Category: News

The most famous treatment in TCM is probably acupuncture. It’s a treatment which has gained increasing popularity in western countries. Acupuncture is thought to be primarily for aches and pains or to alleviate the problems from an injury, however, it has a much broader medicinal application.

The growing popularity of alternative medicine is due in large part to the growth of homeopathy and Chinese medicine. Homeopathy is 250-year-old science and it was developed in the late 18th century by the German doctor and biologist, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. One of the primary principles in homeopathy is the Law of Similars. The premise states that ‘like cures like.’ “In other words, a substance produces symptoms of illness in a well person when administered in large doses. If we administer the same substance in minute quantities, it will cure the disease in a sick person” (Novella et al., 2008, p.9). Hahnemann had very different ideas about the body than his colleagues who practiced conventional medicine. He believed in the concept of the ‘constitution,’ the notion that the body must be treated as a whole and that the right remedy would literally ‘kick start’ the system into healing itself at the most basic level. In this way, homeopathy would not treat disease, it would heal the body. The second principle is the Law of Infintesimals, which states that “Substances become more potent when diluted” (Novella et al., 2008, p.9). Read More

The term “Alternative Medicine” refers to alternative medical systems other than allopathic or traditional (conventional) western medicine. These include Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture), Homeopathy and Herbalism. These all require certification and the practitioner is referred to as a doctor. They might carry the title of Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM), Acupuncture Physician (AP), License Acupuncturist (LAcs), Naturopathic Physician (NP),or Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). Alternative medicine is used in place of traditional or conventional medicine, although some people use them together.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may be one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It was developed over 2500 years ago and has only recently become popular in western cultures. One of the key concepts in TCM is the notion of qi(energy/blood flow) or life-force. In some ways this notion of a life-force is somewhat similar to the notion of the vital force in homeopathy but they are understood and treated differently. There is no doubt that TCM is fundamentally different from western medicine in many essential ways. TCM  As well, even with a small similarity to homeopathy, it is also distinctly different from any other form of medical treatment. It’s important to take into account that TCM is a reflection of a specific culture, like Ayurvedic medicine which was developed in India. In the past 50 years the Western world has accepted this medicine and started using it in their healthcare systems. Read More