The below methods are considered as parts of the Chinese medicine treatment:
1. Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC.
Yet throughout its history it has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been sustained by research into every aspect of its use. This process continues today with the development of modern medical diagnostic techniques and knowledge.
Because of its systematic approach and clinical effectiveness it has for centuries had a very great influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the East, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the West. It still forms a major part of healthcare provision in China, and is provided in state hospitals alongside western medicine. Chinese medicine includes all oriental traditions emerging from Southeast Asia that have their origins in China.
Practitioners may work within a tradition that comes from Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan or Korea. It is a complete medical system that is capable of treating a very wide range of conditions. It includes herbal therapy, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and exercises in breathing and movement (tai chi and qi gong). Some or several of these may be employed in the course of treatment.
Chinese Herbal Medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person's Qi or vitality may be depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance.
However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognizes that health is more than just the absence of disease and it has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for well being and happiness.
2. Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion therapy can approach to cure a variety of ailments. Acupuncture treats diseases by puncturing points of the body with different types of needles. Moxibustion applies heat produced by ignited moxawood over certain points in the body. Although different equipment and materials are used, the therapeutic and preventive results are similar. Both promote the circulation of qi and blood in the channels by stimulating the key points and channels of the body. Acupuncture and moxibustion are frequently used together to treat ailments ranging from internal problems to gynecological and pediatric diseases including ailments of the eyes, lips, nose and tongue. The results are often quick with little or no side effects. The locations where needles are inserted or where heat is applied are known as points. By focusing on specific points, different effects or reactions can be produced in corresponding parts of the body. The discovery of these points and the effects of stimulating them have led to the theory of channels and collaterals. Early acupuncturists believed that needle manipulation at a point would affect other parts of the body along a denied route. Points at different locations would also produce similar results. Thus, acupuncturists studied the relationship between these points and developed the theory of channels and collaterals. The vertically distributed "trunk lines" were described by physicians in ancient times as "channels" while the large and small branches of these "channels" were referred to as "collaterals". Together a network can be defined as consisting of l2 channels, l5 collaterals and 8 extraordinary channels. This network spreads throughout the they and links various points of the body.
The points forming the network were discovered one by one during the long history of acupuncture and moxibustion. Unearthed materials and historical records show that impressive results were obtained as early as the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220A.D.). The earliest success with acupuncture and moxibustion is recorded in the Shiji (Historical Records) by Sima Qian, a historian of the Han Dynasty. An account is given in "Biographies of Bian Que" who brought patients out of comas by using acupuncture. For thousands of year acupuncture and moxibustion therapies have been popular as methods of preventing and treating diseases. They have served as important components of Chinese medicine.
3. Tui na – Chinese Massage
Tuina (Tui Na) is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years. Tuina (Tui Na) uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic orientation. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques Tuina (Tui Na) seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of channels and collaterals, allowing the body the naturally heal itself.
Tuina (Tui Na) methods include the use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body, acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi , and manipulation techniques to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships (bone-setting). External herbal poultices, compresses, liniments, and salves are also used to enhance the other therapeutic methods.
Tuina (Tui Na) has a variety of different systems that emphasize particular aspects of these therapeutic principles. The main schools in China include the rolling method school which emphasizes soft tissue techniques and specializes in joint injuries and muscle sprains, the one finger pushing method school which emphasizes techniques for acupressure and the treatment of internal diseases, and Nei Gung method school which emphasizes the use of Nei Gong Qi energy generation exercises and specific massage methods for revitalizing depleted energy systems, and the bone setting method school which emphasizes manipulation methods to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships and specializes in joint injuries and nerve pain.
In a typical session, the client, wearing loose clothing and no shoes, lies on a table or floor mat. The practitioner examines the specific problems of the client and begins to apply a specific treatment protocol. The major focus of application is upon specific pain sites, acupressure points, energy meridians, and muscles and joints. Advanced Tuina (Tui Na) practitioners may also use Chinese herbs to facilitate quicker healing. Sessions last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Depending on the specific problems of the client, they may return for additional treatments. The client usually feels relaxed but energized by the treatment.
Tuina (Tui Na) is now being popularized in this country as a powerful therapeutic extension of traditional western massage methods. Tuina's (Tui Na) simplicity and focus on specific problems, rather than a more generalized treatment, make it both an excellent alternative and/or extension of the Swedish-style massage. By utilizing treatments of shorter duration, it can be used in a variety of settings, including home, office, clinic or hospital. It is well suited for either the professional massage therapist or the active, health conscious individual.
4. Cupping
The cupping massage - In this special form of cupping, the patient's back is rubbed with a special salve that promotes blood flow and makes the skin conductive. The therapist then pulls a large massage cupping glass with a very rounded edge across the back with slow, even movements.
Suction Cupping has been adopted the advantage of traditional cups and avoided the weakness of conventional cups. The cups are transparent so that the change of the skin and bleeding within the cup is easily observable, and duration of cupping is well controlled. In the application as fire is not used there is no fear of burning the skin, the negative pressure inside the cup is controllable based o-n the patient condition and constitution. The Suction Cupping appliance, hardly breakable, conveniently and safely applicable, is suitable for both hospital and family use.
Suction Cupping Appliance have strengthening body resistance, eliminating pathogenic factors so that the body is prevented from a falling ill and a health is maintained and is a according to a channel or a disease of a Zhang?Fu and select points o-n nearby location of the pathologic changes or the location of the feeling transport along the channel and regulate function of the channel qi and the blood through cupping, thus, can treat the disease and strengthen the body health without a disease.
5. Qigong
Qigong is one of the four pillars of traditional Chinese medicine: Acupuncture, Massage, Herbal Medicines and Qigong. Of these, Qigong is the one that can be most easily self initiated. Both massage and herbal remedies can also be done as self care, however, Qigong is the mother of Chinese self healing. Patients who use Qigong faithfully need less medication, less acupuncture and heal faster.
The word Qigong breaks into Qi and Gong: Qi = vitality, energy, life force, Gong = practice, cultivate, refine; Qigong = to cultivate and refine through practice one's vitality or life force. The Chinese believe that the primary mechanism that is triggered by the practice of Qigong is a spontaneous balancing and enhancing of the natural healing resources in the human system. Over thousands of years millions of people have benefited from these practices believing that improving the function of the Qi maintains health and heals disease.
In the paradigm of mechanistic Western science, the practice of Qigong triggers a wide array of physiological mechanisms which have profound healing benefits. It increases the delivery of oxygen to the tissues. It enhances the elimination of waste products as well as the transportation of immune cells through the lymph system. And it shifts the chemistry of the brain and the nervous system. You can find a summary of the many physiological mechanisms that are initiated by the practice of Qigong in the Information Center.
There are various estimates for the number of varieties of Qigong. There are at least a thousand. Some elaborate and complex, some mysterious and esoteric and some simple and practical. If you adjust to a relaxed, upright posture, take a deep breath and relax your mind - you are already doing Qigong. Try this: sit up, relax your body, take a deep breath, rest your mind for just a moment. Already you are stimulating an automatic self healing response.
6. T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese form of exercise derived from Taoism, one of China's oldest belief systems. The practice of Tai Chi Chuan is beneficial to health and it is also a subtle, sophisticated and scientific method of self-defence.
Since this system of exercise is suitable for people of all ages and requires little or no special equipment, it has gained an enthusiastic reception all over the world. Tai Chi Chuan evolved to help people improve their physical health, equip them to defend themselves against wild beasts and bandits, and also improve their powers of meditation. In other words, Tai Chi Chuan enables people to survive through fitness and self-defense.
Advantages of practicing Tai Chi Chuan are good exercise which enables us to develop a healthy body as well as an alert mind. It is a system of exercise suitable for people of all ages. This exercise requires little or no special equipment. It can be practiced in a relatively small area either indoors or outdoors. When performed in a slow and relaxed manner, the Tai Chi Chuan Hand Form offers a balanced drill for the body's muscles and joints through the execution of complex maneuvers in conjunction with deep regulated breathing and the contraction and expansion of the diaphragm. The deep breathing promoted by the slow practice of the Hand Form causes the diaphragm to expand outwards and downwards and contract inwards and upwards. This movement of the diaphragm gently 'massages' the liver and intestines. Deep breathing also promotes a greater intake of air into the lungs than usual. Thus a greater amount of oxygen is available for consumption which increases blood circulation. In so doing it also expands the blood vessels which serve the heart and intestines. Therefore Tai Chi Chuan helps prevent thrombosis and many other ailments of the heart and intestines. The performance of the Hand Form creates a tranquil state of mind through concentration on the movements. In the long term, Hand Form stimulates the central nervous system, which increases the well-being of all the organs of the body. As our muscles move when practicing Tai Chi Chuan, they exert pressure on our veins, forcing our blood to flow towards the heart, improving our circulation. The exercise that the stomach muscles receive will improve the digestion, leading to an increased appetite and the prevention of constipation. The graceful movements of Tai Chi Chuan can lead to changes in our disposition, making us more even-tempered and slow to anger.
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