Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system that originated 5,000 years ago in ancient China through the observation of the natural environment and the application of the same laws and principles to the microsystems that make up the human condition.

The theories that govern TCM are vast and complex, many of which can be well-explained through modern science. The following are the key principles that describe the foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Chinese philosophical perspective:

The philosophy of Yin and Yang as the representation of opposite but complementary forces. Health is the result of harmony between Yin and Yang, disease is the result of their imbalance.
The theory of the Five Elements is a complementary philosophy used to describe the natural phenomena witnessed in the environment and in the human body in health and in the course of disease.
Qi, often defined as energy, is a concept that has perplexed translators and has been the subject of centuries worth of debates by Chinese philosophers. Qi can be briefly summarized as the catalyst for the many physiological responses that maintain human health.

Similar to Functional Medicine, TCM views disease in terms of the root, or underlying cause, and the branches, as the manifesting signs and symptoms. Health is achieved and sustained through the dynamic balance of the physiological, psychological, and spiritual processes unique to each individual.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the most comprehensive modern evidence-based review of medical conditions effectively treated with acupuncture including:

Neurologic and musculoskeletal disorders
Digestive disorders
Respiratory disorders
Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive conditions

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) provides an in-depth report on the safety and efficacy of acupuncture.
Although still in progress, evidencebasedacupuncture.org is a reliable source of medical information on the mechanisms, safety, and economics of acupuncture, providing helpful links to a wide variety of research.
This article by the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture provides more information on what acupuncture is and how it works.