing, temperature maintenance, etc.)

The primary functional entities used by traditional Chinese medicine are qì, xuě, the five zàng organs, the six fǔ organs, and the meridians which extend through the organ systems. These are all theoretically interconnected: each zàng organ is paired with a fǔ organ, which are nourished by the blood and concentrate qi for a particular function, with meridians being extensions of those functional systems throughout the body.

Qi (气)

Qi is believed to be partially generated from food and drink, and partially from air (by breathing). Another considerable part of it is inherited from the parents and will be consumed in the course of life.

TCM distinguishes not only one but several different kinds of qi.In a general sense, qi is something that is defined by five "cardinal functions":

Actuation (推動, tuīdòng) - of all physical processes in the body, especially the circulation of all body fluids such as blood in their vessels. This includes actuation of the functions of the zang-fu organs and meridians.
Warming (溫煦, pinyin: wēnxù) - the body, especially the limbs.
Defense (防御, pinyin: fángyù) - against Exogenous Pathogenic Factors
Containment (固攝, pinyin: gùshè) - of body fluids, i.e. keeping blood, sweat, urine, semen etc. from leakage or excessive emission.
Transformation (氣化, pinyin: qìhuà) - of food, drink, and breath into qi, xue, and jinye (“fluids”), and/or transformation of all of the latter into each other.

Vacuity of qi will especially be characterized by pale complexion, lassitude of spirit, lack of strength, spontaneous sweating, laziness to speak, non-digestion of food, shortness of breath (especially on exertion), and a pale and enlarged tongue.

Xue (blood 血)

In contrast to most of the other functional entities, xuě (血, "blood") is correlated with a physical form - the red liquid running in the blood vessels. Its concept is, nevertheless, defined by its functions: nourishing all parts and tissues of the body, safeguarding an adequate degree of moisture, and sustaining and soothing both consciousness and sleep.

Typical symptoms of a lack of xuě (usually termed "blood vacuity" [血虚, pinyin: xuě xū}) are described as: Pale-white or whithered-yellow complexion, dizziness, flowery vision, palpitations, insomnia, numbness of the extremities; pale tongue; "fine" pulse.

Jinye (bodily fluids 津液)

Closely related to xuě are the jīnyė (津液, usually translated as ‘’body fluids‘’), and just like xuě they are considered to be yin in nature, and defined first and foremost by the functions of nurturing and moisturizing the different structures of the body. Their other functions are to harmonize yin and yang, and to help with secretion of waste products.

Jīnyė are ultimately extracted from food and drink, and constitute the raw material for the production of xuě; conversely, xuě can also be transformed into jīnyė. Their palpable manifestations are all bodily fluids: tears, sputum, saliva, gastric juice, joint fluid, sweat, urine, etc

Zang-fu (脏腑)

The zàng-fǔ (simplified Chinese: 脏腑) constitute the centre piece of TCM's systematization of bodily functions. Bearing the names of organs, they are, however, only secondarily tied to (rudimentary) anatomical assumptions (the fǔ a little more, the zàng much less).^[59] As they are primarily defined by their functions, they are not equivalent to the anatomical organs - to highlight this fact, their names are usually capitalized.

The term zàng (臟) refers to the five entities considered to be yin in nature - Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney -, while fǔ (腑) refers to the six yang organs - Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Gallbladder, Urinary Bladder, Stomach and Sānjiaō.

Meridians (经络)

The meridians (经络, pinyin: jīng-luò) are believed to be channels running from the zàng-fǔ in the interior (里, pinyin: lǐ) of the body to the limbs and joints ("the surface" [表, pinyin: biaǒ]), transporting qi and xuĕ (blood). TCM identifies 12 "regular" and 8 "extraordinary" meridians; the Chinese terms being 十二经脉 (pinyin: shí-èr jīngmài, lit. "the Twelve Vessels") and 奇经八脉 (pinyin: qí jīng bā mài) respectively. There's also a number of less customary channels branching off from the "regular" meridians.

~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Five Phases (五行學說) and Yin-yang theory (阴阳學說)

2011-09-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on Yinyangism (i.e., the combination of Five Phases theory with Yin-yang theory), which was later absorbed by Daoism.

Five Phases theory

Five Phases (五行, pinyin: wǔ xíng, sometimes also translated as "Five Elements") theory presumes that all phenomena of the universe and of nature can be broken down into five elemental qualities - represented by wood (木, pinyin: mù), fire (火pinyin: huǒ), earth (土, pinyin: tǔ), metal (金,pinyin: jīn), and water (水, pinyin: shuǐ).

Interactions of Wu Xing

Generating

Wood feeds Fire;
Fire creates Earth (ash);
Earth bears Metal;
Metal carries Water (as in a bucket or tap, or water condenses on metal);
Water nourishes Wood.

Other common words for this cycle include "begets", "engenders" and "mothers."

Overcoming

Wood parts Earth (such as roots) （or Trees can prevent soil erosion ）;
Earth absorbs (or muddies) Water (or Earth dam control the water);
Water quenches Fire;
Fire melts Metal;
Metal chops Wood.

Also:

Wood absorbs Water;
Water rusts Metal;
Metal breaks up Earth;
Earth smothers Fire;
Fire burns Wood.

This cycle might also be called "controls", "restrains" or "fathers".

Yin and yang

Yin and yang are ancient Chinese concepts which can be traced back to the Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC). They represent two abstract and complementary aspects every phenomenon in the universe can be divided into. Primordial analogies for these aspects are the sun-facing (yang) and the shady (yin) side of a hill. Two other commonly used representational allegories of yin and yang are water and fire. In yin-yang theory, detailed attributions are made regarding the yin or yang character of things:

Phenomenon	Yin	Yang
Celestial bodies	moon	sun
Gender	female	male
Location	inside	outside
Temperature	cold	hot
Direction	downward	upward
Degree of humidity	damp/moist	dry

The concept of yin and yang is also applicable to the human body; for example, the upper part of the body and the back are assigned to yang, while the lower part of the body are believed to have yin character. Yin and yang characterization also extends to the various body functions, and - more importantly - to disease symptoms (e.g., cold and heat sensations are assumed to be yin and yang symptoms, respectively). Thus, yin and yang of the body are seen as phenomena whose lack (or overabundance) comes with characteristic symptom combinations:

Yin vacuity (also termed "vacuity-heat"): heat sensations, possible night sweats, insomnia, dry pharynx, dry mouth, dark urine, a red tongue with scant fur, and a "fine" and rapid pulse.
Yang vacuity ("vacuity-cold"): aversion to cold, cold limbs, bright white complexion, long voidings of clear urine, diarrhea, pale and enlarged tongue, and a slightly weak, slow and fine pulse.

TCM also identifies drugs believed to treat these specific symptom combinations, i.e., to reinforce yin and yang.

~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acupuncture

2011-09-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture is an alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of needles in the body. Its proponents variously claim that it relieves pain, treats infertility, treats disease, prevents disease, or promotes general health. The earliest written record of acupuncture is found in the Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经; translated as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), dated approximately 200 BCE.
Acupuncture typically incorporates traditional Chinese medicine as an integral part of its practice and theory. However, many practitioners consider 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' (TCM) to narrowly refer to modern mainland Chinese practice. Acupuncture in Japan and Korea, and to a certain extent Taiwan, diverged from mainland China in theory and practice. In European countries such as the UK almost half the practitioners follow these non-TCM practices. The most notable difference is that these other approaches often are primarily acupuncture, and do not incorporate Chinese herbal medicine. The term “acupuncture” is sometimes used to refer to insertion of needles at points other than traditional ones, or to applying an electric current to needles in acupuncture points. Different variations of acupuncture are practiced and taught throughout the world.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Traditional Chinese Medicine

2011-09-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

Traditional Chinese Medicine (simplified Chinese: 中医; traditional Chinese: 中醫; pinyin: zhōng yī: "Chinese Medicine") refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and look back on a tradition of more than 2000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, and dietary therapy.^[1] These practices are a common part of medical care throughout East Asia, but are considered alternative medicine in the western world.

The doctrines of Chinese medicine are rooted in books such as the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and the Treatise on Cold Damage, as well as in cosmological notions like yin-yang and the Five Phases. Starting in the 1950s, these precepts were modernized in the People's Republic of China so as to integrate many anatomical and pathological notions from scientific medicine. Nonetheless, many of its assumptions, including the model of the body, or concept of disease, are not supported by modern evidence-based medicine. Clinical trials have so far produced little evidence for the efficacy of TCM therapies, such as acupuncture.

TCM's view of the body is little concerned with anatomical structures, but with the identification of functional entities (which regulate digestion, breathing, aging etc.). While health is perceived as harmonious interaction of these entities and the outside world, disease is interpreted as a disharmony in interaction. TCM diagnosis consists in tracing symptoms to an underlying disharmony, mainly by palpating the pulse and inspecting the tongue.

中醫學

中醫理論

氣 - 陰陽 - 五行

臟腑 - 經絡

望聞問切 - 辨證論治

四氣五味 - 君臣佐使

治療方法

中藥 - 針灸 - 推拿

導引 - 氣功

中醫經典

黃帝內經 - 神農本草經

難經 - 傷寒雜病論