What Is Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a healing method thousands of years old, which sees the body and mind as one complete system. Alongside the organs and tissues visible to the eye, an energetic system operates in the body, whose balance is essential to health.

This energetic system is built on many concepts and principles that need to be studied for years in various schools and/or through self-exploration.

The Chinese medicine practitioner, who knows and understands its complexity inside and out, identifies the root of the issue that brought the person to the state that led them to treatment, and begins treating using the central therapeutic tools of Chinese medicine.

Therapeutic tools in Chinese medicine

• Acupuncture is performed with thin, sterile, single-use needles. It is effective for a variety of issues such as: orthopedic body pain — muscle and skeletal. Neurological problems such as facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy/facialis), sleep problems, skin conditions: psoriasis, seborrhea, skin inflammation, atopic dermatitis. Sleep problems, digestive issues, colds and respiratory system problems: cough, asthma, allergies, bronchitis, hoarseness, loss of voice. Hormonal issues: under/overactive thyroid, fertility problems, irregular periods, menstrual pain and more. In many cases, patients feel a change for the better already after the first treatment.

• Tuina (tui na) an ancient Chinese massage, a manual technique. This is essentially Chinese medicine through touch. Good for herniated discs in the lower back, cervical disc herniations, neck pain, sciatica, leg pain, neck pain, shoulder blade pain, wrist pain and inflammation, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, finger pain, heel spur, knee pain, painful shoulder, frozen shoulder, recurring sprains, ankle sprains and more… In most cases, there is significant relief already during or by the end of the treatment.

• Chinese herbal medicine the knowledge of using medicinal herbs is thousands of years old. From the “Heavenly Farmer” who experimented on himself with every plant he thought might be healing, to the new plants that keep updating the editions of Chinese herbology books used in medicine today.
  Medicinal herbs treat a wide range of internal and gynecological issues, as well as external problems. Such as:
  Colds, flu, cough, asthma, respiratory system inflammation, sore throat, diarrhea, stomach aches, constipation, intestinal diseases like Crohn’s and colitis. Hormonal issues, irregular periods, menstrual pain, early periods, late periods, fertility problems, obesity, metabolism, skin conditions like psoriasis, seborrhea, atopic dermatitis, skin allergies. Headaches, sleep problems, mood swings, depression, and more…

• Cupping
• Bloodletting
• Gua Sha

Practice and theory in complementary medicine

“Practice without theory is foolish, and theory without practice is worthless”
Chinese medicine was born from a place connecting philosophy, theory and practice.

The philosophy of Chinese medicine

Which holds that the world, with all its complexity, is built from simple systems that live in harmony with one another, nourishing and building each other, but also possessing a control mechanism. Sometimes even one of destruction.

The theory of Chinese medicine

Which describes the person as an inseparable part of the world, and that every person is a world unto themselves. Everything that exists in nature also exists within us. We have a mechanism of creation, control, and sometimes cases in which the mechanisms “go out of control.”

The practice of Chinese medicine

Connects philosophy to theory.
The Chinese discovered that in our body, in addition to the organs visible to the eye, there is an energetic system, whole and complete, responsible for the functions of body and mind!
The body — organs, body tissues: bones, muscles, tendons, skin, physiology and function of the internal organs, metabolism, hormones… childhood, adolescence, old age.
The mind — quite literally. Sadness and depression, joy, worry, fear, explosive anger and suppressed anger. From the simplest level to what is defined as mental illness.

In summary:

Combining these treatment tools, Chinese medicine treats the person, the root of the illness and its branch.
At the place of pain and at the source it springs from.
It clears disease-causing factors out and also makes sure to close the opening through which the illness entered.
It strengthens the immune system, but also the resilience of the mind.
It keeps the person as a channel connecting the energy of heaven and earth.
Therapeutic medicine, but no less important, preventive medicine.
Based on thousands of years of clinical experience, yet also constantly renewing and developing.
It places emphasis on the health of body and mind, but also teaches a guiding path toward a balanced and healthy way of life.

Welcome to the wondrous and fascinating world of Chinese medicine.