Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, is provincially regulated under the Health Professions Act of B.C. It is the oldest continually practiced professional medicine in the world. It is not folk medicine. It is estimated that over 30,000 books were written on TCM before 1900. Over the centuries some of the finest minds in China have endeavoured to understand physiology and pathology as related to the human condition. The result is a complete system of holistic diagnosis and treatment.

When considering health, TCM considers not only the physical condition of the individual, but also emotional, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The objective of treatment is to balance one’s internal functions and to balance the body with its environment. The five principle treatment modalities of TCM are acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, Tui Na (Chinese medical massage), and remedial exercise (such and qi gong and tai chi).