< Back to index CHINESE MEDICINE China's 3,000-year-old medical system is based on the idea that balancing active and passive forces within the patient's body enhances chi ("chee"), or life force, and leads to healing. "The language of Chinese medicine is based on metaphors from nature," say Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. "As a gardener adjusts irrigation and applies compost, so the traditional Chinese doctor uses acupuncture, herbs, food, massage (tui na) and exercise (t'ai chi or qi gong) to recover or preserve health." Acupuncture. Of all Chinese therapies, this is the most widely accepted in the West. There's compelling scientific evidence for its efficacy as an anesthetic and as an antidote to chronic pain, migraines, dysmenorrhea and osteoarthritis. Herbs. Herbs are used as remedies worldwide, and in 1994 Americans spent $1.6 billion on them. But only 5 percent of all herbal remedies have been analyzed, and some (such as herbal ephedrine) can be toxic or fatal. Learn as much as you can about an herb before using it. Herbal Gram, a quarterly journal published jointly by the American Botanical Council (800-373-7105) and the Herb Research Foundation (800-748-2617), reports on herbs' uses, makeup, toxicity and side effects. American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, 5820 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90036; (800)521-2262. American Association of Oriental Medicine, 433 Front St., Catasauqua, PA 18032; (610) 266-1433. AYURVEDIC MEDICINE Even more ancient than Chinese medicine (yet similar in many respects), India's Ayurveda takes a preventive approach and aims at treating the whole patient. Therapies include diet (tailored to the individual's constitutional type, or dosha), herbs, yoga and breathing exercises, meditation, massages, purges, enemas and aromatherapy; research shows effectiveness with rheumatoid arthritis, headaches and chronic sinusitis. Ayurveda is practiced by healthcare professionals (some of whom possess an M.D. degree from India), educators and consultants. There's no national certifying program; when choosing a practitioner, ask about his degrees, training and level of experience. The Ayurvedic Institute, P.O. Box 23445, Albuquerque, NM 87192; (505) 291-9698. Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management and Behavioral Medicine, 679 George Hill Rd., Lancaster, MA 01523; (508) 365-4549. MIND-BODY MEDICINE Mind-body techniques (meditation, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, hypnosis, mental imagery, breathing therapy and shamanistic rituals) are practiced by myriad care providers, from doctors and nurses to ministers and social workers. The list below includes multidisciplinary pain centers. American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, 2200 E. Devon Ave., Suite 291, Des Plaines, IL 60018; 297-3317. CHIROPRACTIC With some 50,000 practitioners, chiropractic (manual manipulation of the spine) is the third largest health profession, used by 15 to 20 million Americans. Recent studies show that chiropractic's effectiveness with some types of lower-back pain is superior to conventional care. < Back to index News I Health I Wellness I Exercise I Profiles I Business I Links I Women ROCK! Product Review I To the Point I Contact I Home Created by: Art Street Design Studio. © Concerning Women Communications, Inc. all rights reserved.