Mention Chinese medicine to anyone today, especially in Western countries, and visions of acupuncture are the first thing that springs to mind for most people.
The truth is, Chinese medicine is so much more. Even more true, is the fact that Chinese medicine very often surpasses and is the foundation for Western medical practices.
Since practically the beginning of time, if it could be said that one culture literally wrote the book on herbalism -- only the Chinese could claim the prize of having the longest unbroken belief and traditions in herbal medicine.
It has always seems odd to me that the herbal medicine practices of Asian cultures, should be considered alternative medicine,while today's science of synthetic drugs (Western medicine) should be the standard.
More and more people are using holistic healing as either a supplementary method or their main technique of health care. Holistic healing treatment uses all aspects of the individual to treat illness. It is a combination of body, mind and spirit. It takes all things into consideration such as the patient's diet, their environment, their lifestyle, social outlets, spiritual health and of course their physical health. All the aspects of their life create the disease or illness, not just an isolated part.