Joint Pain - Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complex health system that has been practiced in China for more than 3,000 years. Like Ayurveda, TCM focuses more on maintaining balance and preventing illness than on treating specific diseases. The cornerstone of the system is the concept of qi, or life energy. Basic Concepts: According to TCM theory, qi flows through the body through a series of channels called meridians. These channels run through the arms, legs, trunk and head as well as the internal organs. Practitioners see a free flow of qi as essential for good health, while blockages of qi by injury, emotions, or diet result in illness. Another central concept is yin-yang, the interaction of opposing forces (such as hot-cold, light-dark or active-passive). The body is considered to be an interconnected system of yin and yang, which must be balanced to ensure good health. The TCM practitioner takes a thorough history and then conducts a physical exam to look for signs of imbalance or blockage. This exam includes observation of the patient's tongue, face, body, and six pulses on each wrist. Each pulse corresponds to a specific organ, and each organ governs a different group of bodily functions. The practitioner uses his or her own senses of sight, smell, sound and touch to gather essential information needed for a diagnosis. After identifying imbalances and the location of blocked qi, the practitioner uses therapeutic techniques including acupuncture, diet and lifestyle changes, moxibustion (heat therapy), and massage to bring the individual back to health. TCM also relies on an herbal formulary consisting of more than 3,000 herbs as well as animal and mineral substances, combined in classic formulas developed over thousands of years to deal with specific health issues. Evidence: A 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that moxibustion, a TCM practice of burning herbs over specific points of the body near qi meridians, was effective in moving breech babies into the correct position for birth. Another article in the same issue found that Chinese herbal preparations reduced the number of symptoms experienced by patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. The use of acupuncture for pain relief has been the subject of extensive scientific study, with positive results. However, most evaluations of the efficacy of TCM treatment have been based on thousands of years of empirical observation, rather than on studies performed using the Western model of double-blind, placebo-controlled research.