Traditional Chinese Medicine As A Type Of Whole Medical System
Traditional Chinese Medicine had its origins 2000 years ago in China. This method of whole medical system is based on the fact that illness in a human body is caused due to an improper flow of life force which is called qi in Chinese medicine. Yin and yang are the two opposing forces which should be balanced to restore the qi. These opposing forces can be heat and cold, external and internal and can be also deficiency and excess with regard to a human body. The practices which are used to preserve and restore qi include diet, medicinal herbs, proper massage, qi gong which is a kind of meditative exercise and also a technique called acupuncture. Variants ailments are treated with the help of mixtures of herbs using formulas provided by the traditional Chinese medicine.
There are effective treatments for diseases such as common form of arthritis along with having few side effects. Scarring in the liver can be reduced with the use of herbal combination called sho-saiko-to and help people with cirrhosis to prevent liver cancer. A problem, which has been identified for traditional Chinese medicine, is that there is no standardization or quality control for this type of treatment. Chinese medicines are sometimes laced with drugs or even there are reports on toxic heavy metals present in this medicine as ingredients.
One of the unique methods followed in Chinese traditional medicine is the Acupuncture that is a therapy, which is highly accepted technique in Western countries. One main problem is that there is no requirement for a medical degree to perform acupuncture. Anyone like pain specialist can be trained and licensed to perform such techniques. Specific points in the human body are stimulated in acupuncture by inserting thin and fine needles in to the skin, which also includes the underlying tissues.
The flow of qi along energy pathways or meridians are unblocked with the stimulation of specific points in the human body which results in restoring the balance between the opposing elements inside the body called yin and yang. The stimulation can be increased by twisting the needle or by warming it. Acupressure, lasers, ultrasounds, or even low voltage electric current called the electracupuncture can also be applied to a needle for stimulating acupuncture points. A tingling sensation is caused for patient rather than pain.
Acupuncture effectively releases many chemical messengers belonging to our brain called neurotransmitters that can act as painkillers like lights of endorphins. It is used as painkillers in surgical procedures and in the case of dental surgeries. Acupuncture also is a remedy for vomiting and nausea which may occur in the case of pregnancy as well as during post surgery or chemotherapy. Other advantages of acupuncture treatment as a part of Chinese traditional medicine include treating addiction, fibromyalgia, headaches, lower backaches, osteoarthritis and also dry mouth which can be seen in the case of people going through advance stage of cancer. Acupuncture is not suggested for people who want to quit smoking or for people who want to lose their weight.