Health and Illness

In Chinese medicine health is equivalent to the free flow of vital energy (qi). The central point is the realisation that all physical and psychological events inside a human being interact with each other. All existence is based on the balanced equilibrium of the circulating opposites yin and yang. They never stand still but are always moving, turning into each other, producing each other, like night following day and each night bringing forth another day.

From this central idea of a cyclic regenerating equilibrium the Chinese medicine developed with its opinions of how illness develops and how health is maintained. In the human being it’s the vital energy “qi” that gives live to the body. All physical and mental activities are manifestations of qi: perception, thought, emotion, digestion, movement and reproduction. Qi flows through its vessels in our bodies, the meridians. These can be compared to rivers which connect the acupuncture points with our tissues and organs.
Imbalance results in disturbance of the flow of qi and makes us unwell, TCM recognises inner (emotional), outer and constitutional causes for this.

  1. inherited constitution:

     

  2. emotional and mental state:

     

  3. diet:

     

  4. Environmental factors:

    Cold, wind, heat, humidity, dryness or combinations of those can cause harm to the human organism, according to traditional Chinese understanding. Equally, our social surroundings (family, friends, housing circumstances, job) are considered as possible sources of harms for our wellbeing.

  5. Traumas:

    Accidents with physical injuries as well as deep emotional wounds are considered in diagnosis and evaluated in respect of disease.

  6. drugs:

    Recreational drugs such as tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, sugar as well as illegal drugs or medical prescriptions are often a cause for illness. With acupuncture their abuse can be treated successfully.