Traditional Chinese Medicine

Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Kampo

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Kampo is the Japanese form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or, rather, the study and adaptation of the same. Japan was exposed to Traditional Chinese Medicine between the 1600 and 1800s, adhering to some practices like acupuncture and moxibustion, but adapting most of the practices to the Japanese culture.

The main focus of Kampo is the use of herbs as a means of treating and curing ailments, pain and disease. As a basis of comparison, the use of herbs in the United States are seen as dietary supplements â€“ almost like another form of food. Under the alternative medical practice of Kampo, however, the Japanese view herbs in the same since that Americans view pharmaceuticals â€“ as a means of treating and curing disease.

In fact, herbal remedies are regulated throughout the nation. While there are several manufacturers of Kampo medicines throughout the nation, each of them produce the exact same combination of herbs for each medicine, adhering to strict regulations set forth by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Additionally, the national health plan in Japan provides every citizen with access to herbal medicines under the Kampo practice, with currently near 150 Kampo medicines approved by the Ministry of Health for reimbursement. A nationwide survey conducted in 2000 showed that 72 percent of registered Japanese physicians prescribed Kampo medications to their patients.

Among some of the herbal remedies used is the Agaricus blazei mushroom, predominate among cancer patients, which is also the most popular per a 2001 report stating that nearly 500,000 people were or had used the medicine.

The practices of Kampo are fairly unknown to the western world, since they have only come to light in recent years. Those who do practice Kampo in the United States are likely to be acupuncturists, practitioners of Chinese medicine and others utilizing alternative medicines. Currently, Honso USA, Inc. is the only U.S. manufacturer of Kampo herbal medications.

Alternative Medicine and Therapies: Acupuncture

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Have you ever seen those movies where someone is lying very still on a table with a thousand long needles protruding from his body? That is a depiction of the Chinese form of therapeutic treatment called acupuncture.

The belief with the practice of acupuncture is that inserting sterile thin needles into certain pressure points in the body in order to relieve pain. These pressure points are said to exist on the 12 main meridians of the body and two of the eight extra meridians. They are expressed as channels where the blood flows in critical locations that effect how the body responses to stimulus.

The 12 main acupuncture channels are the bladder, gall bladder, heart, kidney, large intestine, liver, lung, pericardium, spleen, stomach and the San Jiao. The San Jiao is an intangible part of the body, roughly translated as the triple burner and loosely used in reference to one’s metabolism in traditional Chinese medicine.

The eight extra meridians include the divergents, luo vessels, sinew channels, ren mai and du mai. Ren mai and du mai are the only of these eight extra meridians that are subject to needle manipulation, while the rest can be reached through the original 12 meridians.

The idea is that the blood, also known as the qi, became stagnant within the body, when it normally flows continually and creates a continuous circuit between the meridians. Stagnant qi causes pain. There are both internal and external pathways associated with the qi. The external pathways are those in which the needles are used.

Acupuncturists typically only treat the area related to the patientâ€™s specific pain problem through interrogation and observation. Traditional Chinese medicine implements four diagnostic methods:

Inspection – analysis of the face and tongue
Auscultation and Olfaction – listening to sounds and observing odors produced by the body
Inquiring – looking for chills/fever, perspiration, appetite, thirst/taste and defecation/urination
Palpation – analysis of the heart rhythms and pulse

While the idea of having needles stuck into your body to relieve pain can be intimidating, there are very few injuries reported by those treated by a trained acupuncturist.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine Tagged With: Acupuncture, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Alternative, Health, Large intestine, Medicine, Practitioners, Traditional Chinese medicine

Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Traditional Chinese Medicine, often referred to as TCM, is very different from Western medical practices that most are familiar with. Dating back nearly 3000 years in history, TCM’s basis for healing treatments of the human body are based on Daoism and the religion’s holistic understanding of the universe. Illnesses are treated based upon the differentiation of syndromes.

TCM is based upon the Chinese concept that there are five elements which make up the whole of the universe wood, fire, earth, metal and water. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the theory of the five elements is used to determine the relationship between the human body’s pathology and physiology and the environment in which it is exposed to in order to treat illnesses.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine everything revolves around the belief that Qi (pronounced Chi) connects tissues and organs. Qi is a network of blood vessels and channels throughout the body and, when something is wrong, it is because the blood in the Qi has become stagnant within one of these channels, disrupting the connection between organs and tissues and causing an individual to be sick.

When practitioners in TCM evaluate a patient, they look at possible causes and nature for the disease, as well as the mechanism and location. Another very important consideration is the correlation between the body’s resistance and pathology.

Therefore, treatment for an illness is not solely based on symptoms, which means that two individuals with the same symptoms and possibly even the same disease, may receive completely different treatments because so many other factors are considered.

The most common Traditional Chinese Medicines include acupuncture, qigong exercises and herbal treatments. Acupuncturists use sterile and disposable needles in specific areas of the body to stimulate the proper flow of the Qi and reactivate the body’s immune system. Herbal remedies aim to get the body’s organs to function correctly by stimulating them internally. Qigong exercises are specific movements of the body that work to get the Qi flowing correctly again.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine Tagged With: Acupuncture, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Alternative, Health, Herbalism, Practitioners, Qigong, Traditional Chinese medicine

Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Pulse Diagnosis

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Pulse diagnosis is a form of medical practice used predominately in Asian traditional medicine and early Greek medical practices. The belief is that a diagnosis of a patientâ€™s pulse can determine imbalances in the bodyâ€™s humors (elements that work together to maintain a bodyâ€™s health).

The earliest recorded occurrence of the practice of pulse diagnosis occurred in approximately 340 B.C.E. when Herophilus, a student at the first medical school of antiquity in Alexandria, counted and analyzed the pulse using a water clock. He later built a rhythmic pulse lexicon that remained useful until the circulatory system was discovered in 1628.

In Chinese pulse diagnosis, information about the patientâ€™s condition is gathered by examining the pulse, predominately the radial arterial pulse found at the wrist and forearm. Practitioners often place three fingers at either of these locations and feel for pulse distinctions, such as determining if the pulse is hard, yielding, fast, slow, forceful and/or weak.

Alternative pulse diagnosis methods are presented in modern literature. One example is Tietao Dengâ€™s presentation of four methods for examining a pulse â€“ lifting, seeking, pressing and pushing â€“ which may include rolling the fingers along the blood vessel or pressing to seek the best vessel for examination. Traditional Chinese Medicine mentions the technique of sliding, which is moving the fingers to various positions around vessel to check for abnormal changes or conditions.

While pulse diagnosis is not seen as a determining factor for an illness or condition in modern western medicine, examining the pulse can be part of the full diagnostic process in many cases.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine Tagged With: Alexandria, Health, Health care, Medical diagnosis, Medicine, Physical examination, Traditional Chinese medicine, University of Washington

Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Chinese Food Therapy

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Chinese food therapy is a medical practice of using natural foods as remedies for illnesses, rather than medication. While food therapy goes back as far as 2000 B.C., the earliest documented indication of the practice was found in the Niejing, also known as the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, back in 500 B.C.

The Niejing divided foods into four groups and five tastes, determined by their nature and characteristics. The four food groups are meats (for enhancement), grains (for sustenance), fruits (for support) and vegetables (for filling).

Under these characteristics, all life needs grains and vegetables in order to survive and should make up most of one’s diet. Under that same premise, meats and fruits are viewed as complementary and should be consumed only moderately. It is believed that human’s should not consume dairy products, specifically cow’s milk, under the practice of Chinese food therapy.

Chinese food therapy also believes that foods have five types of tastes and that each taste relates to a particular vital organ. Moderate consumption helps that associated organ to function properly, but over-indulging in one particular type of taste results in imbalance between the organs, causing illness.

Sweet tasting foods are associated with the spleen and stomach, aiding in the digestive process. Sour tastes correlate with the liver and gall bladder, helping to prevent diarrhea and control sweating, while bitter tastes are connected to the heart and small intestine, reducing excessive bodily fluids and cooling the body’s temperature.

The kidneys and bladder are connected to salty food, which relax the muscles and helps in proper function of the glands. Finally, pungent foods correlate with the lungs and large intestine, promoting proper function of the circulatory system and inducing perspiration. The body needs a proper balance of all five tastes in order to be healthy.

One must also balance the nature of foods with his or her body constitution. Chinese food therapy believes food to be hot, warm, neutral, cool or cold. You must eat foods with a nature contrary to your body’s constitution for optimal health and mood.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine Tagged With: Gallbladder, Health, Large intestine, Medicine, Shopping, Small intestine, Taste, Traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese Medicine to Ease Symptoms of Withdrawal During Drug Rehab

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Withdrawal is perhaps the hardest part of going through Drug Rehab. In fact, quitting any drug, whether it is cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, or narcotics can be one of the most difficult things a person has to do. There are both physical and emotional ramifications of stopping drug use and the process is stressful.

Many people undergoing treatment for substance abuse feel alone, and may struggle with depression and anxiety on top of withdrawal symptoms. During the initial phase of detoxification, will power is of paramount importance, and the support of friends, family, and doctors can help ease the stress.

There are many ways to make withdrawal easier. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be an effective complement to more conventional treatments. Chinese medical providers can provide both emotional support, and help reduce physical symptoms of withdrawal through the use of acupuncture, herbs, and other treatments.

Acupuncture is effective in alleviating some of the cravings and physical pain of drug withdrawal which is why it has been used for centuries to help with nicotine, alcohol, and drug addiction. In the U.S. and other western cultures acupuncture has gained attention for it’s effectiveness in dealing with crack cocaine addiction.

A Chinese medical practitioner might work in conjunction with counselors and western doctors to prescribe herbs that can help with symptoms of withdrawal. They might also work with the patient to incorporate dietary therapy and lifestyle counseling into the rehab program.

Yoga and Tai Chi have shown to be effective in helping addicts deal with the emotional stress of withdrawal. These practices build self-esteem and confidence, which can help strengthen will power and avoid relapse. Meditation can also aid in helping the patient learn self-empowerment, which can help prevent future problems.

It is advisable for those undergoing addiction to consider these alternative methods to balance their treatment program.

Filed Under: Healthy Tips Tagged With: Health, Substance abuse, Traditional Chinese medicine

Fight Cold and Flu Year Round with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Fight the common cold and flu year round, drawing on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to stay healthy in every season. Besides preventing exposure to pathogens by frequent hand washing and avoiding infected persons, upping our immunity helps fight off cough and cold.

In order for the body to defend itself against disease, it needs adequate rest. Sleeping is the only time the body can truly repair itself; in the context of TCM, our Qi, or energy flow, and blood are restored only during rest. Diminished qi compromises the body’s ability to fight off disease.

Another way to keep our body’s qi at a strong and healthy level is to minimize stress. Illness moves in when we let ourselves get run down, particularly in winter months. Winding down in autumn and winter is part of the natural cycle to rest and restore. Avoid physical stress by staying warm, covering the neck, keeping out of the wind, eating comforting and hearty meals, and getting extra sleep to help restore the body’s defenses. Living in accordance with the natural rhythm of the seasons will give the immune system the boost it needs to ward off cold and flu.

Nutrition also plays a big role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Eating a diet based on whole foods—unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—keeps the body strong. Cooking with herbs and spices like fennel, anise, onion, turmeric, cumin, clove, coriander, basil, cinnamon and garlic aids digestion and strengthens qi. Drinking plenty of water and other fluids like warm ginger tea also helps balance the immune system, particularly when the body is coming down with something.

Herbal therapies are an important part of TCM, and can aid in warding off illness. Astragalus, an immune-boosting herb, may be used in combination with zinc and vitamin C; many others may be prescribed by a TCM practitioner, who will evaluate each individual’s circumstances.

Finally, acupuncture has been known to boost immunity and ease flu symptoms. Because Chinese medicine takes a holistic approach, a combination of treatments tailored to each person may be used to treat colds and flu.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine, Herbal Food Supplements, Traditional Medicine Tagged With: Common cold, Health, Traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine, SF style

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Chinese and eastern medicine in general has routinely been shunned in the western world. Yet in the last several decades a new movement has proved to be larger and more broad based than the skeptics could ever have imagined. This return to knowledge lost or ridiculed before has had far reaching effects especially so in the world of medicine. One of the leaders in the teaching of traditional medicine is the American college of traditional Chinese medicine in San Francisco, CA. Since opening its doors in 1980 the American college of traditional Chinese medicine has been a leader in the teaching of traditional Chinese medicine in the United States and beyond. Its reverence to the typical traditional practice while also catering to the modern student cannot be beat. This incorporation of the old and new has lead to its resounding success and continuing excellence. In the world of Chinese medicine there are many ways of thinking any schools out there that can appeal to you.

The college offers two different degrees. The Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Both of which are highly regarded in the field of holistic and Chinese medicine around the world. In the latter stages of their studies, students partake in giving care to the community through the community clinics run by the university. This allows the students to hone their skills while also providing needed health and wellness care to the local community which may not be able to afford it at typical centers of traditional Chinese medicine.

If you are seriously considering a degree in alternative medicine then there is no finer institution than the American college of traditional Chinese medicine . An added bonus of the programs available is that you are based in San Francisco, one of the liveliest and intriguing cities in the United States. San Francisco has always been a mecca for alternative thinkers and also has always had a large Chinese population which makes it an ideal place for the teaching of the practice this side of China.

Filed Under: Chinese Medicine, Herbal Tagged With: Health, Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine – An introduction

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TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is often an alternative source of health medicine all over the world, dominating the Asian market to begin with. In fact, it is considered as the mainstream method of treatment all over in East Asia. The West is yet to accept it as a major force in the medical world as the majority of the Western society depends largely on allopathic remedies.

TCM is not a single dimensional way of treating people as it consists of various forms of treatments such as acupuncture, massage, herbs and dietary therapies. TCM’s roots are supposedly quite deep in to the history of ancient China. Arguably it is the kind of treatment that has been going on in China and East Asia for thousands of years. TCM is based on the clinical observation of Nature and how it interacts with the human body, and vice versa. It studies the cosmos as well to get deep in to the remedial system of human body system. TCM has got its practice majorly through family tradition as it has moved from one generation to the other to establish its dominance.

China is one of those countries who prefer to update themselves with modern technologies and advancements without refusing the history, culture and tradition. As a part of that, TCM has also been modernized in its application. Now the major ingredients of TCM, such as herbs and plants, are transformed in to tablets and soluble granules. China has its medication source from living creatures as well. The living creatures used for preparing TCM, which are about 25 in number, include frogs, earthworms, bees and snakes. Their key ingredients are now packed in sachets as pills. Another example of its modernization is that Artemisinin, an extensively used western drug to treat malaria, has got its inspiration from the major ingredients of TCM.

Filed Under: Acupuncture, Ancient Practices, Chinese Medicine, Traditional Medicine Tagged With: Acupuncture, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese Alternative Medicine Offers Complete Cure

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Many people are seen to opt for alternative medicines now-a-days because it does not give the kind of side effects experienced with chemical-based drugs. It includes a wide range of practices such as massage therapy, chiropractic, naturopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and naturopathy.

Alternative health medicine has been used to treat a variety of illnesses such as bad breath, insomnia, heart disease, allergies, depression, skin problem, gastrointestinal problems, arthritis and much more. Though in the west, alternate medicine is not used in general hospitals in China, Chinese Medicine in the form of herbal treatment methods or acupuncture is used alongside modern medicines.

Chinese Alternative Medicine is based on the philosophy of yin and yang energies, which must be in the right balance for the body to function normally. The oldest book on Chinese medicine Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, extensively describes the use of various forms of herbs for treating various health complications. It indicates the use of 365 different species of roots, stones, woods, grass, fur and also animals for curing diseases.

A diagnosis of a problem is based on observation of symptoms rather than the use of laboratory tests. There are four types of observation methods used and these include general observance of sickness symptoms, finding out background of the patient, hearing the patient and also smelling their body odor and finally touching them to understand their body strength and area of ailment.

Chinese alternate treatment methods are extensive. It encompasses auriculotherapy, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, Qigong, Tui na and much more. The form of treatment chosen depends on the illnesses and careful observation of what is necessary to cure the problem. It takes a good Chinese alternate medical practitioner a lot of years to understand various health problems and treatment methods and become fully accomplished in handling the treatment process. Today, it is favored by many because they find that it provides effective treatment, without causing undue side effects.

Filed Under: Ancient Practices, Chinese Medicine, Traditional Medicine Tagged With: Acupuncture, Alternative medicine, Herbalism, Traditional Chinese medicine