Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the great herbal systems of the world, dating back

to

the

3rd

century

BC.

Yet

throughout

its

history

it

has

continually

developed

in

response

to

changing clinical conditions, and has been sustained by research into every aspect of usage. This

process

continues

today

with

the

development

of

modern

medical

diagnostic

techniques

and

knowledge.

Chinese

herbal

medicines

are

very

safe

when

prescribed

correctly

by

a

properly

trained

practitioner.

Over

thousands

of

years,

experienced

doctors

have

compiled

detailed

information about the pharmacopoeia and placed great emphasis on the protection of the patient.

Allergic type reactions are rare, and will cause no lasting damage if treatment is stopped as soon

as undesired symptoms appear. The primary difference between Chinese and Western medicine

can

be

described

as

Chinese

treats

the

Yang

and

Western

treats

the

Yin.

Everything

in

the

universe can be described in terms of Yin or Yang. This is one of the underlying philosophies of

Traditional Chinese Medicine. When applied to medicine in general, Western medicine acts upon

the

Yin

of

the

body,

the

substance

of

the

body,

the

actual

cells

and

chemicals.

Traditional

medicine works more on the energy that animates those cells.

Functions & Diagnostic Methods

?

Functions

Chinese

medicine

can

be

utilized

to

treat

allergies,

arthritis

pain,

weight

control,

quitting

smoking,

back

injury

pain,

musculoskeletal

pain,

fatigue

and

stress

.

Other

illnesses

and

conditions

that

can

be

helped

with

Chinese

medicine

are

digestive

problems,

menstrual

problems, and urinary problems

.

Chinese doctors greatly emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it

occurs. Chinese medicine recognizes that health is more than just the absence of disease and it

has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for well being and happiness.

?

Four Diagnostic Method

Bianque,

who

regarded

as

the

god

doctor

in

Chinese

medicine,

applied

the

comprehensive

diagnostic

techniques

of

traditional

Chinese

medicines,

namely,

the

four

diagnostic

methods:

observation

,

auscultation

and

olfaction

,

interro gation

,

and

pulse-feeling

and

palpation

.

means

looking

at

the

appearance

and

tongue

fur.

and

olfaction

refers to listening to the sound of the patient's speech and breath.

about the patient's symptoms and

feel the pulse by fingers' touch.

Chinese Medical Classics

?

The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic

The

Yellow

Emperor's

Internal

Classic,

or

Internal

Classic

for

short,

whose

author

is

unknown, is the earliest medical classic in China.

It

includes

two

parts:

Plain

Question

and

Acupuncture

Classic

,

each

of

which

comprises

9

volumes.

The

18

volumes

originally

consist

of

162

articles,

even

though

some

of

the

chapters

have been lost with the lapse of time. In a question- and-answer format, Plain Question recounts

the discussion between the Yellow Emperor and his royal physician Qi Bo. It mainly sets forth the

basic theories of physiology and pathology of the human body. Acupuncture Classic dwells upon

acupuncture and moxibustion, main and collateral channels as well as hygiene and health care.

Internal Classic lays the foundation for the theoretical systems of traditional Chinese medicine,

which has long guided the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and played an important role in

China’s medical history. It has great significance both inside

and outside China. Parts of the book

have

been

translated

into

Japanese,

English,

German

and

French.

Many

treatises

on

Internal

Classic have been published in Japan.

?

Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu)

Recorded in the 1.9-milions-words, 52-chapters, and 16-volumes are 1.897 varieties of medicines

grouped

under

60

categories.

All

the

recorded

medicines

were

in

actual

application

and

have

proved effective by the author's time. Besides Chinese herbal medicine, they include animals and

minerals

for

medication.

In

addition,

the

book

contains

11,096

prescriptions

and

1,160

illustrations.

Such

enormous

contents

enable

the

book

to

be

the

greatest

treatise

of

material

medica in history.

Compendium

of

Materia

Medica

is

more

than

a

masterpiece

of

pharmaceutics,

as

it

has

also contributed to the human knowledge of biology, mineralogy and chemistry.

Compendium of Materia Medica spread to Japan in 1606, then to Korea and Vietnam, and later to

Europe

around

the

16th

and

17th

centuries.

The

book

is

now

available

either

in

whole

or

in

excerpts

in

Latin,

French,

German,

English,

Russian

and

other

languages.

The

world

famous

scientist

Charles

Darwin

once

consulted

the

book

for

historical

data

on

the

formation

of

skin

colors

of

gold

fish

to

demonstrate

the

artificial

selection

process

of

animals

and

gave

high

comments on it.

?

Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold for Emergencies

Beiji

Qianjin

Yaofang

(Prescriptions

Worth

a

Thousand

Pieces

of

Gold

for

Emergencies),

also called Qianjin Fang (Precious Prescriptions for Emergencies) or Qianjin Yaofang, was

edited

by

Sun

Simiao

in

the

year

652.

As

Sun

Simiao

said,

life

is

of

paramount

importance, more precious than a thousand pieces of gold; to save it with one prescription is to

show your great virtue

From the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the modern time, Beiji Qianjin Yaofang has had more than

40 versions at home and abroad, which are roughly divided into two categories.

The book is in 30 volumes. Volume 1 is the pandect of medical science, including medical ethics,

materia medica, pharmacy and so on; Volume 2-4 are on gynecopathy; Volume 5 on pediatrics;

Volume 6 on diseases of the seven orifices; Volume 7-8 on dermatophytosis of all kinds; Volume

9-10

on

febrile

diseases

caused

by

cold;

Volume

11-20

on

viscera

diseases;

Volume

21

on

diabetes

and

similar

diseases;

Volume

22

on

skin

and

external

diseases;

Volume

23

on

hemorrhoid; Volume 24 on disintoxicating and various treatments; Volume 25 on techniques for

emergencies; Volume

26-27 on dietetic

therapy and cultivation

of mental poise; Volume 28

on

normal

pulse;

and

Volumes

29-30

on

acupuncture

and

moxibustion.

There

are

totally

233

categories,

containing

more

than

5,300

articles.

It

has

set

up

the

format

for

compilation

of

prescriptions.

A systematic summing-up of the accomplishments in medical science was concluded in this book

before

the

Tang

Dynasty.

Its

sources

are

extensive

and

its

contents

are

abundant,

covering

all

clinical

sectors

and

many

aspects

such

as

acupuncture

and

moxibustion,

dietetic

therapy,

medicament, prevention, hygiene and so on. It is the first comprehensive monumental works of

medical

science

in

China,

another

conclusion

of

Chinese

medicine

after

Treatise

on

Febrile

Diseases Caused by Cold and Miscellaneous Diseases by Zhang Zhongjing, and is praised as the

earliest encyclopedia of clinical medicine in the Chinese history.

Popular and Useful Treatment

Moreover,

Bianque's

ways

of

treatment

varied

into

more

branches,

such

as

acupuncture,

moxibustion,

herbal

medicine,

acupressure,

cupping,

therapeutic

exercise

and

nutrition.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a complete medical system that is capable of treating a very wide

range of conditions.

?

Acupuncture

Acupuncture

is

practiced

medical

treatments

that

are

over

5,000

years

old.

Very

basically,

acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles, (sometimes in conjunction with

electrical stimulus), on the body's surface

, in order to influence physiological functioning of

the body.

Acupuncture can also be used in conjunction with heat produced by burning specific herbs, this is

called Moxibustion. In addition, a non-invasive method of massage therapy, called Acupressure,

can also be effective.

Acupuncturists

can

use

as

many

as

nine

types

of

Acupuncture

needles,

though

only

six

are

commonly used today. These

needles vary in length, width of shaft, and shape of head.

Today,

most

needles

are

disposible.

They

are

used

once

and

disgarded

in

accordance

with

medical

biohazard

regulations

and

guidlines.

There

are

a

few

different

precise

methods

by

which

Acupuncturists insert needles. Points can be needled anywhere in the range of 15 degrees to 90

degrees

relative

to

the

skin

surface,

depending

on

the

treatment

called

for.

In

most

cases,

a

sensation, felt by the patient, is desired.

?

Moxibustion

Another

popular

treatment

method

is

Moxibustion

,

which

is

the

treatment

of

diseases

by

applying

heat

by

burning

specific

herbs

to

Acupuncture

points.

Acupuncture

and

Moxibustion are considered complimentary forms of treatment, and are commonly used together.

Moxibustion is used for ailments such as bronchial asthma, bronchitis, certain types of paralysis,

and arthritic disorders.