 |
Chinese Medicine |
 |
 Chinese Medicine is a system of healing
that has been used and continually developed for over 3,000 years. Written
texts exist from as early as 2,500 years ago.
The underlying philosophy of traditional
Chinese Medicine is the idea that our health depends on the quality of our
‘qi’ – the fundamental motivating energy of the body. When qi moves through
the body smoothly, we experience good health. However, if the balance and flow
of qi is blocked, we then develop symptoms of poor health. Chinese Medicine
works to restore the flow of qi, helping to return it to a balanced state by
stimulating the body’s own healing responses.
Factors that can disturb the flow of qi
include:
- Emotional states (anger, anxiety, worry,
grief, sadness, shock)
- Diet (eating too much or too little,
eating inappropriate foods)
- Exercise and rest (too much or too little)
- Weather conditions (such as heat, cold,
damp, wind)
- Hereditary factors
- Drugs (such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine,
recreational drugs, side effects from prescription medicines).
Chinese Medicine comprises several forms of
healing practice. Each of these can be used on their own, or in combination
with other forms, depending on the condition being treated.
Any of these treatments can be used alongside
conventional medicine in the treatment of acute or chronic disease.
Chinese Medicine has been becoming more
popular and accepted in the West ever since its ‘reintroduction’ in the
1980’s. Although it is regarded as a relatively new form of medicine in the
West, it is worth remembering that this system has been practised for
centuries in the countries of East Asia. It is also currently integrated into
the national healthcare policies of many of the countries in the Orient. In
China alone, over 200 million outpatients and nearly 3 million inpatients are
treated with Chinese Medicine annually. |
