What Is Chinese Traditional Medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has developed over millennia. TCM practitioners employ a variety of psychological and/or physical techniques (like acupuncture and tai chi) and herbal remedies to treat health issues.

What Does Scientific Literature Say About the Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a practice in which practitioners insert small needles into the skin to stimulate certain places on the body. Studies reveal that acupuncture promotes the release of the body's natural painkillers and affects regions of the brain involved in pain processing; nevertheless, some trials suggest that real and sham acupuncture are equally beneficial, suggesting a placebo effect.

Chinese Medicinal Herbs

About one in five Americans use Chinese medicine or Chinese herbal remedies, which have been examined for a variety of medical conditions, including stroke, heart disease, mental disorders, and respiratory ailments (such as bronchitis and the common cold). Due to the poor quality of numerous research, no definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding their efficacy.

Tai Chi

Tai chi incorporates specific postures, soft movements, mental concentration, deep breathing, and relaxation. Tai chi may improve balance and stability in older individuals and those with Parkinson's disease, reduce discomfort from knee osteoarthritis, help people cope with fibromyalgia and back pain, and improve quality of life and mood in those with heart failure, according to research findings.

What the Science Says About Traditional Chinese Medicine's Safety

Reports and research of herbal items used in TCM have uncovered numerous safety concerns:

• Few problems associated with acupuncture have been reported. Still, difficulties have occurred as a result of the use of nonsterile needles and inappropriate treatment administration. Serious adverse consequences can result from improperly administered acupuncture, including infections, organ perforations, collapsed lungs, and damage to the central nervous system.

• Tai chi and qigong, a comparable discipline, tend to be harmless activities. While it is rare that tai chi may result in a catastrophic injury, minor aches and pains are possible. Before commencing tai chi, qigong, or any other fitness regimen, pregnant women should consult with their physicians.