Traditional Chinese Medicine
What it is and How it Works
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system that began in China thousands of years ago. The theory is based on Qi or vital energy which flows through the body and is influenced by the complementary opposites of yin and yang.
This concept forms the basis for all TCM disease processes, diagnoses and treatments. When the flow of qi is disrupted, this imbalance can result in disease or illness. The correct diagnosis of the disease or illness is then distinguished within a framework known as “pattern differentiation” and “differential diagnosis”
Diagnoses and Treating the Root Cause
Pattern differentiation is the primary principle used in order to identify and treat the root cause of each condition.
The TCM practitioner begins with an in-depth consultation to assess a patient’s overall health, diet, lifestyle choices and emotional state.
Once the pattern is identified, a treatment protocol will be developed that may include acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, exercise and lifestyle recommendations.
Conditions Treated by TCM
Controlled clinical studies conducted by the World Health Organization have proven TCM to be effective treatment for the following conditions:
- Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
- Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
- Biliary colic
- Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
- Dysentery, acute bacillary
- Dysmenorrhoea, primary
- Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
- Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
- Headache
- Hypertension, essential
- Hypotension, primary
- Induction of labour
- Knee pain
- Leukopenia
- Low back pain
- Malposition of fetus, correction of
- Morning sickness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neck pain
- Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
- Periarthritis of shoulder
- Postoperative pain
- Renal colic
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sciatica
- Sprain
- Stroke
- Tennis elbow
The World Health Organization noted 64 additional conditions for which the “therapeutic effect of TCM has been shown but for which further proof is needed”. Of those the practitioners at IMeG Health™ have special expertise in treating:
- Cancer Pain
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Insomnia
- Obesity
- Osteoarthritis
- Premenstrual Syndrome (and a host of other Women’s Health issues)
- Schizophrenia
- Tobacco Dependency
A few of the most common conditions treated with TCM at IMeG Health™ include:
Women's Health |
Skin Diseases |
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Chronic Disease Management |
Other Benefits |
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If you have any questions, email us at info@IMeGHealth.com or call us at our Vancouver office to find out how acupuncture and herbal therapy can help you.
