Eastern alternative treatments (also termed integrated or complementary therapies) have continuously been adopted by standard medical institutions in the U.S. and other Western nations for the past several decades. A report released by the Medical University of South Carolina Department of Complementary-Alternative Medicine shows that based on a 2013 study conducted by Health Products Research, over half of the 3,200 physicians in the U.S. planned to increase or begin to use alternative forms of medicines, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments, within the following year.
Mind-body practices that underscore holistic treatments and disease prevention are now being recognized by more and more medical schools and are now included in the training of students and staff. Although there are still some patients and doctors who are skeptical about the efficacy of a lot of the TCM modalities, research nevertheless continues to reveal that complementary therapies can make a significant contribution to the quality of life of many patients.
The use of Eastern and Traditional Chinese Medicine offers several advantages including a lessened need for pharmaceutical drugs, stronger immunity, better sleep, natural management of pain, lower levels of stress, and a high level of patient compliance (often because of the quick and noticeable improvements in their symptoms).
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Dating back at least as far back as 200 B.C.(2000 years ago), Traditional Chinese Medicine is a form of natural and holistic system of health care involving the stimulation of the healing mechanisms of the body and takes into consideration all aspects of a patient’s life, instead of just dealing the signs and symptoms of a patient’s condition. Practitioners of TCM see the body as a complicated network of interconnected components (a portion of a larger reality known as Qi), instead of just distinct organs or physiological systems.
Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, are aimed at rectifying imbalances within the body and mainly work in three major ways:
1. Assisting patients to relate with their internal emotions in a healthier manner, including the management of stress
2. Considering the environment and external factors affecting the patient
3. Improvement of the exercise and diet routine and other lifestyle factors of a person
During TCM treatments, the organs that are most commonly focused on are the large intestine, small intestine, gallbladder, lung, liver, spleen, heart, and kidneys. The benefits of TCM vary considerably and are based on the specific type of person and his/her symptoms. Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies are usually used for some of the following health conditions:
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Infertility
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Liver disease
• Hormonal imbalances
• Indigestion
• Menopause symptoms
• PMS
• High blood pressure
• Chemotherapy and cancer recovery
Different Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies include:
1. Cupping therapy: For detoxification, energy increase, and prevention of deficiencies
2. Acupuncture in Cleveland: For relief of pain, elimination of stress, and restoration of hormonal balance
3. Nutrition: For improving digestion, strengthening immunity, and management of pain
4. Exercise: Including tai chi or Qi gong. To help improve concentration, strength, and flexibility
5. Herbal medicine: To help enhance liver function, fight free radical damage, and relieve and prevent inflammation
6. Moxibustion: Burning of moxa herb near the skin to boost blood flow in the body and relieve pain and stress
7. Tui Na: Massaging of the soft tissue to boost blood circulation in the body