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Interest is growing in this ancient healing tradition.
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I have to confess I don’t know much about TCM. But I do know more now than I did before. And come to find out I did know a little about various aspects of TCM. My first misconception was thinking in terms of natural medicines and herbs as the foundation of TCM. That is a big part but it is only one part of the broader health and healing traditions of TCM. One might say TCM is a healthy lifestyle similar to a natural lifestyle here in the west. It includes the many aspects of healthy living as well as treatment.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a style of traditional Asian medicine informed by modern medicine but built on a foundation of more than 2,500 years of Chinese medical practice that includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. It is primarily used as a complementary alternative medicine approach. TCM is widely used in China and is becoming increasingly prevalent in Europe and North America. There is a comprehensive article on TCM on Wikipedia if you want a broader introduction to TCM. Here is the link.
“Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long complicated history, from antiquity to today it has sought to promote health through careful diet, thoughtful body movement, and emotional health. But when you fall out of a balanced health, TCM has tools to help bring you back. Most people are aware of the needles of acupuncture even if they don’t fully understand it, but what a lot of people don’t know is that TCM uses a vast number of herbs in formulations to address myriad health issues. It also uses heat therapy, therapeutic massage and movement to remediate health conditions, it isn’t just about the needles. One of the things that you will often hear is that TCM has withstood the test of time and while it has been around for millennia, that is not what makes it great. What makes it great is a focus on staying healthy – physical and emotional health are strongly tied together as you can’t truly have one without the other.” David Jones.
I think what throws a lot of people off are the concepts used to describe illness and healing. Yin and Yang plus the five elements—fire, earth, wood, metal, and water as symbolic descriptors are challenging for the western mind. The concept of the energy meridians throughout the body is difficult for many to grasp. What should be obvious is that any healing system that has survived for millennia has a lot to offer. That alone is enough to deserve my respect and interest.
For me, the concept is that our bodies heal themselves and all bodies are the same around the world. When we apply the healing arts, all we can do is apply our knowledge to help the body heal itself. It does not matter how it is described, the action of healing is driven by the body. And no matter what the modality, it is still the body and its healing power that does all of the heavy lifting. My appreciation of TCM comes from the history of success and the comprehensive approach to health and healing. I like that these modalities are available to most of us by visiting an acupuncturist or other knowledgeable practitioners. The bottom line of any treatment is how well does it work for you. This is your process of discovery.
In this interview I am speaking with Acupuncturist David Jones L.Ac. David Jones has been an acupuncturist for a decade, he has a master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the AOMA graduate school of Integrative Medicine and studied in both Austin and Chengdu. He is the the Chief Herb Formulator and co-founder of Herbalogic a maker of herbal extracts based on Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. As a Acupuncturist practitioner and formulator he is in a unique position to use his products and observe the effects and success.
As an example we will discuss one of David’s formulas called Easy Breather. Easy Breather promotes clear sinuses and soothes occasional upper respiratory irritation that may be triggered by seasonal changes, travel, and stress. Developed to help those with “cedar fever,” a severe reaction to juniper or mountain cedar pollen, Easy Breather offers relief from a range of tree, grass, and weed pollen as well as dust, mold and pollution.
Easy Breather combines herbs long used in Chinese herbal traditions to promote clear sinuses and soothe occasional upper respiratory and eye irritation that may be triggered by airborne irritants and plant allergens, seasonal changes, travel, or stress. Unlike formulas that cause nasal dryness or thirst, Easy Breather includes herbs to moisturize sinus passages and upper respiratory membranes.
Take Easy Breather when your body reacts negatively to seasonal irritants, such as tree, grass, and weed pollen — especially cedar, juniper, oak, elm, pecan, ragweed. Use in environments containing airborne nasal irritants, such as urban pollution, smoke, vog, and mold. Take in advance of cold, flu, and allergy seasons for general immune support. Use before and during travel to boost immunity to airborne pathogens in enclosed spaces, like airplane cabins. Click here to learn more.
David has created a series of videos in which he explains the products. Here is a link to that page.
Herbalogic is one of those small companies that are created and driven by the passion of the founder. One of the advantages of a smaller company is that you can usually contact the owner or at least someone who cares. If you like knowing that your product is created and nurtured by the owner of the company then Herbalogic would be a good company to consider. You can visit their website for more information on their products. www.herbalogic.com
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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated in ancient China and has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use herbal medicines and various mind and body practices, such as acupuncture and tai chi, to treat or prevent health problems. In the United States, people use TCM primarily as a complementary health approach.