Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine,(or TCM) is a health system reaching back more than 2,000 years, and is practiced by about one-fifth of the world's population. Many people in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia regard Chinese medicine as their first line of defence in maintaining wellbeing and combating disease. Although acupuncture has captured attention in the United States, traditional herbal medicine plays a far greater role in the Chinese health-care system. In the UK there are many practitioners in town centres, and TCM is becoming much more popular.
Backed by centuries of empirical experience, China's huge range of medicines contains thousands of substances of plant, animal, or mineral origin, most of them herbs. At least half of Chinese folk remedies have some kind of scientific basis for their reputed claims, according to a National Academy of Sciences study of 796 Chinese herbal and animal remedies.
Chinese medicine utilizes a range of therapeutic methods including herbs, acupuncture, diet, massage, osteopathic-type manipulation, breathing, deep relaxation, and therapeutic exercise in a holistic approach to health.
There is the routine use of Fu Zhen therapy, in cancer treatment -an immune-enhancing herbal regimen, as a complimentary therapy to chemotherapy and radiation. Fu Zhen therapy is reported to protect the immune system from damage and to increase survival rates, sometimes dramatically, when used in conjunction with the modern cancer therapies. The principal Fu Zhen herbs (astragalus, ligustrum, ginseng, codonopsis, atractylodes, and ganoderma) strengthen the body's nonspecific immunity and increase the functions of the T-cells.
Anti-toxin therapies from herbs are also regularly used, and contain many herbs that have been found to inhibit tumour growth by a variety of mechanisms. Kelp and pokeroot are among the herbs known to dissolve tumours in Chinese herbal therapy.
Where is TCM in Relation to cancer?In classic Chinese medicine, there is no specific concept of cancer, though there is of tumours. Many tonics and herbal medicines were developed to alleviate pain and prolong survival by strengthening the body's life forces and stopping the growth of a tumour. Chinese doctors believe the causes of cancer are multiple, including toxins and other environmental factors, called "external causes," as well as "internal causes" such as emotional stress, bad eating habits, accumulated wastes from food, and damaged organs.
Two main factors are stagnant blood and a blockage or accumulation of chi, or qi (pronounced chee), the vital energy said to circulate along the meridians, or pathways, linking all parts of the body. The Chinese see Illness as an energy imbalance, an excess or deficiency of the body's energies. According to the ancient Chinese, chi, the life force, controls the body's workings as it travels along the meridians, completing an energy cycle every twenty-four hours. A person is healthy when there is a balanced, sufficient flow of chi, which keeps the blood and body fluids circulating and fights disease. But if the circulation of chi is blocked for any reason or becomes excessive or deficient, pain and disease can result. The flow of chi may be disrupted by an imbalanced diet or lifestyle, overwork, stress, repressed or excessive emotions, or lack of exercise. Imbalances in yin and yang-complementary forces in dynamic flux-also disturb the normal, smooth flow of chi.
Cancer, like all other diseases, is regarded as a manifestation of an underlying imbalance. The tumour is the "uppermost branch," not the "root," of the illness. Each patient may have a different imbalance causing what outwardly looks like the same type of cancer. Each person is unique, so the Oriental doctor attempts to identify the exact individual pattern of excess, deficiency, or blockage that led to the disease. The doctor treats the imbalance rather than a condition known as "stomach cancer," or "breast cancer," or so on. The prescribed treatment will vary from one patient to the next, depending on the specific imbalances.
Nearly all of the Chinese herbs used today to treat cancer and other immune-deficient conditions fall into three broad categories. Tonic herbs increase the number and activity of immune system active cells and proteins. Toxin-clearing herbs clear the blood of germs and of waste products from the destruction of tumours and germs. Blood activating herbs reduce the coagulation and inflammatory reactions associated with immune response. Herbal therapy in cancer treatment can improve appetite, reduce nausea and vomiting, and alleviate stress.
What happens in a consultation?Overall, the Chinese doctor makes a diagnosis in terms of yin and yang, chi, Blood, and organ imbalance. The term Blood refers to much more than the material substance. Blood is the process of nourishing the organism; it occurs in a mutually regulating relationship with chi and Moisture (body fluids). In forming a diagnosis, the doctor is guided by the Eight Principles, which are four sets of polar categories (yin and yang, cold and heat, deficiency and excess, and interior and exterior). These Eight Principles serve as the framework for the data gathered through physical examination, tongue and pulse diagnosis, and observation of symptoms. Once the doctor forms a cohesive picture of the pattern of disharmony, he or she can formulate a treatment plan to restore balance.
Chinese doctors will always examine the tongue to form a diagnosis. The tongue is considered a sensitive barometer of human health in traditional Chinese medicine. Subtle changes in its colour, texture, and coating indicate specific body imbalances and reveal the progress of the illness to the experienced doctor. Many doctors believe that In neglecting tongue diagnosis, Western medicine may be overlooking a highly valuable clinical tool. The pulse is also tested and is also considered a barometer of harmony or disorder. By feeling positions on each wrist along the radial artery, the well-trained Chinese doctor can detect underlying imbalances in internal organs and in the body as a whole. A treatment plan is then worked out, usually involving the use of a combination of herbs as a tea, acupuncture if necessary and/or herbal pills. Diet is also a remedy and The Chinese healer recognizes that what we eat can either protect and rebalance our bodies or pollute our systems.
What other treatments are there?Chinese food therapy is a sophisticated health system that recognizes six different human constitutional types and evaluates foods according to their therapeutic properties. For cancer patients, Chinese doctors frequently recommend a diet based upon whole grains, beans, and fresh vegetables. Most Chinese people prefer herbal medicines to Western medication drugs. Herbal preparations are thought to be more natural, much less dangerous, and slower and gentler in action, yet equally or more effective compared to synthetic chemical drugs. Herbs are nearly always used as compound prescriptions, with a single formula containing between six and twelve herbs. Remedies are often complex, combining multiple ingredients to mirror and correct patterns of disorganized chi, Blood, and Moisture. Generally, each formula contains a chief herb, one or more assistant herbs, and a "courier herb" to take the medicine to the site of the "lesion."
When seeking a doctor who practices Oriental medicine, cancer patients need to be aware of what doctors can do and what patients can learn to do for themselves. There are four basic things that the doctor of Chinese medicine can do for you: herbal prescriptions, acupuncture, massage, and external chi gong. At least as important, however, are the things the doctor can teach you to do for yourself. These include guidance in the use of tonic or health-giving herbs, in proper nutrition, and in devising a suitable exercise program that may involve activities like swimming or walking. A competent practitioner can also teach the patient self-applied massage, meditation and relaxation techniques, and chi gong exercises. Finally, the doctor can offer guidance to help patients fulfil their unique spiritual purpose. Prospective patients should look for a doctor who provides all of these things, or one who can help patients have access to all of these things, from body care up to the spiritual components of health.
Please follow the links below to find out more about some other alternative health therapies used to treat illnesses and ailments and promote health.
Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Nutritional and alternative therapy for cancer treatment
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