Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEastern vs. WesternEarly HistoryWhat Is Chi?Healing TechniquesSafetyWhere to Find a TCM PractitionerConsult Your Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Eastern vs. Western
Early History
What Is Chi?
Healing Techniques
Safety
Where to Find a TCM Practitioner
Consult Your Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a holistic approach to treating a person’s mental and physical health problems. It developed thousands of years ago, and its core practices have changed little since then.
Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that sickness stems from an imbalance in a person’s life force energy (known asqi). The goal of TCM is to restore harmony within an individual and balance the forces of yin and yang, which are components of qi.
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Eastern Medicine vs. Western Medicine
The earliest writings attributed to traditional Chinese medicine are attributed to the Shang dynasty and date back 3,000 years. Etched into tortoiseshell and bone, the writings describe the concept of qi, defined as circular movement in the body. It also describesxue, or blood. These texts describe how excess, deficiency, or stagnation in the movement of qi and/or xue can lead to imbalance and poor health.
Chiis the English word for qi. It represents the concept of the “vital life force” existing both inside and outside of the body. Qi is described as a force that composes and binds all things in the universe together.
Chi is made of two branches that can impact health. One branch is all about what we take into our body (breath), and the other is about what flows through our body (blood). TCM practitioners also think of blood as an energetic concept.
These two branches can be considered complementary opposites or yin and yang. According to traditional Chinese medicine, an imbalance between our internal state and the external world creates illness.
Balancing Yin and Yang
List of Healing Techniques
The following techniques are all meant to help a person regain balance and promote harmony between yin and yang:
Acupuncture
Clinical research reviews suggest acupuncture helps the body release natural painkillers and may be effective in helping reduce symptoms in patients with chronic (ongoing) pain.
Acupuncture Benefits and Risks
Tai Chi
Tai chi is a type of gentle and slow exercise that includes body movement and focused breath work. It has been described as “meditation in motion” and “medication in motion.”
While it was originally a form of martial arts, it has been adapted into the TCM umbrella of techniques as means of encouraging proper flow of qi and promoting balance between yin and yang.
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Cupping
In cupping, also calledcupping therapy, a practitioner uses warm glass jars that create suction on the skin on certain body areas (usually the back, stomach, arms, and legs).
Herbs
Herbs are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat the whole person and their symptoms. Herbs are prepared in capsule form, teas or extracts, and powders, in traditional or custom formulas.Herbal remediesare unlike pharmaceuticals used in Western medicine, which target specific disease symptoms. Many herbs may help with hard-to-diagnose or -treat syndromes, including allergies, infertility, and menopause.
Before starting any herbal supplement, check with your healthcare provider to make sure it’s right for you and it doesn’t interfere with any medications you may already be taking.
Health Benefits of 10 Healing Herbs
Ensuring Safety
Traditional Chinese medicine may have a longstanding history, but that doesn’t mean all methods are safe and without risk or that all people offering traditional Chinese medicine are qualified to do so.
For example, while herbs may be used effectively to treat certain ailments, these remedies may also cause serious side effects and contraindications with medications and other health conditions. Knowing what you’re taking when it comes to herbs is difficult due to a lack of standardized regulations and labeling practices.
Ensuring safety comes down to working directly with a qualified TCM practitioner.
To find a TCM practitioner, consider going to the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) website directory. Choosing someone from this directory ensures you will be working with someone who holds a recognized certification.
During Your First Visit
During your first visit, the practitioner will gather information. They will ask direct questions and check on “nonverbal elements” including your demeanor, voice, bodily sounds, complexion, and how your body moves.
They will also examine your tongue, take your pulse and temperature, and check areas for muscle tone and pain or discomfort near or around internal organs, as appropriate.
For safety purposes, you’ll want to ensure your healthcare provider is up-to-date on which traditional Chinese medicine techniques you’re considering using and which ones you’ve decided to try. This is particularly true in cases of chronic illness, pregnancy, and where prescription medications are involved.
Summary
Traditional Chinese medicine techniques such as acupuncture, Tai Chi, cupping, and herbs have been used for thousands of years. Their goal is to help a person balance their vital life force known as qi. Qi is made up of yin and yang elements. While some methods may be helpful, TCM is not risk-free and should be applied only with the support of a qualified practitioner.
A Word From Verywell
Traditional Chinese medicine should not be used in replacement of Western medicine or to delay the possibility of treatment for serious disorders, infections, or the like. If you’re curious about what traditional Chinese medicine may offer, consider talking to your healthcare provider and a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner before trying any options at home.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is thousands of years old. Early writings date back 3,000 years to the Shang dynasty. It has changed little since.
Before buying Chinese herbs online, speak with a qualified Chinese herbalist who can help guide your exact needs. Seek herbs that are independently tested for quality and accuracy, rather than buying bulk herbs online.
You can ask a local practitioner or healthcare provider (medical or naturopathic doctor) about the best place to find Chinese herbal medicines. You can also search online for “local Chinese herb stores” or your closest herbal remedy and herbal supplement store.Learn MoreHerbal Supplements Benefits and Risks
You can ask a local practitioner or healthcare provider (medical or naturopathic doctor) about the best place to find Chinese herbal medicines. You can also search online for “local Chinese herb stores” or your closest herbal remedy and herbal supplement store.
Learn MoreHerbal Supplements Benefits and Risks
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chinese medicine.Qiu J.When the East meets the West: the future of traditional Chinese medicine in the 21st century.Natl Sci Rev. 2015;2(3):377-380. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwv049American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.What is Chinese medicine?.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Acupuncture: Effectiveness and safety.Harvard Health Publishing.The health benefits of tai chi.Vaccaro M, Coppola M, Ceccarelli M, Montopoli M, Guarneri C.The good and the bad of cupping therapy: case report and review of the literature.Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021;25(5):2327-2330. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202103_25266Cleveland Clinic.What you should know about Chinese herbs.University of Minnesota.What happens when you visit a TCM practitioner?
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chinese medicine.Qiu J.When the East meets the West: the future of traditional Chinese medicine in the 21st century.Natl Sci Rev. 2015;2(3):377-380. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwv049American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.What is Chinese medicine?.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Acupuncture: Effectiveness and safety.Harvard Health Publishing.The health benefits of tai chi.Vaccaro M, Coppola M, Ceccarelli M, Montopoli M, Guarneri C.The good and the bad of cupping therapy: case report and review of the literature.Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021;25(5):2327-2330. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202103_25266Cleveland Clinic.What you should know about Chinese herbs.University of Minnesota.What happens when you visit a TCM practitioner?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chinese medicine.Qiu J.When the East meets the West: the future of traditional Chinese medicine in the 21st century.Natl Sci Rev. 2015;2(3):377-380. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwv049American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.What is Chinese medicine?.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Acupuncture: Effectiveness and safety.Harvard Health Publishing.The health benefits of tai chi.Vaccaro M, Coppola M, Ceccarelli M, Montopoli M, Guarneri C.The good and the bad of cupping therapy: case report and review of the literature.Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021;25(5):2327-2330. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202103_25266Cleveland Clinic.What you should know about Chinese herbs.University of Minnesota.What happens when you visit a TCM practitioner?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Chinese medicine.
Qiu J.When the East meets the West: the future of traditional Chinese medicine in the 21st century.Natl Sci Rev. 2015;2(3):377-380. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwv049
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.What is Chinese medicine?.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Acupuncture: Effectiveness and safety.
Harvard Health Publishing.The health benefits of tai chi.
Vaccaro M, Coppola M, Ceccarelli M, Montopoli M, Guarneri C.The good and the bad of cupping therapy: case report and review of the literature.Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021;25(5):2327-2330. doi:10.26355/eurrev_202103_25266
Cleveland Clinic.What you should know about Chinese herbs.
University of Minnesota.What happens when you visit a TCM practitioner?
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