For more than 2,000 years, there have been traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) practices including herbal medicine, dietary therapy, massage, and acupuncture. In 2004, one in ten Australian adults used acupuncture. By 2010, over 14 million Americans had used acupuncture as part of their health care.
1. Indian Influence
Traditional Chinese medicine has an Indian influence. Chinese medicine borrows heavily from Ayurveda. Indian medical knowledge of dentistry, gynecology, obstetrics, surgery and internal medicine, were brought to China.
2. Usage of Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine is widely used in China. It is also becoming increasingly popular in other parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. Chinese medicine Prahran is very popular.
Chinese traditional medicine complements conventional medicine. Thus, you should not use it alone. You need to obtain the advice of a medical practitioner about the use of alternative medicine for a particular ailment.
3. Popularity of Acupuncture
The popularity of TCM and particularly acupuncture is rising in different parts of the world. In the United States, acupuncture is common in academic medical centers such as John Hopkins University, Stanford University, UCLA, and Harvard University. Medical practitioners mostly use it for pain management and anesthesia.
In Germany, acupuncture usage increased by 20% in 2007. That was because the Germany acupuncture trials supported the efficacy of acupuncture for certain medical cases. In 2011, there were more than one million acupuncture users in Germany. German public health insurers cover acupuncture for osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain.
In Nordic countries such as Finland, Denmark, and Norway, acupuncture is widely used. It is also quite common in Switzerland as an alternative medicine therapy.
4. Herbal Medicine
A number of manufacturers of Chinese herbal medicines are currently pursuing FDA certification. This will allow them to market their medicines in the US and Europe.
There are four different categories of Chinese herbal medicine. One of them is the Four Natures. This refers to temperatures: neutral, cold, cool, hot, and warm. Cold and cool herbs treat heat diseases. Warm and hot herbs are for treating cold diseases.
Another classification of TCM herbal medicine is the Five Flavors. These are salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and pungent. A flavor refers to particular properties of a substance. Saltiness is a property that softness hard masses while sweetness is moistening and harmonizing. Pungent substances induce sweat while bitter substances drain heat and purge the bowels.
5. Ying Yang
This is a concept of TCM. According to this concept, one becomes healthy when there is a balance between Ying and Yang.
The Bottom-Line
Some TCM medical practices facilitate health and well-being. Acupuncture is effective for some illnesses.
