China has one of the world’s oldest medical systems. Traditional Chinese medicine aims to prevent or heal disease by maintaining or restoring yin yang balance. The earliest known written record of Chinese medicine is the Huangdi neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) from the 3rd century BCE. The composition provides the theoretical concepts for traditional Chinese medicine that remain the basis of its practice today. Traditional Chinese healers seek to restore a dynamic balance between two complementary forces, yin (passive) and yang (active) which pervade the human body. According to traditional Chinese medicine a person is healthy when harmony exists between two forces; illness on the other hand results from a breakdown in the equilibrium of yin and yang.
Chinese medicine has evolved over the thousands of years it’s been in existence. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine use practices like acupuncture, tai chi, and herbal products to confront health issues using the mind and body.
Many tests have been performed to see if acupuncture helps ease different types of pain. Studies suggest that acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s natural painkillers, but some trials suggest that real and sham acupuncture are equally effective, signifying a placebo effect. However, results from many studies advocate real acupuncture may help ease types of pain, specifically chronic pain in the low-back, neck, knees, arm, and hand. It may also help reduce the occurrence of tension and migraine headaches.
Tai Chi combines specific postures, gentle movements, mental focus, breathing, and relaxation. Research supports that practicing tai chi may improve balance and stability for older people. Research also supports tai chi may help people with parkinson’s disease, reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis, cope with fibromyalgia and back pain, and promote quality of life and mood in people with heart failure and cancer.
Chinese herbal products have been studied for medical problems like stroke, heart disease, mental disorders, and respiratory diseases. A national survey showed that about one in five Americans use Chinese herbal products. There are not enough quality studies to allow firm conclusions about the effectiveness of Chinese herbal products. For information about specific herbs visit NCCIH’s Herbs at a Glance Web page.
Resources:
https://www.britannica.com/science/traditional-Chinese-medicine
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/traditional-chinese-medicine-what-you-need-to-know