Tag: Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Influence Of Taoism In The Development Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Since the dawn of Chinese culture, Chinese Medicine and the Tao have been intimately intertwined. Shamanic healers called the Wu were the very first healing practitioners and they were usually women.

Their gifts helped them to perform exorcism rites and when needed, went into trance states to formulate healing rituals and ceremonies. It was believed that the exorcism practices of burning aromatic woods and incense and shaking spears formed the earliest basis for moxibustion and acupuncture therapy. The Wu are believed to be the precursors of today’s Taoist healers. The rituals and methods of the Wu were practiced for more than a thousand years, while Taoist philosophy, as depicted by Lao Tsu and the Tao Te Ching, developed as a school of thought not until 400 BCE. The offshoot of these traditions was carried into the traditional systems, and in the healing and ritual practices of the Taoist monks or Tao shih. These monks used visualization-meditation and even song and dance to diagnose and address illnesses. They dynamically invoked these states to discern the spiritual entities that may be at the root of an illness. They combined herbal medicine and hands on energetic healing with exorcism rites to treat the person as a whole.

In the Taoist philosophical system, the importance of Nature and adhering closely to its laws as a basis model for the perfect life has obviously been integrated into Winter Park Chinese Medicine. The periodicity of the circulation of Chi and the importance of being in harmony with the seasons are all examples of this. Some parts of the Nei Ching also expose a Taoist influence alluding to a life desired by those in antiquity who were able to live past a hundred years without any loss to their mental or physical mental capacities. When the Yellow Emperor asked his teacher Po, what made these people live such a long and healthy life, his teacher replied;

“The people of antiquity comprehended the Tao. They lived their lives based on the principles of yin and yang. They acted and consumed moderately, they did not waste their strength to unseemly behavior. Therefore, they were able to preserve their strength and lived their years in health and mirth.”

Taoist healers played a major role in the establishment of Chinese Pharmacopeia. The quest for magical pills and elixirs that could bestow immortality on the user gave impetus for experimentation on a broad variety of animal, plant, and mineral products. The mercuric-cinnabar, Reishi mushroom, and Ginseng radix were all thought to possess supernatural qualities that could enhance health and prolong longevity. The Chinese emperor Chin Zhi Wang was alleged to have sent ships to the islands of Japan to find a magical mushroom that could bestow immortality on the user. He sent a second expedition when no one returned from the first. When the second expedition also did not come back, it was assumed that the explorers failed to find the mushroom and fearing the wrath of the Emperor, decided to settle in Japan were they contributed greatly to the development of Japan.

The influence of Taoism can also be clearly seen in the development of Qi Gong, a form of Chinese exercise therapy. Qi gong originated from ancient Taoist breathing postures and techniques which strove to preserve and purify the body. Hua To, an ancient and famous Chinese healer invented a technique called the “Play of the Five Animals” which is based on his observations of animals and their distinctive characteristics. This technique is still practiced today and is one the most ancient Qi Gong practices designed to improve health and treat health problems.

Today’s Qi Gong techniques are widely used in the West and China to maintain and balance Chi circulation through the collaterals and channels. The application of the external discharge of Chi from practitioner to patient is also becoming well known and more and more popular by the day.

Most of the systems of Qi Gong systems that are used these days can be traced back to millennium-old Taoist traditions and the quest for immortality. The practice later on, integrated Chinese medical practices into healing system performed by the Taoist priests. According to Share Lew, graduate of the Yellow Dragon Monastery in Canton and Taoist Master, herbal medicine, tuina, and moxibustion plus the application of external discharge of Qi Gong energy are all components of the healing techniques that were taught in several monasteries and temples. As part of their basic training, Taoist Monks had to learn these techniques and principles. This allowed them to serve better the individuals which comprised the lay members of the temples in the cities.

While the principle of the Tao was accepted by all of the schools in China, the impact of Taoist philosophy was a very huge factor in the evolution of Chinese Medicine. By establishing a connection to the relationships of human beings to the theories of natural law, Chinese Medicine took on a style and flavor that solidified its place in the realm of holistic medicine in the 21^st century.

The Three Forms Of Cupping Therapy Commonly Used Today

First discussed in old medical textbooks in the Western world, cupping therapy is an alternative type of therapy and like acupuncture in Winter Park is better known as a traditional Chinese Medicine mode of treatment.

Cupping therapy was first practiced by the ancient Egyptians. Hippocrates has also given accounts of the use of cupping for the treatment of internal disease. The most commonly used cupping technique is fire cupping which is practiced all across Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Ancient cupping practitioners used hollowed out buffalo horns for their treatments of skin lesions, snakebites, and boils. This method was believed to draw toxins out from the body. The administration of cupping through the years has developed from the utilization of animal horns to cups made of bamboo, and to the glass cups, that we eventually use today. Healing cups made from silicone and earthenware are also used in lieu of glass cups. Silicone cups can withstand the high temperatures that applied during the heating process.

There a number of different cultures who also used cupping therapy as a way to resolve several maladies. In their surgical procedures, the Chinese were alleged to have used cupping as a way to alter the flow of blood from the site of operation. Some European and US physicians use cupping to address common illnesses such as the chest congestion and infection and the common cold.

The therapy mainly entails placement of silicone or glass on the skin of the patient to generate a suction effect to make the blood move toward to the skin surface in areas where the body needs healing. Practitioners of TCM or Traditional Chinese medicine focus on different meridians or energy channels of the body that are used to move energy from part of the body to another. According to them, the human body possesses a dozen of these meridians and treatment may be administered applied to each meridian for a variety of reasons.

A type of medical treatment used in place of mainstream treatments or modern scientific medicine and conventional practices, alternative medicine claims to generate healing benefits which other types of medicinal systems are unable to provide. This type of medicinal system is rapidly gaining more and more followers by the day since it has been shown to bring about the same healing effects as mainstream Western medicine minus the risk of side effects.

Different Forms of Cupping

The three most common traditional types of cupping used today are massage cupping, wet cupping, and fire or dry cupping.

Massage Cupping

This method is a form of massage therapy in which the practitioner/healer glides and moves the cups around and across your skin. Massage Cupping is an effective way to reduce cellulite in your body and to lose weight. Silicone cups are usually the cups selected for this procedure as they are more flexible and softer making it easier for the practitioner/healer to smoothly move glide them across the body of the patient.

Massage cupping therapy, softens the muscles through the application of pressure. Pain can be much better managed by using negative pressure instead if the use of tissue compression. Through this method, the muscles, tissue, and skin, are pulled upwards instead to help manage the pain and to increase circulation.

Different oils are used in this form of therapy in order for the cup to smoothly glide and slide across the patient’s back. Massage cupping is a good and safe way to help relieve stress and ease tension, induce feelings of relaxation and help with the management of pain.

Wet Cupping

Wet cupping creates a mild vacuum or suction and can be kept in place for up to three minutes. However, in this technique, the practitioner/healer will need to make a few small cuts on the skin of the patient. This is done through a sterilized scalpel and then the practitioner will need to perform a second cupping procedure to suction out some of the patient’s blood. After a session of wet cupping therapy, it may take 10 days more or less, for the skin of the patient to heal completely. To prevent the risk of infection, the skin should be cleaned before and after a wet cupping procedure.

To the Arabs, wet cupping is known as medicinal bleeding or Hijama. This therapy is commonly administered popular in many Muslim areas of the world and legend has it that it’s been used by the prophet Mohammed.

The cupping methods used by the Chinese are designed to treat respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and pneumonia, along with chest infections and the common cold.

Wet cupping involves some bloodletting in order to expel stagnant blood and heat, in order to alleviate pain. To prevent infection, to the areas of treatment, it’s vital that the clinical setting where this therapy is performed be sterilized and clean.

Fire or Dry Cupping Therapy

In a dry cupping procedure, the glass cup is heated using flammable materials such as herbs or alcohol. As the fire weakens, the practitioner/healer places the glass cup on the skin surface of the patient.

The weakening of the fire causes the cup to cools down creating a suction or vacuum effect inside the cup. The practitioner quickly places the cup on the patient’s skin. The skin is drawn to the cup and will start to turn red. Usually, these silicone or glass cups are left in place on the skin for about 3 minutes although some procedures may need longer times and may last for up to 20 minutes.

This type of therapy creates a low amount of pressure and is much better used on the soft tissue in order to create a tight seal on the skin. The practitioner may first lubricate the skin with massage oil so the cups can be easily moved around across the body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective On Autism And Children’s Health

One of the most common forms of brain development disorder today is autism. One out of 166 children has been diagnosed with some form of this autism. Children diagnosed with this disorder are likely to have autoimmune problems and weak immune systems. While allopathic medicine describes autism as a health condition in which a child suffers from the following impairments: repetitive behavior, limited interest, poor communication and social skills, and speech impediments, TCM or traditional Chinese medicine in Tarzana views autism as a health problem related to middle burner stagnation, five weakness, and five delays.

Ganji or Middle burner stagnation: This means disorders of organs that are situated below the heart, above the umbilicus (belly button) and below lung, including the diaphragm. One specific organ affected is the spleen in which represents:

Food stagnation
Malnutrition

Wuruan or 5 weakness: This means Five forms of flaccidity in which signify the softness and weakness of:

Muscles
Upper extremities
Lower extremities
Mouth

Wuchi or 5 delays: This means 5 types of retardation in which signify the delay of:

Speaking
1. Walking
1. Standing
1. Teeth eruption
1. Hair growth

Some symptoms of Autism

Vomiting
Schizoid personality behavior
Abundant phlegm
Peptic ulcer
Nausea
Dizziness, distension of the chest
Chronic hepatitis
Chronic gastritis
Wiry rapid pulse
Rapid slippery pulse
Yellow greasy coating
Red tongue
Slight thirst
Shyness
Loss of consciousness
Bitter taste
Anxiety
Chronic bronchitis
Etc.

Diagnosing And Treating Conditions The Traditional Chinese Medicine Way

Chinese Herbal medicine is a major branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that also includes Chinese massage therapy (Tuina) and acupuncture in Cleveland among others. In China, herbal medicine has been used for hundreds of years and is supported by a rich and long history of research, use, and development.

The diagnosis and therapies used in Chinese herbal medicine are unique and are all based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. For instance, the common cold can be diagnosed as “cold-wind infiltration” and herbs that warm cold and eliminate wind may be recommended. Prescription herbs provided by practitioners are usually taken in pill form, in powder form, or boiled into a tea.

Unlike a Western trained physician who sees a cold as just a cold, a practitioner of TCM looks at a person’s general well-being and health. This practitioner will find out if the Yin and Yang of the patient and his other energetic forces are in balance, or if he is in excess or deficiency in one or the other. According to TCM theory, Yin and Yang are the two complementary and opposing forces in nature, Yin, refers to the female force while Yang refers to the positive.

A doctor of TCM’s recommendations addresses the patient’s specific excesses/deficiencies. To him, a cold is more than just a cold, brought about by an external pathogen. The excesses/deficiencies in the patient’s body also play a part in his sickness, which have left him vulnerable.

The TCM language of the five elements and Yin, Yang is too limiting and too simple by comparison. Medicinal herbs however, work wonders, especially when used alongside lifestyle changes and acupuncture.

The Importance Of The Season Of Spring In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Spring is the season of creativity, new growth, of birth, and of expansion. In the cycle of the five elements, this is the energy of wood. Spring is the season when we reclaim our creative self. Our spirit should express itself in the world in order to be healthy. Aspects of the spirit or soul in Oriental Medicine are ascribed to bodily centers. Each of the soul’s aspect or element feeds its unique energy to the body. We must bring our souls back into our bodies to heal and become whole again. Spring is when illnesses that originate from the loss of power become healed.

The energy of Wood is the energy of assertion and righteous anger. It is expressed through constant frustration and anger and when it’s out of balance that can lead to resignation and sadness. One of the wood organ system meridians is the Liver, which is most affected by these emotions. The animal soul or “Hun” resides in the liver. In Western Psychology, the “Hun” is similar to the term known as the anima which is our creative self that makes adjustments in the world. It is our self that grasps for what we need and encourages movement. In Chinese tradition, the Liver prefers order. Similar to the growing plant that pushes through the darkness of the soil, our spirit is designed to reach for what it needs. According to Chinese medicine, the Liver ‘combs’ the blood; it keeps the life force or Chi smoothly flowing in various directions. Without action our ideas and dreams become literally stuck in our bodies. We become that frustration in our bodies when we are anything less than the self we are truly meant to be since our spirits needs to express itself in the world.

An imbalanced Liver will manifest physical symptoms that tell you to pay attention to the calling of the soul to reorganize our lives. Typical PMS symptoms include: sadness, tears, irritation, frustration, breast tenderness and bloating. Fibromyalgia symptoms include: depression, fatigue, and muscle pain. Symptoms of allergy include stuffiness, sinus pain, and red itchy, tearing eyes, tearing, itchy, red eyes, which can occur due to an imbalanced Liver. Impotence and Migraines are also signs of Liver imbalance. All the choices you make not to display your creativity, acknowledge what you are really feeling, or act assertively can all lead to an overburdened Liver. When your Chi does not flow freely, it slows down in the Liver. Like friction, this stagnant energy, generates heat that rises in the body. Blood congeals and the tendons and muscles are not nourished causing restricted movement and pain.

Each element has a corresponding yin and yang meridian partner. While the yin energy channel or meridian processes the predominant emotion of that element, the yang meridian processes the mental attitude. The Gall Bladder is the Liver’s partner. Shoulder and neck tensions as well as headaches may develop from the Gall Bladder meridian. Tension in the Gall Bladder is combined with too much need to control. The energy of Wood that has become balanced confers the capacity to act assertively and to flow with the environment.

Nothing but an open neutral mind can unblock the free movement of Chi in the body. According to an ancient Taoist saying:

Blood precedes energy
Energy precedes mind
Mind precedes spirit
Spirit precedes the Tao

The concept of Chi, which is the bioelectrical energy flowing throughout the body underlies Oriental meridian therapy. Chi becomes emotion, thought, movement, digestion, etc. depending on what it moves through. Hurts, injuries, and feelings are all energy expressions flowing in a certain way. ‘E-motion’ is a word that actually means ‘to move out’. We often experience physical or emotional tension if we fail to express an emotion, which only blocks flow of our energy. Mind then becomes a series of crystallized patterns that reduces our awareness. This generates armoring or physical tension in our musculature. The Nei Ching says: there is blockage where there is pain. It is believed that the Tao can break through anything that gets in its way. Acupressure or Acupuncture in Walla Walla enables the Chi to circulate freely again, causing the energy to change because that is its nature. This is often felt as streaming of energy or tingling and can be accompanied by expressions of emotional and physical release such as tears and sighs. The root of the term emotion gives us a clue to how it can be understood. The “E” means “out” and thus E-motion actually means to move out. Essential to healing is the freeing up trapped attitudes and emotions. In Oriental medicine, there are no psychosomatic sicknesses because bodily processes and the emotions all have common energy channels.

When the Liver is overwhelmed with drugs and chemicals, all our emotions have their own biomolecules that can build up in the blood. With a toxic Liver, emotions tend to stay longer in the body. The Liver biochemically does hundreds of processes that detoxify poisons and maintain and clean the quality of blood. The job of the Liver is to eliminate excess neurotransmitters and hormones such as adrenalin and estrogen from the blood. It removes lactic acid and allows endorphins to keep circulating. Glycogen is stored in the Liver. This organ changes the glycogen back to glucose in order to supply a constant amount of energy to the brain. The Liver has many more functions and all are vital to a sense of steady well-being.

The Liver, on a physical level, can be healed with the plants of spring. Nutrients from the earth are extracted by the plants and the plants take in sunlight to synthesize chlorophyll. In plants, energy production is related chemically to energy production in the human body. Chlorophyll absorbs the energy of the sun that excites the electrons and the plant houses the energy as ATP and releases Oxygen. The body imbibes the chlorophyll from plants and substitutes the magnesium with iron in an intricate chemical process to produce hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood, vital for generating energy on a cellular level. Magnesium is required in more than 300 enzyme reactions, these are some of the reasons the Liver does well on a green diet. Chi and blood benefit from green plants helping them to flow abundantly and constantly in the body.

Blockages often arise and like a young plant a person may develop around them. The body surprisingly releases more pain alleviating biochemicals to difficulties than to delightful experiences. Obstacles to goals often arise that pushes a person back on Tao or on the right path. This is the Taoist way of saying we create our own experiences. Jupiter is the planet associated with the Liver and the wood element. Through openness and faith, a person can grow and expand — Jupiter’s entry into a chart, in astrological terms, will provide the person with that energy. Saturn with its balance in the chart, represents the limitations, like rocks in the way of the new plant. Spring has the energy that usually sends us the message to “just do it”. Your body may be requesting for a change if you are experiencing any of the Liver symptoms listed above; therefore, listen.

The element of wood is a beautiful symbol for the natural desire to become what one truly is, to express oneself and, to make changes in the environment. It has an energy that’s the same as a blade of grass pushing upward to the earth reaching for the light. Wood contains all the other elements and organizes them as a plant develops from a seed and the spirit matures according to one’s individual Tao or the plan of his soul.

Go To A Chinese Medicine Practitioner And Get A Physical And Mental Tune Up

Doctors in ancient China would go from village to village, where they would see every villager, and as required, would provide them with advice or treatment. The physician, in return would receive a tiny recompense from each person he saw. Villagers would stop paying the doctor when they got sick.

The job of the doctor during that time was to not to cure disease but to prevent it and keep the patient healthy. This system is very much different to the modern way, where medical advice is only sought after we’re already sick.

The methods use in Chinese medicine can be used to maintain well-being and health as well as to treat disease, and this is how they were traditionally used in China. Getting tui na massage and acupuncture on a regular basis helps to keep levels of energy of a person up, bolster immunity, and normalize the flow of Chi in the body.

Eating foods proper for the season and considering your current state of health, constitution, sex, and age, can also really make a big difference. The ageless wisdom of Chinese Nutritional therapy enables practitioners to dispense advice on exactly how and what a person should be eating at the current time to preserve his vitality and health.

For the maintenance of health and well-being, there are three ways Chinese Medicine can help:

1. Special Treatments – Certain therapies can be applied to strongly improve the vital energy or Chi of the body. This is an aspect of the art of ‘nourishing life’, that’s used to improve functioning and overall health and to slow down the aging process. Special treatments can be appropriate for anyone past the age of 30. A few treatments are typically repeated once a year and administered close together. The healing effects of heat therapy or moxibustion are usually availed of for this purpose.

2. Regular treatments – One ideal way to maintain vitality and health is to undergo treatment each month or every six weeks. Regular tui na massage and/or acupuncture treatments can keep you healthy and relaxed, and helps resist sickness, enhances sleep, and alleviates stress. As things change in your life, nutritional therapy can also be customized based on your particular circumstances.

3. Seasonal treatments – A lot of people find that they fall ill or struggle at the coming and goings of the seasons. These can be proper times for enhancing treatment to keep one’s levels of energy up, prevent illness, and strengthen the immune system.

Therefore, if you could do with a boost or seem to feel out-of-sorts, go to a local Chinese medicine practitioner in Vancouver and get yourself a physical and mental tune up!

The Advantages Of Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

As an alternative to conventional Western medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is designed to correct imbalances in the body and works in ways that include:

• Enhancing the lifestyle of the patients – This includes advancing healthy exercise and diet
• Assisting the patient to relate to internal emotions in a healthier way
• Addressing the environment and the external aspects of the patient

Traditional Chinese medicine impacts the various regions of the body although it often tends to focus on only a few of body parts. Those regions include: heart, kidneys, spleen, liver, lung, small intestine, gallbladder, and large intestine.

Traditional Chinese medicine – Its Benefits

In traditional Chinese medicine, a practitioner’s choice of treatment can provide several advantages that include:

Betterment of the liver’s health: A healthy TCM diet helps in bolstering the health of the liver since traditional Chinese medicine practitioners recommend following a healthy diet. To improve the health of your liver, the healthiest foods to eat include: herbs, spices such as garlic and ginger, healthy fats, and sweet potatoes. People need to stay away from processed carbohydrates, alcohol, refined oils, sugary snacks and drinks, and fried foods.

Hormonal balance: Clinical trials reveal that herbs that are high in antioxidants and used to treat anti-inflammatory conditions can help improve the function of the central nervous and endocrine system. This helps enhance the healing powers of the body and balances hormones such as testosterone, insulin, cortisol, and estrogen.

Alleviation of chronic headache and pain: The use of acupressure and acupuncture in Boca Raton can substantially contribute to the management and relief of pain associated with arthritis and other medical problems. Medical researchers have also observed that treatment modalities such as tai chi and eating a healthy diet can lead to a major decrease in chronic tension headaches.

Less inflammation: The mushrooms and herbs used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine possess anti-inflammatory, autophagic, antiapoptotic, and/or antioxidant qualities. When these herbs are taken, it can lead to lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress that helps protect the organs, tissues and cells from illnesses and disease.

A Few Recommendations to Consider When Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

If you desire to get optimal benefits from the use of traditional Chinese medicine, you need to follow a few healthy tips. Before settling on a specific practitioner, always gives yourself time to research the practitioner’s background to see if he/she is qualified and reputable. We advice that you visit a number of clinics and take a look at the certifications displayed on the wall of the clinic. You may need to avoid practitioners who have no certifications.

Natural herbs should always be taken under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. They should not be used if you are pregnant or if you’re suffering from a medical condition. Stay away from drugs manufactured by an unknown company as they might contain lethal additives such as mercury, cadmium, lead and other heavy metals.

To optimize your treatment experience, it is important to integrate preventative habits and lifestyles such as natural supplements, getting adequate sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising, into your treatment regimen.

Conclusion

These are the things you need to know about traditional Chinese medicine. It’s important to note that the herbs are indicated for complementary modes of treatment, so you should take them alongside complementary medications. Always follow the advice of your doctor to avoid any complications.