As more people turn to natural healing, Chinese alternative medicine has been so popular for the past several years. The main question is why is it becoming more popular? The answer is: it is safer and it works effectively. The answer is as simple as that.
Another unique thing about this treatment is it does not only focus on one problem alone. The treatment focuses on the body and the mind. Physical disease cannot be treated separately from mental problem. It is interrelated between your body and mind: A sick body lead to sick mind and conversely a sick mind can cause a sick body too. Therefore, an alternative practitioner does not only detect your disease from the only one problematic part of your body.
From year to year, Western society tends to choose alternative treatment rather than the medical ones. According to a study in 1997, the trend of alternative medicine has been growing in some European countries, such as France, Germany as well as in Australia. In addition, the use of medical herbs has also been growing significantly. From 1991 to 1997, for example, the use of traditional herbs increased by 380 per cent, while the use of vitamin and other forms of therapy only grew 130 per cent.
Chinese alternative treatment is rich in history. It is based on the three main principles: the Chi (the balance of energy circulating in the body), Ying-Yang (the opposite elements that compliment each other in our daily lives), and the Theory of Five Elements (that consist of wind, fire, earth, metal, and water), which focuses on the inter-dependence between the human body and its natural environment. All the elements in the nature are changing from time to time and they exist in cosmic balance in accordance with the law of nature.
People associate Chinese alternative medicine with acupuncture. Actually, acupuncture is only a part of the whole Chinese medicine as the main part is clinical and diagnostics and the use of traditional herbs. The knowledge and methods of this traditional treatment was not widely known until when missionaries came to China in the early 17th century. Then they introduced it to the Western society by translating the medicine books on methods of natural healings. The most interesting fact is Western medical treatment was first brought to China soon after.
However, not all medical experts can translate the ancient Chinese text. That is why the practice of traditional Chinese medicine is limited to a small number of practitioners who can understand the Chinese text. Nowadays, the treatment have been practiced all over the world with medical herbs that do not only come from China, but also from other countries such as Indian’s cinnamon and Vietnamese cloves.
