Essays on Traditional Chinese Medicine

Over the past decade, the interest and use of herbal, complementary and alternative medicines has grown significantly. Indeed, according to a 2010 survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), “nearly 40 percent” of adult Americans have used “some form of complementary and alternative medicine” (Ventola, 2010). Complementary and alternative medicine, which the National Institute of Health (NIH) defines as the “group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not considered to be part of conventional medicine” includes a wide-range of dietary supplements and medicines, including but not limited to herbal ...

China has a great history of using unique traditional medication means such as Tai Chi, herbs, and many others. Of late, the medications have shifted from traditional means and narrowed to science. Much of the current medications means heavily rely on science and technology. Admittedly, there has been many scientific studies both on the specific operations of tiny body organs and breakdown of illnesses in ways where the application of scientific concepts is possible. Examples of Chinese medications that borrow a lot from science includes

Herbal therapy for the treatment of some allergic reactions.

Treatment of patients suffering from hypertension using food therapy Treatment of Dysmenorrhea using Danggui ...

My name

My course name Abstract In this paper I will compare and contrast Chinese views on food and dietary practices with those of Western countries. By appeal to empirical and historical research, I will provide various points of comparison and support the claim that that Chinese views and practices help promote good development, health, and well-being. I will address differences in Chinese and Western views on the properties of food, herbs, food as therapy. My aim will not be to argue that Chinese dietary theories and practice are superior to those of Western countries. Rather, it will be to show ...

Using Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Creation of Naturing Life

Nature life is a beauty perfect in the eyes of people. In fact, Coco Chanel quoted the words, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous” (Armour 1). The pursuit of beauty is a topic always applicable to life among women, even to those who lived thousands of years ago. Thus, there is always the question on how women of long ago maintain their beautiful appearance, as reflected in the Chinese customs, which is apparently very different from the ways of the modern times that uses science and technology. Women of the olden times did not have access ...

(From The Traditional Chinese Medicine to the Naturing Life)

Introduction

Naturing Life has bestowed people with an incomparable beauty. According to Coco Chanel, “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous”. The pursuit of beauty is an eternal topic of discussion, particularly among women. Without a doubt, beauty is something that almost everyone pursues in life. It is hard to imagine how women used to maintain their beautiful appearance thousands of years ago. As compared to the modern science and technological advancements that now support the beauty industry in many ways (such as hyaluronic acid injection or face-lifting surgery), ...

The Scientific Method. As a biology student, I have had that phrase and what it means drilled into me for years. Observe, develop an idea, predict an outcome, experiment, assess, and refine the idea. Then repeat the experiment. If it reveals some interesting new aspect of science, document what you have done in the hopes that other people will experiment. In that the results and eventually your revelations can be proven. Western Medicine, as one aspect of science, follows the same basic pattern. Drugs are developed over years of experimenting in laboratories across the country. Eventually, this leads to the ...

Why is it done this way? Who started it and why?

An extremely new product making its impact on the health and wellness marketplace is the Airing. It is a small, hoseless, cordless, CPAP machine, which looks and (purportedly) feels completely different than its predecessors. CPAP stands for Constant Positive Airway Pressure and is a therapy device used to treat those with sleep apnea. The new device, called Airing, was developed by inventor Steven Marsh, from a project that was focused on very different technology. He refers to its development as an “incredibly happy accident (Medcalf 1).” He was working on a technology focused research assignment on mico-fluid pumps in micro electro mechanical ...

Traditional Chinese Medicine came into being several thousands of years ago. It encompasses the usage of different herbal medicines, as well as, other practices that involve the mind. In most societies, people have used TCM as an alternative approach to seeking cures for various ailments. This first source presents an overview of the Chinese medicine that would include its safety and efficiency. It affirms the fact that several traditional medicines in the world have largely borrowed from the TCM. This source is a publication of the National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health. The NCCIH is a federal government institution ...

China joins Babylon, India and Egypt as the four ancient civilizations. The nation has a vast geographical space and has a rich history with elaborate and magnificent culture that has been written for over 3,600 years. The diverse and unique Chinese culture can therefore be traced hundreds of years back. For the Chinese, their culture presents itself as an asset that defines their position as a landmark in the world. China’s cultural heritage can be examined by analyzing the different aspects of culture that include Chinese food, festivals, kung Fu, language, medicine and the China World Heritage Sites. In this ...

Abstract

Conventional medicine or mainstream medicine, which is often called as allopathic medicine, is based on the Cartesian model of dualism that holds the view that the human body and the mind are two entities. On the contrary, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) views the human body and the mind as a single entity. Many mainstream therapies were once considered complementary until they were proven clinically effective through research. Currently, many mainstream practitioners are adopting CAM therapies to provide integrated or holistic care. The National Institutes of Health and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH/NCCAM) have divided CAM therapies ...

Abstract

There has been a very big difference between alternative medicine and modern conventional medicine in terms of use, diagnosis treatment and most of all promotion. Alternative medicine has been disadvantaged over the years with lack of promotion because of its basis on beliefs and indigenous knowledge rather than evidence and proof. For this reason, most of its products have been operating in the black market with major implications on conservation of animals such as rhinos and elephants because of rampant poaching activities. However, in the recent past promotion has increased because it is cheaper and readily accessible. Also there has ...

Have you ever heard that a monkey brain is edible? I guess according to current trends everything is almost edible; dogs, cats, tigers. Name all of them. Some are even consuming our ancestors the monkeys. What is wrong? Is it ignorance gone on a rampage, or just a mere discovery that we did not know before? Imagine some people consume monkey brains and they even have descriptions for the delicacy cooked, raw, and flash fried while others still eat it as a snack in the mid-morning. It is such an expensive food. I wonder where these monkeys are sourced from and how they ...

Annotated Bibliography: Western and Eastern Approaches to Science – A Historical Perspective

Mazzocchi, Fulvio. "Western Science and traditional knowledge: Despite their varioations, different forms of knowledge can learn from each other." EMBO Reports 7.5 (2006): 463-466. This journal article provides a sound general understanding of the differences between Western approach to science and traditional, indigenous approaches from around the world. It explains why, despite the widespread acceptance of Western science, traditional approaches remain more holistic in their understanding and application. Pan, Xing, Ricardo Valerdi and Rui Kang. "Systems Thinking: A comparison between Chinese and Western Approaches." Prodecia Computer Science 16 (2013): 1027-1035. This journal article focuses on ...

Alternative medicine is the term given for medicinal products or services that are not a part of a standard medical care. It means nonstandard treatments that can be used along with the standard treatment. Some examples of alternative medicine are herbal medicines, acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, energy therapies, magnetic field therapy, hypnosis, Reiki, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Traditional Medicine, and healing touch therapies (National Institute of Health, n.d.). These have been around for many years, but in literature, there is a support as well as controversy surrounding it. In some cases, there has been considerable research done while in some other cases, there has ...

3.1. As a care worker in a specific care setting:

3.1.a. Explain what you understand by reliability of information during complementary therapies.

As a care worker in a specific care setting such as geriatric care or cancer care, there has to be more than enough information needed to support any decision to turn to complimentary therapies for relief. Although some of the unconventional therapies are said to have originated from ancient practices, it is still not enough to justify its effectiveness and reliability. Some health clinics offering alternative healing advertise their services through the internet, newspaper or magazine. There is still a need for ...