Chinese Herbs
The history of Chinese medicine spans more than 2,000 years, according to Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., the Director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and includes bodywork techniques, such as acupuncture, as well as a vast repertoire of herbal therapies.
Features
Tradtional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is based on the theory that energetic channels in the human body, called meridians, can become blocked and lead to disease. Chinese herbs and bodywork therapies attempt to influence these energies and lead the patient back to wellness, according to the Alternative Wellness Foundation.
Early History
At around 220 A.D., a doctor by the name of Jiang Zhongjing wrote a guide to herbal formulas, called the Shang Han Lun, which was a compilation of herbal knowledge from previous ages and contained 200 formulas, according to Dharmananda.
Later History
By the time of the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644), the number of herbal formulas in the official pharmacopoeia's of Chinese medicine had grown to 10,000, according to Dharmananda.
Modern History
When the Chinese communist party came to power in 1949, Chairman Mao instituted an effort to revitalize TCM, and universities and institutes that study and teach it began to open, according to the Alternative Medicine Foundation.
Significance
Chinese medicine and herbal therapies are now popular outside of China, and 40 U.S. states currently regulate acupuncturists, many of whom use Chinese herbal formulas, according to Medscape.com.
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