Treating disease as an imbalance or disharmony in the body using acupuncture and herbs. Acupuncture adjusts the density and flow of Qi in the channels, which in turn affects the circulation of Blood and Moisture and the function of the internal organs. Herbs also affect the quantity and quality of Blood, Moisture and Qi through their impact on the organs via the digestive and metabolic systems. Together these methods perform the therapeutic tasks of reorganizing the internal milieu, maximizing the flexibility and adaptability of the organism.
Chinese medicine bases the entire universe on two constitutions: yin and yang. Temperaments, organs, foods, activities and individual personalities are yin or yang. Yang is considered a male constitution, while yin is female. But in all individuals, both yin and yang co-exist. In addition to yin and yang, there are five elements (similar to doshas in Ayurvedic medicine) that are based on fire, earth, wood, metal, and water. Different organs bodies correspond to different elements. When everything is balanced, all is healthy and the life force (qi) flows uninterrupted; when all is not balanced, qi can be disturbed and disease can set in. So, finding the balance is the goal of Chinese medicine. To restore balance, diet is either adjusted or supplemented with herbs, pressure points in the body are stimulated through acupuncture or massage, while lifestyle habits may require change as well.
The Chinese performed thousands of experiments and clinical studies during the 1950s to resolve the question whether traditional chinese medicine was as efficacious as western medicine. The result was that in 1958 the Central Committee decided to give traditional and modern medicine equal respect and place in China. Sometimes traditional chinese medicine can alleviate or treat illnesses that modern medicine is incapable of dealing with; the opposite is true, especially in those cases that require surgery or intervention with high-technology equipment.