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Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine consists of a wide range of traditional
practices that stretch back thousands of years in China. In recent years some
of these practices have found an increasingly receptive audience in the Western
industrialized countries, especially among people who are disenchanted with the
mechanistic nature of much of modern Western medicine. Some of the better known
varieties of Chinese Medicine include acupuncture, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and
various forms of herbal medicine and herbal healing.
Acupuncture is a technique that aims to remove blockages of chi (your vital
energy or life force) in your body. There are a total of 14 energy pathways
through your body called meridians. When you are healthy, your energy flows
freely and smoothly along the meridians. When you are ill or injured, that is
reflected by blockages along certain meridians. Sterile needles are inserted
into your body along the appropriate meridian points. In traditional Chinese
Medicine, there are about 500 specific points that needles can be inserted,
depending on the needs of the individual and the situation.
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese discipline that involves coordinating the
breath with a series of specific postures and motions of the body. Qi Gong is
related to the martial arts, although it is usually taught as a health
maintenance tool, rather than a self-defense tool. There are literally
thousands of different schools and styles of Qi Gong in existence.
"Qi" (also known as chi) means "breath" in Chinese, and
Qi Gong involves learning proper breathing habits in order to maintain optimum
natural health. More scientifically minded people feel that Qi Gong can bring
benefits such as stress reduction and relaxation, while other more
metaphysically minded supporters feel that Qi Gong practice can help you tap
into the source energies of the universe.
The Chinese have long used herbal medicine. Practitioners will combines many
herbs into a specific mixture tailored for a patient's individual needs at that
time. Getting the right mix of herbs takes years of skill and practice. In some
cases, a specific herb must be added to cancel out the toxic side effects of
another herb. In other cases, an herb is needed as a catalyst, otherwise the
entire combination will be useless.
Chinese herbal medicine uses all parts of the plant, and also animal and
mineral ingredients at times. The use of endangered animals in herbal healing,
such as tiger bones and rhinoceros horns, has generated controversy. As a
result, a number of manufacturers of herbal medicines have renounced the use of
any parts taken from endangered species.
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