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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of healing that developed in China about 3,000 years ago and has changed very little over the centuries. It's based on the idea that laws of nature can be used to understand the inner workings of the body. Your health, like the universe at large, proponents say, is subject to constant battling between opposing forces such as heat and cold, male and female, joy and sadness, which manifest themselves in your body as too much or too little activity in particular organs. An imbalance between any of these forces can cause a blockage in the flow of your qi (chee) or vital energy traveling through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. TCM practitioners typically use acupuncture and herbs to help unblock your qi and bring your body back into harmony and wellness.

A TCM practitioner will ask you questions about your emotional and mental life as well as your physical symptoms. Knowing whether you are indecisive or have an explosive temper may help him determine what type of gallbladder trouble you're having, for example. He or she may also take your pulse several times, once for each internal organ, and check the color and texture of your tongue, and then craft a customized treatment designed to enhance your overall health, rather than zeroing in on an infection or injury.

In most cases, your practitioner will use acupuncture to stimulate certain points along your meridians in order to bring your qi back into balance. But he might also apply small mounds of burning herbs (a technique called moxibustion) or suction cups (cupping), or use deep tissue massage. Then he may prescribe a combination of herbs and other ingredients designed to correct whatever imbalances he thinks are causing your troubles. Typically, you'll brew these herbs into a strong-tasting tea, or they may come in pill or extract form. Finally, your practitioner may recommend that you try practicing Qi Gong or Tai Chi, slow, gentle martial arts that combine breathing, movement, and meditation to balance and strengthen your qi.

The Chinese believe that acupuncture treatments redirect or unblock the flow of vital energy through your body and that certain herbs soothe over-active organs or strengthen weak ones. Western medicine has its own theories about how acupuncture works -- perhaps by triggering the release of endorphins, natural pain-killers. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement on acupuncture noting some promising results – especially in treating nausea and postoperative dental pain – and calling for more research. There are also preliminary reports that it may relieve low back pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, migraines, and osteoarthritis. Few studies in western journals have measured the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine, but you're likely to get better results by going to an experienced herbalist than by trying to self-medicate with the "one-size-fits-all" commercially prepared formulas in health food stores. The NIH is now sponsoring research on Chinese herbs and other TCM techniques for treating conditions ranging from osteoarthritis of the knee to irritable bowel syndrome.

It depends on which treatments you use. Acupuncture is quite safe as long as your practitioner uses either properly sterilized or disposable needles to prevent the spread of infection. Let your acupuncturist know if you are taking aspirin or other painrelievers regularly, since they can exacerbate any minor bruising from the needles. Herbs are a little more worrisome. Many Chinese herbalists won't tell you exactly what's in their concoctions, some of which may contain trace amounts of dangerous substances such as mercury and arsenic. Also, it's a good idea to tell your practitioner about any drugs you're taking, and your doctor about any herbs you're taking, but be aware that it is still unclear how certain herbs or mixtures of herbs will interact with other drugs.

Most TCM practitioners are acupuncturists who are also trained in Chinese herbal medicine. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can provide you with a list of board-certified practitioners in your area. Visit their Web site at www.nccaom.org, or call them at (904) 598-1005.

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Last updated June 17, 2009
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