Traditional Chinese Medicine An Introduction.pdf

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1、TraditionalChineseMedicine:AnIntroductionTraditionalChinesemedicine(TCM)originatedinancientChinaandhasevolvedoverthousandsofyears.TCMpractitionersuseherbs,acupuncture,andothermethodstotreatawiderangeofconditions.IntheUnitedStates,TCMisconsideredpartofcomplementaryandalternativemedicin

2、e(CAM).ThisfactsheetprovidesageneraloverviewofTCMandsuggestssourcesforadditionalinformation.KeyPointsHerbalremediesandacupuncturearethetreatmentsmostcommonlyusedbyTCMpractitioners.OtherTCMpracticesincludemoxibustion,cupping,massage,mind-bodytherapy,anddietarytherapy.TheTCMviewofhowt

3、hehumanbodyworks,whatcausesillness,andhowtotreatillnessisdifferentfromWesternmedicineconcepts.AlthoughTCMisusedbytheAmericanpublic,scientificevidenceofitseffectivenessis,forthemostpart,limited.Acupuncturehasthelargestbodyofevidenceandisconsideredsafeifpracticedcorrectly.SomeChineseher

4、balremediesmaybesafe,butothersmaynotbe.TCMistypicallydeliveredbyapractitioner.BeforeusingTCM,askaboutthepractitioner’squalifications,includingtrainingandlicensure.Tellallyourhealthcareprovidersaboutanycomplementaryandalternativepracticesyouuse.Givethemafullpictureofwhatyoudotomanage

5、yourhealth.Thiswillhelpensurecoordinatedandsafecare.BackgroundTraditionalChinesemedicine,whichencompassesmanydifferentpractices,isrootedintheancientphilosophyofTaoismanddatesbackmorethan5,000years.Today,TCMispracticedsidebysidewithWesternmedicineinmanyofChina’shospitalsandclinics.TCMi

6、swidelyusedintheUnitedStates.AlthoughtheexactnumberofpeoplewhouseTCMintheUnitedStatesisunknown,itwasestimatedin1997thatsome10,000practitionersservedmorethan1millionpatientseachyear.Accordingtothe2007NationalHealthInterviewSurvey,whichincludedquestionsontheuseofvariousCAMtherapies,anes

7、timated3.1millionU.S.adultshadusedacupunctureinthepreviousyear.Inaddition,accordingtothissamesurvey,approximately17percentofadultsusenaturalproducts,includingherbs,makingitthemostcommonlyusedtherapy.Inanothersurvey,morethanone-thirdofthepatientsatsixlargeacupunctureclinicssaidtheyalso

8、recei