Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture

Major TCM Treatment Modalities

• Qigong is an energy practise that often consists of easy postures and movements. Breathing exercises are also emphasized in several Qigong systems.
• Utilizing herbal mixtures or formulations to promote and strengthen organ system function is known as herbal therapy.
• In order to promote smooth Qi flow, needles are inserted into acupoints during acupuncture.
• Acupressure and massage (Tuina): the use of certain hand movements to promote smooth Qi flow.
• Foods for Healing: The recommendation of specific foods for healing based on their energetic essences or signatures rather than on their nutritional worth.
• Chinese Psychology: a study of how feelings are related to internal organ systems and how they affect one’s health.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Healing

True healing is an intricate process, according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The body, mind, soul, and emotions must all be taken into consideration in the healing process, according to this traditional holistic medical method that has been in use for thousands of years. The mind and emotions—which are mental processes—play a significant role in determining whether a person is well or ill and in attracting disease.

The theories that constitute the basis of TCM—the Theory of Yin/Yang, the Theory of Qi or vital energy, the Meridian Theory, and the Five-Element Theory—describe each of these elements and their interactions. It’s critical to realise that these ideas and precepts are founded on a perception and in-depth knowledge of natural law, or how the world and the cosmos function energetically. These tried-and-true theories have been employed by TCM for more than 5,000 years to comprehend, identify, and treat medical issues.

Finding and treating a problem’s underlying cause will ensure that the healing is effective and the condition doesn’t return. It’s fascinating to learn that TCM practitioners in the past were only compensated if their patients recovered!

Prevention is a speciality of TCM that is particularly successful. Each individual learns about lifestyle decisions and their effects on wellbeing as part of the healing process. They discover how what they do, think, and feel affects their level of wellness.

The Theory of Qi

Qi, which is loosely translated as “vital energy,” is the actual basis of TCM. According to TCM, Qi is the energy that permeates everything and gives it life. Qi moves along meridians, or energy corridors, throughout the human body. The body is made up of twelve primary meridians; it is via this network that Qi moves throughout the body and that the various organs communicate with one another. Because of this, maintaining the meridians’ clarity is essential for the body’s self-regulating processes to function. People can acquire the sensitivity to perceive the flow of Qi with the right training.

The term “Qi” has a deeper meaning even if it is frequently used in the West to refer to vitality or vital energy. Two aspects of qi exist: conscious intellect or information, and energy, power, or force. Each Organ System contains its own distinct Qi, which enables it to carry out its own tasks, both energetically and physically (which Eastern medicine can determine). The interaction of an Organ System with other Organs is also a part of its energetic function. (Organ is capitalised here to differentiate between the Western idea of the physical organ and the TCM concept of an Organ System and its functions.)

TCM regularly brings up a number of significant Qi, or energy function, issues. One is a general “Qi deficiency,” often known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in Western medicine. TCM is also capable of identifying the Organs that are lacking in energy. “Qi stagnation,” which refers to the inability of energy and knowledge to freely travel to or from their proper locations, is another serious ailment. For instance, according to TCM, Qi stagnation is the cause of discomfort, headaches, and stomachaches.

According to TCM theory, blood and Qi go hand in hand. The “mother” of Qi is blood; it transports Qi and supplies nourishment for its movement. Qi is the “commander” of the blood in turn. Accordingly, Qi is the energy that causes blood to circulate throughout the body and provides the wisdom that directs it to the appropriate locations. Additionally influencing one another, blood and qi have the dynamic capacity to exchange a variety of qualities. For instance, a woman may get a temperature after giving birth. According to TCM, this fever is caused by blood loss rather than an illness. An excessive blood loss results in a lack of Qi all around. The body cannot operate effectively when there is a Qi shortage, which manifests as a fever.

A Modern Theory of Qi

In his seminal book “The Bioelectric Body,” Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D., makes the argument that qi is in fact a characteristic of our perineural system, the insulation of our nervous system, which has its own direct current (DC) system as opposed to our nervous system, both central and autonomic, which exists as an alternating current (AC) system. The myelin sheath, which encases each of our nerves or neurons and enables appropriate transmission, is part of the perineural system. Although it operates more simply than our AC nervous system, the DC perineural system has a significant impact on our general function and health.

Five Element Theory

According to TCM, the human body is a microcosm of the larger universe. To achieve peace and complete health, people must abide by the rules of the universe. The Yin/Yang and Five-Element theories are not human inventions but rather observations and explanations of Universal law. TCM practitioners in the past recognised these intricate webs of linkages that lie underneath the material surface on high energy levels. These revelations evolved into a single body of wisdom and knowledge throughout time known as TCM theories, which were then used to create a way of life and cure the human body. These fundamental beliefs are still used by TCM practitioners today to comprehend, identify, and treat health issues.

The foundation of TCM is the Five-Element Theory. It developed as a technique of defining and organising patterns of observed linked events into five main groupings that were called for the universal elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These patterns ranged from physical occurrences like the weather to realms like emotion and powers of character. According to the Five-Element Theory, the five major organ systems (liver/gallbladder, heart/small intestine, spleen/stomach, lung/large intestine, and kidney/urinary bladder) are each related to a specific element and thus to a wide range of correspondences or classifications, such as a season of the year, a time of day, specific colours and foods, etc. The full Universal law is reflected by both the Yin/Yang Theory and the Five-Element Theory in a single, comprehensive system of connected categories.

The Five Elements are not viewed as inert elements in TCM. They are the underlying forces that keep nature alive and in motion. All of the Organ Systems are able to function as a single, harmonic, larger system because to these dynamic interactions. If their connections are healthy, they are in a good state; if any of their relationships fall out of balance, they have health issues.

Meridian Theory

Meridians, also known as channels, are energetic conduits through which Qi travels, forming a network of energy that links every portion of the body to the rest of the cosmos. Our body contains twelve main meridians, according to TCM. Each of them is associated with a certain Organ System. The meridian network connects meridians and all bodily structures, including skin, tendons, bones, internal organs, cells, and atoms. Meridians link the inside and exterior, as well as the upper and lower bodies, according to TCM. The body is made up of an organic whole thanks to this interconnected, dynamic network.

Each Organ creates its own data system inside the tremendous information system that the Meridians produce. Meridians communicate real information to and among the Organ Systems in addition to Qi. The different areas of the body interact with one another quicker than light through the meridians and the flow of Qi. It’s interesting to note that meridians have a sense of location and time. They reflect and react to the energy of the changing seasons, the time of day, and the local climate. The body (along with its mind, spirit, and emotions) is healthy and maintains homeostasis, a dynamic state of internal balance where yin and yang energy coexist harmoniously, according to TCM, when the meridian system is functioning properly.

TCM has a framework for determining the underlying causes of health issues and the diagnosis to treat them thanks to the energy channels and the Organ Systems they link. Meridians control and maintain the equilibrium of the body’s energy processes. When an Organ becomes dysfunctional, acupuncture or other therapies can assist restore balance by stimulating the appropriate meridian(s). Any meridian that experiences excessive Qi stagnation over time may get obstructed and eventually change into matter, creating the ideal environment for the formation of a physical mass. Affected meridians can also develop a susceptibility to exogenous pathogens that can spread to the organs along their path.

According to TCM Meridian Theory, “the body can avoid disease as long as Qi flows freely through the meridians and the Organs work in harmony.”