Why I Choose Traditional Chinese Medicine Among Others?

Some of my friends are facing fertility challenges. Most of them have tried Western medicine therapy for people with this problem. From their sharing I know it took a fortune and the side effects are not minor. When I, myself, have to beat my fertility challenge I realize that our financial condition can not afford that amount of expenses and I do not want to experience the side effect of fertility drugs like weight gain or earlier menopause. After browsing, reading a lot of articles from the internet I decided to use Traditional Chinese Medicine instead of Western medicine for my body’s problems.

For the first time, it was not easy to understand TCM. I had to start from the Taoist philosophy. One of the symbols of Taoism is tai ji, a circle with its curved, divided halves. One half is white; the other is black. Each contains a dot of the opposing color. This symbol describes nature that is always trying to reach homeostasis or balance. It is not a static condition. A curving line is always changing, always fluid. Sometimes it is blacker, and sometimes it is whiter. The universe is always living in some kind of chaos and is always trying to fine some organization in that chaos. Taoism is embracing nature and understanding the world. This is also what TCM does.

Dr Daoshing Ni in his book The Tao of Fertility said that TCM is not alternative just because it is not Western medicine. But TCM is natural. In TCM, I care about improving myself, and I always, always embrace nature rather than damage it. There are three principles of TCM :

1) Every system works together.
If one system break down, it will affect the other systems. The body is more than a collection of parts; it is an organic entity. When a TCM doctors treat a particular system, they must keep all the other systems in mind. While trying to cure my infertility I will not only focus on my reproductive system but also on my kidneys, stomach, liver, lungs, heart, blood, energy system of my body. So improving my fertility is started by improving my general health.

2) The human body’s relationship with nature.
As human, I am a member of nature and nature provides and supplies energy to help me survive. Through TCM, I work together with nature to solve my health problems.

3) The relationship between humans and the societies they create.
From TCM I learn that all of around me….. affects me, People’s emotions – whether joy, sadness, anger, grief, or fright – all create different imbalances in my body, which can create imbalances in my organ systems. TCM helps me to reach the balance back.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the mind, the body, and the spirit are one. TCM is holistic.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Me

Born as a Chinese did not automatically made me understand Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). When I was not feeling well, as a child, my mother used to give me some kind of herbs that she bought from a Chinese herbal store in our neighborhood. She also gave me a strict rules about food that was good and bad for my body. Some of my favorite food that my mother gave me in a limit number was deep frying food. “That kind of food is too hot for your body,” she said. That’s all. In a simple way, actually my mother had applied the Traditional Chinese Medicine Rules – the balancing of Yin and Yang.

When I grew up, TCM was not an interesting matter because of its complicated Chinese letters and names. I did not want to know about TCM anymore until in the middle of 2007 I watched a Korean historical drama, Dr Heo Jun, in Arirang TV. While enjoying the story, I also saw the power of TCM in the palaces until the huts of villagers. Started from that time, I have been interested in TCM.
Fortunately articles about Traditional Chinese Medicine are available in English now. Although this materials are not easy things but at least I can understand the basic principles of TCM. My two favorite writers are Joerg Kastner, M.D., L.Ac. and Daoshing Ni, D.O.M., L.Ac., Ph.D. The information that I got from their books – Chinese Nutrition Therapy and The Tao of Fertility – have helped me to dig my ancestors treasuries . Also I read many short articles from a lot of writers – Chinese and non Chinese.

The five foundations of therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine are acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal, dietetics, and exercise (qi gong, tai chi). For the first three foundations someone has to have enough expertise before applying them. For me, it is easier to learn the last two, dietetics and exercise, and apply them firstly for myself and then for my family. But now I started to learn about food therapy.

I really agree with the famous physician Sun Si Miao of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) in his quote : “Without the knowledge of proper diet, it is hardly possible to enjoy good health.” What I expect in applying TCM food therapy is getting my and family health as good as Chinese emperors’ in the ancient time.