Acupuncture, strange herbs, oils, tonics, and slow moving martial arts – all of these are images that may spring into your mind when you hear the term ‘Chinese Medicine’. The fact is that Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is a very friendly, approachable, and widely respected healing modality with many thousands of years of successful practice.

As the name implies, Chinese Medicine is the healing tradition that comes from mainland China. It is believed that what we know today as Chinese Medicine is a synthesis of ancient Indian medicine called Ayurveda coupled with the special innovations that Chinese herbalists and healers made over hundreds of years. This school of healing focuses on natural, gentle, and sustainable methods to help bring the body and mind back into harmony. It’s based on the spiritual teachings of Taoism which inspires people to help discover their innate state of balance and harmony with life itself. Taoism and Chinese Medicine go hand in hand, and it’s almost impossible to define where one ends and the other begins!

How Does Chinese Medicine Work?

In the West, medicine is mostly based on identifying a disease and then treating it using methods that have been tried and tested many times in controlled circumstances. As a contrast, Chinese Medicine focuses more on the individual person who may be experiencing illness in an effort to being that person back into their own natural state of balance.

Chinese medicine teaches that as long as the individual is in a state of balance, there is no reason for them to get sick. Thus, treating the individual can alleviate not just one health issue but all health issues – all while helping the person feel more centered, calm, and joyful.

Chinese medicine works by identifying the constitution and general pattern of an individual through techniques like interview, tongue and eye diagnosis, and testing. This process has been refined over centuries to the point that a practitioner can often pinpoint the ‘essence’ of a person very quickly and help identify which ways that person may be out of balance.

How Chinese Medicine Heals

When imbalance strikes, there are several ways that Chinese medicine can help us get back to our healthy center.

Diet plays a huge role in TCM – possibly the most important. Chinese medicine practitioners will often look at the diet of a person to see if they are eating in line with their unique individual needs. Adjustments may be made to help the body cleanse, strengthen, and adapt in a more healthy way.

Herbs also play a role in TCM, and they are considered to be foods that are particularly potent and active. Herbs are usually suggested to help the body quickly get back to its natural state of balance so that the person can feel better fast wh

Acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and martial arts are also important in Traditional Chinese Medicine as they help open up the flow of vital life energy, Qi, so that the body can heal and protect itself naturally.ile they work on any larger patterns like diet, lifestyle, thought, and so forth.

The combination of diet and lifestyle coaching, herbs, and modalities like acupuncture, qi gong, and tai-chi are all powerful yet gentle ways that a practitioner can help their client get back into a state of true wellness.

How Chinese Medicine Can Help Eczema

No matter what the individual cause of an eczema issue may be, Chinese medicine offers something very special to help treat it. The practitioner will truly investigate the individual who is suffering to help define the specific reason why they are dealing with flare ups. TCM focuses less on what eczema is and more on why their client has it and what can be done to remove it.

The gentle herbs that are used in TCM are given rave reviews for their ability to help with immunity, skin health, digestion, and detoxification. The herbs suggested will differ greatly depending on the individual they are being given to, so there is no one right herb for all people. Some expert formulators have created general blends for things like headaches, flu, and eczema and these can certainly be investigated as part of looking at using Chinese medicine.

Acupuncture also has a great success rate in helping with eczema in people of all ages. It is known to help with the stress, anxiety, immune response, lymph heath, detoxification, and energy flow very effectively – and regular sessions could potentially help minimize flare ups.

How To Get The Most From Chinese Medicine

If you’re interested in the many empowering ways TCM can help you, the first step is connecting with a practitioner in your area. Licensed acupuncturists (LA, L.ac.) are a great resource as they have usually been trained in diagnosis, diet, herbology, and of course acupuncture. Many areas also have D.O.M. (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) practitioners who can help in a variety of ways. It can also be helpful to seek out a Naturopathic physician who knows their way around Chinese techniques.

Many people have found that Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs, diet, and acupuncture are profoundly effective ways to help deal with eczema and the many side-symptoms that come along with it. If you’re interested in natural healing – this is a wonderful place to find answers!