TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine,commonly referred to as TCM is one of the oldest forms of medical treatmenttherapy and is one of the most commonly used in the world. It originated in China and dates back over 2000years. It has stood the test of time andcontinues for be validated today. Although it is used in all corners of the world, it has only becomewidely available in Irelandrelatively recently. It is steadilygrowing in popularity in Irelandas more and more people avail of its benefits. Now it is one of the fastest growing treatment therapies in thecountry.
TCM is made up of many differenttypes of therapies: Acupuncture,Moxibustion, Herbal Medicine, Qigong, Tui Na (Chinese Message), Dietarytherapy, Exercise, Lifestyle advice.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is probably the bestknown treatment method of this ancient form of medical therapy. In the West, TCM and Acupuncture are seen asan alternative type of medicine but in the East, it is the principle form ofmedical care available to a large portion of the population.
CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Chinese Herbal Medicine isanother treatment method. It is one ofthe great herbal systems in the world, with a tradition going back thousands ofyears.
MOXIBUSTION
Moxibustion (Jiu) is a slowburning herb and can be used in different ways e.g. a moxa stick, moxa cones, amoxa box or moxa on top of an acupuncture needle.
CUPPING
Cupping (Ba Guan Zi) is a medical treatment using vacuumised bamboocups. The vacuum is created in the cupusing a flame applied to the vacuum.
DIETARY THERAPY AND EXERCISE.
Dietary Therapy and exerciseplays an important role in contributing to and maintaining good health. This has nothing to do with ‘going on a diet’in the conventional western sense but rather how food ingestion can change yourhealth for the better and help to eliminate disease.
Foods are seen as having different properties:yin and yang, warming and cooling, drying and moistening, etc. Certain foodsare better for some people than others, depending on the person’s type andcondition.
The preparation and consumption of food also haveto be kept in mind - this is the way we prepare, cook and eat our food. Forexample, there is not point in preparing a good meal and then not sitting downand relaxing with plenty of time to enjoy it.
