Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a system of medical care that developed in China over thousands of years. It looks at the interaction between mind, body and environment, and aims to prevent and cure illness and disease.
TCM is based on Chinese views and beliefs about the universe and the natural world. It is a very complex system. On this page we can only give an outline of what TCM involves. It is very different to Western medicine. Chinese medicine practitioners believe there is no separation between mind and body and all illness of any kind can be treated through the body using a combination of
- Herbal remedies (traditional Chinese medicines)
- Acupuncture, acupressure and moxibustion
- Massage therapy
- Feng shui
- Breathing exercises called qi gong (pronounced chee goong)
- Movement exercises called tai chi (pronounced tie chee)
- Diet
TCM practitioners say that TCM can help to
- Prevent and heal illness
- Enhance your immune system
- Improve your creativity
- Improve your ability to enjoy life and work in general
According to traditional Chinese belief, ‘qi’ (pronounced chee) energy is essential for good health. If you become ill, your qi becomes unbalanced. TCM aims to restore the balance of your qi energy. Qi is made up of opposing qualities known as yin and yang.
Yin is represented by water and yang by fire. In TCM, the belief it that there is yin and yang in everything. The balance of yin and yang maintains harmony in your body, mind and the universe.
TCM also links 5 vital organs in the body to one of 5 elements – fire, water, metal, earth and wood. TCM practitioners believe that the elements have both yin and yang qualities. They think illness happens because there is an imbalance of yin and yang in your body. Treatments aim to cure the problem by restoring the balance. For example, if you have a high temperature (fever), a TCM practitioner may say that you have too much yang in your body. By using herbs to bring the fever down you transform yang into yin and restore the balance of energy.
There is information on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) website about
- The safety of herbal medicines including what you need to know as a consumer
- Herbal safety news, which has advice and guidance about taking specific herbs
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recently changed the law regarding the registration of herbal products bought over the counter in health food shops and pharmacies. Companies now have to meet quality standards and provide information about their product, including the exact content and dose of the product and how safe it is. It is important to use only herbal products that are registered under the Traditional Herbal Remedies (THR) scheme. Remedies that are registered under the scheme have a THR mark and symbol on the packaging. THR products have been tested for quality and safety. It is safest to buy plant remedies from a fully qualified herbal practitioner who is trained to work out which herbal medicines are appropriate for you. They can also trace where their herbs and plants come from. Lower down this page is information about finding a herbal therapy practitioner.
The Medicines and Healthcare regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK states that there is a big variation in how unlicensed traditional Chinese medicines are made. Some have been found to contain illegal substances and toxic herbs. These substances may not be listed on the packaging of the product. The amount of the active ingredient can also vary widely between products. Currently EU law does not allow traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to sell unlicensed herbal medicinal products. But in April 2012 many unlicensed medicines will be registered and will be available again. After that time if Chinese medicine practitioners supply unlicensed remedies they will have to take full responsibility for their safety and quality. If they are shown to be negligent they would be open to prosecution.
You can also read our section about safety of herbal medicines in the complementary therapies section of CancerHelp UK.
Diagnosis is a complex process in TCM and involves looking at you as a whole individual and the environment in which you live. The remedy should treat the whole person and not just a single health problem.
On your first visit, your practitioner will ask you some general questions about your health, lifestyle, diet, relationships and medical history. This first visit is usually about 60 to 90 minutes. Your practitioner needs time to diagnose your problems and then to decide on which treatments you need.
The TCM practitioner uses hearing, touch, sight, smell and questioning to help them diagnose. They will also do a physical examination, which may include
- Looking at your tongue (each area of your tongue relates to a different organ in your body)
- Looking in your eyes
- Looking at your skin colour and complexion
- Watching your body language
- Feeling your pulse (heart rate)
- Examining your skin and nails
- Feeling your abdomen
- Smelling your skin, breath or urine
- Feeling the temperature of your skin
- Listening to your breathing and how much you talk
- Pulse taking is a very important part of diagnosis in TCM and may involve checking up to 200 or so pulses in the wrist and arm. It is not as simple as when a doctor or nurse takes your pulse.
Most treatments involve acupuncture and herbal remedies which you usually make into a tea. Your practitioner will tell you how to do this. They will also probably advise you on diet, exercise and relaxation techniques such as
They will probably recommend that you come back for another appointment in about 2 to 4 weeks time. How long you go on seeing your practitioner will depend on why you are using TCM.
If you feel ill or your symptoms get worse before your next appointment, you should contact your practitioner or doctor. They may need to report any harmful side effects you have from herbal remedies to the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). If you are concerned, stop taking the herbal medicine and see your own doctor.
Your relationship with your TCM practitioner is very important. They must create a safe environment for you to have treatment. If you don’t feel comfortable with anything that your practitioner does, it is important to discuss it.
If you are having any problems, it may help to look in our complementary therapy section for information on difficulties with your practitioner, changing your therapist or stopping therapy.
TCM involves several types of treatments. We can’t outline all the research into these treatments here. But you can look at evidence for individual therapies used in TCM in our sections about
TCM is a complex system. So it is very difficult for western doctors to test whether it works for treating or preventing cancer. It is even more difficult to test TCM using randomised clinical trials, and compare the results to conventional medicine. As TCM is tailored to the patient, you can’t test it by giving a group of patients the same medicine for a certain amount of time.
Rather than looking at the medical effects, a TCM practitioner measures how well treatment works by looking at
- How the patient feels
- The balance of their yin and yang
But a lot of research in the western medical world is looking into eastern systems of medicine. Many cancer trials using TCM and its different treatments suggest it may be useful and helpful for people with cancer. But we need more research on TCM in people with cancer.
A review in 2005 looked at trials using Chinese medical herbs to reduce chemotherapy side effects in bowel cancer (colorectal cancer) patients. There is not yet any clear evidence that herbal medicines can reduce treatment side effects. The researchers found 4 relevant studies, which included a total of 342 patients. The studies had limited information. But the researchers found that compounds of Chinese medicine called Huangqi did seem to reduce some of the effects of chemotherapy. The medicines reduced nausea and vomiting, and patients taking the medicines did not have such low blood cell counts. There was no evidence that the medicines caused any harm. The researchers suggest that further, larger trials of Huangqi compounds are needed. This review is on the Cochrane library website.
Because TCM involves several types of treatment we can’t list all the possible side effects here. But you can look at the possible side effects of individual treatments in our sections about
If you have any medical conditions, including cancer, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you must check with your doctor before starting any type of TCM. Some herbs may interfere with other drugs you are taking so it is very important to let your doctor know about anything your are given by a TCM or herbal practitioner.
Taken in large quantities, some herbs can cause miscarriage. See the section about the safety of using traditional Chinese medicines.
It is very important that you have your treatments with a qualified practitioner. Your first consultation will usually cost between £30 and £70 an hour. Later appointments are usually shorter and may cost less. You also have to pay for the herbs that you are given. Treatments are usually more expensive in bigger cities.
In theory, anyone with little or no training can set up a TCM practice. There is no single professional organisation that regulates UK TCM practitioners. But most reputable acupuncturists and herbalists are members of a recognised association. From April 2012 traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and herbal medicine practitioners will be regulated by the Health Professions Council, which will register them.
It's vital that the person who treats you is properly trained and qualified. At the moment the best way to find a reliable practitioner is to contact one of our listed organisations, and ask for a list of recognised TCM practitioners. You should ask your TCM practitioner
- How many years of training they've had
- How long they've been practising
- If they have treated cancer patients before
- Whether they have indemnity insurance (in case something goes wrong)
Look in our about complementary therapies section for more information about finding a reliable practitioner and the questions you should ask.
Some of the complementary therapy organisations can give information about TCM. You can also get information from the organisations below.
Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Contact: Dr Jidong Wu
Address: 1 Cline Road, London N11 2LX
Tel: 020 8361 2121
Fax: 020 8361 2121
Email: info@atcm.co.uk
Website www.atcm.co.uk
The UK professional body for practitioners of Chinese herbs (often combined with acupuncture). Only qualified and professionally insured practitioners are eligible and accepted for membership. They have a register of members – see below.
Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine
Contact: Tony Harrison, President
RCHM
Office 5
Ferndale Business Centre
1 Exeter St
Norwich
NR2 4QB
Tel: 01603 623994
Fax: 01603 667557
Email: herbmed@rchm.co.uk
Website: www.rchm.co.uk
Maintains a register of practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine.
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