HEALTH - Take away a Chinese remedy

For thousands of years Chinese medicine, although considered as alternative medicine in the Western world, has been the primary medical system in China. More and more people in the Western world are turning to Chinese medicine attracted by the natural healing rather than modern medicines' reliance on synthetically produced drugs.

Said to have been practised for 5,000 years the history of Chinese medicine is anything but lucid. The first written document concerning Chinese medicine is thought to be Hung-Di Nei-Jing (Cannon of Internal Medicine) and is considered to date back 2,000 years. It is attributed to the Yellow Emperor although the dates and author is still the subject of much debate.

The primary methods of Chinese medicine, and the ones people are most familiar with, are herbal medicine and acupuncture with massage, qi gong, or food therapy playing a secondary role. Through these methods Chinese medicine aims to restore harmony and regain balance to the system rather than treat the disease or illness.

The main reason for any illness or disease is lack of harmony. A well-balanced body can resist most everyday illness and disease and this is the philosophy of Chinese medicine, whereas modern medicine treats bacteria and viruses directly by the use of antibiotics or vaccines.

While more and more medical schools are including classes on alternative medicine in their syllabuses, the relationship between Chinese medicine and Western medicine is still contentious. Chinese medicine is more likely to be viewed with distrust by older Western doctors.

This is not to say that the techniques are of no value in the West. In fact, drug companies have acknowledged the value of traditional medicines and teams of scientists in many parts of the world are employed to accumulate knowledge from traditional medical practitioners. In addition, many Western hospitals and increasing numbers of clinics now offer T'ai Chi Ch'uan or qigong classes as part of their inpatient and health programs.

Not considered as alternative medicine by over three quarters of the world's population, Chinese medicine excels in the areas of prevention of physical and emotional illnesses. For centuries it has been regarded as form of non-intrusive, remedial, risk free treatment.

Attitudes towards Chinese medicine are changing by the day and an increasing number of people are finding relief in this form of alternative medicine after failing with modern medicine and prescription drugs. But rather than as a last resort as was often the case it is now becoming a first recourse and more and more people are having regular treatments to maintain their health at an optimum level or to help with addictions or dietary problems.

Article Source: http://www.articles-heaven.com/articles

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