Health
Chinese Medicine – Finding The Practitioners
A friend recommends an acupuncturist to you in order to help to cure the problem. There happens to be someone that she has also gone to who could probably help you to be cured of your cold. Even though you laugh at first, the cold has dragged on long enough, and you are willing to try the alternatives. You schedule an appointment and get ready to try something a little different with some alternative.
For most, there is some cynicism on whether the ideas of Chinese medicine really work. Even though it is an ancient practice that has been developed through both the physical and spiritual aspects, it doesn’t tie into much science that Western thought would give a second look at.
Many who have had a few bottles of prescription drugs that haven’t worked are now trying to find alternatives to healing. If you want to join the growing numbers of people who are working towards alternative medicine, you can look directly into Chinese medicine. There are a variety of practitioners available, all which understand the methods to helping you heal.
If you are familiar with Chinese medicine as an alternative, you may have also noticed that it doesn’t seem like there are a lot who are advertising the alternatives.Just because this is true, you don’t have to give up hope to finding your options with your health. Through some simple searching, you can find the best way to optimize your health and energy.
The good news about Chinese medicine is that most practitioners that come from the orient are first trained in the ancient practices. Even though it may say that they are specialized in a specific type of practice, you can suspect that they know a few things about the complete picture of Chinese medicine. For example, if you know an acupuncture practitioner, you will be safe in asking about herbal alternatives as well.
Not only can you ask local practitioners about Chinese medicine practices, you can also find other resources that can help. Because alternative medicine is becoming more popular, you can easily find national associations and organizations that are dedicated to promoting alternative methods of Chinese medicine. By linking to these organizations as an alternative, you will be able to expand your possibilities and knowledge of holistic health.
Finding a way to link the mind, body and spirit also means finding examples of those who have been initiating alternative health. There are a variety of possibilities that are available, all which can link you to understanding and practicing your flow of energy.
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Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine (tcm)
Meridians and Collaterals
TCM views the meridians and collaterals networks using Zang-Fu, which categorises tissues and organs in an organic whole. Each Zang and Fu organ transports Qi and blood, and regulates Yin and Yang, maintaining the functions and activities of all parts of the body. This system guides the diagnosis, treatment and application of all the branch subjects of TCM.
Yin and Yang
TCM also holds as its central belief that health in all parts of body is due to the relationship between Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang theory is the general principle used to classify in TCM’s holistic approach to health and disease, and also offers a clinical guide to preventing and curing disease.
Diagnosis
TCM’s diagnosis depends merely on the doctor’s sense organs to acquire clinical data. It mainly consists of the four techniques of diagnosis, namely: interrogation, inspection, auscultation (listening) and olfaction (smelling), pulse feeling and palpation.
Treatment
TCM has three basic components: Chinese herbal therapy, Acupuncture and Tuina (Chinese massage) therapy, and Diet therapy.
Chinese herbal therapy
This is based on the principle that good health depends on achieving optimum vitality and balance – a balance described in terms of the polarity of Yin and Yang.
Chinese herbs come from nature, and include flowers, stems, leaves, roots and barks. Each herb has its own specific characteristics. Their different characteristics are employed to treat disease, rectify the hyperactivity or hypoactivity of Yin or Yang, and help the body restore its normal physiological functions – consequently, curing the disease and restoring health.
Chinese herbal administration (herbal dosages and powder forms) usually depends on your condition, your constitution and age. It should be larger for serious emergencies and stubborn problems with a young and strong patient, smaller for mild problems, and with the aged, the frail, and with children and pregnant women.
The doctor will carefully select different herbal dosages or powder forms to treat you as your treatment starts, and closely monitor your progress through regular consultations. As your condition change, the treatment will be altered accordingly.
Acupuncture and Tuina therapy
These are two practical therapies in TCM. They are to regulate the meridians or channels of the body, to unblock the stagnation of Qi and blood, and balance Yin and Yang, maintaining their function, via the extraordinary points, scalp points, auricular points, and other special points by needle (in the case of Acupuncture) or by the fingers, hands and limbs of the Tuina therapist.
When using Tuina for infant and prenatal care, some special points exist besides the acupoints on the 14 meridians and extra-points. Manipulation using pushing, kneading, rubbing is mostly used.
measuring the waistline
Diet Therapy
Each food (vegetable, fruit, meal, nut, etc.) has its own specific characteristics. We can guide you to the best foods to treat your condition, in accordance with the actual condition of disease, the characters and functions of the foods, and therapeutic requirements found through the doctor’s consultation.
Other treatments
Moxibustion, Cupping therapy, Ear authority, Electrolysis, Electrotherapy (without needle) are often used. All of them work by same principles of acupuncture therapy.
What does Chinese Medicine treat?
TCM treats your mind and body as a whole, not just the condition. Using the principles of TCM, a very wide variety of conditions, and any age can be helped, including:
1.Common Internal Diseases
Anaemia, Asthma, Arthritis, Cerebral Thrombosis, Cold, Colitis, Constipation, Constipation, Cholecystitis, Coronary Heart Disease, Digestive Ulcers, Diabetes, Diarrhoea, Oedema, Flu, Gout, Headaches, Hypertension, Hyperlipoproteinemia, Hay fever, Irritable bowel syndrome, Malabsorption, Nephritis, Neurosis, Neurasthenia, Thyroid, Pneumonia, Pancreatitis, etc.
2.Women’s problems
Pre-menstrual syndrome, Painful periods, Menopausal syndromes, endometriosis, Sterility, Morning sick, Pelvic Inflammation, etc.
3.Men’s problems
Ejaculation Praecox, Hypertrophy, Low Steam Court, Impotence, Prostitutes, Sex Drive Problems.
4.Skin problems
Herpes Zoster, Contact Dermatitis, Eczema, Urticaria, Neurodermatitis, Psoriasis, Acne Vulgaris, Alopecia Areata, Resaca, etc.
5.Muscular, neurological, skeletal and vascular problems
Arthritis, Back Pain, Frozen Shoulder, Gonitis, Hemiplegia, Lumbago (lower back pain), Neuralgia, Omalgia, Sciatica, Stiff Neck Stroke, Sprain, Sports Injury, Tennis Elbow, Trigeminal, Tendon Injury, etc.
6.Mental and Emotional Problems
Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Panic Attack, Insomnia, Palpitation, etc.
7.Ear, Nose, Throat and Ophthalmic Problems
Conjunctivitis, Optic Neuritis, Myopia, Obits Media, Sore Throat, Hay Fever, Halitosis, Pharyngitis, Rhinitis, Sinusitis, etc.
8.Oncology
Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Gastric Cancer, etc.
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Western Medicine Vs Traditional Chinese Medicine – Part 1
To most people, Western Medicine is scientific, more widely accepted and belongs to the main stream tools toward health and wellness. Hence, it is the defacto choice for them. While I have utmost respect for the advancement Western Medicine have made until today, I have come across enough cases that makes me convinced that TCM is the superior choice to Western Medicine when it comes to achieving good health. I will say TCM is more effective at keeping people in the pink of health while Western Medicine is better in treating sick people. When people are severely ill, naturally Western Medicine is the better choice of treatment.
What is my basis for concluding so? Western medicine treats symptoms but do not get to the root of the problem. For someone suffering from headache they usually prescribe pain killers but falls short of addressing the real cause of the headaches. When a patient has fever, sometimes they ask the patient to dip in cold water or stay in cold air-conditioned rooms to combat the rising temperature. Proponent of Western Medicine may challenge me to say why make a fuss when the illness is “cured”. I will say the symptoms may be cured but the root cause of the illness is merely subdued. The result of which is a weaker health constitution in the long term.
TCM is very different as it seeks to identify the underlying health deficiencies. TCM acknowledge that the body consists of organs that are all interlinked and their yin & yang composition determines how the energy flows within the organs of the body. TCM thus goes right to the root of the health problem instead of just treating the symptoms. Rome is not built in a day, and neither should we expect our health problems to be fully cured by a TCM practitioner within a short period of time. For those that have developed to a critically late stage of illnesses, I still advocate they rely on Western Medicine as the short term cure but use TCM as the longer term fallback solution.
When do Bazi and ZWDS come into play? They hold the key towards a comprehensive diagnosis of the health problem and medical prescription. I am a firm believer of the adage that “prevention is better than cure”. Bazi and ZWDS will be able to identify the inherent health deficiency and medical problem of a person even way before the symptoms or the illness sets in. They can also help to identify the Fengshui aspects of the house or environment that the person lives in that will prevent such illnesses from setting in. An understanding of Bazi and ZWDS also holds the key to prescription of a comprehensive cure. This is because the patient may not articulate the medical problem clearly enough and an effective cure can only be achieved when the TCM practitioner understands how the energy flows within the organs and their yin & yang predisposition.
Opponents may still claim that I am bigoted against Western Medicine. In my next article, I will share a few examples of how Western Medicine failed or how TCM + understanding of Bazi/ZWDS cured a problem that was not satisfactorily resolved by Western Medicine.
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