- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the
oldest continuously practiced medical systems in the world.
- Throughout history, more people have been treated by
Chinese medicine than by any other formalized system of medicine and it is
still used today by roughly one fourth of the world's population for
primary health care.
The ancient
beliefs on which TCM is based include the following:
- The human body is a
miniature version of the larger, surrounding universe.
- Harmony between two opposing yet
complementary forces, called yin and yang,
supports health, and disease results from an imbalance between
these forces.
- Five elements—fire, earth, wood, metal, and water—symbolically represent all phenomena, including the stages of human life, and explain the functioning of the body and how it changes during disease.
- Qi, a vital energy that flows through the body, performs multiple functions in maintaining health.
- In TCM, herbs are often combined in formulas and given as teas, capsules, liquid extracts, granules, or powders.
- According to the 2007 NHIS, about 2.3 million Americans practiced tai chi and 600,000 practiced qi gong in the previous year.
- Recent
studies, including some supported by NCCAM, suggest that practicing tai chi may
help to improve balance and stability in people with Parkinson’s disease;
reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia; and promote quality of
life and mood in people with heart failure
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