Traditional Chinese medicine

FOR EUROPEAN WELLBEING

More and more people in the Western world are convinced: traditional forms of Chinese medicine treatment offer successful possibilies for healing.

The origins of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lie in ancient China. Around 3000 years ago, the foundations of this sophisticated system of healing procedures were developed. The treasure trove of experience is correspondingly large.

TCM includes various therapy modalities: acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, nutrition, Tuina / Anmo (Chinese massage) Qigong, Taijiquan (exercise). The healing method is based on a complex, holistic diagnostic system that precisely examines the energy flows in the body and the interactions with the environment. The treatment forms are directed at these these energy flows and interactions.

HOLISTIC CONSIDERATION OF ENERGY FLOWS

In Chinese Medicine, man is viewed as a whole with all his physical and mental functions. Diseases are considered to be disturbances of the body's energy flows or as irregularities in the absorption and release of energy in the body, an imbalance of yin and yang.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine restore harmony and the ordered flow of Qi in the diseased body. The Chinese term Qi is central in TCM. It stands for the various vital energies in the body, in the individual organs, and also in the external world.

CHINESE MEDICINES - THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE

The origins of the high art of Chinese herbal medicine are attributed to the mythical Chinese emporer Shennong who was said to have lived around 2800 BC. According to tradition, he tested the effects of the various medicinal herbs on himself and recorded them in the book "Shennong Bencaojing".

Hundreds of generations of dcotors have added to and refined this knowledge. In doing so, they relied on the abundant natural treasures of the great Chinese empire. Around 6000 different medicines from herbs, minerals and also from substances of animal origin are described today, about 500 of which are used frequently.

The largest group consists of medicinal products derived from the abundance of plant species. Depending on the plant and the formula, all components of plants are used: roots, barks, leaves, woods, branches, flowers, fruits and seeds. Many of the substances used in Chinese medicine are known from the kitchen as spices - such as cinnamon, cardamom, curcuma, fennel seeds, galangal, ginger, mustard seeds or radish seeds, etc. In Switzerland, however, most of them are classified as medicines rather than food, so they are generally not familiar to the lay person.Each herb has its own mode of action in the system of Chinese medicine. According to the disease pattern, various medicinal herbs are combined. The herbs used perform different functions. So-called "emporer herbs" are mainly responsible for the therapeutic effect. Numerous "ministers" support the effect, promote the absorption capacity or mitigate possible side effects. The art of Chinese medicine is to individually tailor the herbs to make an effective formula for the patient.

various forms of administration

The original form of administration is the "decoction", which is a freshly cooked tea made from raw herbs. Since they can be very complex and time-intensiveto prepare, extracts in the form of powder, capsules or tablets have become more popular. Also, forms of external application such as plasters, lotions or liniments have become common.