TCM-Alternative Medicine Chinese Medicine Yin and Yang Five Elements Anxiety Arthritis[TCM Discovery Net]

What TCM Does
Chinese medicine(TCM) is a system of diagnosis and healthcare approach that has evolved for 3000 years. The Chinese approach to understanding the human body is unique. It is based on the holistic concept of the universe on the spiritual insights of Daoism, and it has produced a highly sophisticated set of practices designed to cure illness and to maintain health and well-being.(Alternative Medicine)

How TCM Thinks
Within Chinese Cosmology, all of creation is born from the marriage of two polar priciples, Yin and Yang; Earth and Heaven, winter and summer, night and day, cold and hot, wet and dry, inner and outer, body and might. Harmony of this union means health, good weather, and good fortune, while disharmony leads to disease, disaster, and bid luck. The strategy of Chinese medicine(TCM) is to restore harmony.(Alternative Medicine)

Each human is seen as a world in miniature, a garden in which doctor and patient together strive to cultivate health. Every person has a unique terrain to be mapped, a resilient yet sensitive ecology to be maintained. Like a gardener uses irrigation and compost to grow robust plants, the TCM doctor uses acupuncture, herbs and food to recover and sustain health.(Alternative Medicine) (Yin and Yang, Five elements)

Body Consituents ( Qi, Moisture, Blood, Spirit, Essence)
TCM Think just as Nature contains air, sea, and land, the human body is comprised of Qi, (pronounced Chee), Moisture, and Blood. Qi is the animating force that gives us our capacity to move, think, feel, and work. Moisture is the liquid medium which protects, nurtures, and lubricates tissue. Blood is the material foundation out of which we create bones, nerves, skin, muscles, and organs.(Alternative Medicine)

Human beings intermingle psyche and soma, Spirit (Shen) and Essence (Jing). Shen is the immaterial expression of the individual; and Essence represents the body's reproductive and regenerative substance. Chinese medicine(TCM) appreciates the impact of the unseen upon the visible. Even though it is impossible to touch or measure thoughts or emotion, they are acknowledged as inextricably linked to physiology.(Alternative Medicine) (Qi and Energy, Jing,Blood,Body Fluids and Shen )

TCM Organ Networks (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney)
As Nature is organized by five primal powers - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water - so the body is divided into five functional systems known as Organ Networks. These Networks govern particular tissues, mental faculties, and physical activities by regulating and preserving Qi, Moisture, Blood, Spirit, and Essence.

For example, the Kidney Network includes yet extends beyond the job of managing fluid metabolism which people in the West ordinarily associate with the kidneys. The Kidney stores the Essence responsible for reproduction, growth, and regeneration. It controls the teeth, bones, marrow, brain, inner ear, pupil of the eye, and lumbar region, and is associated with the emotion of fear, the will, and the capacity for sharp thinking and perception. so problems such as retarded growth, ringing in the ears, infertility, low back pain, paranoia, fuzzy thinking, weak vision, apathy, or dispair are viewed as dysfunctions of the Kidney Network.

The Heart not only propels blood through the vessels, but harbors the Spirit and governs the mind. Symptoms as varied as anxiety, restless sleep, angina, and palpitations occur when the Heart is agitated.

The Spleen is in charge of the assimilation of food and fluids, as well as ideas, so when this Network is disturbed, indigestion, bloating, fatigue, scattered thinking, and poor concentration ensue.

The Liver is responsible for the storage of Blood, flow of Qi, and evenness of temperament - so when the Liver is thwarted, tension in the neck and shoulders, high blood pressure, headaches, cramping, moodiness, and impulsive behavior may follow.

Through the breath, the Lung sets the body rhythm, defends its boundaries, and affords inspiration. A troubled Lung might trigger tightness in the chest, skin rashes, vulnerability to colds or flus, rigid thinking, or melancholy.(Alternative Medicine)

TCM Body Climates (Wind, Dampness, Dryness, Heat, Cold)
In Nature, extreme wind, dampness, dryness, heat, and cold wreak havoc in the world. These same forces can derange balance within the human body, weakening or obstructing the movement of Qi in the organs. As winds shake the trees of the forest, disassembling leaves and branches, internal Wind manifests as vertigo, unsteady movement, and trembling. As saturated earth generates swamps, so Dampness becomes phlegm and edema in the body. As aridity withers vegetation, so Dryness causes chapping or cracking of mucus membranes, Just as ice inhibits the rush of water in a stream, so internal Cold retards circulation and depresses metabolism. And just as fire scorches the earth, so internal Heat may inflame tissue.(Alternative Medicine)

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TCM Health and illness
Qi, Moisture, and Blood circulate within a web of pathways called channels that link together all parts of the organism. Health exists when adequate Qi, Moisture, and Blood flow smoothly. Symptoms as varied as joint pain, headache, anxiety, fatigue, menstrual cramps, high blood pressure, asthma, indigestion, and the common cold occur when their circulation is disrupted.

All illness is understood as a consequence of either a depletion or a congestion of Qi, Moisture, and Blood. Depletion leads to weakness, lethargy, frequent illness, poor digestion, and inadequate blood flow. Congestion results in aches, tension, tenderness, pain, a distended abdomen, irritability, and swelling.(Alternative Medicine)

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TCM Diagnosis
Practitioners assess a person's health by feeling the pulsation at each wrist and by observing the color and form of the face, tongue, and body. This information is interpreted in the contest of a patient's present and past complaints, work and living habits, physical environment, family health history, and emotional life.(Alternative Medicine) (Looking,Hearing and Smelling,Questioning,Touching )

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TCM Treatment
The goal of treatment is to adjust and harmonize in Yin and Yang - wet and dry, cold and heat, inner and outer, body and mind. This is achieved by regulating the Qi, Moisture, and Blood in the Organ Networks; weak organs are tonified, congested channels are opened, excess is dispersed, tightness is softened, agitation is calmed, heat is cooled, cold is warmed, dryness is moistened, and dampness is drained.

Treatment may incorporate acupuncture, herbal remedies, diet, exercise, and massage. Duration of treatment depends on the nature of the complaint, its severity, and how long it has been present. Acupuncture is scheduled as often an three times a week or as little as twice a month. Response varies some need only a few sessions while others need sustained care to reverse entrenched patterns established over time. As symptoms improve, fewer visits are required, individual progress being the yardstick.(Alternative Medicine)

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TCM Herbal Remedies and Supplements
Herbal medicine is itself a powerful method of healing. Western drugs often control symptoms, but do not alter the disease process ( antibiotocs eliminate bacteria but do not improve a person's resistance to infection; diuretics fid excess fluid without improving kidney function). Chinese herbs treat the underlying condition as defined by traditional diagnosis, and rarely cause unwanted side-effects.

Just as soil becomes depleted through overuse, so the Qi, Moisture, Blood are eroded by overwork, emotional tension, mental strain, too much or too little exercise, and inadequate diet or rest, impairing the capacity of the Organ Networks to do their jobs.(Alternative Medicine)

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Ginseng How Herbs Work
Since fatigue results from a lack of Qi, herbs that nourish the Qi have an energizing effect. Since blurry vision, restless sleep, and irritability result from depleted Blood, Blood - enriching herbs improve vision, sleep, and equanimity. Since dry skin and dehydration arise from insufficient Moisture, herbs that replenish it soften the skin and relieve an otherwise unquenchable thirst.

Herbs assist the Organ Networks in the performance of their tasks. Particular herbs enhance the capacity of the Heart to propel the blood and soothe the mind, the Spleen to manage digestion and fluid equilibrium, the Lung to handle respiration and body's defenses the Liver to maintain resilient emotions an supple limbs, and Kidney to sustain sexual and regenerative power. Some herbal formulas address ailments such as colds, allergies, inflammations, or cramps with dramatic and immediate results, while others fortify body reserves over time.

For example, Jake's stuffy head and cloudy senses are relieved by herbs that dispel Heat and Wind. Herbs that strengthen the Lung and Qi will increase his resistance to colds and flus. Kate experiences menstrual distress as a result of congested Qi, Moisture, Blood in the abdomen - a traffic jam that results in sore and swollen tissue, a puffy face, irritability, lethargy, and cramps. Herbs that invigorate her circulation can dislodge the pile-up, relieving her symptoms.

Linda is concerned about the signs of aging that occur as Essence and Blood diminish. Herbs that nourish the Kidney and Liver replenish Essence and Blood so that healthy bones, supple skin, shiny hair, and an even temperament prevail while the fading of sexuality or hot flashes are prevented. (Alternative Medicine)

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Formulas Combine Benefits.
Chinese herbs are usually combined in formulas to enhance their properties and actions. Symptoms and signs are matched with therapeutic effects, reflecting the particular conditions and needs for each patient. Tonic formulas restore eroded body resources; regulating formulas decongest the Qi, Moisture, and Blood, relieving discomfort; and purging formulas eliminate adverse climates, inviting clear weather.

Formulas are available in a variety of forms: crude herbs to be boiled into tea, liquid bottled extracts, ground herbs packaged in pills, and powders. Herbs, more like foods than drugs, can supplement our diet and fortify our constitution as well as prevent or remedy ailments. Sometimes long-term use of herbs is desirable whereas extended use of pharmaceuticals would not be healthy.(Alternative Medicine)

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How Western and Chinese Medicine(TCM) Differ
Because Chinese medicine(TCM) views people as ecosystems in miniature, it seeks to improve our capacity to balance and renew our resources. Chinese medicine(TCM) can minimize the erosion of our soil by enriching it, maximize the flow of nutrients by increasing circulation, and help prevent bottlenecks that obstruct movement.

Often Western medicine intervines only after crisis arise, whereas Chinese medicine(TCM) anticipates problems by sustaining our interior landscape. By correcting depletion and stagnation at earlier stages, greater problems later on are avoided.

Sometimes Western medicine has nothing to offer for nagging chronic compalints that Chinese medicine(TCM) can help. They two are not a substitute for each other. They are often complementary. Whereas Western medicine may heroically rescue us, Chinese medicine(TCM) can protect and preserve our health day to day.(Alternative Medicine)

TCM INTRODUCTION	TCM YIN-YANG AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS
TCM VISCERAL MANIFESTATION	TCM QI, BLOOD, BODY FLUID AND VITALITY
TCM MERIDIANS	TCM ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS
TCM PATHOLOGICAL MECHANISM	TCM PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

General Introduction	Tranquilizers
Heat Clearing Chinese Medicinal Herbs	Cathartics
Dampness Removing Chinese Medicinal Herbs	The Interior Warming Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Qi Regulating Chinese Medicinal Herbs	Food Retention Relieving Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Hemostatic Chinese Medicinal Herbs	Chinese Resuscitative Medicines
Phlegm Resolving, Antitussive and Antiasthmatic Chinese Medicinal Herbs	Diaphoretics or Exterior Syndrome Relieving Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Chinese Medicinal Herbs for Calming the Liver to Stop Endogenous Wind	Chinese Medicinal Herbs for Invigorating the Blood and Removing Blood Stasis
Restoratives	Astringent Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Chinese Medicinal Herbs for External Application

	TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE(TCM)
	What TCM Does How TCM Thinks (Yin and Yang, Five elements) TCM body Constituents (Qi and Energy, Jing,Blood,Body Fluids and Shen ) TCM organ Networks (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney) TCM body Climates (Wind, Dampness, Dryness, Heat, Cold) TCM health and illness TCM diagnosis (Looking,Hearing and Smelling,Questioning,Touching ) Treatment Herbal Remedies and Supplements How Herbs Work Formulas Combine Benefits How Western and Chinese Medicine(TCM) Differ Sino-western Joint