Dare To Be Aware | Detox Your Mind | Alternative Lifestyle

Traditional Chinese Medicine | One of the Oldest Medical Systems Still Practised Today

By Viola Woolcott

The human body is not only an organic whole; it is a unified entity within nature, which, due to changes in the natural environment may direct or indirect be affected and the changes of the internal organs may reflect on the body surface, therefore the local pathological changes can affect the whole body.

The result is dis-ease (changes in the normal flow of qi – life force -such that yin and yang are imbalanced), the struggle between body resistance and pathogenic factors. In treating the disease, certain conditions and factors should be considered as they may change the functional condition of our body.

<> A number of different geographical environments can influence differences in body constitution
<> The four seasons - spring, summer, autumn, winter
<> Day and night alterations
<> Seasonal and climatic conditions
<> Personal characteristics – lifestyle and diet, medical history, age, sex, internal emotions, body constitution, physical examination i.e. skin, tongue, hair. From the brightness of your eyes to the colour of your nails.

These principles of the treatment as well as the factors above are very important in the clinical application of medicinal herbs and the correction of any imbalances in your body.

Practises used in stimulating your own healing mechanism:

<> Acupuncture and acupressure
<> Moxibustion – Herbs burned near the skin
<> Herbal medicine
<> Nutrition
<> Tui Na - Chinese massage
<> Exercise - tai chi and qi gong - combining movement with meditation

Having been used to treat countless conditions, TCM is very effective for various diseases.

Some of the conditions known to be particularly helpful include:

<> Diabetes and its complications such as retinopathy - damage to the retina located in the back of the eye
<> Obesity
<> High cholesterol levels
<> Fertility disorders in male and female
<> Alzheimer’s disease
<> Digestive disorders - irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
<> Recurrent cystitis - inflammation of the bladder

TCM may also be effective for the following:

<> Arthritis
<> Sinusitis
<> Stress
<> Pain - including childbirth and abdominal
<> Menopausal symptoms
<> Osteoporosis
<> Allergies
<> Infections - respiratory, bladder, vaginal
<> Sleep disorders
<> Addictions
<> Constipation

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Filed under: Alternative Therapy on December 4th, 2007