Traditional Chinese Medicine

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system that began in China over 2000 years ago and currently treats millions of people worldwide. TCM emphasizes maintaining balanced qi, or vital energy, in order to preserve or restore good health. The concepts outlined below provide a basic introduction to some key concepts in TCM.

Yin and Yang

Yin and yang are opposing but complementary phenomena that exist in a dynamic equilibrium. Yin is the dark, yang the light. Yin is the moon, yang the sun. Yin is inside, yang outside. Yin is cold, yang hot.

Yin and yang can be thought of as the shady and sunny side of a hill. Each side has its own distinct environment though both sides remain part of the same hill. The shady side is dark, cool, and damp while the sunny side is bright, warm, and dry. As the sun moves, the shady side of the hill will become bright and the bright side will be covered in shadow. This process illustrates the natural waxing and waning of yin and yang and highlights their interdependence and dynamism. The two opposites are not stationary, but in constant motion. In order for life on the hill to thrive there must be both shadow and sun, yin and yang. The same philosophy applies to the human body. The human body is its own small ecosystem which, like the hillside, requires the proper balance of yin and yang in order to sustain life.

The Five Phases

The five phases exist in a dynamic and unending cycle of creation and destruction. Each phase promotes one phase and controls another, thereby maintaining a vibrant homeostasis. For example, water promotes wood which in turn promotes fire (see outer arrows). Water also serves to restrain or destroy fire (see inner arrows). Like yin and yang, the promoting and controlling aspects of the five phases cannot be separated. Without promoting there would be no birth and growth; without controlling there would be no change or development.

Life is dependent upon the interaction of the five phases, but their promoting and controlling natures must be appropriately balanced.

The chart below links the Five Phases to the ecologies of the Natural World and the Human Body.

The Five Phases		Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
The Natural World	Seasons	Spring	Summer	Late Summer	Autumn	Winter
	Environmental Factors	Wind	Heat	Dampness	Dryness	Cold
	Growth and Development	Birth	Growth	Change	Decline	Rebirth
	Orientation	East	South	Middle	West	North
	Tastes	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent	Salty
	Colors	Green	Red	Yellow	White	Black
The Human Body	Yin Zang organs	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lungs	Kidneys
	Yang Fu organs	Gall bladder	Small intestine	Stomach	Large intestine	Urinary bladder
	Five Sense Organs	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose	Ears
	Five Tissues	Tendons, ligaments	Vessels, blood	Muscles	Skin, hair	Bones, nerves
	Emotions	Anger, jealousy	Joy	Anxiety, sympathy	Grief, sorrow	Fear, depression

Qi

Qi is often translated as "the breath of life" or "vital energy." Qi circulates the body in channels called meridians, and maintains the health and vitality of individuals. When the natural flow of qi is disrupted, blocked, or unbalanced, people suffer symptoms of illness. In order to restore the body to its state of balance and enable qi to flow evenly and consistently, practitioners of TCM use acupuncture, herbal medicine, and qigong.