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What is Oriental Medicine – a Brief Introduction

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Oriental medicine is a complete natural healing system, used to maintain or restore the balance between the mind, body, and spirit of a human being. It is an ancient medicine that has been practiced for more than 2500 years. Its importance can be clearly determined by the fact that notable health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have acknowledged its merits and support its practice as a natural, safe and productive form of medicine for treating various diseases.

The fundamental theory of this medicine based upon the concept of two opposing forces of nature known as Yin and Yang. When there is complete harmony between Yin and Yang, the human body remains free from the clutches of any diseases. Any imbalance between the two forces leads to ill health. The main objective of oriental medicine is to maintain an effective balance and treat the ailments of the people.

Acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, tuina massage as well as other prominent oriental medicine therapies are used to improve the flow of pivotal energy throughout the body which is known as “Qi”. When the flow of Qi gets obstructed due to some reasons, it results in pain and ailments. Restoring a perfect flow of Qi helps the body to recover itself naturally.

Here are some of the vital characteristics of oriental medicine:

Treating Root Cause of the Disease

The approach of oriental medicine for curing the bad health of the people is very different from western medicine. The western or allopathic medicines only focus on treating individual symptoms by prescribing a high dose of antibiotics or surgery. There is no denying the fact that an individual can get some relief by popping pills into his system, but there is no guarantee that the disease will not crop up again. The oriental medicine practitioners’ approach is to alleviate the pain or ailment by determining the root cause of the problem and treating it in a natural manner.

Individual Treatment

Another unique feature of oriental medicine is that each patient is considered as a unique individual where the treatment is provided in a very personalized and holistic manner. For example, if three individuals are experiencing stomach pain, they will not be prescribed the same treatment or tablets as in the case of western medicine.

Oriental medicine practitioners analyze the patients differently and try to ascertain the big picture of their overall health. One patient may be suffering from stomach pain due to indigestion; another may be food poisoning, and yet another may have pain due to over-consumption of the spicy food. In each case, the main cause of the digestive problem will be cured by taking into account his/her own personal needs. The patients can experience great relief even though their treatment procedures were not the same.

Restores Body’s Natural Healing Abilities

Oriental medicine depends on simple, safer, and natural therapies to maintain the good health of the people. No medicine is prescribed to the patients; rather they are advised to do some exercises and change their diet or lifestyle. This goes a long way in stimulating and promoting the natural healing abilities of the human body.

The natural treatment provides long-term relief from the illness than most of the conventional medicines. For example, allopathic tablets can provide relief to individuals suffering from migraine pain, but it also increases their dependence on the pills. As soon as individuals stop taking tablets, they may again feel a sensation of pain. By contrast, oriental medicine devotes attention to the various chains of reactions causing migraine pain. Acupuncture and the natural herbs cure the underlying cause of the pain. Instead of needing surgery or pills to stop the pain, the body cures itself and migraine pain is alleviated.

The prevention of diseases through natural techniques or therapies is one of the prominent reasons why oriental medicine is so popular at the various geographical locations of the world. It is much better to allow the body to heal itself rather than consuming a high dose of tablets or going through the scissors.

Enjoy healthy life!