Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
It takes two texts of eighty-one Chapters apiece to explain the full theoretical foundation of Chinese medicine. The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor from China dates to the first century b.c.e. It is a question and answer discussion between the mythical Yellow Emperor and his advisors concerning methods of diagnosis and treatment methods.
Traditional Chinese medicine can be used with Western medicine. For some diseases, using Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary changes, drugs, and/or surgery in addition to Western treatments will achieve a far better outcome than if only one modality is used.
According to this ancient belief, diet, lifestyle, emotions, environment, age, and heredity are responsible for illness and disease. It's no wonder that many Western physicians today believe the same factors are behind numerous ailments, and that prevention is half the cure.
Traditional Chinese medicine has layers of concepts and metaphors and can be somewhat confusing to new students. It takes practitioners years to study and fully understand it, but the results are rewarding.
Qi
The theory behind traditional Chinese medicine is that the body — and the greater universe — consists of a life force. This animating energy flows in an orderly fashion and is known as qi. Qi flows throughout the world and within individuals and TCM works to balance this energy flow to create harmony.
Good health depends upon this balance. Disease results when there is a disturbance in the flow. Imagine the qi as following a path that winds gently up a mountain and around trees, caves, and creeks. When a large boulder falls on the path, no one can continue along the route.
Meridians
Qi courses through the body through channels, or meridians. Each meridian corresponds to a different part of the body, but they are all interconnected. A blockage or disruption in one meridian can have an effect in a distant meridian. Each meridian has both yin and yang energy.
There are seven yang meridians that flow along the top and outer sides of the body and extremities:
Stomach
Large intestine
Urinary bladder
Gall bladder
Small intestine
Triple heater channel. This meridian begins at the tip of the toe and ends at the outside edge of the eyebrow.
Governing vessel. This meridian runs along the back midline.
There are seven yin meridians coursing through the underside, inner thighs, and forelegs of the body:
Spleen
Lung
Kidney
Liver
Heart
Pericardium
Conception vessel. This meridian travels the full length of the dog's body.
Yin and Yang
The yin and yang are polar opposites that are dependent upon one another. Yin qualities are expressed as soft, calm, substantial, cold, conserving, and tranquil female energy. Yang qualities are expressed as hot, fire, hard, dry, restless, and active male energy. Yin is water and the moon, while yang is fire and the sun. Never static, the yin and yang are constantly shifting within the body, both within a meridian and within an organ. When a holistic veterinarian assesses your dog's condition, she locates and adjusts any imbalances of yin and yang.
Five Elements Theory
According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are five different elements in the world of nature. Each has its own properties, yet all are related. The five elements theory is a methodology in TCM that is used to interpret the relationship between the natural environment and the body's physiology and pathology. It correlates the organs in the body and the meridians that course through them with the five elements of nature — metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. These correlations explain the relationships of the various organs to one another.
