Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) encompasses several methods designed to help patients achieve and maintain health. To follow are 6 modern therapeutic methods used, including acupuncture.
1.ACUPUNCTURE 针灸 zhēn jiǔ
2.MOXIBUSTION 艾灸 ài jiǔ
Moxibustion is a therapy that involves burning moxa (mugwort root) made from dried Artimesia vulgaris (spongy herb) to facilitate healing. Burning moxa produces a great deal of smoke and a pungent odor that often is confused with that of cannabis. The purpose of moxibustion is to warm and invigorate the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi, strengthen the kidney Yang, expel wind and disperse cold, and dissolve stagnation. Historically, this therapy had been used to treat menstrual pain.
3.TUI NA MASSAGE 推拿按摩 tuī ná àn mó
It literally means’ ‘pinch and pull’. Tui na (a combination of massage, acupressure, and other forms of body manipulation) is a form ofAsian bodywork therapy that has been used in China for centuries. In a typical tui na session, the patient remains clothed and sits on a chair. The practitioner will ask a series of questions and then begin treatment. The type of massage delivered by a tui na practitioner can be quite vigorous at times. Practitioners may use herbal compresses, ointments, and heat to enhance these techniques. Tui na is best suited for treating chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions.
4. CUPPING/SCRAPING 拔罐子 bá guàn zǐ/ 刮痧 guā shā
Cupping is a type of Chinese massage, consisting of placing several glass or plastic “cups” (open spheres) on the body. TCM practitioners warm the cups using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is then placed inside the cup to remove all the oxygen. The practitioner then removes the substance and places the cup against the skin. The air in the cup then cools, creating lower pressure inside the cup, creating a vacuum and allowing the cup to stick to the skin. Fleshy sites on the body, such as the back and stomach, are the preferred sites for treatment.
Scraping, or “Gua Sha,” is a folk medicine technique that uses pieces of smooth jade, bone, animal tusks, horns, or smooth stones to scrape along the skin to release obstruction and toxins that are trapped at the surface of the skin. The scraping is done until red spots then bruising cover the treatment area.
5.CHINESE HERBS 中药 Zhōng yào
The substances TCM practitioners most commonly use can come from different leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and seeds of plants such as cinnamon bark, ginger, ginseng, licorice, and rhubarb. Ginseng is the most broadly used substance for the broadest set of treatments. If a practitioner recommends Chinese herbology as a treatment, the herbs are combined into a formula that is dispensed in the form of a traditional tea, capsule, liquid extract, granule, or powder. The effectiveness of Chinese herbology still remains poorly documented.
6.CHINESE NUTRITION 营养 yíng yǎng
