Traditional Chinese Medicine is, fortunately, not based on science. It is based on a paradigm of balance in nature, a concept that has existed for millennia, originating in Taoism. The heart of the paradigm is the belief that there exists in nature and in the human body, energy, referred to as Qi (pronounced ‘chee’). In order to be healthy one must have sufficient Qi, it must be balanced and it must be free-flowing within the body in a pattern that is specific to the Qi related to each of several identified organs. Blood and body fluids ground and nourish Qi to create balance so Qi can move freely in the meridians.
Traditionally, acupuncture’s effects are explained by how it influences Qi. Qi is believed to flow through ‘meridians’ or ‘channels’ along with blood and body fluids. These meridians make up a conceptual network of pathways through the entire body. The word ‘meridian’ comes from the French translation of the Chinese term jing-luo, which means “to go through” and “something that connects or attaches”. According to TCM theory, Qi forms at conception and is maintained throughout life by the intake of food, water and air. Everything in nature is classified as being either yin (cold, female, dark, inside, etc) or yang (hot, male, light, outside. etc). Under healthy circumstances, the body maintains a state of balance (i.e. between yin and yang) when Qi is moving smoothly through the meridians.
If there is an imbalance in yin and yang or if the movement of Qi is deficient, obstructed, moving in the wrong direction, or in excess, the body may be in a diseased state or more susceptible to illness. In traditional approaches, acupuncture is used to stimulate points either along meridians or points that lie outside these pathways that may connect two meridians, to correct the imbalance. A traditional acupuncturist will diagnose and treat the ‘root’ and ‘branches’ or the underlying imbalance and symptoms of the disease or disorder. In this way, traditional acupuncture treats not only the symptoms, but addresses the root cause of the underlying problem and may also prevent further illness.
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