Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine

The main premise behind Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is that life energy (qi) flows through the internal organs and connects the entire body in a river like system called meridians. There are 14 main meridians that interconnect the systems of the body and carry the qi.

Poor diet, irregular eating, lack of sleep, life stress or traumatic injury can disrupt the flow of qi in the meridians and cause disharmony within the internal organs and body systems. When the flow of qi in the meridians stagnates, we may feel pain or begin to experience symptoms of illness, and the lack of free flow of qi in one area of the body can affect other seemingly unrelated regions of the body as well.

When certain points are tender to the touch, it can indicate the need for treatment of the associated meridian or corresponding internal organ.
Fortunately, we can improve the free flow of qi and restore health by stimulating these tender spots on the meridians, which are called acupuncture points. These points can be stimulated with an acupuncture needle or by pressure with the hands called acupressure.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine goes hand in hand with acupuncture to help improve the flow of qi through the meridians and internal organs. Over thousands of years, the Chinese have developed a system of medicine to treat symptoms of disease with dried plant roots, fruits, leaves, seeds, bark, flowers, and minerals.

The method of diagnosis by a Traditional Chinese Medical Doctor (TCMD) is what sets Chinese medicine apart from Western medicine. In TCM, the state of your health is determined through examination of the tongue and the palpation of the pulses at the wrist. The condition of the internal organs is reflected in the color and shape of the tongue, as well as the color and thickness of the coating on the tongue. On each wrist, there are three positions corresponding to the internal organs, and there are 28 different types of pulses that tell a story about the condition of the organs. Your TCMD will also ask you detailed questions about your quality of sleep, digestion, bowel habits, and menstrual cycle. This information combined with the tongue and pulse examination helps your TCMD determine the most effective Chinese herbal medicine prescription and set of acupuncture points to bring you back to health. And so, Chinese medicine is tailored to your exact needs and can heal many of the symptoms that other health practitioners may not have been able to address.