[[File:TCM.jpg|thumb|350px|left|traditional Chinese Medecine]]Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient practice still used by millions of people all over the world -- even after the development of modern scientific medicine.At the root of traditional Chinese medicine is the belief that the individual (microcosm) is viewed as an integral part of the forces of nature (macrocosm). By careful observation of nature, Taoist sages were able to perceive patterns common to both the external environment and the internal climate of the human body. Over a period of thousands of years, the cumulative observations of sages all over China led to an intricate system of diagnosis and healing. The basic principles are rather distinctive:*Relative Properties - Yin and Yang : The Physiology of Chinese medicine holds that the human body's life is the result of the balance of yin and yang. Yin is the inner and negative principles, and yang, outer and positive. The key reason why there is sickness is because the two aspects lose their harmony. Seen from the recovery mechanism of organs, yang functions to protect from outer harm, and yin is the inner base to store and provide energy for its counterpart.*Basic Substance : Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine (abbreviated to TCM) believe that vital energy - moving and energetic particles, state of blood, and body fluid are the essential substances that compose together to form the human body, and the basis for internal organs to process. They are channeled along a network within the body - Jing Luo as their channels. On the physical side, vital energy serving to promote and warm belongs to the properties of yang, and blood and body fluid to moisten possesses the properties of yin.===Yin & Yang and The Four States of Imbalance:===1. Excess of Yin<br>2. Excess of Yang<br>3. Deficiency of Yin<br>4. Deficiency of Yang<br>In terms of the human body, yin is associated with the lower parts of the body, while yang is associated with the upper body and back. Given yin and yang’s interconnectivity, diseases are not seen as entities separate from the body, but instead are understood as states of yin and yang imbalance.
At In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this interconnectivity is understood as a group of four opposites, collectively known as the root Eight Principles. The table below shows the inverse relationship of traditional Chinese medicine yin-yang.[[File:The eight principles table.png]]<br>Yin and yang are in constant flux. If one becomes unbalanced in the body, illness occurs. For example, since yin is cold, an excess of yin can cause illnesses such as insomnia and dry-mouth. Conversely, a yang deficiency can cause cold limbs and a sickly-complexion. Good health then, is maintained by balancing yin and yang.<br>[[File:Yin and yang chart.jpg]] ===Five Phases theory===[[File:420px-Wuxing en.svg.png|thumb|300px|left|Interactions of Wu Xing]]Five Phases (五行), sometimes also translated as the belief "Five Elements" theory, presumes that all phenomena of the individual universe and nature can be broken down into five elemental qualities – represented by wood (microcosm木) is viewed as an integral , fire (火), earth (土), metal (金), and water (水).In this way, lines of correspondence can be drawn: {| class="wikitable"|-! Phenomenon || Wood || Fire || Earth || Metal || Water|-! Direction| east || south || center || west || north|-! Colour| green/blue || red || yellow || white || black|-! Climate| wind || heat || damp || dryness || cold|-! Taste| sour || bitter || sweet || acrid || salty|-! Zang Organ| Liver || Heart || Spleen || Lung || Kidney|-! Fu Organ| Gallbladder || Small Intestine || Stomach || Large Intestine || Bladder|-! Sense organ| eye || tongue || mouth || nose || ears|-! Facial part | above bridge of nose || between eyes, lower part || bridge of nose || between eyes, middle part || cheeks (below cheekbone)|-! Eye part| iris || inner/outer corner of the forces eye || upper and lower lid || sclera || pupil|} Strict rules are identified to apply to the relationships between the Five Phases in terms of nature sequence, of acting on each other, of counteraction etc. All these aspects of Five Phases theory constitute the basis of the Zàng-fǔ concept, and thus have great influence regarding the TCM model of the body. Correspondences between the body and the universe have historically not only been seen in terms of the Five Elements, but also of the "Great Numbers" (macrocosm大數)For example, the number of acu-points has at times been seen to be 365, in correspondence with the number of days in a year; and the number of main meridians – 12 – has been seen in correspondence with the number of rivers flowing through the History of China|ancient Chinese empire. By careful observation <br>While the change of yin and yang may seem random, they actual follow a pattern known Xu Xing or the Five Phases, which shows how and when yin will shift to yang and vice versa. Typically, Xu Xing is used to describe the change of seasons and states of elements. For example, Spring giving rise to Early Summer, which turns into Late Summer, which then becomes Fall, then Winter, then Spring again.[[File:Wu Xing pattern.png|thumb|350px|left|]]<br>In terms of the human body, the organs follow a similar Wu-Xing pattern, called Zang-Fu. Zang refers to organs that are yin in nature. They are the pericardium, Taoist sages were able heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidneys. Fu refers to perceive patterns common organs that are yang. They are the triple burner, small intestine, large intestine, gall bladder, urinary bladder, and stomach. Each zang has a fu, and every zang-fu pair corresponds to both one of the external environment five phases. The diagram below better explains this relationship.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>[[File:Zang fu 5 elements.jpg|thumb|450px|left|]]<br>The chart below shows the analogous relationships between the Xu Xing and Zang-fu organs. [[File:Xu xing table.png]] The purpose of the Zang-fu Organs is to produce the Five Vital Substances, which are the five building blocks of life: Qi, Xue (Blood), Jinye (Body Fluids), Jing (Essence), and Shen (Spirit). ==Diagnosis==Four Methods of Diagnosis : It is a wonder that TCM doctors could cure countless patients without any assistant apparatus but only a physical examination. The four methods of diagnosis consist of observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, pulse taking and palpation.*Observation indicates that doctors directly watch the outward appearance to know a patient's condition. As the exterior and interior corresponds immediately, when the inner organs run wrongly, it will be reflected through skin pallor, tongue, the facial sensory organs and some excrement.*Auscultation and olfaction is a way for doctors to collect messages through hearing the sound and smelling the odor. This is another reference for diagnosis.*Interrogation suggests that doctors question the patient and his relatives, so as to know the symptoms, evolution of the disease and previous treatments.*The taking of the pulse and palpation refer that doctors noting the pulse condition of patients on the radial artery, and then to know the inner change of symptom. Doctors believe that when the organic function is normal, the pulse, frequency, and intension of pulse will be relatively stable, and when not, variant.<br> When treating a disease, doctors of TCM usually find the patient's condition through these four diagnostic methods: observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, pulse, and palpation. Combining the collected facts and according to their internal climate relations, doctors will utilize the dialectics to analyze the source and virtue of the human bodydisease. Over Then make sure what prescription should be given. In traditional Chinese medical science, the drugs are also different from the West, because doctors have discovered the medicinal effects of thousand of herbs over a long period of thousands time. Before taking the medicine, the patient will have to boil it. Then there is the distinctive method of yearspreparation, associated with the cumulative observations acupuncture and massage, the treatment will take effect magically.<br>Such a complicated medical science had come down thanks to records like The Yellow Emperor's Canon of sages Interior Medicine, Shen Nong's Canon of Herbs, and the Compendium of Materia Medica, which are all over comprehensive and profound works. There are also wide-spread stories praising the experienced and notable doctors in ancient China led to like Hua Tuo in the Three Kingdoms Periods (220 - 280). Today, though western medicine has been adopted, traditional treatments are still playing an intricate system of diagnosis important role and healinghave raised great attention and interest worldwide due to the amazing curative effects reported.==List of medicines==What’s the Difference Between, PIAN, WAN, TANG, SAN, SHUI and GAO?*PIAN = Tablet (modern looking pill)*WAN = Pill (old-style or handmade pill, or black teapill)*TANG = Water Decoction (boiled whole herbs)*SAN = Powder (milled or granulated)*SHUI = Tincture (extract with alcohol or other solvent)*GAO = Paste (topical unguent or plaster)