Chinese medicine hospitals use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, qigong, and tui na. Practitioners specialize in one or more modalities, and treatments are usually a combination of methods. TCM is still considered complementary in non-Asian countries, but is widely used in China and other Asian countries.
A Chinese medicine hospital is a hospital where traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the treatment modality. TCM actually consists of many treatment methods practiced alone or together. The primary form of treatment is often acupuncture, but traditional Chinese medicine also includes herbal medicine, moxibustion, qigong, and tui na, which is a form of massage. Most Chinese medicine hospitals are actually located in China, but they are also found in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and other South Asian countries.
A practitioner in a Chinese medicine hospital usually specializes in a particular area of treatment, although they may practice several different modalities. Usually, however, a practitioner will specialize in acupuncture, herbalism, tui na, or qi gong. Acupuncture is the use of very fine needles that are inserted into the body along the acupuncture meridians, lines that run along the outside of the body. Herbal medicine is the use of blended herbal formulas to treat a particular problem. Qi gong, pronounced “chee gong”, is a discipline that uses energy for healing.
Tui na, a form of Chinese massage, is often treated as another specialty, but is also sometimes considered a complementary or secondary treatment. Many tui na practitioners will also be acupuncturists, herbalists, or qi gong practitioners. Moxibustion is the use of processed mugwort, known as ai ye in Chinese medicine, which is burned in a conical or loose form along the body’s meridians to stimulate movement. There are also other minor forms of treatment, such as cupping, gua sha, and acupressure, which are usually administered by acupuncturists.
Treatments at a Chinese medicine hospital are usually a mixture of modalities. In some cases, only one form will be used, usually acupuncture or herbal medicine. Many Chinese medicine hospitals also work closely with modern Western hospitals or are a department of a hospital that practices Western medicine.
Traditional Chinese and Chinese medicine hospitals are still heavily used in China and are becoming more prevalent in Western countries, albeit as part of a hospital primarily practicing Western medicine; TCM is still considered a complementary treatment in non-Asian countries. In China and other Asian countries, many people have a choice between using a Chinese medicine hospital or a more modern Western hospital. Many patients choose to combine the two, although there are still many who prefer one or the other. In rural regions of China, a Chinese medicine hospital may be the only form of treatment available.
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