Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. It is well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia. Different from the Western Medicine, it has its own theory, diagnostic methods and treatment methods.

Theory

TCM theory is extremely complex and originated thousands of years ago through meticulous observation of nature, the cosmos, and the human body. Major theories include those of Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human body Channel system, Zang Fu organ theory, six confirmations, four layers, etc.

The foundation principles of Chinese medicine are not uniform, but based on several schools of thought. The Received TCM can be influenced by Taoism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism.

Since 1200 BC, Chinese academics of various schools have focused on the observable natural laws of the universe and their implications for the practical characterisation of humanity's place in the universe. In the I Ching and other Chinese literary and philosophical classics, Chinese writers described general principles and their applications to health and healing.

Traditional Chinese medicine is largely based on the philosophical concept that the human body is a small universe with a set of complete and sophisticated interconnected systems, and that those systems usually work in balance to maintain the healthy function of the human body. The balance of yin and yang is considered with respect to qi, blood, jing, other bodily fluids, the Wu Xing, emotions, and the soul or spirit. TCM has a unique model of the body, notably concerned with the meridian system. Unlike the Western anatomical model which divides the physical body into parts, the Chinese model is more concerned with function. Thus, the TCM spleen is not a specific piece of flesh, but an aspect of function related to transformation and transportation within the body, and of the mental functions of thinking and studying.

Theories used to describe the human body in TCM include: Channels, also known as "meridians", Wu Xing, Qi, Three jiaos also known as the Triple Burner, the Triple Warmer or the Triple Energiser, Yin and Yang, Zang and Fu.

The Yin/Yang and five element theories may be applied to a variety of systems other than the human body, whereas Zang Fu theory, meridian theory and three-jiao (Triple warmer) theories are more specific.

There are also separate models that apply to specific pathological influences, such as the Four stages theory of the progression of warm diseases, the Six levels theory of the penetration of cold diseases, and the Eight principles system of disease classification.

 

Four types of TCM Diagnostic Methods

There are four types of TCM diagnostic methods: observe, hear and smell, ask about background and touching. The pulse-reading component of the touching examination is so important that the doctor will have one’s pulse felt while one goes to see a doctor.

Traditional Chinese medicine is considered to require considerable diagnostic skill. A training period of years or decades is said to be necessary for TCM practitioners to understand the full complexity of symptoms and dynamic balances. Modern practitioners in China often use a traditional system in combination with Western methods.

 

Techniques:
Palpation of the patient's radial artery pulse (pulse diagnosis) in six positions:

Observations of patient's tongue, voice, hair, face, posture, gait, eyes, ears, vein on index finger of small children.

Palpation of the patient's body (especially the abdomen, chest, back, and lumbar areas) for tenderness or comparison of relative warmth or coolness of different parts of the body

Observation of the patient's various odors.

Ask the patient about the effects of their problem.

Anything else that can be observed without instruments and without harming the patient

Ask detailed questions about their family, living environment, personal habits, food diet, emotions, menstrual cycle for women, child bearing history, sleep, exercise, and anything that may give insight into the balance or imbalance of an individual.

 

Methods of Treatment

The following methods are considered to be part of Chinese medicine:

Acupuncture is a technique in which the doctor inserts fine needles into specific points on the patient's body. Usually about a dozen acupoints are needled in one session, although the number of needles used may range anywhere from just one or two to more. The intended effect is to increase circulation and balance energy within the body.

Auriculotherapy, which comes under the heading of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

Chinese food therapy: sometimes, it is necessary for the patient to pay much attention to Dietary according to his/her individual condition in relation to TCM theory. The "five flavors" (an important aspect of Chinese herbalism as well) indicate what function various types of food play in the body. A balanced diet, which leads to health, is when the five functional flavors are in balance. When one is diseased (and therefore unbalanced), certain foods and herbs are prescribed to restore balance to the body.

Chinese herbal medicine: In China, herbal medicine is considered as the primary therapeutic method of internal medicine. Of the approximately 500 Chinese herbs that are in use today, 250 or so are very commonly used. Rather than being prescribed individually, single herbs are combined into formulas that are designed to adapt to the specific needs of individual patients. A herbal formula can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 herbs. As with diet therapy, each herb has one or more of the five flavors/functions. After the herbalist determines the energetic temperature and functional state of the patient's body, he or she prescribes a mixture of herbs tailored to balance disharmony.

Cupping: A type of Chinese massage, cupping consists of placing several glass "cups" (open spheres) on the body. A match is lit and placed inside the cup and then removed before placing the cup against the skin. As the air in the cup is heated, it expands, and after placing in the skin, cools down, creating a lower pressure inside the cup that allows the cup to stick to the skin via suction. When combined with massage oil, the cups can be slid around the back, offering what some practitioners think of as a reverse-pressure massage.

Physical Qigong exercises such as Tai chi chuan, Standing Meditation, Yoga, and other Chinese martial arts.

Qigong and related breathing and meditation exercise.

Tui na massage: a form of massage similar to acupressure. Oriental massage is typically administered with the patient fully clothed, without the application of grease or oils. Choreography often involves thumb presses, rubbing, percussion, and stretches.