Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its roots in ancient China. Back then there was no concept of hormones and neurotransmitters, cells and enzymes etc, so they used the concepts that were well understood in those times. They looked to their environment and saw the way that the seasons, the wind, the rain and the heat had on people and their health. The terms they used to describe illness were wind, cold, damp, heat, dryness and summer-heat. Chinese medicine continued to evolve over the centuries to find ways to treat the latest "epidemic" diseases, as well as continuing to treat mild and common diseases and chronic illness. But the language used to describe the body in health and in illness has stayed the same throughout.

Modern treatments include acupuncture, cupping, food therapy, gua sha, herbal medicine and moxibustion. Qi Gong and Tai Chi are also considered as treatment modalities within the scope of Chinese Medicine.

Clinical trials that have investigated the effectiveness of Chinese Medicine treatments have found time and time again that many conditions respond positively to treatment - and with few side effects.

Placebo Effect?

Many people wonder if the effects of acupuncture or herbal medicine can be attributed to the "Placebo Effect" meaning that people will get better for the simple fact that they are receiving some kind of treatment/intervention. In fact, the purpose of conducting so many clinical trials (see Pub Med and search for Acupuncture to see how many peer reviewed journal articles are out there) has been to determine how much of the effectiveness of treatments are attributed to the placebo effect and how much is attributed to the actual treatment. Even with the absence of a proper "sham acupuncture" technique that is completely inert and has no effect on the body, the evidence shows a definite therapeutic effect from acupuncture treatment. Note that acupuncture treatments are normally individualised according to the person, and not always given in the same way to all patients - so the studies that you read don't necessarily reflect what would happen in a real clinical setting.

Herbal medicines are much easier to assess for effectiveness - it is easy to develop an inert placebo substitute for a pill or capsule. Chinese Medicine always tailors herbal formulas according to the person's constitution and presenting pattern of disharmony according to the Chinese Medicine system of diagnosis, so watch carefully for studies that use the same herbal formula for all people with the same medical diagnosis - (similar to the acupuncture clinical trials) these studies do not always reflect what would happen in a real clinical setting.

Safety

Chinese Medicine Practitioners train for years to gain their qualification and continually improve on their clinical knowledge. Despite the availability of herbal medicines and supplements to the general public, they can be harmful to your health if you take them inappropriately. There is not really any one herb that is ideal for all people, just as there is not really any one "diet" or way of eating that is good for all people. Chinese Medicine takes into account the particular qualities of each and every herb and food and makes recommendations according to each person's individual constitution. Where people are selecting herbal formulations from the shelf of a supermarket, or from the shelf in a health food store - this is we see things going wrong - with people taking herbs and supplements that they think will fix them but actually make them worse. Sometimes herbal formulas work for a short period of time but then "lose their effectiveness" - this means that your initial disharmony is no longer present and it's time to adjust the formula that you are taking. An experienced practitioner is always looking out for these cues as you present for follow up treatments - to avoid you wasting your time, money and digestive energy on herbal preparations that are not the best ones for you to take at the moment.

If you'd like to discuss your current herbal preparations to see if it's the ideal mix for you to be taking, make a booking to see our experienced Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner Natasja for her expert advice. Click here to book appointments with her online, or phone us at the clinic on 03 9013 1777.