Essay - History. Records Show That Traditional Chinese Medicine (Tcm) Is More...

History. Records show that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is more than 2,000 years old, although there exist other written records that date back to 3,500 years earlier (Maclean and Shane 1999) and archaeological evidence that suggests it began at least 5,000 years ago. Although called traditional, it actually went through a series of changes and adaptations to various influences, such as politics, economics, science, technology and social and cultural alterations, to a point that Western medicine almost replaced it (Maclean and Shane), particularly with the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. It was restored and regained popularity only by ***** middle 50s and, henceforth, has continued to serve ***** benefit the Chinese people, as well as ***** rest of the world *****day.

***** Chinese Medicine. ***** is founded on the qi, the natural life force or energy that constitutes everything and everyone in the universe.(Xi Yi Tang) - man, animals, plants ***** even the elements. Condensed ***** is matter and ref*****ed qi is spirit. Qi is produced in the body when food combines ***** the air that is inhaled. The purpose ***** TCM is to introduce, res*****re, balance or correct the presence of this life force in the body. TCM teaches that the deficiency, blocking or loss of qi accounts for fatigue, disease, poor physical or mental health and death (Xi Yi Tang). ***** should circulate ********** ***** body through its channels or meridians in order to be ***** perfect health.

TCM also focuses on the balance between opposites in the universe, such as day and night, the sun and the mo*****, light and darkness, male and female. The Taoist symbols of yang and yin express this balance. A disturbance to that balance, whether external or internal, results in disease or some discom*****t, if it occurs in the hu***** *****. TCM ***** that these ***** causes ***** factors are the six evils, i.e., the wind, c*****, fire, damp, summer heat and dryness; ***** ***** the ***** causes or factors are ***** seven effects, i.e., joy, anger, anx*****ty, thought, sorrow, fear and fright. Sometimes, ***** considers that disease comes from miscellaneous causes, ***** as injury, fatigue, exercise and the physical constitution or make-up (Xi Ying *****). But ***** maintains that every ***** arises from any one of these ***** ***** effects (Singler 1998) and that disease can also cause a p*****rticular emotional state. Practiti*****rs claim that TCM can h*****le and correct even severe ***** and ***** troubled states, such as alcoholism, manic depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders and other conditions which Western medicine finds difficult to handle (*****).One ***** difference it h***** ***** Western or conventional ***** is that TCM evaluates and treats the entire person, not just the local bodily complaint, because its objective is the fullness and unity of the person's body, mind and spirit.

Singler points to the five chief *****man emotions, feelings or thought conditions ***** give rise to disease and diseased conditions in specific areas ***** the body. *****se are 1. fear and shock that disturb