TCM 101: What are the basic principles of TCM?

Caution: Useful Educational Content!

You may have heard that Traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine have different ways of understanding the body and explaining human health and disease. We encourage you to read the basic principles of TCM to better understand TCM and how you may benefit from seeking TCM treatments.

Origin: 

Traditional therapies and herbal remedies in the East (China and India for example) can be traced back as early as the Olden Antiquity Era（~2000BC). These early therapies gradually developed into a complete medicine system over a long period. 

There are countless predecessors to what we know as ‘modern’ TCM, such as Shen Nong (神农), Bian Que (扁鹊), Zang Zhongjing  (张仲景) and HuaTuo (华佗). Each of these precursors laid the foundation for TCM diagnosis and treatment. 

Holistic Concept of TCM:

Western medicine professionals typically search for specific causes related to a patient’s symptoms. In their practices of medicine, these physicians rely on these specific symptoms to provide a diagnosis and focus their treatments. It is also typical for Western doctors to directly target those body parts showing symptoms. TCM does not work this way. TCM considers your body’s systems to be one integrated and balanced whole. As such, TCM practitioners rarely focus a treatment only on a single body part or system.

YIN(阴) &YANG(阳) and Wu (Five) Xing (Elements) (五行):

 Based on the fundamental idea of Taoism (a philosophical and religious tradition of China), Ancient Chinese health practitioners believed that there were fundamental laws of nature including balance and unity. These fundamental laws were formed between the cosmos and humans in such a way as to create harmony and balance in the universe. 

How does this then relate to the practice of TCM? The skin of the human body corresponded with the flat texture of the earth. The five internal organs corresponded to the five elements of wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. The eyes and ears are related to the sun and moon in the heavens. The world is a harmonious and holistic entity, where no single being or form can exist unless viewed alongside its surrounding environment. 

In TCM, the human body is an organic whole- all the parts are interconnected based on the concept of YIN YANG balance. They depend on and restrict each other physiologically. They influence each other pathologically. The five organs act as the core functional units, and through the linking of the meridian system, a complex set of interrelationships is formed within the body. Every part of the body has special relationships with the five organs, and the five organs themselves are interrelated too.

These concepts have no equivalents in Western medicine.

Practical Difference to Western Medicine:

TCM terminology can be confusing. TCM uses familiar terms such as heart, lungs, deficiency, dampness, and heat, but these terms are defined differently. A TCM practitioner who refers to a deficient kidney, for example, rarely means the kidney is diseased in a Western physiological or pathological sense. The meaning, rather, is different. 

Instead of targeting a certain spot or area for treatment, in TCM attention is paid to the interrelation and interaction between localized pathology and the whole body.

The TCM holistic approach always associates localized pathology with overall body reactions. TCM practitioners are not only concerned about local pathology and its corresponding internal organ, but they also consider the influence on unaffected body parts, to predict the disease progression. 

The clinical manifestations of diseases result from the overall body reactions. For example, with damp heat irritating the liver and gall bladder, not only are these two organs are affected, but the disorder may also affect the spleen, stomach, heart, and kidneys. This TCM disorder may lead to nausea, little to no appetite, diarrhea, insomnia, lumbar soreness, knee weakness, and fatigue. 

If liver blood deficiency occurs, there may be symptoms like blurred vision (openings of the liver), dizziness, pale nails (outer manifested region of the liver), muscle or tendon spasms (dominated tissues of the liver), limb weakness, scanty menses and even missed periods (the Conception Vessel and Thoroughfare Vessel are controlled by the liver). 

Disorders of internal organs, QI, blood, and body fluids can be manifested on the superficial body, while a localized or regional pathology can affect the whole body and cause extensive dysfunctions.

Diagnosis and Treatment Plan:

TCM treatment focuses on the overall disharmony of the body rather than specific organs or body regions. Most of the time, remedies restore the balance of the whole body. TCM employs comprehensive therapeutic effects to achieve the healing purpose. 

A disharmony pattern is the general conclusion of the cause, pathological changes, developmental stage, and overall body reactions to a particular disease. 

Treatment based on syndrome differentiation (identifying disharmony pattern) relies upon the holistic concept of TCM, which makes use of the organic wholeness and interrelationships of the body. 

Rather than invasive medicinal procedures or medications with strong side effects, TCM treatment uses gentle techniques without aggressive approaches that have few if any contraindications or negative side effects. TCM manages the body and its conditions, with Acupuncture, Taichi, Moxibustion, Tuina, Chinese Cupping, and Herbal Formulas.

We look forward to seeing you and providing the highest level of care we have always strived to achieve.  

Total Wellness Staff