How does it work?
Modern medicine is clever in its use of technology and this has led to many valuable breakthroughs. Often though, it lacks wisdom because what it measures and treats does not always relate very well to real people as a whole. Many people have been told “all the tests are normal” but they know something has been missed because they still feel unwell! Chinese medicine is much older than modern medicine and tries to understand what the patient feels and says. It understands the human condition in health and disease. Reading and interpreting every little symptom and sign it arrives at a diagnosis in its own traditional terms – put broadly it works by re-establishing balance and harmony within the body. This means balance between all our regulatory functions, excessive activity and under-activity, body strength and weakness and various types of toxicity, looking at blood and energy flow and stagnation, distinguishing heat and coldness, etc. Thus Chinese medicine has its own terminology and diagnostic system to understand and treat illness and maintain health. Balance is re-established by supporting the body's healthy energy and eliminating any unhealthy or disease-related states such as infections or phlegm. Once balance is established Chinese medicine can offer preventative help to maintain health. This is the ideal.
