What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the second most practiced medical system in the world. It represents an independent system of health care that has developed from a continuous process of critical thinking, observation and practice for over 3,000 years.

The principal ideas of TCM are rooted in the philosophy, logic and lifestyle of Chinese culture and civilisation. They are not complex and reflect a world-view of health and disease that is understood by many ordinary members of Chinese society today.

TCM is radically different from Western medicine and cannot be defined by scientific constructs such as biochemistry, anatomy or physiology. Chinese medicine is an organisation of all the observable manifestations of human life into a rational and consistent set of functions and relationships. The TCM physician uses this understanding to systematically describe the complete physiological and psychological individual as a whole within the context of their life and biography rather than isolate a specific cause of a disease. TCM therapies can then be used to restore each person's unique pattern of disharmony into balance. This is based on the idea that no part can be understood except in its relation to the whole.

Chinese medicine has achieved remarkable success in treating chronic conditions that have failed to respond to Western medicine. TCM plays an integral role in the Chinese health system for illness prevention and health maintenance. It can also help people cope with incurable conditions and serious emotional distress. TCM offers a natural and safe drug-free alternative and can be complementary to Western medical treatments.