What is Chinese Medicine?
Chinese Medicine had its origins over 4000 years ago. In the last 2000 years, it has evolved into a highly sophisticated form of healing which is both science and art. It recognises the interaction of various physiological systems and focuses on the underlying cause of illness as well as the symptoms. Chinese Medicine not only treats serious illness but can also treat it at the early stage before it becomes serious. Some patients come regularly for a tune-up to maintain good health. There are not the side effects associated with some modern drugs and it can be used safely on a regular basis. It is effective used alone or when used in conjunction with other therapies.
How does it work?
Illness occurs when the body’s natural functions
are disturbed. Chinese Medicine uses herbs, acupuncture,
cuppng, guasha & tuina to stimulate and regulate
the natural functions of the body to restore health.
For instance, it does not work by introducing replacement
hormones, enzymes, blood cells, but instead, it
assists the body to resume its normal function of
producing them. This process takes more time than
some modern therapies which might introduce foreign
substances to the body to control the body’s
reactions. However, although the results of Chinese
Medicine are not always instant, they are safe,
effective and long-lasting.
Yin & Yang
The concepts of Yin and Yang underpin the Chinese
understanding of health, food and the environment.
The concept of Yin incorporates moistening, cooling,
nourishing, lubricating energies. It is seen as
having a substantial basis and is sometimes compared
to water or oil. The concept of Yang incorporates
activating, warming, regulating, controlling forces.
It is seen as having little substance and is sometimes
compared to fire. The two must be in balance. They
can control each other (like fire and water) but
equally, can be mutually dependent (like the fire
and water of a steam engine). Problems occur when
there is too little or too much of one or the other.
Chinese Medicine also understands how food and the
environment can influence our health.
The Organ System
Apart from Yin and Yang, Chinese Medicine looks
at five main energy systems. These bear the names
of organs but are not the organs themselves. Each
organ system is a group of functions which includes
the organ but is not limited to it. The functions
generally parallel those of modern western medicine
but include many more subtle functions which are
not part of the paradigm of western medicine. Each
organ system incorporates not only the organ but
a system of pathways or channels leading to and
from the organ and also connecting each system to
other systems. Acupuncture points are located on
these channels and allow us to influence the organ
systems. Chinese Medicine sees the interrelationships
of the various organ systems as being essential
in understanding and treating illness.
Western medicine looks at the physical organ, whilst Chinese Medicine looks at the functions. For instance, having diagnosed that there is a problem with the Liver, western medicine will then look at the tissue, then perhaps the cells, then perhaps narrowing the search further to examine the chemicals. This is why western medicine is so good at screening.
Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, might diagnose
something as a ‘Liver’ disorder when
there is nothing materially wrong with the Liver
tissue (such as hepatitis or cirrhosis), but sees
that the function is impaired. Then, rather than
narrowing the search, it looks further afield, because
it knows that if there is a certain problem in one
organ system, it may have been caused by a different
problem in another organ system, and moreover, is
likely to cause problems in a third. For this reason
Chinese Medicine can be used to prevent serious disease and maintain good health.
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services please contact us.
