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Traditional Chinese medicine
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Traditional_Chinese_medicine
Encyclopedia
Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM, includes a range oftraditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises medical knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered analternative medical system
Alternative medicine

In Western culture, alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine", or "that which has not been shown consistently to be effective." It is often opposed to evidence based medicine and encompasses therapies with an historical or cultural,...
in much of the Western world.
TCM practices include such treatments as Chinese herbal medicine,acupuncture
Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes...
, dietary therapy, and both Tui na andShiatsu
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. There are two main Shiatsu schools; one based on western anatomical and physiological theory and the other based on Traditional Chinese Medicine...
massage. Qigong and Taijiquan are also closely associated with TCM.
TCM claims to be thousands of years old and is rooted in meticulous observation of how nature, the cosmos, and the human body are interacting. Major theories include; Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human bodyMeridian/Channel
Meridian (Chinese medicine)
The meridian is a concept central to traditional Chinese medical techniques such as acupuncture, and to martial arts such as tai chi and qigong. According to these practices, there are channels along which the energy or qi of the psychophysical system is considered to flow...
system, Zang Fu organ theory, six confirmations, four levels, etc. Modern TCM was systematized in the 1950s under thePeople's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the most populous state in the world with over 1.3 billion people. Located in East Asia, China is governed by the Communist Party of China under a single-party system...
andMao Zedong
Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong was a Han Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
. Prior to this Chinese medicine was mainly a practiced within family lineage systems, although that is not true in every case.
Ancient (classical) history

Much of thephilosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of traditional Chinese medicine derives from the same philosophy that informs Taoist and Buddhist thought, and reflects the classicalChinese
China
China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity.China is one of the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization...
belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment on all levels.
In legend, as a result of a dialogue with his ministerQibo
Qibo
Qibo , was a mythological Chinese doctor, employed by Huangdi as his minister. It is said that he was enlightened with the knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine by an ethereal being from the heavens....
(岐伯), theYellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor
Huang-di, or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. He was one of the legendary Five Emperors. He was mentioned in the Shiji by historian Sima Qian . Tradition holds that he reigned from...
(2698 - 2596 BCE) is supposed by Chinese tradition to have composed his Neijing: Suwen or Inner Canon: Basic Questions (内经·素问). The book Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经), Yellow Emperor's Inner Canons title is often mistranslated as Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Modern scholarly opinion holds that the extant text of this title was compiled by an anonymous scholar no earlier than theHan dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, just over two-thousand years ago.
During the Han Dynasty (202 BC –220 AD),Zhang Zhongjing
Zhang Zhongjing
Zhang Zhongjing , formal name Zhang Ji , was an Eastern Han physician and one of the most eminent Chinese physicians during the later years of the Eastern Han...
(张仲景/張仲景), theHippocrates
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos - Greek: ; Hippokrátēs was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles , and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine...
of China, who wasmayor
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest ranking officer in a municipal government.In many systems, the mayor is an elected politician who serves as chief executive officer and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities...
of Chang-sha toward the end of the 2nd century AD, wrote aTreatise on Cold Damage
Shang Han Lun
Shang Han Lun , or Shang Han Za Bin Lun, English translation 'On Cold Damage' or 'Treatise on Cold Injury', is a medical treatise by Zhang Zhongjing that was published sometime before 220 A.D...
, which contains the earliest known reference to Neijing Suwen. Another prominent Eastern Han physician wasHua Tuo
Hua Tuo
Hua Tuo was a renowned Chinese physician during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period. The Records of Three Kingdoms and Book of Later Han record Hua as the first person in China to use anesthesia during surgery. He used a general anesthetic combining wine with a herbal concoction...
(c. 140 – c. 208 AD), whoanesthetized
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , has traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away. This allows patients to undergo surgery and other procedures without the distress and pain they would otherwise experience...
patients during surgery with a formula of wine and powderedcannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, marihuana, and ganja , among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
. Hua's physical, surgical, and herbal treatments were also used to cure headaches, dizziness, internal worms, fevers, coughing, blocked throat, and even a diagnosis for one lady that she had a dead fetus within her that needed to be taken out. TheJin dynasty
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , one of the Six Dynasties, following the Three Kingdoms period and followed by the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China. The dynasty was founded by the Sima family...
practitioner and advocate ofacupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes...
andmoxibustion
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...
,Huang-fu Mi
Huang-fu Mi
Huangfu Mi , a famous Chinese scholar and physician, was born in 215 in a poor farming family in what is now the Chinese province of Gansu...
(215 - 282 AD), also quoted the Yellow Emperor in his Jia Yi Jing (甲乙经/甲乙經), ca. 265 AD. During theTang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, Wang Bing claimed to have located a copy of the originals of the Neijing Suwen, which he expanded and edited substantially. This work was revisited by an imperial commission during the 11th century AD.
There were noted advances in Chinese medicine during theMiddle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a period of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The period followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, and preceded the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period in a three-period division of history: Classical, Medieval, and Modern...
.Emperor Gaozong
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
(r. 649–683) of theTang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907) commissioned the scholarly compilation of amateria medica
Materia medica
Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . In Latin, the term literally means "medical material/substance"...
in 657 that documented 833 medicinal substances taken from stones, minerals, metals, plants, herbs, animals, vegetables, fruits, and cereal crops. In his Bencao Tujing ('Illustrated Pharmacopoeia'), the scholar-officialSu Song
Su Song
Su Song was a renowned Chinese polymath who specialized himself as a statesman, astronomer, cartographer, horologist, pharmacologist, mineralogist, zoologist, botanist, mechanical and architectural engineer, poet, antiquarian, and ambassador of the Song Dynasty .Su Song was the engineer of a...
(1020–1101) not only systematically categorizedherbs
Botany
Botany, plant science, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life...
andminerals
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...
according to their pharmaceutical uses, but he also took an interest inzoology
Zoology
Zoology , occasionally also spelt zoölogy, is the branch of biology that focuses on the structure, function, behavior, and evolution of animals.-History:...
. For example, Su made systematic descriptions of animal species and the environmental regions they could be found, such as the freshwatercrab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
Eriocher sinensis found in theHuai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
running throughAnhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province of the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, in waterways nearthe capital city
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , formerly known as Bianliang , Bianjing , Daliang , or simply Liang , is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province, People's Republic of China...
, as well as reservoirs and marshes ofHebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
.
TCM of the last few centuries is seen by at least some sinologists as part of the evolution of a culture, from shamans blaming illnesses on evil spirits to "proto-scientific" systems of correspondence. Any reference to supernatural forces is usually the result of romantic translations or poor understanding and will not be found in the Taoist-inspired classics of acupuncture such as the Huang Di Nei Jing. The system's development has, over its history, been analyzed both skeptically and extensively, and the practice and development of it has waxed and waned over the centuries and cultures through which it has travelled - yet the system has still survived thus far. It is true that the focus from the beginning has been on pragmatism, not necessarily understanding of the mechanisms of the actions - and that this has hindered its modern acceptance in the West. This, despite that there were times such as the early 18th century when "acupuncture and moxa were a matter of course in polite European society"
The term "TCM" describes the modern practice of Chinese medicine as a result of sweeping reforms that took place after 1950 in thePeople's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the most populous state in the world with over 1.3 billion people. Located in East Asia, China is governed by the Communist Party of China under a single-party system...
. The term "Classical Chinese medicine
Classical Chinese medicine
Classical Chinese medicine is Chinese medical practice that is explicitly based on ancient texts. Its advocates sometimes distinguish it from traditional Chinese medicine .. Classical Chinese medicine was canonized and collated during the Han dynasty...
" (CCM) often refers to medical practices that rely on theories and methods dating from before the fall of theQing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912...
(1911).
Timeline
The history of TCM can be summarized by a list of important doctors and books.
Unknown, Huángdì nèijīng (黃帝內經/黄帝内经) (Yellow Emperor Yellow Emperor
Huang-di, or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. He was one of the legendary Five Emperors. He was mentioned in the Shiji by historian Sima Qian . Tradition holds that he reigned from...
's Inner Canon) - Sùwèn (素问/素問) and Língshū (灵枢/靈樞). The earliest classic of TCM passed on to the present.
Warring States Period Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, covers the period from 475 BC to the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
(5th century BC to 221 BC): Silk manuscripts recording channels and collaterals, Zubi shiyi mai jiu jing (足臂十一脉灸经/足臂十一脈灸經) (Moxibustion Classic of the Eleven Channels of Legs and Arms), and Yinyang shiyi mai jiu jing (阴阳十一脉灸经/陰陽十一脈灸經) (Moxibustion Classic on the Eleven Yin and Yang Channels). The latter was part of a cache oftexts found in Mawangdui Mawangdui Silk Texts
The Mawangdui Silk Texts are texts of Chinese philosophical and medical works written on silk and found at Mawangdui in China in 1973. They include the earliest attested manuscripts of existing texts such as the I Ching, two copies of the Tao Te Ching, one similar copy of Strategies of the Warring...
in the 1970s.
Han Dynasty Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(206 BC–AD 220) toThree Kingdoms Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the Wei in 220 and the...
Period (220 - 280 AD): Zhenjiu zhenzhong jing (针灸枕中经/鍼灸枕中經) (Classic of Moxibustion and Acupuncture Preserved in a Pillow) byHuà Tuó Hua Tuo
Hua Tuo was a renowned Chinese physician during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period. The Records of Three Kingdoms and Book of Later Han record Hua as the first person in China to use anesthesia during surgery. He used a general anesthetic combining wine with a herbal concoction...
(华佗/華佗).Shanghan zabing lun Shang Han Lun
Shang Han Lun , or Shang Han Za Bin Lun, English translation 'On Cold Damage' or 'Treatise on Cold Injury', is a medical treatise by Zhang Zhongjing that was published sometime before 220 A.D...
(伤寒杂病论/傷寒雜病論), which has since been split into two texts: the Shānghán lùn (伤寒论/傷寒論) ("Treatise on Cold Damage [Disorders]" - focusing on febrile conditions attributed to "Cold") and the Jingui yaolue (金匱要略) ("Essentials of the Golden Cabinet" - focusing on "miscellaneous illnesses") byZhāng Zhòngjǐng Zhang Zhongjing
Zhang Zhongjing , formal name Zhang Ji , was an Eastern Han physician and one of the most eminent Chinese physicians during the later years of the Eastern Han...
(张仲景/張仲景).
Jìn Dynasty (265-420) Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , one of the Six Dynasties, following the Three Kingdoms period and followed by the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China. The dynasty was founded by the Sima family...
: Zhēnjiǔ jiǎyǐ jīng (针灸甲乙经/鍼灸甲乙經) (Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Huángfǔ Mì (皇甫谧/皇甫謐).
Tang Dynasty Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618–907) Beiji qianjin yaofang (备急千金要方/備急千金要方) (Emergency Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold) and Qianjin yifang (千金翼方) (Supplement to the Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold) bySūn Sīmiǎo Sun Simiao
Sun Simiao was a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor of the Sui and Tang dynasty. He was titled as China's King of Medicine for his significant contributions to Chinese medicine and tremendous care to his patients....
(孙思邈/孫思邈). Waitai miyao (外台秘要/外臺秘要) (Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library) by Wang Tao (王焘/王燾).
Song Dynasty Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
(960 – 1279): Tóngrén shūxué zhēnjiǔ tújīng (铜人腧穴针灸图经/銅人腧穴鍼灸圖經) (Illustrated Manual of the Practice of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at (the Transmission) (and other) Acu-points, for use with the Bronze Figure) by Wáng Wéiyī (王惟一).
Yuan Dynasty Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , ), or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division or continuation of the Mongol...
(1271 to 1368): Shísì jīng fāhuī (十四经发挥/十四經發揮) (Exposition of the Fourteen Channels) by Huá Shòu (滑寿/滑壽).
Ming Dynasty Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(1368 to 1644): golden age ofacupuncture Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes...
andmoxibustion Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...
. Many famous doctors and books. To name only a few: Zhēnjiǔ dàquan (针灸大全/鍼灸大全) (A Complete Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Xu Feng (徐凤/徐鳳). Zhēnjiǔ jùyīng fāhuī (针灸聚英发挥/鍼灸聚英發揮) (An Exemplary Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and their Essentials) by Gāo Wǔ (高武). Zhēnjiǔ dàchéng (针灸大成/鍼灸大成) (Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Yáng Jìzhōu (杨继洲/楊繼洲), completed in 1601. Běncǎo gāngmù (本草纲目/本草綱目) (Compendium of Materia Medica Compendium of Materia Medica
Bencao Gangmu , also known as Compendium of Materia Medica, is a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen in Ming Dynasty. It is a work epitomizing materia medica in the Ming Dynasty. The Bencao Gangmu is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the...
) byLǐ Shízhēn Li Shizhen
Li Shizhen , courtesy name Dongbi , was one of the greatest physicians and pharmacologists in Chinese history. His major contribution to medicine was his forty-year work, which is found in his epic book the Bencao Gangmu...
(李时珍/李時珍), the most complete and comprehensive pre-modern herbal book (completed in 1578). Wenyi lun (温疫论/溫疫論), by Wu Youxing 吴有性 (1642).
Qing Dynasty Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912...
(1644–1912): Yizong jinjian (医宗金鉴/醫宗金鑒) (Golden Mirror of the Medical Tradition) compiled by Wu Qian (吴谦/吴謙) under imperial commission. Zhenjiu fengyuan (针灸逢源/鍼灸逢源) (The Source of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) by Li Xuechuan (李学川/李學川). Wenre lun (温热论/溫熱論), by Ye Tianshi (叶天士/業天士). Wenbing tiaobian (温病条辨/溫病條辨) (Systematized Identification of Warm-factor disorders) compiled by Wu Jutong (吴鞠通) in 1798.
Theory
The foundation principles of Chinese medicine are not necessarily uniform, and are based on several schools of thought. Received TCM are shown to have been influenced byTaoismTaoism

Taoism refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia for more than two millennia, and have had a notable influence on the western world particularly since the 19th century...
,BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th...
, andNeo-ConfucianismNeo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty. It formed the basis of Confucian orthodoxy in the Qing Dynasty of China. It attempted to merge certain basic...
.
Since 1200 BC, Chinese academics of various schools have focused on the observable natural laws of the universe and their implications for the practical characterization of humanity's place in the universe. In theI ChingI Ching
The I Ching , "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Book of Changes, Classic of Changes; and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. The book contains a divination system comparable to Western geomancy or the West African Ifá system...
and other Chinese literary and philosophical classics, Chinese writers described general principles and their applications to health and healing.
Porkert, a Western medical doctor, placed Chinese medical theory in context as:
Chinese medicine, like many other Chinese sciences, defines data on the basis of the inductive and synthetic mode of cognition. Inductivity corresponds to a logical link between two effective positions existing at the same time in different places in space. (Conversely, causality is the logical link between two effective positions given at different times at the same place in space.) In other words, effects based on positions that are separate in space yet simultaneous in time are mutually inductive and thus are called inductive effects. In Western science prior to the development of electrodynamics and nuclear physics (which are founded essentially on inductivity), the inductive nexus was limited to subordinate uses in protosciences such as astrology. Now Western man, as a consequence of two thousand years of intellectual tradition, persists in the habit of making causal connections first and inductive links, if at all, only as an afterthought. This habit must still be considered the biggest obstacle to an adequate appreciation of Chinese science in general and Chinese medicine in particular. Given such different cognitive bases, many of the apparent similarities between traditional Chinese and European science which attract the attention of positivists turn out to be spurious.
The Shen Nong's Herbal Classic, a 2000-year old medicinal Chinese book considered today as the oldest book on oriental herbal medicine, classifies 365 species of roots, grass, woods, furs, animals and stones into three categories of herbal medicine: The first category, called "superior", includes herbs effective for multiple diseases and are mostly responsible for maintaining and restoring the body balance. They have almost no unfavorable side-effects. The second category comprises tonics and boosters, for which their consumption must not be prolonged. The third category must be taken, usually in small doses, and for the treatment of specific ailments only.
Lingzhi ranked number one of the superior medicines, and was therefore the most exalted medicine in ancient times. The ancient Chinese use of mushrooms for medicine, has inspired modern day research intomedicinal mushroomsMedicinal mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, used in the practice of medicine. Many species of mushrooms have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. The use of mushrooms, and hot water mushroom extracts, in folk medicine is best documented in the East...
likeshiitakeShiitake
The Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
,Agaricus blazeiAgaricus blazei
Agaricus subrufescens is a species of mushroom, commonly known as Agaricus Blazei Murill Mushroom, Almond mushroom, or himematsutake and by a number of other names...
,Trametes versicolorTrametes versicolor
Trametes versicolor — formerly known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor — is an extremely common polypore mushroom which can be found throughout the world. Versicolor means 'of several colours' and it is true that this mushroom is found in a wide variety of different colours. T...
, the table mushroom and of course lingzhi. Highly purified compounds isolated from medicinal mushrooms likelentinanLentinan
Lentinan is a beta-glucan with a glycosidic β-1,3:β-1,6 linkage. It is an anti-tumor polysaccharide from the shiitake mushroom. Lentinan is a polysaccharide that has a molecular weight of approximately 500,000 Da...
(isolated fromShiitakeShiitake
The Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
), andPolysaccharide-KPolysaccharide-K
Polysaccharide-K is a protein-bound polysaccharide, which is used as an immune system boosting agent in the treatment of cancer in some countries in Europe as well as China and Japan. In Japan, PSK is approved as an adjuvant for cancer therapy and is covered by government health insurance...
, (isolated fromTrametes versicolorTrametes versicolor
Trametes versicolor — formerly known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor — is an extremely common polypore mushroom which can be found throughout the world. Versicolor means 'of several colours' and it is true that this mushroom is found in a wide variety of different colours. T...
), have become incorporated into the health care system of countries such asJapanJapan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The compounds are used to stimulate the immune system and promote health.
Basic theory and model of the body
Traditional Chinese medicine is largely based on thephilosophicalPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
concept that the human body is a small universe with a set of complete and sophisticated interconnected systems, and that those systems usually work in balance to maintain the healthy function of the human body. The balance ofyin and yangYin and yang
In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin yang is used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn...
is considered with respect toqiQi
In traditional Chinese culture, qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing....
("breath", "life force", or "spiritual energy"),bloodBlood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells – such as nutrients and oxygen – and transports waste products away from those same cells....
,jingJing (TCM)
Jīng is the Chinese word for "essence", specifically kidney essence. Along with qì and shén, it is considered one of the Three Treasures Sanbao 三寶 of Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. Jīng is stored in the kidneys and is the most dense physical matter within the body...
("kidney essence", including "semen"), other bodily fluids, the Wu Xing,emotionEmotion
Emotion is associated with mood, temperament, personality and disposition, and motivation. The English word 'emotion' is derived from the French word émouvoir. This is based on the Latin emovere, where e- means 'out' and movere means 'move'...
s, and thesoulSoul
The soul, in some religions, spiritual traditions, and philosophies, is the incorporeal or eternal part of a living being, commonly held to be separate from the body. Many philosophical and religious systems teach that humans have souls; some attribute souls to all living things and even inanimate...
orspiritSpirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, all of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body....
(shen). TCM has a uniquemodel of the bodyTCM model of the body
The model of the body in traditional Chinese medicine has the following elements:* the Fundamental Substances;* Qi, Blood, Jing , Shen that nourish and protect the Zang-Fu organs;...
, notably concerned with themeridian systemMeridian (Chinese medicine)
The meridian is a concept central to traditional Chinese medical techniques such as acupuncture, and to martial arts such as tai chi and qigong. According to these practices, there are channels along which the energy or qi of the psychophysical system is considered to flow...
. Unlike the Western anatomical model which divides the physical body into parts, the Chinese model is more concerned with function. Thus, the TCM spleen is not a specific piece of flesh, but an aspect of function related to transformation and transportation within the body, and of the mental functions of thinking and studying.
There are significant regional and philosophical differences between practitioners and schools which in turn can lead to differences in practice and theory.
Theories invoked to describe the human body in TCM include:
Channels, also known as "meridians Meridian (Chinese medicine)
The meridian is a concept central to traditional Chinese medical techniques such as acupuncture, and to martial arts such as tai chi and qigong. According to these practices, there are channels along which the energy or qi of the psychophysical system is considered to flow...
" Wu XingQi Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing....
Three jiaos Three jiaos
The identification of disease according to the Three Burners was first described in the Qing Dynasty by Wu Ju Tong in his book "A Systematic Identification of Febrile Diseases". The system is often combined with Four Stages theory when diagnosing and treating an externally contracted disease...
also known as the Triple Burner, the Triple Warmer or the Triple EnergiserYin and Yang Yin and yang
In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin yang is used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn...
Zang and Fu
The Yin/Yang and five element theories may be applied to a variety of systems other than the human body, whereas Zang Fu theory, meridian theory and three-jiao (Triple warmer) theories are more specific.
There are also separate models that apply to specific pathological influences, such as theFour stagesFour stages
The Four Stages or Four Levels are from the Traditional Chinese medicine book Discussion of Warm Diseases by Ye Tian Shi, written in the years 1667-1746.The stages are in order from surface to deep internal and from "light" sickness to death:...
theory of the progression of warm diseases, theSix levelsSix levels
In Traditional Chinese medicine, the Six Levels are first heard of from Zhang Zhongjing in the Shang Han Lun from about 220 AD or about 1700 years ago.The six stages are* Tai Yang or Greater Yang* Yang Ming or Bright Yang...
theory of the penetration of cold diseases, and theEight principlesEight principles
The Eight Principles are one of the basic ways traditional Chinese medicine has to diagnose. It uses the following eight divisions of symptoms:* Yin or Yang...
system of disease classification.
Diagnostics
Following a macro philosophy of disease, traditional Chinese diagnostics are based on overall observation of human symptoms rather than "micro" level laboratory tests. There are four types of TCM diagnostic methods: observe (望 wàng), hear and smell (闻/聞 wén), ask about background (问/問 wèn) and touching (切 qiè). The pulse-reading component of the touching examination is so important that Chinese patients may refer to going to the doctor as "Going to have my pulse felt."
Traditional Chinese medicine is considered to require considerable diagnostic skill. A training period of years or decades is said to be necessary for TCM practitioners to understand the full complexity of symptoms and dynamic balances. According to one Chinese saying, A good (TCM) doctor is also qualified to be a good prime minister in a country. Modern practitioners in China often use a traditional system in combination with Western methods.
Techniques
Palpation of the patient'sradial artery Radial artery
In human anatomy, the radial artery is the main blood vessel, with oxygenated blood, of the lateral aspect of the forearm.-Course:The radial artery arises from the bifurcation of the brachial artery in the cubital fossa. It runs distally on the anterior part of the forearm...
pulse Pulse
In medicine, a person's pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of a heartbeat by a trained observer. It can be felt in any place that allows an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck , at the wrist , behind the knee , on the inside of the elbow , and near the ankle...
(pulse diagnosis Pulse diagnosis
Pulse diagnosis is a technique used in Asian traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and early Greek medicine.Advocates claim that by taking a pulse examination, humoral imbalances such as the three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kaphha - of Ayurveda can be diagnosed. In addition, there...
) in six positions Observations of patient'stongue Tongue

The tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing . It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. A secondary function of the tongue is speech. It is sensitive and kept moist by...
,voice Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice, a 2005 South Korean film* Voice, a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal-In music:...
,hair Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, containing keratin, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. The human body, apart from the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fine vellus hair...
,face Face
The face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, teeth, skin, and chin. The...
,posture Posture
Posture or posturing may refer to:In humans* Neutral spine or good posture* Human position* Abnormal posturing, in neurotrauma* Posturography, in neurology* Posture and Occupational HealthIn biology* semi-erect posture in crocodilians...
,gait Gait
Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency...
, eyes,ears EARS
EARS may refer to:* Electoral software* Electronic Arts, Redwood Shores campus.* Emirates Amateur Radio Society...
,vein Vein
In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart...
on index finger of small children Palpation of the patient's body (especially theabdomen Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
,chest Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
,back Back
- People :* Adam Back, British cryptographer* Charles Back, South African winemaker* Chris Back , Australian politician* Ernst Emil Alexander Back , German physicist* Frédéric Back , Canadian animator...
, andlumbar Lumbar
In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum . The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine...
areas) for tenderness or comparison of relative warmth or coolness of different parts of the body Observation of the patient's various odors Asking the patient about the effects of their problem. Anything else that can be observed without instruments and without harming the patient Asking detailed questions about their family, living environment, personal habits, food diet, emotions, menstrual cycle for women, child bearing history, sleep, exercise, and anything that may give insight into the balance or imbalance of an individual.
Methods of treatment
The following methods are considered to be part of Chinese medicine:
Acupuncture Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes...
(针疗/針療) (from the Latin word acus, "needle", and pungere, meaning "prick") is a technique in which the practitioner inserts fine needles into specific points on the patient's body. Usually about a dozen acupoints are needled in one session, although the number of needles used may range anywhere from just one or two to 20 or more. The intended effect is to increase circulation and balance energy (Qi) within the body.Auriculotherapy Auriculotherapy
Auriculotherapy, or auricular therapy, or ear acupuncture, or auriculoacupuncture is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a microsystem with the entire body represented on the auricle, the outer portion of the ear. Ailments of the entire body are assumed to be treatable...
(耳灼疗法/耳燭療法), which comes under the heading of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.Chinese food therapy Chinese food therapy
Chinese food therapy is a practice of healing using natural foods instead of medications.Chinese food therapy is a modality of traditional Chinese medicine, also known as Chinese Nutrition therapy. It is particularly popular among Cantonese people who enjoy slow-cooked soups. One of the most...
(食疗/食療): Dietary recommendations are usually made according to the patient's individual condition in relation to TCM theory. The "five flavors" (an important aspect of Chinese herbalism as well) indicate what function various types of food play in the body. A balanced diet, which leads to health, is when the five functional flavors are in balance. When one is diseased (and therefore unbalanced), certain foods and herbs are prescribed to restore balance to the body.Chinese herbal medicine Chinese herbology
Chinese Herbology or 中药, is the common name for the subject of Chinese materia medica . It includes the basic theory of Chinese materia medica, "crude medicine," "prepared drug in slices" and traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations' source, collection and preparation,...
(中草药/中药/中藥): In China, herbal medicine is considered as the primary therapeutic modality of internal medicine. Of the approximately 500 Chinese herbs that are in use today, 250 or so are very commonly used. Rather than being prescribed individually, single herbs are combined into formulas that are designed to adapt to the specific needs of individual patients. A herbal formula can contain anywhere from 3 to 25 herbs. As with diet therapy, each herb has one or more of the five flavors/functions and one of five "temperatures" ("Qi Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing....
") (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold). After the herbalist determines the energetic temperature and functional state of the patient's body, he or she prescribes a mixture of herbs tailored to balance disharmony. One classic example of Chinese herbal medicine is the use of various mushrooms, like reishi andshiitake Shiitake
The Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
, which are currently under intense study by ethnobotanists and medical researchers forimmune system Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
enhancement. Unlike Western herbalism, Chinese herbal medicine uses manyanimal Animal
Animals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously...
,mineral Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance that is formed through geological processes and that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and...
andmineraloid Mineraloid
A mineraloid is a mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate crystallinity. Mineraloids possess chemical compositions that vary beyond the generally accepted ranges for specific minerals. For example, obsidian is an amorphous glass and not a crystal. Jet is derived from decaying wood under...
remedies, and also uses more products frommarine Marine Pharmacognosy
For many years, traditional Western pharmacognosy focused on the investigation and identification of medically important plants and animals in the terrestrial environment, although many marine organisms were used in Traditional Chinese Medicine...
sources.Cupping Fire cupping
Fire cupping or simply cupping is a form of traditional medicine found in many cultures worldwide. It involves placing cups containing reduced air pressure on the skin...
(拔罐): A type of Chinese massage, cupping consists of placing several glass "cups" (open spheres) on the body. A match is lit and placed inside the cup and then removed before placing the cup against the skin. As the air in the cup is heated, it expands, and after placing in the skin, cools down, creating a lower pressure inside the cup that allows the cup to stick to the skin viasuction Suction
Suction is the flow of a fluid into a partial vacuum, or region of low pressure. The pressure gradient between this region and the ambient pressure will propel matter toward the low pressure area. Suction is popularly thought of as an attractive effect, which is incorrect since vacuums do not...
. When combined with massage oil, the cups can be slid around the back, offering what some practitioners think of as a reverse-pressure massage. Die-da or Tieh Ta (跌打) is usually practiced by martial artists who know aspects of Chinese medicine that apply to the treatment oftrauma Physical trauma
Physical trauma refers to a physical injury, generally of a considerable degree. A trauma patient is someone who has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury, with the potential for secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death.-Definition:Trauma is defined as...
and injuries such as bone fractures, sprains, and bruises. Some of these specialists may also use or recommend other disciplines of Chinese medical therapies (or Western medicine in modern times) if serious injury is involved. Such practice of bone-setting (整骨) is not common in the West.Gua Sha Gua Sha
Gua Sha , literally "to scrape away fever" in Chinese , is an ancient medical treatment....
(刮痧) is a form of mechanicaldermabrasion Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a cosmetic medical procedure in which the surface of the epidermis of the skin is removed by abrasion . The instrument used to perform the procedure is called a dermabrader, and that can be any number of types of devices under that category.It is used to remove sun-damaged skin...
using a hand-held scraper to irritate and inflame various regions of the JingLuo's dermal areas. It is frequently used to treat invasion by seasonal external pathogens.Moxibustion Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...
(灸疗/灸療): "Moxa," often used in conjunction with acupuncture, consists in burning of dried Chinese mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris Artemisia vulgaris
Artemisia vulgaris is one of several species in the genus Artemisia which have common names that include the word mugwort. This species is also occasionally known as Felon Herb, Chrysanthemum Weed, Wild Wormwood, Old uncle Henry, Sailor's Tobacco, Naughty Man, Old Man or St...
) on acupoints. "Direct Moxa" involves the pinching of clumps of the herb into cones that are placed on acupoints and lit until warm. Typically the burning cone is removed before burning the skin and is thought, after repeated use, to warm the body and increase circulation. Moxa can also be rolled into a cigar-shaped tube, lit, and held over an acupuncture point, or rolled into a ball and stuck onto the back end of an inserted needle for warming effect. Physical Qigong exercises such asTai chi chuan Tai Chi Chuan
Tai chi chuan is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and health benefits. It is also typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, and longevity...
(Taijiquan 太极拳/太極拳), Standing Meditation (站樁功), Yoga, Brocade BaDuanJin exercises (八段锦/八段錦) and otherChinese martial arts Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in what is today the country of China...
.Qigong Qigong
Qigong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese system of physical and mental training for health,martial artsand self-enlightenment....
(气功/氣功) and related breathing and meditation exercise.Tui na Tui na
Tui na , is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese herbalism, tai chi, and qigong....
(推拿) massage: a form of massage akin to acupressure (from whichshiatsu Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. There are two main Shiatsu schools; one based on western anatomical and physiological theory and the other based on Traditional Chinese Medicine...
evolved). Oriental massage is typically administered with the patient fully clothed, without the application of grease or oils. Choreography often involves thumb presses, rubbing, percussion, and stretches. Some TCM doctors may also utilize esoteric methods that incorporate or reflect personal beliefs or specializations such as Fengshui (风水/風水) orBazi Four Pillars of Destiny
Four Pillars of Destiny is a Chinese conceptual term that describes the four components creating a person's destiny or fate. The four components within the moment of birth are year, month, day, and time...
(八字).
Branches
Traditional Chinese medicine has many branches, the most prominent of which are the Jingfang (经方学派) and Wenbing (温病学派) schools. The Jingfang school relies on the principles contained in the Chinese medicine classics of theHan
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
andTang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, such as Huangdi Neijing and Shennong Bencaojing. The more recent Wenbing school's practise is largely based on more recent books includingCompendium of Materia Medica
Compendium of Materia Medica
Bencao Gangmu , also known as Compendium of Materia Medica, is a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen in Ming Dynasty. It is a work epitomizing materia medica in the Ming Dynasty. The Bencao Gangmu is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the...
fromMing
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
andQing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912...
, although in theory the school follows the teachings of the earlier classics as well. Intense debates between these two schools lasted until theCultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution or simply the Cultural Revolution was a violent mass movement that resulted in social, political, and economic upheaval in the People’s Republic of China starting in 1966 and ending officially with Mao's death in 1976...
in mainlandChina
China
China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity.China is one of the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization...
, when Wenbing school used political power to suppress the opposing school.
Efficacy
See also: Acupuncture: Scientific research into efficacy
Much of the scientific research on TCM has focused onacupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes...
. The effectiveness of acupuncture remains controversial in the scientific community, and a review byEdzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst
Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the United Kingdom.In 1993, Ernst left his chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Vienna to set up the department of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter...
and colleagues in 2007 found that the body of evidence was growing, research is active, and that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions". Researchers using the protocols ofevidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to medical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests.EBM recognizes that many aspects of medical care depend on...
have found good evidence that acupuncture is moderately effective in preventingnausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an urge to vomit. An attack of nausea is known as a qualm....
. A 2008 study suggest that combining acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments such as IVF greatly improves the success rates of such medical interventions. There is conflicting evidence that it can treat chroniclow back pain
Low back pain
Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting 80% of people at some point in their lives. It accounts for more sick leave and disability than any other medical condition. It can be either acute, subacute or chronic in duration...
, and moderate evidence of efficacy forneck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk...
pain andheadache
Headache
A headache or cephalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
. For most other conditions reviewers have found either a lack of efficacy (e.g., help in quitting smoking) or have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to determine if acupuncture is effective (e.g., treating shoulder pain). While little is known about the mechanisms by which acupuncture may act, a review ofneuroimaging
Neuroimaging
Neuroimaging includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function/pharmacology of the brain...
research suggests that specific acupuncture points have distinct effects on cerebral activity in specific areas that are not otherwise predictable anatomically. The websiteQuackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch, Inc. is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett that aims to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere." Since 1996 it has...
mentions that TCM as with many alternative medicines has been the subject of criticism as having unproven efficacy and an unsound scientific basis.
TheWorld Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health...
(WHO), theNational Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. It consists of 27 separate institutes and centers which includes the Office...
(NIH), and theAmerican Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
(AMA) have also commented on acupuncture. Though these groups disagree on the standards and interpretation of the evidence for acupuncture, there is general agreement that it is relatively safe, and that further investigation is warranted. The 1997 NIHConsensus Development Conference Statement on acupuncture concluded:
...promising results have emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.
Much less scientific research has been done on Chinese herbal medicines, which comprise much of TCM.
Some doubts about the efficacy of many TCM treatments are based on their apparent basis insympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.-Imitation in sympathetic magic:...
(causation due toanalogy
Analogy
Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring information from a particular subject to another particular subject , and a linguistic expression corresponding to such a process...
orsimilarity
Similarity
-Specific definitions:Different fields provide differing definitions of similarity:-In computer science:** string metric, aka string similarity** semantic similarity in computational linguistics...
) — for example, that plants with heart-shaped leaves will help the heart. While thedoctrine of signatures
Doctrine of signatures
The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides and Galen that is still reflected in the common names of some plants whose coincidental shapes and colors reminded the gatherers of such simples of the parts of the body where they could do good: liverwort;...
does underlie the selection of many of the ingredients of herbal medicines, this does not necessarily mean that some substances may not (perhaps by coincidence) possess attributed medicinal properties. For example, it is possible that while herbs may have been originally selected on erroneous grounds, only those that were deemed effective have remained in use. Potential barriers to scientific research include the substantial cost and expertise required to conductdouble-blind
Double-blind
A blind or blinded experiment is a scientific experiment where some of the persons involved are prevented from knowing certain information that might lead to conscious or unconscious bias on their part, invalidating the results....
clinical trial
Clinical trial
Clinical Trials are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s, and the lack of financial incentive from the ability to obtainpatent
Patent
A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for a public disclosure of an invention....
s.
Pharmacological compounds have been isolated from some Chinese herbal medicines; Chinese wormwood (qinghao) was the source for the discovery ofartemisinin
Artemisinin
Artemisinin and its derivatives are a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all currently drugs against falciparum malaria. Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative are now standard treatment worldwide for falciparum malaria...
, which is now used worldwide to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparummalaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas , Asia, and Africa...
, and is also under investigation as an anti-cancer agent. It was one of many candidates then tested by Chinese scientists from a list of nearly 200 traditional Chinese medicines for treating malaria. Other compounds, such as those seen in Dichroa febrifuga Lour and Bidens pilosa also have potential antimalarial properties currently being researched, but also exhibit high toxicity Many Chinese herbal medicines are marketed asdietary supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet...
s in the West, and there is considerable controversy over their effectiveness.
In practice
Acupressure and acupuncture are largely accepted to be safe from results gained through medical studies. Several cases ofpneumothorax
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people with chronic lung conditions and those with no other health problems, but many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
, nerve damage and infection have been reported as resulting from acupuncture treatments. These adverse events are extremely rare especially when compared to other medical interventions, and were found to be due to practitioner negligence. Dizziness and bruising will sometimes result from acupuncture treatment.
Some governments have decided that Chinese acupuncture and herbal treatments should be administered by persons who have been educated to apply them safely. One Australian report said in 2006, "A key finding is that the risk of adverse events is linked to the length of education of the practitioner, with practitioners graduating from extended traditional Chinese medicine education programs experiencing about half the adverse event rate of those practitioners who have graduated from short training programs."
Allergy
Certain Chinese herbal medicines involve a risk ofallergic
Allergy
Allergy is a disorder of the immune system which is a form of hypersensitivity. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called...
reaction and in rare cases involve a risk ofpoison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism...
ing. Cases of acute and chronic poisoning due to treatment through ingested Chinese medicines are found inChina
China
China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity.China is one of the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization...
,Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China; the other is Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, andTaiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan, also known as Formosa , is an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. Taiwan comprises most of the territory controlled by the Republic of China since 1949...
, with a few deaths occurring each year. Many of these deaths do occur however, when patients self prescribe herbs or take unprocessed versions of toxic herbs. The raw and unprocessed form ofaconite
Aconite
Aconite may refer to:*Aconitum, a plant genus containing the monkshoods*Aconitine, "the queen of poisons", a toxin derived from some of the Aconitum genus plants*Winter aconite, a plant in the genus Eranthis...
, or fuzi is the most common cause of poisoning. The use of aconite in Chinese herbal medicine is usually limited to processed aconite, in which the toxicity is denatured by heat treatment.
Toxins and contaminants
Potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds such asarsenic trioxide
Arsenic trioxide
Arsenic trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula As2O3. This commercially important oxide of arsenic is the main precursor to other arsenic compounds, including organoarsenic compounds. Approximately 50,000 tons are produced annually...
(三氧化二砷) andcinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar, , is the common ore of mercury. The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances. Other sources say the word comes from the Persian ????? shangarf...
(called zhūshā, 朱砂) are sometimes prescribed as part of a medicinal mixture, in a sense "using poison to cure poison". Unprocessed herbals are sometimes adulterated with chemicals that may alter the intended effect of a herbal preparation or prescription. As with the2008 Chinese milk scandal
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
, tampering with food and medicine to boost profit is rampant despite knowledge of the dangers and strict regulations in place that are circumvented often due to corruption and profit motive. However, knowledge of processing is being improved with more empirical studies of Chinese herbals and tighter regulations are being put in place, whether heeded to or not, regarding the growing, processing, and prescription of various herbals.
A medicine called Fufang Luhui Jiaonang (复方芦荟胶囊) was taken off shelves in UK in July 2004 when it found to contain 11-13% mercury.
In the United States, the Chinese herb má huáng (麻黄; lit. "hemp yellow") — known commonly in the West by its Latin nameEphedra
Ephedra
Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as a herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold. Known in Chinese as ma huang , ephedra is a stimulant that constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure and...
— was banned in 2004 by theFDA
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments, responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products,...
, although the FDA's final ruling exempted traditional Asian preparations of Ephedra from the ban. The Ephedra ban was meant to combat the use of this herb in Western weight loss products, a highly modern phenomenon and well removed from traditional Asian uses of the herb. There were no cases of Ephedra based fatalities with patients using traditional Asian preparations of the herb for its traditionally intended uses. This ban was ordered lifted in April 2005 by a Utah federal court judge. However, the ruling was appealed and on August 17, 2006, the Appeals Court upheld the FDA's ban of ephedra, finding that the 133,000-page administrative record compiled by the FDA supported the agency's finding that ephedra posed an unreasonable risk to consumers.
Lack of standardization
Chinese herbals are often not standardized from one pill to the next, or from one brand to the next, and can be reformulated, remixed, or otherwise altered by any company. To avoid such issues, standardized JapaneseKampo
Kampo
Kampō medicine is the Japanese study and adaptation of Traditional Chinese medicine. The basic works of Chinese medicine came to Japan between the 7th and 9th centuries. Since then, the Japanese have created their own unique herbal medical system and diagnosis...
medicine for sale worldwide is a safer alternative. based on classical Chinese traditional medicine and strict enforced regulations and is regulated as pharmaceuticals coupled with extensive after-market testing and monitoring..
Vague naming
Many Chinese medicines have different names for the same ingredient depending on location and time, ingredients with different medical properties have shared similar names. For example, there was a report thatmirabilite
Mirabilite
Mirabilite, also known as Glauber's salt, is a hydrous sodium sulfate mineral: Na2SO4 · 10 H2O. It is a vitreous, colorless to white monoclinic mineral which forms as an evaporite from sodium sulfate bearing brines. It is found around saline springs...
/sodium sulphate decahydrate (芒硝) was misrecognized assodium nitrite
Sodium nitrite
Sodium nitrite, with chemical formula NaNO2, is used as a color fixative and preservative in meats and fish.When pure, it is a white to slight yellowish crystalline powder. It is very soluble in water and is hygroscopic. It is also slowly oxidized by oxygen in the air to sodium nitrate,...
(牙硝), resulting in a poisoned victim. In some Chinese medical texts, both names are interchangeable. The Chinese Medicine Registration Board of the Australian state ofVictoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across Bass Strait...
issued a report in 2004 which noted this was a problem that needed to be addressed.
Relationship with Western medicine
As an example of the different roles of TCM in China and the West, a person with a broken bone in the West (i.e. a routine, "straightforward" condition) would almost never see a Chinese medicine practitioner, whereas this may be routine in some parts of rural China.
Most Chinese, in China as well as other countries, do not see traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine as being in conflict. In cases ofemergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
and crisis situations, there is generally no reluctance in using conventional Western medicine. At the same time, belief in Chinese medicine remains strong in the area of maintaininghealth
Health
Health is the general condition of a person in all aspects.It is also a level of functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human....
. As a simple example, they will see a Western doctor if they have acuteappendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of peritonitis and shock...
, but they exercise or take Chinese herbs to keep their bodies healthy enough to prevent appendicitis, or to recover more quickly from the surgery. Very few practitioners of Western medicine in China reject traditional Chinese medicine, and most doctors in China will use some elements of Chinese medicine in their own practice.
A degree of integration between Chinese and Western medicine also exists in China. For instance, at the Shanghai cancer hospital, a patient may be seen by a multidisciplinary team and be treated concurrently with radiation surgery, Western drugs and a traditional herbal formula. A report by theVictorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across Bass Strait...
state government inAustralia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
on TCM education in China noted:
Graduates from TCM university courses are able to diagnose in Western medical terms, prescribe Western pharmaceuticals, and undertake minor surgical procedures. In effect, they practise TCM as a specialty within the broader organisation of Chinese health care.
In other countries it is not necessarily the case that traditional Chinese and Western medicine are practiced concurrently by the same practitioner. TCM education in Australia, for example, does not qualify a practitioner to provide diagnosis in Western medical terms, prescribe scheduled pharmaceuticals, nor perform surgical procedures. While that jurisdiction notes that TCM education does not qualify practitioners to prescribe Western drugs, a separate legislative framework is being constructed to allow registered practitioners to prescribe Chinese herbs that would otherwise be classified as poisons.
Traditional Chinese diagnostics and treatments are often much cheaper than Western methods which require high-tech equipment or extensive chemical manipulation.
Modern TCM practitioners will refer patients to Western medical facilities if a medical condition is deemed to have put the body too far out of balance for traditional methods to remedy.
Animal products
Animal products are used in certain Chinese formulae, which may present a problem for vegans and vegetarians. If informed of such restrictions, practitioners can often use alternative substances.
The practice of usingendangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water...
is controversial within TCM. Many substances fall into this category, with modern Materia Medicas such as Bensky, Clavey and Stoger's comprehensive Chinese herbal text dealing with substances derived from endangered species in an appendix, with an emphasis on recommending alternatives. Some claimed uses of certain animal derived ingredients, such as use of the tiger's penis for impotence, cannot be considered true, because the substances in question do not appear in the ingredients lists of the pharmacopoeia. Use ofrhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros ,Greek ??ν?κερως often colloquially abbreviated rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia. Three of the five species—the Javan, Sumatran and Black...
horn (xī jiǎo / 犀角) for "cooling the blood" was replaced withbuffalo
Bovinae
The biological subfamily Bovinae includes a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large sized ungulates, including domestic cattle, the bison, African buffalo, the water buffalo, the yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes...
horn (shuǐ niú jiǎo / 水牛角) starting from perhaps 5CE, and cow (bovine) bile (niú dǎn / 牛膽 / 牛胆) is a modern replacement for bear (ursine) bile (xíong dǎn / 熊膽 / 熊胆). An ingredient like "horny goat weed" (yín yáng hoù / 淫羊藿) is obviously a plant (Epimedium
Epimedium
Epimedium, also known as Rowdy Lamb Herb, Barrenwort, Bishop's Hat, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, or Yin Yang Huo , is a genus of about 60 or more species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae...
).
Medicinal use is having a major impact on the populations ofseahorse
Seahorse
Seahorses comprise the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning “horse” and kampos meaning “sea monster”..There are about 40 species of seahorse are mainly...
s, which are considered a fundamental ingredient, and used to treat a variety of disorders, including asthma,arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries...
, incontinence, impotence, thyroid disorders, skin ailments, broken bones, heart disease, as well as to facilitate childbirth and even as an aphrodisiac.
Shark fin soup
Shark fin soup
Shark fin soup is a Chinese soup that has been a popular item of Chinese cuisine since the Ming Dynasty, usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item in Chinese culture....
is traditionally regarded as beneficial for health in East Asia, and its status as an "elite" dish has led to huge demand with the increase of affluence in China, but it is surely having a devastating effect on shark populations.
Widespread medicinal use ofturtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
plastron
Plastron
The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a turtle or tortoise, what one would call the belly, similar in composition to the carapace; with an external layer of horny material divided into plates called scutes and an underlying layer of interlocking bones.In certain families...
is of concern to conservationists as well.
Customs authority in many countries monitor exports of medicinal products trying to ensure that no items made from CITES-proscribed species are imported. Since in some cases it is difficult to identify from what species a particular processed product has been made, sophisticated biochemical techniques are being developed to make such identification possible.
Theanimal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
movement notes that a few traditional Chinese medicinal solutions still use bear bile (xíong dǎn). Since 1988, the Chinese Ministry of Health started controlling production of this, which previously used bears killed before winter. The bears are often fitted with a sort of permanentcatheter
Catheter
In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, injection of fluids, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization. In most uses, a catheter is a thin, flexible tube , though...
, which was more profitable than killing the bears. The treatment itself and especially the extraction of the bile is very painful for bears, and causes damage to their stomach and intestines, often resulting in their eventual death. However, due to international attention on the issues surrounding its harvesting, bile is now rarely used by practitioners outside of China; gallbladders from butchered cattle (cow bile / niú dǎn) are recommended as a substitute for this ingredient.
Opposition
Starting from the late 19th century, some politicians and Chinese scholars with backgrounds in Western medicine have been trying to phase out TCM totally inChina
China
China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity.China is one of the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as the oldest continuous civilization...
.
The attempts to curtail TCM in China always provoke large scale debates but have never completely succeeded. Still, many researchers and practitioners of TCM in China and the United States argue the need to document TCM's efficacy with controlled, double blind experiments. These efforts remain hampered by the difficulty of creating effective placebos for acupuncture studies.
The attempt to phase out TCM inJapan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
partially succeeded after theMeiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution or Renewal, restored imperial rule to Japan in 1867. The Restoration was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure...
. However, in the 1920s a movement emerged that attempted to restore traditional medical practice, especially acupuncture. This movement, known as theMeridian Therapy
Meridian Therapy
Meridian Therapy is a Japanese therapy based on Chinese meridians to balance energy flows....
movement (Keiraku Chiryo in Japanese), persists to this day. Furthermore, many Japanese physicians continue to practiceKampo
Kampo
Kampō medicine is the Japanese study and adaptation of Traditional Chinese medicine. The basic works of Chinese medicine came to Japan between the 7th and 9th centuries. Since then, the Japanese have created their own unique herbal medical system and diagnosis...
, a form oftraditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises medical knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
based on theShang Han Lun
Shang Han Lun
Shang Han Lun , or Shang Han Za Bin Lun, English translation 'On Cold Damage' or 'Treatise on Cold Injury', is a medical treatise by Zhang Zhongjing that was published sometime before 220 A.D...
tradition of Chinese herbal medicine. However, there are many differences such as standardization and strong enforced regulations in Kampo that are absent in TCM. The most scientific derivative of TCM practiced in Japan is ryodoraku (良導絡), which was developed by Yosio Nakatani in 1950. It utilizes objective electricity test instruments and direct current stimulation of acuーpoints instead of subjective interpretation of symptoms and treatment. 　Ryodoraku research is centered atOsaka Medical College
Osaka Medical College
is a private university in Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. The precursor of the school was founded in 1927, and it was chartered as a university in 1946.- External links :* in Japanese* in English...
, Japan.
The use of parts ofendangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water...
(such as seahorses,rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros ,Greek ??ν?κερως often colloquially abbreviated rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia. Three of the five species—the Javan, Sumatran and Black...
horns, andtiger
Tiger
The tiger is a member of the Felidae family and the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore...
bones and claws) has created controversy and resulted in a black market of poachers who hunt restricted animals. Deep-seated cultural beliefs in the potency of tiger parts are so prevalent across Asia that laws protecting even critically endangered species such as theSumatran Tiger
Sumatran Tiger
Sumatran tiger is a subspecies of tiger found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Recent genetic testing has revealed the presence of unique genetic markers, which isolate Sumatran tigers from all mainland subspecies...
fail to stop the display and sale of these items in open markets, according to a2008 report from TRAFFIC Popular "medicinal" tiger parts from poached animals include tiger penis, believed to improve virility, and tiger eyes. InBlack Market, photographer Patrick Brown took a deep look at the illegal wildlife trade in Asia.
Modernization
Traditional Chinese medicine has been to some degree modernized by transforming the plants and ingredients to soluble granules and tablets. Modern formulations in pills and sachets used 675plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The scientific study of plants, known as botany, has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants,...
and fungi ingredients and about 25 from non-plant sources such as snakes,geckos
GeckOS
GeckOS is an experimental operating system for MOS 6502 and compatible processors. It offers some Unix-like functionality including preemptive multitasking, multithreading, semaphores, signals, binary relocation, TCP/IP networking via SLIP and a 6502 standard library.GeckOS includes native support...
, toads, frogs, bees, and earthworms.
Investigation of theactive ingredient
Active ingredient
An active ingredient , is the substance in a pharmaceutical drug or a pesticide that is biologically active. Terms in similar use include: active pharmaceutical ingredient and bulk active in medicine, or in pesticide formulations active substance may be used. Some medications and pesticide...
s in TCM has produced at least one western style drug:Artemisinin
Artemisinin
Artemisinin and its derivatives are a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all currently drugs against falciparum malaria. Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative are now standard treatment worldwide for falciparum malaria...
, which is now widely used in the treatment ofmalaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas , Asia, and Africa...
.
See also
Alternative medicine Alternative medicine
In Western culture, alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine", or "that which has not been shown consistently to be effective." It is often opposed to evidence based medicine and encompasses therapies with an historical or cultural,...
Ayurveda Ayurveda
Ayurveda Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, the word ayurveda consists of the words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "related to knowledge" or...
Chinese classic herbal formula Chinese classic herbal formula
Chinese classic herbal formulas are a form of Chinese herbology, where herbs are combined for greater efficiency, compared to individual herbs. They are the basic herbal formulas that students of Traditional Chinese medicine learn...
Chinese patent medicine Chinese patent medicine
Chinese patent medicine are herbal medicines in Traditional Chinese medicine. Many kinds of Chinese patent medicines are still sold today.-Description:...
List of branches of alternative medicine List of topics characterized as pseudosciencePharmacognosy Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...
Public health in the People's Republic of ChinaTraditional Korean medicine Traditional Korean medicine
Traditional Korean medicine developed with the influence of other traditional medicine. Its techniques in treatment and diagnosis are both similar and unique to other traditional medicine.-History:...
Traditional Mongolian medicine Traditional Mongolian medicine
Traditional Mongolian medicine developed over many years among the Mongolian people. Many Mongolian doctors became so adept that they became well known in Tibet and China.- History :...
Traditional Tibetan medicine Traditional Tibetan medicine
Tibetan medicine is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behavior and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials and physical therapies Tibetan...
Further reading
Sivin Nathan Sivin
Nathan Sivin , also known as Xiwen is an American author, scholar, sinologist, historian, essayist, and currently professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania...
, Nathan, ed. (2000).Medicine. (Science and civilisation in China, Vol. VI, Biology and Biological Technology, Part 6). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10-ISBN 0-521-63262-5; 13-ISBN 978-0-521-63262-1;OCLC 163502797
External links
Advanced Online Encyclopedia for Chinese Medicine and AcupunctureAmerican Association for Acupuncture and Oriental MedicineAmerican Journal of Chinese Medicine, academic journal for TCM.China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine health careClassics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, by the National Library of Medicine (NLM)The Journal of Chinese Medicine: academic level journal for TCMMerging Chinese Traditional Medicine into the American Health SystemNational Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (USA)Overview of TCM from the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & HealingTraditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction from theThe National (USA) Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)