|
|
Natural Alternative Medicine Information - Articles, search
and news in a single place.
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE :
Traditional Chinese
medicine is gaining popularity in the U.S., as more and more people
are learning the benefits of acupuncture, acupressure, deep massage,
Qigong, and the herbal medicines. Westerners are the new kids on the
block when it comes to receiving these treatments, as over a quarter
of the population of the world practices TCM, also known as Oriental
medicine.
The National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization
believe TCM to be a viable alternative to Western medicine, and now
many health insurance companies will cover acupuncture as a treatment
for various ailments. Very exciting for those of us who find acupuncture
to be a great help in lessening pain and improving circulation.
Acupuncture originated in China around 3,000 years ago and is the
most common form of medical procedure in the rest of the world, because
the same treatment not only relieves immediate pain, it is a preventative
procedure because it realigns the Qi ( pronounced "Chee.")
The Qi is the body's vital energy, all things rise from Qi and it
flows and connects a person to the earth and sky. It is also the source
of the body's natural healing, all disorders can be traced to a Qi
imbalance, and the acupuncture points on the body release the bound
Qi and allow it to flow naturally-the body can then begin to heal
itself.
Diagnosis in acupuncture involves the practitioner asking a long list
of questions, some usually considered by Americans to be of a private
nature. The questions consist of everything from listing sleeping
patterns to a typical day meals to how many times the patient has
a bowel movement in a 24 hour period. These are necessary questions,
as the more information the acupuncturist has, the better to tell
where the Qi is blocked.
The patient typically will then lie down on a massage table (in the
East acupuncture is usually done in the sitting position) and the
practitioner will insert very thin needles into some of the 2,000
plus points in the body which connect to 14 pathways, or medians.
The insertion of the needles does not hurt, and contrary to what you
may have heard, he/she does not twist or bore them into the skin.
They are inserted just underneath the surface and the patent is left
in a soothing, dimmed room for about an hour. There are different
sizes and lengths of needles, each for a specific ailments and point.
The needles are made of super thin stainless steel and are pliable;
they are discarded after each use.
Another form of TCM is herbal remedies; these are often used in conjunction
with acupuncture. Because all things are interconnected, pains and
conditions in the body have a lot to do with one's emotions and thinking
process. That is why people who experience chronic pain are also frequently
depressed. TCM practitioners will often give the patient herbs to
help relax or calm them along with the acupuncture sessions. This
is called tonic herbalism, and some popular herbs used are probably
already in your kitchen. Green tea and ginseng are two of the most
well known herbs used in TCM, but here are some others-considered
''warm" foods which will help maintain good health and restore
balance to a depleted Qi: Rice and noodles, broccoli, egg whites,
fish and chicken. It is no coincidence that these are some of the
main ingredients in all Eastern cooking.
In order to get a holistic view of TCM, we have covered acupuncture
(prevention and treatment), herbal remedies and diet, it is only right
that we should touch on exercise. Enter Qigong (Pronounced Chee Kung.)
Qi, of course, still means energy, and gong means work or practice.
The art and practice of Qigong involves practicing posture, breathing,
meditation, and slow regulated movement of the limbs. Qigong is a
great exercise, and because of its popularity, you can usually find
classes in your area simply by opening the phone book.
Last Natural Alternative
Medicine news in our weblog
|
