TCM has been practiced for almost 2,000 years and originated in ancient China. It is based on natural remedies and is intended to promote the body’s natural healing mechanisms. To cure or prevent health problems, TCM practitioners use herbal treatments and numerous mind-body therapies including acupuncture, nutritional recommendations, stress/emotional support, exercise including tai chi and qi gong, cupping, and moxibustion.
This ancient kind of medicine, which is based on a concept of balance with nature and the flow of qi (pronounced chi), has several medical and psychological benefits, many of which you may not be aware of.
- Cupping can help you manage chronic pain. A therapist places cups on the skin for a few minutes to induce suction in this fashionable but old type of alternative therapy. The therapist lights a combustible substance such as alcohol or herbs in the cup as part of the procedure. Once the fire has gone out and suction has been produced, these cups are inverted and placed on your skin.
- Another option for treating pain in the lower back, neck, or knees is acupuncture. It’s also used to treat osteoarthritis, migraines, and headaches. Acupuncture, perhaps the most well-known branch of TCM, is a highly individualized treatment. Energy flow (qi) is balanced by placing needles in combination across some of the 350 acupuncture points in the body, resulting in relief.
- Acupuncture has also been found to be useful for high or low blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, morning sickness, sprains, rheumatoid arthritis, chemotherapy-induced vomiting, and a few other illnesses, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Inflammation is a root cause of many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer, and TCM herbal treatment can help reduce it. Acupuncture, herbal therapies, and acupressure are all used in TCM to assist relieve inflammation.
- TCM can help you gain muscle strength and flexibility. Regularly practicing tai chi delivers a beneficial aerobic workout. It’s been dubbed “meditation in motion” because it can help you improve your balance, maintain or even improve your flexibility and agility, and increase total muscle strength.
- TCM is good for your mental health as well as your physical health. Physical and mental health are intertwined in TCM. Mental problems are not seen as a single syndrome by TCM practitioners. TCM, on the other hand, focuses on treating specific problems. The goal is to re-balance the internal functioning of the body. In TCM, both Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are utilized to address mental health problems.
- TCM can help you have a better night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to exhaustion, irritation, and health problems such as reduced cognitive performance, muscle stiffness, and fibromyalgia. Balance can be recovered in the body and sleep issues are addressed by combining acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines according to the advice of a skilled TCM practitioner.