Traditional Chinese medicine has been around for centuries and has many different forms, but all of them are based on the same fundamental theories. One popular practice of Chinese medicine is acupuncture, where small needles are inserted into specific points on the body to promote healing and reduce symptoms or pain in the rest of the body. Another popular form of Chinese medicine is called herbalism, or using herbs to promote health and reduce symptoms or pain in the rest of the body. This article will explain how these two practices fit into Chinese medicine as a whole and how they can help you maintain your health through traditional Chinese medicine methods!
What is TCM?
TCM, or traditional Chinese medicine, has been around for thousands of years. It’s helped people heal ailments that Western medicine couldn’t in those days and still to date. TCM encompasses much more than acupuncture; it’s a holistic practice that deals with healing on a physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual level. The theory behind TCM is that when one aspect of our life is out of balance another part will also be affected. These issues can manifest physically as a certain illness or even emotionally as an unexplained feeling of unrest within us.
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Emotional Manifestation in Western Diseases
Though Western medicine has made great strides in diagnosing and treating disease, it often fails to address emotional or spiritual maladies. Because many of these problems are not immediately visible on an x-ray or blood test, they tend to be ignored or passed off as coincidence. But traditional Chinese medicine puts great stock in bodily manifestations of emotion. If a patient complains of physical symptoms, for example, practitioners will ask questions about their recent mental state in order to reach a diagnosis.
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Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the most common forms of alternative medicine in China today. Acupuncture dates back to ancient times when it was used as a treatment for pain, anxiety, fatigue, asthma, sinusitis, and other ailments. Nowadays we know that there are specific points along energy channels (meridians) in our bodies that help us regulate various aspects of our health.
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Herbalism
Herbalism involves using plants to prevent or treat illnesses. Herbs have been around since before recorded history began and were an important part of traditional Chinese medicine even then. Our practitioners at Inner Ocean Center for Healing draw from several lineages of plant wisdom to find the plant medicine most suitable for your constitution and any specific health challenges you are experiencing.