The misunderstanding and the bad rap

Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM, has been around for over 2000 years from East Asia. To many, acupuncture needling and some strong smelling dried herbs steeped to some yucky teas come to mind when TCM is mentioned. Besides, it’s not usually until people are desperate or out of options in conventional medicines that they would seek alternative medicine options like Traditional Chinese Medicine. This misunderstanding is exactly what motivated me to study TCM. To me, TCM is actually “preventative health management” through an understanding of our very own body using different modalities (such as meditation, lifestyle management, diets, etc).

TCM vs. Modern medicine? 

It’s not about which one is better, because there are limitations to different medical systems. Modern medicine was built upon and popularized by the Western dominance with the advancement of science in the past 400 years, hence science and modern medicine are tightly intertwined. In contrast, TCM is often seen as not “backed” by science, so it’s often disregarded.

We should have both TCM and Modern medicine in our lives, for different purposes and stages of our wellness and illnesses. Read on and find out why TCM survived over 2200 years of history.  

Perfect health vs. reality

Perfect health is when your body is in perfect harmony, all the organs and tissues doing exactly what they are supposed to do. For example, digestive system will digest our food, respiratory system will keep pumping oxygen into our blood… but let’s face it, we live in a world now with lots of mental distractions and physical stimulants, and that’s why common diseases such as headache, chronic pain, insomnia became norms in our everyday life and we learned how to “accept” it and “live” with it. 

Even though “perfect health” is beyond reality and likely impossible given our 21st century lifestyles; improvements can be made, pain can go away, as long as you get a better understanding of it. Instead of popping a painkiller when you can’t function with the nagging headache, get a better understanding of why you are getting the chronic headache – that is already half way to help yourself get better.  

Balance and harmony from within

TCM is about managing your mind and body to strive for a perfect balance and harmony such that all the pains (physical and mental) will go away.

When speaking about “balance” and “harmony”, it’s easy to roll your eyes and feel that it sounds old school and abstract. But it’s actually untrue, for example, we hear the word “work-life balance” in the corporate world, we are always looking for harmony in the society, why can’t we look for balance and harmony from within? To do so, it’s easier than you think, just pay more attention to your body.

Some questions to ask yourself: Is your chronic pain happening more frequently? Is the pain getting worse? Are you getting insomnia more often. 

How can TCM help you?

Scenario: You fell on your ankle a week ago, there is no broken bone, but you are still experiencing pain and wish that you can get back to exercising ASAP. Meanwhile, your doctor told you to rest and take painkiller to manage the pain. Don’t you wish there were other things you could do and someone else you could see to help alleviate the pain?

You do have options! You can receive acupuncture to help drive blood flow to your injury for a speedier recovery. Scared of needles? Cupping can be done instead. At home, you could also drink some herbal soup to boost your body’s ability to process the injury, or apply some herbal tincture locally to alleviate the pain.

TCM can help with so many conditions and ailments, you just need to acknowledge that you want to improve your wellness, and the option is there. Few of the many conditions that TCM can help with:

• Insomnia

• Period cramps and PMS

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Chronic pain

• Headache

• Infertility 

TCM helped me learn to listen to my body, to become more aware of what food makes me feel bloated, which habit gives me more energy, and which friend brings me emotional stress. Most importantly, it helped me understand the signals that my body was sending me, telling me to make changes and seek help.

Does it work?

The answer in short, is yes. (you knew that already) But how? TCM looks at the body as a whole to locate the disharmony in the entire body. By understanding what needs tuning, you can tune (or fine-tune) your body by adjusting your lifestyle, diet, and receiving treatments such as acupuncture. 

TCM should be considered as a lifestyle to become more aware of your own wellbeing and correct habits before serious illness occurs. TCM treatment modalities such as herbal medicine, and acupuncture should be considered as additional efforts to optimize health and combat diseases.

I’m down to explore further, what’s next?

Everything might sound abstract now, but my intention is to regularly share more about TCM and tips on managing your health in manners that you would understand and with scenarios that you can relate to. 

If you currently have an ailment and are seeking professional TCM advice, look up a practitioner in your area and book an appointment with them, so they can do a thorough assessment of your condition and provide treatment.