Cancer treatments are as likely to kill its sufferers as the disease itself. Diabetics live day to day off tubes of insulin which could be painful and costly. HIV sufferers face impending death hoping that it will be swift and painless.
Yet, sufferers continue to rely on these treatments when there are other potentially less painful and lower risk alternatives. There is a great variety of lower profile therapies and medical systems out there, a great number originated as traditional healing methods. One prominent traditional medical system that has been around of the last five thousand years is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Medicinal safety
Western medical system became world’s mainstream healthcare for simple reasons; it is well supported by science with observable and measurable results. Western drugs are made in the same approach, they are mainly made from isolated compound in which effects can be measured and justified. However, every drug are tested within controlled environment across relatively short years, there is no telling whether it remains safe in all situations or with prolonged use. Often, damage has already been done before harmful products are recalled.
In contrast, TCM is tried and tested by countless human trials across millenniums. Common TCM herbs are assured to be safe for consumption. Within the TCM lore, medicinal herbs are equivalent to vegetables as they are product of nature, thus nourish the body like regular food. Even with excessive intake, common TCM herbs may only produce mild side effects, such as nose bleeding or diarrhea.
Healing approach
Western drugs usually meant to counter specific conditions or to replenish certain substances that is lacking in the body. Often times, it recovers the body to the point that is ‘not sick or functional, but in great health’. During the mean time, drug resistance or reliance is formed thus it may not be as effective again.
TCM utilize a holistic approach to healthcare, and that is to attack the root of the problem while maintaining the balance within the body. This is achieved by boosting the body’s immune system through a mix of different herbs that is synergistic and gentle as they nullify each other’s negative properties. This approach allows the body to get healthier while boosting natural resistance towards that specific condition, similar to vaccination.
Analogy
Think of the body as a long string of mathematical formula, a disease is best represented as an anomaly that add onto the formula messing up some of its variables. The immune system is a part of the body formula that protects all the variables.
When drugs or pure substance is added into the body formula, it could either modify certain variables so that the overall formula still works despite existence of anomalies. Or it could be a set of formula that is meant to counter the anomaly, but it is hard to observe the changes to other variables. Meanwhile excess amount may overcome both the anomaly and the body formula.
In contrast, herbal mixtures rebalance the body variables and strengthen the immune system’s sub-formula instead of attacking the anomaly directly. Anomaly is then repelled by the immune system through time which is a slower but safer as little or no damage is done to the body variables.
Healing Capability
Despite contrary beliefs, TCM can be effective against chronic diseases. There are reasons to why none of TCM products are recognized as such. One such reason is that TCM content contains a wide range of properties that their collective effects cannot be accurately measured thus cannot be attributed to any sort of recovery. With the inability to accurately measure TCM medicinal effects, mainstream healthcare and governments denies almost all claims of TCM products, limiting them to aids for common ailments. Though many argue this is to protect ignorant consumers.
The overlooked fact is that TCM lore involves thousands of different herbs which can form countless of combinations and effects. To say that there are a few formulations that can be effective against a terminal illness like cancer is not only possible, but probable.
Cautionary note
Effective and reliable TCM herbal products are hard to come by, in part due to product authenticity issues of Chinese products. Users should seek credible sources and also perform sufficient research before trying any such products. It will be best to consult credible physicians first as body conditions differ from people to people.
Last note
This article does not seek to discredit western medicinal practices. There are many situations where western practices are superior, such as times where surgery is required. However, people should be informed that there are alternative treatments, and should take them into consideration when dealing with their health issues. And who knows if you would find a great physician like I did.
I am lucky enough to have a splendid TCM physician as my family doctor. He specializes in curing cancer, diabe