Traditional Chinese Medicine: Offering more than you think…

Have you ever found yourself questioning conventional Western medicine? Looking for something more “natural’ to help you ward off that nasty winter cold, deal with sinus allergies or alleviate back pain? Chances are, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that an estimation of over 75% of Canadians have begun using natural health products in place of prescription drugs. Once viewed as outsiders in the healthcare community, alternative medicine practitioners have become increasingly popular while drastically impacting the healthcare system.

So what exactly IS Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a unique system of health care with a history of over 5,000 years in China and other Asian countries. By honouring the relationship between the human body and the external environment in order to improve, maintain and restore health, TCM has formed a system fundamentally different from that of Western Medicine. This art has been continuously refined through the clinical experiences of some 200 generations of practitioners. As well, the ability of TCM to facilitate healing in many diseases and the effectiveness of its medical treatments is recognized and acknowledge by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO believes that TCM, and all its disciplines “[to] be taken seriously as a clinical procedure of considerable value.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on a dynamic and holistic understanding of the universe and its energy and flow. The practice of TCM is based on a paradigm of the body unlike that used in Western modern medicine. This paradigm focuses mainly on the concept of “Qi”, loosely interpreted or defined as the vital energy within oneself, and its effects on ones physiological function and health. There are seven types of Qi that exist and it is the balance of them which keeps our bodies at their optimal health.

1) Congenital Qi – “ that which is from our parents, given to us at birth.
2) Grain Qi – “ that which is received from the foods we eat.
3) Natural Qi – “ that which is from the air we breathe.

4) Organ Qi – “ that which functions and supports organs within our bodies.
5) Meridian Qi – “ that which flows along the channels in the body.
6) Defensive Qi – “ that which protects our body from external disease.
7) Aggregative Qi – “ that which nourishes the lung and heart.

It is important, as well as stressed by all TCM practitioners, that we all must live in a way which nourishes our Qi. However, in a busy North American society; this becomes somewhat difficult. Qi becomes weak and insufficient due to our daily lifestyles, and in turn, is depleted. The depletion of this vital energy is the root cause of all chronic conditions due to the exhaustion of the body’s resources over time. Therefore, it is imperative that Qi be properly nourished so that one may have the energy to fully participate and find joy in their life.
Traditional Chinese Medicine maintains health by balancing both internal and external environments. This is to ensure that Qi and other fundamental substances can flow freely and nourish one another within our systems. Its broad scope offers healing methods in a wide range of areas with the help of different disciplines within TCM. Included are acupuncture, tuina massage, Chinese herbal therapy, feng shui and therapeutic exercises such as tai chi or qi gong. Taking these modalities into consideration will help one reach their optimal health and vitality.

Dr. Mable Cheung is a third generation Chinese Medical Doctor as well as a licensed and practicing Cosmetic, Cellulite & Medical Acupuncturist in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Visit www.cheungstrading.com for more information. You may also contact her at 519-252-9228 or via email at mcheung@cheungstrading.com.