Traditional Chinese Medicine - A Brief History

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a recorded history dating back over 2,000 years. The Classics of Internal Medicine or (Huang Di Nei Jing) is the oldest medical book in China, and contains the framework upon which TCM is based. This art has been continuously refined through the clinical experiences of some 200 generations of practitioners. The World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the United Nations, acknowledges the ability of Traditional Chinese Medicine to facilitate healing in many disease.

Diagnosis and Traditional Chinese Medicine

When making a diagnosis, doctors of TCM are concerned with the whole person. They focus on physical and psychological characteristics as key indicators of health and disease. Included in this procedure are tongue and pulse diagnoses, coupled with a detailed history of signs and symptoms. From this, the physician pieces together a pattern of disharmony which is used to formulate a diagnosis and tailor a treatment specifically to the individual. TCM not only alleviates symptoms, but also directs its attention to treating the underlying causes of disease – ‘THE ROOT CAUSE’ thus returning the body, mind and spirit to a balanced state.