Darrick Robles Did you know that acupuncture is covered by health insurance in certain cases? As a branch of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is now also recognized as a complementary form of therapy in Western cultures. Acupuncture is just one of five pillars on which TCM is based. Find out what constitutes the holistic art of healing, where it is used and how a TCM treatment works.
Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM for short, is a holistic form of medicine that originated in East Asia more than 2000 years ago. It has enjoyed increasing popularity in western countries for several decades and is now often used as a supplement to conventional medicine or for prevention.
TCM is based on the philosophical principle that everything natural – from plants to the human body – is governed by a life energy, Qi. The Qi is a kind of cosmic energy that is considered the source of the movements. This life energy flows through every organism by means of so-called meridians, i.e. pathways. If the flow of this energy is disturbed, an imbalance occurs and the organism becomes ill.
Treatments according to TCM serve to locate and rehabilitate the disturbance in the energy flow in order to balance the forces in the body and restore inner balance.
Areas of application of TCM?
In principle, treatments according to TCM can be used for various complaints and diseases – with the exception of hereditary diseases, acute emergencies, or cases that require surgery.
In western countries in particular, however, TCM is not only used in the treatment of complaints, but also for health prevention . TCM therapies are often used as a supplement to medical treatments .
How does an examination in TCM work?
Like many complementary healing practices , TCM is holistic. This means that the entire body and mind of the patient are examined during a TCM anamnesis.
In addition to the location, type and duration of the symptoms and previous illnesses, external influences – such as weather-related changes, potential stress factors, or quite fundamentally the living conditions, behavior and habits – are examined during the patient consultation.
This is followed by the physical examination , in which the entire body is examined. The main components of a TCM examination are:
- a pulse diagnosis,
- a tongue diagnosis,
- an examination of the respiratory and digestive sounds
- often also an analysis of body odor
Everything is examined in more detail, from posture and complexion to the condition of nails and hair.
The five pillars of TCM
A TCM treatment consists of five essential therapy methods that can be individually tailored to the patient or the disease. Essentially, the basis of Chinese healing methods includes the following procedures:
1. Chinese Medicine Therapy (CAT)
In Chinese drug therapy, CAT for short, individually compiled recipes based on medicinal plants are used. Various leaves, flowers, bark, roots and other plant components are usually used to make teas and decoctions, sometimes also extracts and powders, which are taken over a certain period of time – and often at certain times of the day. When choosing the appropriate remedy, not only the temperature of the drug plays an important role, but also flavors.
2. Acupuncture and moxibustion
Acupuncture aims to influence the flow of Qi. Depending on the symptoms, fine steel acupuncture needles are inserted into the skin at certain parts of the body on the meridians so that the corresponding disruption in life energy is dissolved.
Scientists assume that the body releases endorphins, cortisone and other anti-inflammatory substances through the stimulation of the needles and that acupuncture therapy primarily achieves specific effects. This is the result of numerous clinical studies in recent years.
Acupuncture is often, but not exclusively, used as a therapy for chronic pain. During acupuncture treatment, the patient should sit or lie down and relax for the duration of the treatment.
Similar to acupuncture, moxibustion uses dried mugwort to heat certain parts of the body on the meridians. The energy flow of the Qi is to be stimulated through the targeted application of heat.
3. Massage (Tuina)
Tuina is a Chinese healing massage technique that treats muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. As with acupuncture, energy imbalances on certain parts of the body are to be solved with Tuina using special grips and massage techniques.
4. Movement sequences and coordination exercises (Qigong and Taiji)
Similar to yoga, Qigong and Taiji aim to restore or maintain inner harmony with the help of special movement sequences, as well as coordination, breathing and meditation exercises. It is said to have a cleansing and strengthening effect on body and mind and bring the two into harmony. A fixed sequence of movements stimulates the flow of Qi and releases tension or disturbances.
5. Chinese Dietetics
The TCM diet is based on a five-element principle with the aim of creating a balance so that the Qi can flow freely through the body. Similar to Ayurvedic nutritional science, foods are said to have certain healing effects on life energy.
Depending on the taste, the food should be able to affect different organs, with each of the five elements representing a taste.
- The element earth stands for sweet foods and is said to have a particular effect on the stomach and spleen.
- The element water stands for salty food and is said to have an effect on the bladder and kidneys in particular.
- The element of fire stands for bitterness and is said to have an effect on the heart and small intestine.
- The wood element stands for sourness and is said to have an effect on the gallbladder and liver.
- The metal element represents spicy foods that are said to affect the lungs and large intestine.
As with the CAT, the temperature and the preparation of the food are decisive for its effect.
Who can practice TCM?
In German-speaking countries (and other Western-style countries), acupuncture is a widespread therapeutic method that is offered by many doctors, therapists and naturopaths. This requires training, e.g. B. from the “German Society for Traditional Chinese Medicine” necessary. For physicians, there are specific guidelines for additional training in acupuncture.
Depending on previous knowledge, certain training, further education or advanced training courses are also available for the other TCM therapy methods. Members of non-medical professional groups, such as nutritionists, massage therapists or trainers can also train in sub-areas of TCM.
Who pays for a TCM treatment?
With the exception of acupuncture therapies for the treatment of chronic pain in the knee joint and in the area of the lumbar spine, TCM healing practices are not or only partially covered by statutory health insurance companies. Depending on the health insurance company, Qigong or Taiji courses are also supported.
For acupuncture therapy, the doctor treating you must have completed the appropriate training so that your health insurance company will cover you for the above-mentioned cases.
TCM services are reimbursed for privately insured persons if no therapeutic success has been achieved with medical treatments so far.
