TCM & Herbs: What is TCM ( Traditional Chinese Medicine )?
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine ( TCM ) ?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)dates back nearly five thousand years and is often defined as an ancient healing system that sees the relationship between body and mind as a whole, integrated process. The root of TCM is the premise that good health relies on the restoration and maintenance of harmony and balance by empowering the body’s own healing abilities. In TCM, different aspects of life including our mental and emotional state, our diet and lifestyle, and our environment are considered equally important for a person’s wellbeing. TCM promotes wellbeing for all genders and ages.
The difference between the TCM holistic approach and that of western medicine is evident: while modern Western medicine views body and mind as separate entities (therefore treating particular diseases with specific drugs and searching to eliminate offending micro-organisms from our bodies), Chinese medicine uses natural approaches to rebalance our whole being, never separating out the mind and/or body from the environment.
Chinese medicine uses the classical system of the Five Element Theory. The Five Elements are a comprehensive template that organizes all natural phenomena into five master groups or patterns in nature. Each of the five groups—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—include categories such as a season, a direction, climate, stage of growth and development, internal organ, body tissue, emotion, aspect of the soul, taste, color, sound . . . the categories are seemingly limitless. The Five Elements reflect a deep understanding of natural law, the Universal order underlying all things in our world.
The five elements serve different functions in the body and generally correspond to the five major organ systems.
According to TCM, all our organs and vital body functions interact in a single continuum, each one influencing, restraining, and controlling each other.
In TCM philosophy, pain is seen as a clear indication of a blockage of energy (in other words, an impediment to the natural flow of our body energy) and treats it directly. TCM herbalist therapies and holistic treatments aim to heal the whole person, not just the pain, disease, or a single aspect of it. TCM’s focus is on prevention rather than letting problems arise and then having to find a cure.
A health assessment in Traditional Chinese Medical can detect subtle imbalances in the body before they develop into diseases, and much earlier than regular Western medical tests can detect any abnormalities.
Under the TCM Act 2006, TCM is a regulated practice in Ontario, and we are registered members of good standing with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO).
