TCM – Philosophy and Treatment Method

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is a system of therapeutic interventions and a way of thinking about the body and health. Ancient TCM beliefs include the notions that the body is a scaled-down replica of the world, that yin and yang are in harmony, that the five elements can represent all phenomena, and that the vital energy known as Qi flows through the body and preserves health. These components of TCM are typically not the subject of scientific study on TCM, which instead focuses on the effectiveness or potential risks of the medical procedures involved.

The approximate age of TCM is 2,500 years. A significant development in 2018 was the formal inclusion of traditional Chinese medicine by the World Health Organization in its worldwide medical directory. TCM is thought to have treated about a million patients in the US in 1997, and it’s believed that number has grown since then in both the US and other Western nations. Additionally, rather than being promoted as prescription medications, herbal products are frequently sold as dietary supplements.

The relative paucity of studies on TCM efficacy could be explained by the fact that dietary supplements are subject to less stringent regulations than prescription medications. TCM use is widespread in China because of its low toxicity.

TCM takes the world’s respect

UNESCO and the UN Economic and Social Council were visited by a group on Monday, April the 10^th, led by Liu Baoyan, president of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and chief researcher of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

WFAS had 264 member societies as of the end of 2022, representing more than 400,000 acupuncture-moxibustion practitioners throughout 70 countries and territories.

Since 2010, the TCM procedures of moxibustion and acupuncture have been listed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Senior liaison officer Lily Gray of UNESCO’s New York office met with Liu and the delegation. The two sides discussed preserving and passing down TCM’s acupuncture-moxibustion techniques.

World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies – WFAS

WFAS was founded in Beijing in 1987. In 1998, it established official ties with the World Health Organization, and in 2010, the International Organization for Standardization approved it as an A-liaison organization. The UN Economic and Social Council also granted it special consultative status in 2019, making it the only TCM organization to hold that position.

WFAS has actively participated in UN meetings since receiving special consultative status and has promoted the WHO’s “Health for All” aim. WFAS submitted a series of remarks regarding the COVID-19 pandemic at the Human Rights Council and the World Health Assembly, urging the inclusion of traditional medicine in the fight against the pandemic.

The delegation also met with Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, during its trip to the UN to obtain more guidance from the organization so that acupuncture-moxibustion of Traditional Chinese medicine can contribute more to the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

According to Liu, Chinese acupuncture has become the standard form worldwide and has steadily entered the mainstream American medical system. “Acupuncture has spread to 196 nations and territories, and more than 50 have passed laws governing it. Acupuncture treatments are covered by medical insurance in many nations, Liu continued.

Chinese President Xi Jinping refers to Traditional Chinese medicine as “the treasure of ancient Chinese science.” Liu noted that traditional Chinese medicine has a long history and has amassed a wealth of clinical knowledge via its use. He also discussed several significant obstacles to promoting TCM.

Fang Yigong, Vice Dean of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Hospital of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, told CGTN that the interest in acupuncture among foreigners is rising, and many international students have now come to China to study.

“What impressed me was their passion for traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese culture. Effective acupuncture treatment would increase their interest in traditional Chinese medicine, so they would come to study. They also have persistence and dedication. Some of our students are older or have very promising jobs. But they chose to leave their jobs and start to learn acupuncture. It’s quite touching for us,” Fang said.

TCM in the USA

Acceptance of TCM has grown over time outside of China. The American National Institutes of Health have found acupuncture and other TCM therapies to be secure and efficient for some medical diseases, and the organization is looking into larger applications. The World Health Organization has recently welcomed conventional medicine, such as TCM, mainly when used with Western treatment.

According to Dr. Zhang, traditional Chinese medicine benefits the entire world, allowing Americans to interact positively with Chinese culture.

Traditional Chinese medicine, according to Zhang, “makes us, the society, more harmonious and balanced, and that helps not only our body from the inside but also the entire society, the entire world, in a certain way.”