Why Use Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Part 1.
The first article of a series about Traditional Chinese Medicine
by Judy Fitzgerald

To Read Part 2 of this series click here.
To Read Part 3 of this series click here.

My Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

I got interested in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) because I got help from it that I never had gotten from anything else. I came down with CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) when I was in my early 20s.

Over the next two decades I got some help from Western alternative medicine, but TCM was able to reverse many long-standing problems that nothing else had been able to help. To my great surprise, many of my symptoms (like a severe sensitivity to changes in the weather, especially cold) were spelled out in TCM, and some of the things which have helped the most were available in the spice and produce sections of local supermarkets. I got so much help I began to study, then to write about, and finally to teach TCM.

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine developed over centuries in China. Its
underlying concepts and terminology can sound very bizarre to many Westerners when they first encounter TCM. TCM is concerned with restoring balance to the body. This can be done via diet, herbs, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and/or special exercises called Qi Gong (Tai Ch'i).

One of the central concepts of TCM is Qi. Qi, also spelled Ch'i, pronounced chee, is roughly translated as "energy". People obtain Qi from their parents before birth and from the food they eat and air they breathe after birth.

Qi flows throughout the body in pathways called meridians or channels. When acupuncturists insert needles into acupoints or acupressurists apply pressure to these points, the Qi is being manipulated to restore balance to the person or animal. (Acupuncture also is used on cats and dogs, on horses, etc.)

Yin and Yang

Two other TCM concepts are Yin and Yang. Yin is responsible for cooling and calming the body. When people don't have enough Yin, this is called Yin Deficiency (or Deficiency Heat). Some of the possible symptoms of Yin Deficiency are nervousness, agitation, feeling too hot and having trouble cooling down, hating the summer and preferring cold weather, concentrated urine and infrequent urination, constipation (with dry, hard feces), feeling thirsty a lot, insomnia, dry skin and appearing "shriveled", lowered pain threshold, rapid speech and movement (Heat speeds things up), rapid pulse, fast metabolism and feeling hungry a lot, night sweats, and a red tongue with thin yellow coating or no coating or patchy coating.

Yang is responsible for warming and activating the body. When people don't have enough Yang, this is called Yang Deficiency (or Deficiency Cold). Some of the possible symptoms of Yang Deficiency are feeling cold a lot of the time and having trouble warming up, hating the winter and preferring and doing better in warmer months, large amounts of clear urine and frequent urination, diarrhea or loose stools, rarely feeling thirsty, needing to sleep a lot, edema, slow speech and movement (Cold slows things down), slow pulse, slow metabolism and lack of appetite, hypo-glandular conditions, and a pale or bluish tongue (frequently swollen) with a thin white coating.

Qi, Yin, and Yang are three of the most basic concepts of TCM.

Is TCM the Only Way?

There is no ONE and ONLY true system of healing in the world. In general Western allopathic medicine is best for trauma and best for certain infections. Alternative medicine, including TCM, tend to be best for chronic conditions and maintaining health. Sometimes herbalism works best for a particular individual and condition, sometimes chiropractor or D.O. adjustments are what are needed, sometimes surgery or a pharmaceutical drug are called for, etc. What often happens, especially in cases of long-standing health problems is a combination of approaches work best. The whole is often greater than the sum of the individual parts.

In future articles I will go into the TCM approach to weight loss, weather sensitivity, arthritic and rheumatic conditions (called Painful Obstruction Syndrome or Bi Pain in TCM), geriatric problems, and what to expect during a TCM examination.

Readers are invited to submit questions.

For those wishing more information on basic TCM

The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk (consider a classic), any of the Bob Flaws basic books (such as Curing Hay Fever Naturally with Chinese Medicine or Curing PMS Naturally with Chinese Medicine - Blue Poppy Press), Chinese Natural Cures by Henry C. Lu, and Acupressure's Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments by Michael Reed Gach. The Gach book does not go into TCM syndromes, but the points he chose for various symptoms are based on sound TCM principles. Acupressure's Potent Points has the best diagrams, photos, and instructions for finding acupoints of any book I've seen.

Feedback

Judy Fitzgerald runs a list called Chinese Healing on yahoo groups at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChineseHealing