Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul McCartney, Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Ben Affleck, to name but a few. It's based around the belief in a universal life force called Chi (pronounced chee). This is made up of two complementary forces - the vigorous Yin and the restraining Yang. These two forces must be in harmony to maintain good health, and anything that disrupts the balance between these produces ill health.
Yin and Yang are associated with different aspects of ill health, including cold (Yin), hot (Yang), deficiency (Yin), excess (Yang), interior (Yin) and exterior (Yang). Six environmental factors, or pernicious influences, are also taken into account: wind, cold, fire, dampness, dryness and heat.
Are you Yin or Yang?
In general, excess Yang is associated with acute pain, spasm and headache, while excess Yin is associated with dull aches, chilliness and fatigue. Unlike Western medicine, TCM revolves around diagnosing patterns of symptoms rather than naming any particular disease. As most ill people have a mixture of Yin and Yang symptoms, practitioners are skilled in recognising the pattern and selecting the right treatment. An individual with eczema, for example, is believed to have excess Yang or heat, and those with dry, flaky eczema have excess 'wind heat', while those with weeping eczema have excess 'damp heat'. Symptoms are treated with cooling herbs and foods (eg, melon, cucumber, freshwater fish) to help scatter the heat, and sufferers are advised to avoid hot, spicy foods, alcohol and red meats.
As well as Chinese herbalism, diet and lifestyle approaches, balance is restored through techniques such as acupuncture, qigong, t'ai chi and a manipulative art known as Tui Na (a form of acupressure).
The body is considered an integrated whole, so that problems in one area automatically affect other parts, and conversely, treating one specific problem can bring about widespread benefits. This is because the life force or Chi flows through the body along special channels known as meridians. Ancient practitioners identified 12 main meridians, six of which have a Yang polarity and are related to hollow organs such as the heart, and six of which have a Yin polarity, and are mainly related to solid organs such as the liver. In modern times, another eight meridians have also been recognised, which have a controlling function, making 20 in all.
Where is your Chi?
Although Chi energy flows along the meridians, it is believed to become concentrated at certain points – known as acupoints – where it can enter or leave the body. Traditionally, 365 acupoints were identified on the meridians, but many more have been now been discovered and around 2,000 acupoints are illustrated on modern charts. In health, energy flows through the meridians in a balanced way, while symptoms of illness are believed to result from imbalances or blockages in the energy flow, which can be brought about through factors such as stress, emotions, poor diet and spiritual neglect. Manipulation of selected acupoints during acupuncture or acupressure helps to correct the emotional and physical symptoms of ill health.
Chinese herbalists have as many as 6,000 medicinal herbs at their disposal. These are rarely used singly, but prescribed together in mixtures that can contain 10 or more remedies. These are usually brewed to make a medicinal tea, but can also be taken as pills, powders or applied as ointments and creams.
