Better Health and Long Life Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

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Better Health and Long Life Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

The two-thousand year old practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a practice that continues to be utilized by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. The advent of more modern medical practices have not altered these traditions at all. It could be argued that modern medicine has been influenced more by Traditional Chinese Medicine than the other way around.

While there is very little data on the scientific efficacy of practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine, the anecdotal experiences of many, many generations - as well as the holistic and spiritual underpinnings - keep the practices alive and relevant in most Chinese and non-Chinese families.

My grandmother on my father’s side of the family did not adhere to Traditional Chinese Medical healing or lifestyle principles. She ate what she wanted and relied only on modern medical practices for her health care. She died relatively young of type 2 diabetes. Her sister, my great aunt, however, has always adhered to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is - at 84 years of age - still going strong.

One of the most important ideas of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the balance between the two parts of everything that occur in nature: The Yin and the Yang. The common allegories for this phenomenon are the sunny and shady sides of one hill or mountain, the sun and the moon, or fire and water. The idea is that many ailments stem from an imbalance of these two parts. The healing remedies seek to introduce harmony to the imbalanced area and thus remedy the ailment. Yin is the side that concerns itself with water and coolness. Yang is the side that controls fire. Colds, flus and issu...

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...nature balances itself. The sun burns off the morning fog and warms the day but then sets again. So, thus, must the body balance motion and rest, heat and cool. Application of pressure (acupuncture) is thought to balance the flow of energy (or qi) to heal pain and other ailments by unblocking points of blockage of qi. Similarly, the method of “cupping” is thought to unblock qi and open pores to draw out the bad energy. Kinetic movement and massage are employed to great benefit to assist in enabling the healthy flow of qi and thus induce balance and therefore healing.
Many of the remedies born of the intricate Chinese Traditional Medicinal system of healing, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, exercise therapy, massage techniques, and dietary therapy, are accepted as part of the modern, healthy lifestyle of billions of people worldwide.

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