| Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long | | | | agitation is calmed and dryness is moistened. |
| history of over 4,000 years. For centuries, | | | | |
| millions of people in China have relied on | | | | Advantages of TCM |
| TCM for their health and treatments. | | | | |
| | | | Western medicine has approached health and a |
| What is TCM | | | | well being from a very different angle and |
| | | | viewpoint. It is reactive, rather than |
| TCM joins the power of acupuncture, Chinese | | | | proactive. Science and symptoms is the main |
| herbs, and energetic exercises to correct | | | | drivers. Western medicine examines and |
| imbalances found in the body. This not only | | | | dissects to determine the conditions of the |
| allows the body to heal itself but also helps | | | | body and attempts to introduce external, |
| to prevent other illness. TCM has been used | | | | often synthetic drugs to restore health. TCM |
| to treat various ailments, from acne, | | | | on the other hand, focus on why the body is |
| cellulite, dandruff, gout, insomnia, | | | | not functioning properly and attempts to use |
| menopause, weight loss and wrinkle to other | | | | individualized organic herbal formula to |
| more serious health conditions such as | | | | rejuvenate and to restore the body to its |
| arthritis, cancer, cholesterol, depression, | | | | natural state. Modern drugs may cause side |
| diabetes and heart diseases. | | | | effects in the long term and creating another |
| | | | disease while treating the other. |
| Ying and Yang | | | | |
| | | | Disadvantages of TCM |
| Chinese believe that the imbalances of organ | | | | |
| energies (or Qi) may cause disease that | | | | One of the shortcomings of TCM is the lack of |
| affects the health. The TCM approach is | | | | research in the area of toxins and heavy |
| fundamentally different from that of modern | | | | metals. This is because TCM was established |
| Western medicine. In TCM, the understanding | | | | centuries ago when the world was not polluted |
| of the human body is based on the holistic | | | | by industrial waste or toxic chemicals. The |
| understanding of the universe as described in | | | | lack of standardization in Chinese herbs and |
| Daoism, and the treatment of illness is based | | | | the possibility of toxicity present some of |
| primarily on the diagnosis and | | | | the major disadvantages in dealing with |
| differentiation of syndromes. The goal of TCM | | | | traditional Chinese herbs. Numerous cases of |
| treatment is to adjust and harmonize Yin and | | | | potentially toxic levels of arsenic and |
| Yang - wet and dry, cold and heat, body and | | | | mercury in Chinese traditional medicines have |
| mind. This is accomplished by regulating the | | | | been reported. It is advisable to purchase |
| Qi, Moisture and Blood in the Organ networks. | | | | traditional Chinese medicine from reputable |
| Weak organs are strengthened. Congested | | | | sources and those which has met FDA |
| channels are opened to flow, heat is cooled, | | | | guidelines or strict local health |
| cold is warmed, tightness is softened, | | | | certifications. |