Chinese Medicine is descended from one of the world’s oldest healing traditions, dating back thousands of years. It is a complete system of medical care using herbal remedies, acupuncture, breathing and exercises (such as Qigong and Tai Chi), dietary recommendations and other types of therapies to strengthen the body, fight illness, and achieve longevity. While such techniques have constantly evolved in response to clinical advances and new discoveries, the underlying principles remain as relevant today as they were five thousand years ago.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its own unique philosophy and theory that takes a holistic approach to health. Practitioners view the body as a whole entity, rather than dividing it into separate physical parts. Different functions of the body are interrelated and may affect each other. Environmental factors are also taken into account. Thus, rather than treating the disease, TCM enables the healthy functioning of the whole body. According to TCM, health is more than the absence of disease. It offers the ability to enhance our capacity for well-being and happiness. In contrast, Western medicine tends to emphasize the different structures of the body and the direct effect that chemical components of drugs may have upon them. In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, TCM is used as an alternative treatment to complement western medicine and promote overall health.
To fully understand TCM, it is necessary to know a little about the ancient Chinese philosophies upon which it is based.
One of the key underlying theories of TCM is Yin Yang theory. The terms Yin and Yang represent substances or phenomena with opposing characteristics, which are in a constant state of flux. Everything has a Yin and Yang aspect, which are mutually controlled and inhibited by each other. The result is a continuous state of dynamic balance. But when the balance of the body is disturbed, it causes an excess or deficiency of Yin or Yang, resulting in health problems.
Ancient Chinese divided the world into five basic elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, each having their own specific characteristics and properties. Organs of the body can be categorized as belonging to one of these five groups, too, making Five Elements Theory a useful means of diagnosing the causes of disease. Since each of the five elements is interconnected, the dynamic balance of the body can be maintained through the generative and restrictive relationship between the elements.
The physical body is a condensation of chi, the vital life force, which flows into all things. It enters the human body through pathways known as meridians that form a network throughout the body. Each meridian is connected to an organ, and is named after that respective organ. The collective term for all the internal organs is Zang Fu. However, in TCM, the organs are functional units of the body, rather than exact anatomical structures. For instance, the triple burner, classified as an organ in TCM, is a unique concept and does not correspond to anything in Western physiology. Its function is to generate warm energy and water. The internal organs can be divided into Zang and Fu according to their Yin and Yang properties respectively. The Zang organs include liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney. Their functions are producing, transforming, storing and regulating chi, blood and body fluid. The Fu organs are the gall bladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder and triple burner. These are organs with empty cavities for digestion and transmitting nutrients to the body.
Since TCM does not focus on tackling a particular pathogen or treating a specific area in isolation to the rest of the body, but rather aims to improve the overall wellbeing of the patient in order to treat the root cause of the ailment, doctors must use several different methods to help determine the right treatment. These include questioning and taking a medical history; listening and smelling; pulse taking and palpation. The doctor will then use traditional theories including the Eight Principles and Zang Fu Differentiation to identify both the disease and the syndrome, which represents the pathology of a disease at certain stage. Eight Principles are the guiding rules for syndrome identification There are four sets of factors: internal or external; cold or hot; excess or deficiency; and Yin or Yang. The practitioner looks for signs of imbalance.
Therapies are always a combination of several treatment methods, such as Chinese herbs, acupuncture and exercises. According to the national Materia Medica of China, there are nearly 8,000 kinds of Chinese medicines. Most of them are plant based, but others are derived from animals, mineral substances and even fossils. Examples include ginseng (plant), deer horn (animal), gypsum (mineral) and longgu (fossil). They are combined to make a herbal medicine that will help regulate the patient’s imbalances.
Chinese herbs do not directly act upon the diseased tissues. While the emphasis with Western drugs is on their chemical components, Chinese herbs are chosen for their particular natures (hot, warm, cool or cold), tastes (spicy, sweet, sour, bitter or salty) and targeted meridians. A doctor will choose a medicine that possesses properties opposite to those displayed by the patient in order to counteract their symptoms and restore the dynamic balance of the body. For example, herbs with a cold nature can be used to clear heat toxins.
TCM is a dynamic therapy that has changed over the centuries in response to increased clinical knowledge and new discoveries. In the true spirit of TCM, Vita Green has developed a range of home remedies that are perfectly in keeping with the busy modern lifestyle. Not everyone is able to visit a TCM practitioner; others are put off by the bitter taste of Chinese medicinal teas or lack the time to brew the ingredients. Vita Green uses advanced technology combined with ancient knowledge to bring you traditional Chinese blends and single herb remedies in a convenient pill or granule form. Our TCM experts have chosen herbs known to address common symptoms and bring back a healthy balance to the body, so you may easily choose the right formula to restore your health.