Health beyond the Physical: CHINESE MEDICINE and Mental Health

College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Xinjiang Medical University
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sometimes, common ailments for not feeling well or functioning at a higher level don’t come from the virus that is going around.  Most are learning that there is physical pain that is linked to emotional and mental symptoms as well.  If you are suffering from a mental pain, and want to find a way to get healing outside of therapy, you can turn to Chinese medicine for help. 

Problems with mental health are now being found to directly link to physical pain.  One example is with things such as depression.  Those who suffer from depression will also commonly have headaches, stomach pains, or have low levels of energy.  According to science, as well as Chinese medicine, these mentalities are directly linked to the mind. 

There are specific hormones, nerves and chemicals that are affected by one’s mentality.  When one is suffering from a specific mental illness, there are different levels of chemicals that are produced to try and rebalance the body.  Take the example of depression again.  When one is depressed, there will be extra levels of serotonin produced in the mind in order to try to balance this.  The effect is that the body becomes imbalanced from the emotion. 

Because of the evidence of mental and physical health being linked together, there is also a need to find alternatives for healing.  There are several types of medications that are available; however, some find that these simply cause more side effects or don’t work.  Because of this, there is a turn towards Chinese medicine in order to help cure the problem.  By using herbs, massage techniques and even acupuncture, the mental health can begin to change back to a normal level. 

If you are suffering from any type of mental imbalance, using holistic approaches may be able to help you find a cure.  Chinese medicine will focus directly on finding ways to alternate the flow of energy from the problems and redirect the energy into better mental health.  If you are looking for alternatives, Chinese medicine may be a positive cure. 

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The West Meets the East: Using Science to Prove CHINESE MEDICINE

Photo  by jimmiehomeschoolmom 

Even though Chinese medicine has been used as an effective method for over 5,000 years, Western scientific proof continues to debate whether this is a logical method to help with healing.  If you are interested in Chinese medicine but are not certain of its effectiveness, you can look at the various research studies that have helped others to reach conclusions about its effectiveness.

The most debated science between East and West is the use of acupuncture as a medicine.  At this point, the research studies have not led to any complete conclusions about whether acupuncture can be considered a science.  At the same time, research indicates that the use of meridians in acupuncture is effective in healing.  Scientists have also stated that because the treatment is harmless, it can be used, and simply needs to have more investigations related to it.

Another debate that has been studied by Western scientists is herbal medicines that are used in traditional Chinese medicine methods.  While some of these have not been studied, other parts of the herbs are used in pharmaceutical medications that are prescribed to patients.  Chinese wormwood, Ephedra, and artemisinin are some examples of ancient remedies that have moved into Western medicine from Chinese ideals.

One agreement that all Western research shows, with the various ideas of Chinese medicine, is that the treatments are safe.  All of the medical studies indicate that even if the medications are not scientifically proven, they are still not detrimental to one’s health and most have few side effects.  Because this is a proven point to the holistic methods, most scientists will also state that it is simply a lack of research from the medicine that is used in Chinese philosophies.

From the philosophy to the science, Chinese medication is a debated concept in Western society.  However, there is also a growth and a beginning to understanding the concepts that have been used and experimented with over time.  Through the various techniques of Chinese medicine to the continuous use by individuals who are looking for holistic health, Chinese medicine continues to become prominent in Western society.

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