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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), or sometimes called Chinese medicine
(CM), is a traditional medical system. It has a holistic approach to
diagnosing, preventing and treating diseases by identifying patterns and then
applying the individual or combined therapies of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine,tuina - a
therapeutic massage; and other techniques. Its unique characteristics which
distinguish it from ‘orthodox’ medicine are rooted in the "concept of
holism - zheng ti guan nian" and "treatment according to syndrome
differentiation - bian zheng lun zhi". It is essential to recognize that
the fundamental theory of TCM includes those of Qi, Yin Yang, the five
elements, zang-fu, the four diagnostic methods and syndrome differentiation
systems.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the world's oldest medical systems
still widely practised today. It is a unique and independent medical system
which originated from China and developed down through the centuries imbued
with the spirit of Chinese civilisation and culture. For thousand of years, TCM
has played a major role in maintaining the health of Chinese people.
Chinese Medicine was established through centuries of trial and error
processes, taking a very long time from the beginning of the practice of
Chinese Medicine to the establishment of a complete theory.
Thus although physical evidence for TCM reveals its origins to be over two
thousand years ago, its social history, traditions and roots predates this,
making it a fundamental part of Chinese civilization.
Chinese Medicine directly and indirectly influenced the development of many
herbal medicines around the globe, including but not limited to the herbal
medicines in Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, etc. Through the Silk Road and other cultural
exchanges, Chinese Medicine had been exported to Europe and other continents
hundreds and thousands of years ago, being practiced in more than 100 countries
around the world, and influencing the development of many other herbal
medicines in regions outside Asia. The influence of Chinese Medicine on other
alternative medicines (including homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic,
physical therapy, etc.) can potentially be much more profound and significant
than most people realize.
Therefore, Chinese Medicine is in a leading position in the Complementary and
Alternative Medicine , and serves the largest patient population in the world. Chinese
Herbal Medicine alone has millions of patients in the world, making Chinese
Medicine a world medicine. Today, the term "Chinese Medicine" refers
not only to the Chinese Medicine practised inside China, as the word
"Chinese" has lost its original regional or ethnic meaning, and has
become an abstract term representing a world medicine.
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