"Think of Western medicine as looking at the tree and Eastern medicine as looking at the whole forest." Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine often cite this analogy to describe their alternative medicines and practices. The practices do not contradict each other, but rather take two different approaches - while Western medicine looks at nerve endings linking to muscles and organs, Eastern medicine looks at the lack or excess of energy.
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Many Americans don't realize that traditional Chinese medicines date back nearly 5,000 years, passed down by oral tradition until about 3,000 years ago when people began writing down their findings in ancient texts like "Basic Questions of Internal Medicine" and "A Treatise On Cold Damage." In the 1930s, the Nationalist government forbade doctors from practicing what was then called classic Chinese medicine because they feared missing out on scientific progress. Traditional Chinese Medicine was created thirty years later by ten highly respected doctors under Mao Zedong. Today TCM is taught in all Chinese schools and has even made its way around the world, opening schools in England, the US and Russia.
One of the basic principles of TMC is the Taoist idea of "Yin and Yang.The school of Chinese medicine uses the term to describe series of opposites; for example, dark and light, movement and stillness, hot and cold. As day turns into night, the body goes through its own cycles. The body naturally breaks down if the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted by an excess or deficiency of something.
Another principle in traditional Chinese medicine is the idea of the "Five Elements" which are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is believed that these elements are in constant motion and work in an interdependent relationship, as do the various organs and systems within our own bodies. According to the Five Elements chart, if you're feeling fearful, then it means you need more calm in your life or if you're angry and frustrated, then you need more patience. The Five Elements Theory is further defined by the Zang Fu Theory, which explains the functions and interaction between various body parts in more detail.
In addition to medical procedures like Chinese acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine covers things like herbal remedies. TCM practitioners say the answers are easier than one would think. You don't need Lunesta to help you sleep. Instead, a chamomile tea and some light meditation just before bed will help you fall asleep right away and you will wake up feeling rejuvenated. Or instead of Tums for your bellyache, a mint leaf could do the trick.
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