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The Past, Present, And Future Of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treating Dysmenorrhea

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The Past, Present, and Future of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treating Dysmenorrhea

Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

•Acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, theory, diagnostics

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a collection of theories and practices that work together to restore harmony to the body. The two main ideas are a holistic view and treatment based on a differential diagnosis. To utilise those principles there are a number of theories to understand how the body functions so we can understand its pathology. Theories such as yin yang theory, five element theory, vital substance theory, and basic knowledge of qi are the basis for the treatments in TCM. Treatments including acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, …show more content…

Acupuncture is the practice of puncturing the dermis of the skin at a specific place, called an acupuncture point, to change the way the bodies qi is flowing. Needles can be used to reduce, renforce, or apply even stimulation depending on the symptoms that a person shows. Another method applying renforcing, reducing, or even stimulus is cupping.

Cupping is where a cup with a low pressure inside is placed on a person’s skin. There are three types of cupping, fire cupping, dry cupping, and wet cupping. In fire cupping, a glass cup that has had a cotton ball burned inside is used. The cup can be left in one place or it can be moved along the body. Moving it across the body can create the sensation of being massaged while leaving long red marks because the low pressure in the cup causes the capillaries in the skin to burst. When the cup is left in one place it can lead to a round mark. Another style of cupping that leaves a mark is wet cupping. Wet cupping where an incision is made then a cup is placed over the incision. The cup places over top can be applied either by fire cupping or dry cupping. Both required special training to perform unlike dry cupping which does not require any special training. Dry cupping is where plastic cups are placed on the body. The low pressure can be created with a small hand pump. Dry cupping with give the same type of bruise as fire cupping and has the same benefit.

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