Traditional Chinese MedicineBy: Edwin Zen and Eric

Yang

General Overview

Traditional Chinese medicine can be traced back to over 5000 years ago. Many people prefer the inexpensive medicine made by herbalist instead of the expensive and risky surgeries performed by surgeons. Traditional Chinese medicine also includes acupuncture and massage therapy; all these techniques of healing have been used for hundreds of generations. Some people believe that Chinese medicine isn’t effective, but there is logic behind making these strong scented liquids. Today, traditional Chinese medicine is being used world wide and is becoming more and more popular over the past few years.

Styles of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture – Placing needles into the skin to let out negative energy.

Herbalism – Mixing different kinds of herbs to make medicine that will cure diseases.

Massage Therapy – A specialized massage process that involves alleviating pain and neutralizing other health problems.

Notable Figures

Li Shizhen ( 李时珍 )

Li Shizhen was one of China’s greatest physicians and pharmacologists, best known for writing Bencao Gangmu ( 本草纲目 ), a large compendium of the medicinal uses and properties of over 1000 types of herbs.

Bencao Gangmu ( 本草纲目 )

Hua Tuo ( 华陀 )

Hua Tuo was a famous ancient Chinese physician and the first person in China recorded to have used anesthesia during surgery.

He was also known for his ability to diagnose miscarriages by simply feeling a woman’s pulse.

HerbalismHerbalism is the traditional practice of using plants, plant parts, or plant extracts as medicine.  Herbalism has been traced back to the Han Dynasty; the first Chinese herbalism book, Shennong Bencao Jing, lists 365 medicinal plants and their uses.

Herbalism

Medicines made from herbs have a strong scent and can cure disease like any other form of medicines. They may have an unusual taste, but the outcome of taking these medicines is often satisfying. Some herbalists make herb medicine that are for the skin; these mixtures are used to heal cracks and bruises and alleviate pain. Many traditional Chinese soups also contain herbs.

HerbalismThe "five flavors" (an important aspect of Chinese Herbalism) indicate what function various types of food play in the body. A healthy, balanced diet is attained when the five flavors are in balance. When one flavor is lacking (and therefore unbalanced), certain foods and/or herbs are prescribed to restore balance to the body.

Side Effects of HerbalismHerbalism therapy can cure many mental problems such as depression and headaches. All it takes is drinking a form of liquid made from of a mixture of herbs. There are some minor side effects to using this kind of medication. Some people can get “addicted” to herb medicines and their body will only accept herb medicines for medical treatment. This can be a problem if a person was told to get surgery but went against the doctor’s advice and used herbal medicine instead.

Massage Therapy

There are four main stages of healing through massage:

ReliefCorrection

StrengtheningMaintenance

Relief

The first few sessions of massages are concentrated on relieving pain, reducing muscle tension, and relaxing stressed nerves. All these steps are preparation for further stages of massages. The relief stage mainly aims for reducing the physical symptoms of the problem.

Correction

Once the pain is gone, the therapist will work on the problem that caused the pain. This stage is important because if action is done before the pain subsides, then the patient being massaged might feel even more pain. The techniques used here is stimulating the lymphatic system and freeing knotted and scarred muscle fibers, thus neutralizing of the problem once and for all.

Strengthening

Strengthening is important in the reparation of a badly damaged area; weakness at the injury site can cause the same problem to occur again. The techniques used in this stage strengthen the tissues near the injury area, enabling them to provide proper structure and support when the injury is healed. This will also serves to reduce the chances of getting the same problem or disease again.

Maintenance

Maintenance is the final stage in healing and the first step in preventing other injuries from affecting the person being massaged. The aim of this stage is to prevent the same disease from occurring again and prevent the occurrence of new problems/symptoms in the afflicted area.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the main forms of treatment found in traditional Chinese medicine; a technique that has been practiced for thousands of years. Acupuncture involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very specific points. These points are usually the places from which the pain comes from. Acupuncture may sometimes be used to relax muscle tension and reduce stress. This process is believed to adjust the body’s energy flow into healthier patterns and become better balanced. It is used to cure a variety of diseases, illnesses, and heal conditions. 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been proven to be an effective treatment for over 40 medical problems, including allergies, respiration conditions, disorders of the eyes, nose, throat, and childhood illnesses. Acupuncture could also be an effective and inexpensive treatment for headaches and chronic pain, such as common tooth aches. Acupuncture can reduce pain in certain illness; it could really be useful for diseases that aren’t known to have cures yet.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is used by many people all over the world; it is well known and inexpensive. Most doctors will recommend their patients to get an acupuncture treatment in a clean hospital or clinic. Like other traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture also reduces the symptoms of health problems and diseases. The logic behind acupuncture has kept it valid form of medication for thousands of years and many more generations to come.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Tuo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_chinese_medicine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Shizhen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bencao_Gangmu

http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/acupuncture

http://www.chinesemedicinesampler.com/herbmedhistory.html

http://www.massageforhealing.com/