Although Chinese medicine is conceived as alternative medicine outside of the Far East it is still considered the primary medical system in China, and has been for thousands of years. Because Chinese medicine relies on natural healing rather than synthetically produced drugs, more and more people in the Western world are turning to this branch of medicine.

Whilst Chinese medicine is thought to date back for 5,000 years the origins are far from clear. The first recorded history is thought to date back over 2,000 years with the first written document concerning Chinese medicine thought to be Hung-Di Nei-Jing(Cannon of Internal Medicine) and is attributed to the Yellow Emperor, although there is confusion over the dates and authors and is still the subject of much debate.

Most people are familiar with the primary methods of healing within Chinese medicine, which are herbal medicine and acupuncture with other methods such as massage, qi gong, or food therapy playing a secondary role. But few know that restoring harmony and regaining balance rather than treating the disease is the aim of all traditional treatment.

A lack of harmony is seen as the main cause of any illness. Whereas modern medicine treats bacteria and viruses directly by the use of antibiotics or vaccines, Chinese medicine has a holistic view and targets the imbalance with the philosophy that well-balanced human bodies can resist most everyday illness and disease.

While more and more medical schools are including classes on alternative medicine in their syllabuses, the relationship between TCM and Western medicine is still contentious. Older Western doctors are far more likely than their Chinese counterparts to view Chinese medicine with superstition.

This is not to say that the techniques are of no value in the West. In fact, drug companies have acknowledged the value of traditional medicines and teams of scientists in many parts of the world are employed to accumulate knowledge from traditional medical practitioners. In addition, many Western hospitals and increasing numbers of clinics now offer T'ai Chi Ch'uan or qigong classes as part of their inpatient and health programs.

Chinese Medicine is not considered alternative medicine to over three quarters of the world's population and it is precisely in the areas of prevention and dealing with physical or emotional illnesses that it excels. It has been developed over the years as a form of non-invasive, therapeutic and risk free treatment.

Attitudes towards Chinese medicine are changing by the day and an increasing number of people are finding relief in this form of alternative medicine after failing with modern medicine and prescription drugs. But rather than as a last resort as was often the case it is now becoming a first recourse and more and more people are having regular treatments to maintain their health at an optimum level or to help with addictions or dietary problems.

John Philips is the author of Chinese Healing an informational website with various articles about Chinese Medicine. To read more observations from various sources on Chinese Medicine visit http://www.chinese-healing.info