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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient form of healing that began in China some 3,500 years ago and is now used by more than 2 billion people, including 12 million Americans. The goal of treatment is to rebalance the energetic systems, optimizing a person’s function on all levels. Part of the uniqueness of this form of medicine lies in its holistic concept that the body does not manifest physical symptoms separately, but as an integrated whole. TCM also strives to correct the underlying problem instead of merely reducing or controlling symptoms. As preventive care, Chinese medicine offers an opportunity to treat imbalances before they manifest as disease. |
The body has blood that flows through the circulatory system and nerve messages that flow through the nervous system. Life energy flows through a system of channels called meridians that were mapped out 3,500 years ago. Today the meridians can be measured scientifically by reading their electrical resistance. When this energy is blocked, health problems arise. Acupuncturists are trained to find and correct energy blocks in the body that enables the tissues and organs to heal.
If you have ever tried watering a garden with a hose that has a kink in it you know that the water doesn’t flow, and unless you correct the blockage, the water will not flow to nourish your garden. Acupuncturists are trained to remove kinks in the flow of energy and cultivate health.
In its most essential form, TCM consists of the use of acupuncture, which is the insertion of extremely fine needles into various points on the body. This is designed to balance the energies of the body, to unblock the flow of the Qi (pronounced chee), and to relieve pain and dysfunction.
The concept of Qi is central: this loosely translates as animating energy or motive force, that "stuff" that enlivens us, that is necessary for our various functions, such as respiration, digestion, circulation, reproduction, thought, action and so on. For More Information, click here.
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