special subjects
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Introduction
Originating in China several millennia ago, traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the life force (qi, pronounced chee) through the body. Qi is restored by balancing the opposing forces of yin (dark, feminine, negative forces) and yang (bright, masculine, positive forces), which manifest in the body as cold and heat, internal and external, and deficiency and excess. Various practices are used to preserve and restore qi and thus health. Most commonly used are Acupuncture None Overview of Dietary Supplements None Qi gong Other practices include diet and Massage . Traditional Chinese medicine uses formulas containing mixtures of herbs to treat various ailments. Determining whether these mixtures are safe and effective is difficult. One problem is that standardization and quality control are almost nonexistent. Thus, the following can result: Proportions of herbs in the same mixture may vary. The amount of the active ingredient can vary from one source for herbs to another. Mixtures may contain various other substances (such as substances produced by pharmaceutical companies) or may be contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Because mixtures can vary so much and because there are so many mixtures that could be studied, most conventional research usually studies one herb, not a mixture. However, one herb, used alone rather than as a part of a mixture, may not be considered effective by traditional health care professionals. (See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine .) 