Traditional Chinese Medicine
 Traditional Chinese medicine is a type of natural healing that has been practiced for centuries. Even though it is considered to be a fairly alternative practice in the United States, it is widely accepted and used as a main part of health care throughout Asia and even parts of Europe.
There are many aspects that must be taken into consideration when looking at Chinese medicine as a whole. Most people are familiar with the many techniques that are used to achieve the mind, body, spirit balance that lies at the core of this ancient practice.
The main parts of traditional Chinese medicine are:
- Yin and yang (equal but opposite parts)
- The five elements
- Qi (life energy)
- Xue (blood)
- Five zang organs (yin)
- Six fu (yang)
- Meridians
In this practice, all of these aspects are connected and have an effect on your qi. Illness is believed to develop when the qi becomes unbalanced, and it must be corrected through a variety of techniques including Chinese herbal medicine, massage, yoga, martial arts, nutrition, and much more. The relationships between the different elements and your body are:
- Metal - lungs (yin), large intestine (yang)
- Wood - liver (yin), gall bladder (yang)
- Water - kidney (yin), urinary bladder (yang)
- Fire - heart (yin), small intestine/pericardium (yang)
- Earth - spleen (yin), stomach (yang)
It has been shown in conventional medicine that there is a viable link between these parts of the body, and with the long life expectancies of Asian countries, there may be something to this centuries-old practice. |
