Last week, The Pain Center of Arizona took you on a journey through the offices of Tao of Wellness, Dr. Mao Shing Ni’s amazing practice where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used to manage infertility, stress, chronic pain, and much more. Our very own Arizona pain specialist Cindy Cornell is one of the only nurse practitioners in the U.S. who is trained in acupuncture, helping patients in Surprise and Deer Valley find pain relief.  So, while we’re on the subject of alternative medicine, let’s dive a little deeper into Traditional Chinese Medicine, what is it and how it came to be a popular and effective form of pain management.

The Early Beginnings of Traditional Chinese Medicine

TCM dates back thousands of years, to legendary Chinese emperors who ruled 5,000 years ago. According to various historical sources, three emperors (Fu Xi, Shen Nong, and Huang Di) contributed to Traditional Chinese Medicine in some way, whether it was by developing early forms of acupuncture to creating an understanding of herbal medicines.

The yin and yang, an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was developed during the Zhou Dynasty, roughly two to three-thousand –years ago. Sources point to the fact that this was when TCM truly became a form of medicine practiced by early Chinese physicians.

Some of the most specific discoveries of Chinese medicine were made during the Zhou dynasty, including the theoretical foundations of yin and yang, the five elements, the pathogenic factors of external environment as a cause of disease and further understanding of the meridians of acupuncture. The basic theories of acupuncture were established and stone needles became obsolete, being replaced by metal needles. Bian Que, a famous doctor/physician at the time of the spring and Autumn Warring States Period, was the first man in the world to use the pulse for diagnosis. – PurifyMind.com

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine

TCM is the ultimate management and balance of mind, body and soul, covering everything from herbal medicine to acupuncture, massage therapy and nutritional therapy. TCM is based on the ancient Tao belief in compassion, moderation and humility, understanding the relationship between humanity and the cosmos, health and longevity, and finding harmony with the universe. If you remember one thing about TCM, it’s that every aspect of your life, mind, body and soul must be in balance. An imbalance in any area can have a direct affect on things such as chronic pain.

Even though TCM is the common form of medicine in much of the world, accounting for more than 75% of the world’s medicine, it’s considered “alternative medicine” in the western world. One of the main reasons for this label is the philosophy that everything in the body and mind is connected as an “organ system” rather than “isolated organs” that should be treated separately, as western medicine believes.

(To watch TCM in action, visit http://www.PainChannel.tv)

Yin and Yang in TCM

The importance of balancing all aspects of your body and life are key points in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Yin and Yang represent “two abstract and yet complimentary aspects every phenomenon in the universe can be divided into.” Most of us understand the concept of Yin and Yang as “in every good there is bad” and visa versa; however there’s a bit more to it than that. In terms of medicine, the Yang refers to the upper part of the body and the back, while the Yin refers to the lower part of the body. Both upper and lower parts of the body should be in balance with one-another for a patient to be pain free.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chronic Pain

An experienced Arizona pain doctor will tell you that combining alternative medicine, such as TCM, with modern, or allopathic medicine, is the most effective way to manage chronic pain. While allopathic medicine focuses on the exact point in the body where the pain is stemming from, TCM focuses on the body and mind as a whole, bringing together both emotional and psychological management as well as prescription medication and surgery.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, disease and chronic pain is perceived as a disharmony and imbalance between the patient’s body and the Universe. While an Arizona pain doctor practicing TCM will evaluate the “patterns of disharmony” within the body and aim to ring the body back into balance with techniques such as acupuncture, massage therapy, cupping, and herbal remedies, an Arizona pain doctor practicing allopathic medicine will run a variety of tests to pinpoint the exact cause of pain, and then aim to treat that area alone. 

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