Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) health care has become an important choice for modern health management with its core advantages of “holistic view”, ‘personalization’ and “natural healing”. From “The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine”, which states that “when righteousness exists within, evil cannot be interfered with”, to the contemporary practice of “Chinese medicine treating the unhealthy”, traditional Chinese medicine has always been based on the program of “harmonizing yin and yang, dredging the meridians and channels, and helping the righteous to get rid of evils”, and has provided a platform for the management of sub-health and chronic diseases. It provides a complete set of solutions for sub-health management, chronic disease management, post-surgical rehabilitation and life-cycle health maintenance.
Core treatment modalities of TCM health care
The essence of TCM health care is to restore the balance of yin and yang and the harmonization of qi and blood by intervening in the imbalanced state of the human body, and its treatment is not a single “headache” but centers around the whole of the “human being”. The treatment is not a single “headache”, but centered around the “human” as a whole, common means include:
1. Internal regulation of traditional Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is the core tool of Chinese medicine, and its advantage lies in “one person, one party”. Chinese medicine practitioners, through the four diagnostic methods of observation and examination, determine the patient's constitution (such as qi deficiency, dampness and heat, liver depression, etc.) and type (such as spleen and kidney yang deficiency type fatigue, hyperactivity of the liver yang type hypertension), and then target the preparation of traditional Chinese medicines. For example, for people with “yin deficiency and fire exuberance” caused by staying up late for a long time, it is common to use Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Maitake Maitake, and Lycium barbarum to nourish the yin; for people with “liver-depression and spleen-deficiency” caused by stress, it is common to use Radix Bupleurum Chinense and Paeonia lactiflora to ease the liver and Atractylodes macrocephala and Poria to strengthen the spleen. Modern Chinese medicinal preparations (e.g. granules, creams) enhance the convenience of medication and are suitable for long-term management.
2. External treatment of meridians
According to Chinese medicine, “when the meridians and channels are blocked, all kinds of diseases arise”, so regulating qi and blood by stimulating the meridian points is the key to healing. Common external treatments include:
Acupuncture and moxibustion: stimulate specific acupuncture points with millimeters (e.g., foot-sanli to strengthen the spleen and stomach, tai-chong to relieve liver qi), which can regulate the neuroendocrine secretion, improve sleep, and alleviate pain (e.g., cervical spondylosis, dysmenorrhea).
Tui na massage: through pushing, holding, pressing, kneading and other techniques to dredge the local qi and blood, pediatric massage (such as chiropractic) can strengthen the spleen and stomach, help growth; adult massage (such as shoulder and neck adjustment) can relieve muscle strain.
Moxibustion: the power of the warmth of moxa to warm through the meridians, especially for Yang deficiency (cold, diarrhea), “Guanyuan”, “the fate of the acupuncture point” moxibustion can enhance the body's Yang Qi.
Cupping / Gua Sha: through negative pressure or scraping to promote local blood circulation, improve the “gua sha” (such as summer dampness caused by the head and body heavy).
3. Medicinal food therapy
Chinese medicine is concerned about “medicine and food are the same source”, according to the body customized diet is an important part of the daily treatment. For example:
For people with deficiency of qi, yam, jujube and millet porridge can be eaten;
For those with dampness and heat, it is advisable to make soup with red beans, barley and winter melon;
Yin deficiency can choose silver ear, lily, pear soup.
Medicinal dietary therapy will be integrated into three meals a day, gentle and durable, suitable for long-term adherence to sub-healthy people.
4. Guiding techniques: the wisdom of seeking tranquility in the midst of movement
Traditional guiding techniques such as Baduanjin, Taijiquan and Wuqiuquan are used to harmonize qi and blood and dredge meridians and channels through regular movements and breathing. Research shows that Baduanjin can reduce the level of cortisol (stress hormone) and improve anxiety; taijiquan can enhance cardiopulmonary function, which is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people and patients with chronic diseases.
the recommended hospitals
Choosing a professional TCM medical institution is the key to guaranteeing the effectiveness of the treatment. The following hospitals have been working in the field of TCM health care for many years, and have formed unique specialty advantages:
1. Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Beijing)
As the “national team of Chinese medicine”, Guang'anmen Hospital is in the leading position in the field of “treatment of future diseases”. Its features include:
Physique Recognition Center: accurately identify the type of physique through genetic testing, infrared thermography and other technologies, and formulate personalized treatment plans;
Chronic Disease Management: For diabetes, hypertension, post-surgical rehabilitation of tumors, etc., we have introduced the integrated therapy of “Traditional Chinese Medicine + Diet + Exercise”, which has a clinical effectiveness rate of more than 85%;
Chinese Medicine Sleep Center: combining acupuncture, auricular pressure points and cognitive behavioral therapy to treat insomnia, anxiety and other sleep disorders.
2. Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Shanghai)
Longhua Hospital features “post-surgical tumor management” and “rheumatism and immunity diseases”, and emphasizes “supporting the positive and dispelling the evil” in TCM health care:
Tumor Rehabilitation Department: through the following methods Oncology Rehabilitation Department: Through the “Strengthening the Fundamentals and Eliminating Accumulation Formula” (Astragalus, Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng, Radix et Rhizoma Polygoni Multiflori, etc.) together with medicinal diets, the department can improve the fatigue and loss of appetite after radiotherapy and enhance the immunity;
Rheumatology: For rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, “warm acupuncture and moxibustion + traditional Chinese medicine fumigation” is used to relieve pain and delay joint damage.
3. The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangzhou)
As a representative of Lingnan Chinese medicine, the hospital is unique in “damp-heat body conditioning” and “sub-health intervention”:
Department of Future Diseases: For the “damp-heat + spleen deficiency” body condition common in Lingnan area, the hospital has developed “heat-cleansing” and “spleen deficiency” programs, which are used to relieve pain and slow down joint injuries. The Department of Preventive Medicine: In response to the “Damp-Heat + Spleen Deficiency” body type common in Lingnan area, the Department of Preventive Medicine has developed the “Tea for Clearing Heat and Dispelling Dampness” and the “Spleen Strengthening and Dampness Removing Cream”, which are combined with the Lingnan medicinal diets (such as the old-flame soup);
Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Innovative “abdominal acupuncture therapy” (through the abdominal acupuncture points to regulate the whole body), for chronic fatigue syndrome, menstrual disorders with remarkable efficacy.
4. The Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Chengdu)
The hospital features “Chinese medicine gynecology” and “geriatric convalescence”, and is highly regarded in the field of women's health care:
Gynecological convalescence: for polycystic ovary syndrome and perimenopausal syndrome, the hospital adopts “traditional Chinese medicine cyclic therapy + auricular pressure” to regulate the endocrine system, which is effective for chronic fatigue syndrome and menstrual irregularities. Gynecology: for polycystic ovary syndrome and perimenopausal syndrome, we use “Chinese medicine cycle therapy + auricular acupoints” to regulate endocrine secretion;
Geriatrics: for patients with high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, we have designed a package of “medicinal diet, eight-duanjin, and acupressure points” to reduce the risk of acute attacks.
the therapeutic advantages of Chinese medicine health care: why choose traditional wisdom?
Different from the “confrontational treatment” of modern medicine, TCM health care pays more attention to ‘reconciliation’ and “prevention”, and its core advantages are reflected in the following four aspects:
1. Personalized intervention. Accurate solution of health problems
Chinese medicine emphasizes “different treatment for the same disease and the same treatment for different diseases”. For example, the same fatigue may be “qi deficiency” (need to replenish qi) or “dampness” (need to get rid of dampness), and the treatment programs are very different. This “tailor-made” model is more relevant to individual needs than standardized treatments.
2. Holistic treatment to improve the state of the whole body
Chinese medicine focuses on the “person” rather than the ‘disease’. For example, when treating insomnia, not only does it use jujube seed to calm the mind, but it also regulates the spleen and stomach (“if the stomach is not in harmony, one will not be able to sleep well”), detoxifies the liver (“if the liver is on fire, one will be irritated”), and regulates the liver's ability to function. When treating insomnia, it not only calms the mind, but also regulates the spleen and stomach (“when the stomach is not in harmony, one cannot sleep well”) and detoxifies the liver (“when the liver is on fire, one is irritable”), so as to restore the function of sleep from the root instead of relying on sleeping pills.
3. Low side effects, suitable for long-term conditioning
Most Chinese medicines are natural medicines, and their side effects are much lower than those of western medicines under reasonable compounding; external treatments such as acupuncture and tuina are free of drug dependence, which is suitable for long-term adherence by subhealthy people. For example, children with recurring colds can be strengthened through “chiropractic + Yuping Feng San” to reduce the use of drugs.
4. Prevention first, reduce the risk of disease occurrence
The core idea of Chinese medicine is “treating the disease before it occurs”. Early detection of “subclinical state” (e.g. high blood lipid, mild anxiety) through physical identification and timely treatment with Chinese medicine and medicinal diets can nip diseases in the bud. Studies have shown that TCM intervention can reduce the risk of hypertension and diabetes by 30%-50%.
Summarize: Chinese medicine health care, is the tradition is the future!
In the fast-paced, high-stress modern society, Chinese medicine health care with its “natural, holistic, gentle” characteristics, providing people with a “slow path” to health. Whether it is sub-health management, chronic disease management, or the pursuit of a higher quality of life, Chinese medicine has demonstrated its irreplaceable value. Choosing a professional Chinese medicine institution, customizing the treatment plan with individual needs, and letting the traditional wisdom empower modern health - this may be the most touching heritage of Chinese medicine.