Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of healing that developed in China about 3,000 years ago and has changed very little over the centuries. It's based on the idea that laws of nature can be used to understand the inner workings of the body. Your health, like the universe at large, proponents say, is subject to constant battling between opposing forces such as heat and cold, male and female, joy and sadness, which manifest themselves in your body as too much or too little activity in particular organs. An imbalance between any of these forces can cause a blockage in the flow of your qi (chee) or vital energy traveling through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. TCM practitioners typically use acupuncture and herbs to help unblock your qi and bring your body back into harmony and wellness.

Totally different from the principles of western medicine, theories of traditional Chinese medicine emphasize the balance of the whole body. In the treatment process, the diagnostic procedure involves four steps: observing, listening and smelling, inquiring, and palpating. Among them, palpating is the most important. Other methods of treatment include acupuncture and moxibustion, breathing therapy (Qigong), and medical massage. The enormous size of a Chinese pharmacy is overwhelming, and the selection of its remedies may include odd things like dried monkeys, toads, tortoises, and centipedes to mention a few.