What is Oriental Medicine?
Oriental Medicine is a system of medicine that is over 2,000 years old, and is based on the philosophy of Taoism, which states that all things in life are interconnected and may be understood according to the theory of Yin and Yang, the principle of complimentary forces. Oriental Medicine is perhaps best known in regards to acupuncture, the insertion of needles into specific points in the body to balance the patient’s Qi (the life force), and thereby restore and maintain health. Oriental Medicine also includes Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, Tui Na (a form of medical massage), and Qi Gong (breathing exercises).
Oriental Medicine (OM) originates from China. It believes that human, society, and environments are all intertwined as parts of natural harmony. Within our bodies, a life force runs through our internal systems to maintain a balance. When our body is out of balance, we get sick. Oriental medicine practitioners strive for regaining our natural ability of healing using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Oriental Medicine is a form of medicine thousands of years old that includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, body work (Tui Na), dietary therapies, and Qi exercises like Tai Chi and Qi Gong. The body is seen more as a garden with many inter-related networks – all working together as a whole. It is not seen as a machine with only a few connections.
Oriental medicine is a comprehensive system of health care with a continuous clinical history of over 3,000 years. Oriental medicine consists of acupuncture and Chinese herbology, including bodywork, dietary therapy and exercise based on traditional medicine principles. These therapies work with the natural vital energy inherent in all living things to promote the body’s ability to heal itself. This system of health care is used extensively by one-quarter of the world’s population in Asia and is rapidly growing in popularity in the West.
