Ephedra has been a highly controversial material in recent years. This is largely due to its fat-burning effect as well as the perceived relative risks that may be fatal. Many hardcore bodybuilders have embraced its entry onto the scene while others intend to stay on the safe side. What are the issues and is it truly a good move to ban its use?

What is Ephedra?

Ephedra generally refers to the Ephedra Sinica plant and is called ma huang by the Chinese. It has long been included in traditional Chinese medicine in the past 5,000 years due to its potent effects in treating hay fever, flu, colds and asthma. Ephedra is a stimulant and a thermogenic. This is caused by its ephedrine and pseudoephedrine properties. The resulting effects would be alertness, increased focus, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, easier breathing and metabolic boost.

The hype about ephedra may be due to its fat burning and thermogenic effects especially when taken together with caffeine and aspirin. Studies have shown that individuals burn almost 1 kilogram more of weight compared to a placebo. This explains why a lot of bodybuilders, athletes and average individuals have instantly welcomed the findings with the hope of losing unwanted fat and performing better in sports. The true nature of weight loss, weight loss maintenance and enhanced athletic performance however, is not fully known.
Ephedra can also cause a variety of side effects ranging from mild to sometimes fatal. Examples would be allergic or hypersensitivity reactions as evidenced by:

• Frequent urination
• Hyperthermia or fever
• Dehydration
• Irregular heartbeat
• Warm feeling
• Seizure
• Heart attack
• Stroke or death
• Skin rash
• Irritable mood
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Excitability
• Restlessness
• Trembling
• Shakiness
• Insomnia
• Profuse sweating
• Itchy skin and scalp
• Vomiting

The FDA or Food and Drug Administration began to question the full measures of the material after finding out about a number of dangerous and fatal side effects. The FDA banned ephedra as well as other ephedra-containing supplements on April 12, 2004.

Prominent Cases and Controversies

A lot of bodybuilders and other athletes have taken ephedra before its ban in April 2004 and there have been many issues surrounding its true efficacy and dangers. Some argue that it is only the combination of aspirin that causes serious side effects.

Bodybuilding stacks have popularized the ECA or ephedrine-caffeine-aspirin stack that reportedly can help people lose fat 50% to 100% more than other known fat burning supplements. Others have substituted the aspiring with yohimbe or green tea extract hoping to reduce the known risks.

The International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency also bans ephedrine since up to now, several athletes continue to consume it for its performance-enhancing and fat-burning effects.

Several popular athletes have reportedly suffered from concurrent ephedra use. Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer died from heatstroke in 2001 that may have been partly spurred by ephedra use. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died from heatstroke as well in 2003 wherein the medical examiner discovered that ephedra toxicity was a huge contributing factor

Other agencies that consider it as a banned substance include the NBA or National Basketball Association, the NFL or National Football League, the NHL or National Hockey League, FIFA and motorcycle racing groups.

Ephedra: Banned for Good

The WNBF and INBF have also banned ephedra due to its potential harm to users. It is possible for WNBF and INBF to ban some substances not banned by the FDA or IOC and vice-versa. They have been following studies and observations made by the FDA and U.S. Government closely leading to their final decision. A grace period was given for all users to suspend product use without penalization. At present, ephedra is banned for good and no exceptions will be made for illegal manufacturing, sale or distribution.

Ephedra used to be an over $1 billion annual business in America alone. The FDA has given a 60-day period to totally ban its sales to give room for ephedra manufacturers and sellers to retaliate via lawsuits. However, the U.S. Government has already been keeping a watchful eye on ephedra use since the death of Bechler in 2003. The move and decision actually came very quickly which left several companies and consumers shocked and baffled whether the effects were truly real or just hyped up conversation.

Some Chinese medicines are promoted as having the ability to help people loose weight by primarily causing peoples’ metabolisms to act more efficiently. Other types of Chinese medicines for weight loss are thought to assist the human body in processing fat substances in a more effective manner as well as stopping the accumulation in the body of unhealthy fats. Another variety of Chinese medicines for weight loss act to provide a boost to the metabolism.

Herbs that can help the body from developing fatty deposits are immature citrus peel, magnolia bark and citrus aurantium. Herbs that are thought to have the ability to improve the functioning of your metabolism and increase your energy are astragalus, atractylodes and ginseng. Some herbalists also recommend cinnamon, ginger, eucommia bark and epimedium. With the increase in your level of energy it will be easier to partake in workouts and this will assist you in losing undesirable weight. These herbs can be helpful for people who seem to gather unwanted weight in the stomach area.

Bao He Wan for Weight Loss

Bao He Wan is a Chinese medicine for weight loss which some people suggest might help you loose weight by reportedly improving your digestion system. It is sold as a wafer. It includes Shan Zha which helps the body digest meats and fatty substances, Shen Ou to increase you digestive systems’ ability to digest alcohol and rice, it also contains an herb named Lai Fu Zi which improves the digestion of starchy items and a couple other helpful herbs. This product does have some unwanted side affects.

A lot of the Chinese medicines for weight loss have not been scientifically proven in independent laboratories to be effective in helping people loose weight so use your judgment before you try these products and consult with your doctor. Chinese medicines taken for weight loss will not solve your weight problem unless you stick to a healthy diet and exercise because they are not going to perform miracles for you.

Chinese Medicines for Your Emotions

Some Chinese medicines for weight loss are affective by supposedly reducing stress, depression, anxiety and other types of emotional conditions that can cause people to over eat. This category of herbs includes mint, magnolia bark and biota seeds. Some herbalists recommend bitter herbs such as coptis and Chinese rhubarb that are considered useful in detoxification and they supposedly lower inflammatory and acidic situations in your body which seem to cause people to desire large amounts of food. These herbs might not be found in your basic grocery store so you will probably have to do some research in order to find out where you can purchase them in your area or perhaps you would prefer the convenience of buying them on the internet.

Guava is known for being one of the most popular therapeutic plants in the Philippines. It is used as an antiseptic, astringent and anthelminthic, and kills bacteria, fungi, and ameba. The fresh leaves of the plant are used to facilitate the healing of wounds and cuts and are also very effective for toothaches.

Guava herbal medicine has been around and been used for ages, and although it has proven time and time again to be incredibly effective and successful at treating sickness and disease, it is important that you take the time to learn about guava and understand what it has to offer before using it yourself.

Health Benefits of Guava Herbal Medicine

The health benefits of guava herbal medicine are truly incredible, and in particular it contains quercetin which is an antioxidant that blocks enzymes that are responsible for building sorbitol, the sugar that forms the cloudy white clusters that cause cataracts. Guava is also rich in folate which helps to fight bad breath that causes gum disease gingivitis.

Green tea medicine has shown to have even more health benefits than guava herbal medicine, and this is largely due to the catechins that are found in green tea. These catechins, otherwise known as polyphenols, have been shown in recent studies to fight viruses, slow aging, and have a beneficial effect on health in general. Green tea helps to reduce high blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and even fight cancer.

Guava herbal medicine is only one aspect to Chinese medicine however, and there are many other options as well when it comes to herbal medicine. Besides guava herbal medicine one of the most popular herbal medicines is green tea. Green tea has been around and been used for ages but only recently has it really come into serious popularity.

There are also many powerful antioxidants found in green tea, one in particular being epigallocatechin gallate which is at least 100 more times effective than vitamin C and 25 more effective than vitamin E when it comes to protecting cells and DNA from damage linked to illness and disease.

Herbal medicines are extracts from plants and flowers that are used to treat and prevent illness, and they have been used for a wide range of different conditions, including headaches, depression, PMS, and insomnia. Just make sure to remember that herbal medicine, although natural and basically completely safe, is still a form of medicine and so you have to use it with caution and follow recommended dosage instructions.

In the field of herbal study, there is an herb that holds the reputation of being the first class adaptogenic tonic in one of the greatest herbal medical systems in the whole cosmos. This is particularly a wonder herb that can match and even surpass the world’s prime herbal tonics like the Panax ginseng, astralagus, dang gui, reishi nushroom, and the South American suma for its great uses and medicinal benefits. Such herb bears the name “ashwagandha”, which is the wonder herb of India.

For more than 2,000 years of the Indian medical system which is known as “Ayurveda”, ashwagandha has been held in high regard by many generations of people for its great abilities to help in the proper functioning of the body. Ashwagandha is a small evergreen shrub that is widely cultivated in India and in some parts of the Middle East for several medicinal properties. This herb can also be found in the some parts of Africa.

This erect and grayish plant with long roots known as ashwagandha has a small greenish flowers and fruits that are red-orange in color when ripe. It has been applied traditionally in a variety of ways. Ashwagandha can be used as a sedative, diuretic, rejuvenation tonic, anti-inflammatory agent, and as an “adaptogen’ or endurance developer.

Traditionally, some of the Western herbalists refer to ashwagandha as “Ayurvedic ginseng” due to its fame for enhancing energy, strength, and stamina, as well as for its potential to give relief to stress.

Ashwagandha is typically applied since its beginning till now in its powdered form. It is noted that such powdered form is developed from the whole ashwagandha plant and the root alone. It has therefore some various forms that really give certain effects to those who use it.

However, ashwagandha is typically used in test tubes and animals. In fact, the use of this herb have been limited for those purposes alone, and it is then hard to form a proposition about the importance of this herb to humans. Although, there are several studies that are conducted mostly in India, and those studies have considered that ashwagandha does have anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and immune-boosting properties. Also, the different chemical constituents of ashwagandha have demonstrated a number of therapeutic effects.

Due to the fact that ashwagandha is applied to heal or treat some major disorders that are connected with nerve tissue damage which in turn related to the destructive molecules called as free radicals, there are some findings which assumed that ashwagandha may have antioxidant properties. Ashwagandha is also found out to be beneficial to central nervous system and it may help to ease arthritis, reduce the stress and increase endurance, as well as it boost sexual performance.

It is just necessary to know that when the ashwagandha is included as part of an herbal blend, its effects may be diluted or may be too tough to detect. So, the proper consultation and prescription should be made before adding the herb. It is however noted that the right idea to take ashwagandha is to take it with a meal or a full glass of water. And for the reason that ashwagandha may have sedative qualities, fully understanding of how it affects you prior to doing any other activity that requires total alertness is indeed a right move.

Chinese cinnamon bark is a useful bark of the medium-sized evergreen tree that is native to China and Vietnam. There are basically many species of cinnamon tree which is now widely cultivated particularly in the southwestern part of China, Cambodia, India, Japan, Java, Sri Lanka Sumatra, and Vietnam. Many herbalists believed that the Chinese cinnamon bark has great potential for treating several forms of disorders and discomforts. Thus, the Chinese cinnamon bark is applied in Chinese, Indian, and Western traditional medicine.

The Chinese cinnamon bark is traditionally used as a spice, so it is known as a popular flavoring in many cuisines, and it is then noted for its delicious aroma. Its name actually derives from the Greek word “kassia” which means “strip off the bark”.

There are basically a number of medicinal uses of the Chinese cinnamon bark. The first mentioned medicinal uses were first recorded in the Chinese formularies as early as 2700 B.C. Generally, Chinese cinnamon bark is applied as a healing aid for gas and stomach upset, rheumatism, diarrhea, abdominal pain, as well as some kidney ailments.

In addition, there is what they call as cinnamon “drops” which largely consists of the necessary cinnamon oils and cassia that are also widely applied for many of similar purposes. Since the Chinese cinnamon has an antiseptic quality, the Chinese cinnamon bark and the necessary oils that it contains are also useful for some topical products like the lotions, soaps, and liniments, including toothpaste and mouthwash.

The recent therapeutic applications of the Chinese cinnamon bark are usually founded in its conventional use as a traditional medicine and on some animal and clinical trials. Although there are some animal or test-tube clinical trials that do not ensure the safety and effectiveness of the Chinese cinnamon bark to humans, many German health authorities still agreed on the application of the Chinese cinnamon bark and cassia for those mild gastrointestinal tremors and also for rousing the appetite.

The various application of the Chinese cinnamon bark does not only end there. Chinese cinnamon bark is always combined with the several ingredients in a number of herbal formulations. In fact, only few have supported the claim that Chinese cinnamon bark can be used solely as a remedy; however, it has been examined in some clinical trials for its potential to treat a variety of diseases.

The only findings that come out after several clinical trials on the potential of the Chinese cinnamon bark for medicinal applications were conducted are the claims that the herb really aid proper digestion. Since it contains useful compounds known as catechins, which help relieve nausea, the herb’s oil found in the bark aids the body to process food by breaking down the fats during digestion. In relation, the herb’s bark also has the potential for relieving bloating as well as flatulence for the fact that the Chinese cinnamon bark functions as a carminative or gas reliever. As such, there is a great possibility that it may relieve mild abdominal discomfort that is mainly caused by excess gas.

In China, Zen monks drank tea from an evergreen shrub to calm themselves and increase concentration while meditating. Legend also told of a tea that contains the leaves of that same plant given to the bodyguards of Genghis Khan to keep them from falling asleep while on sentry duty. Mormons who couldn’t drink coffee or black tea, drank this tea instead as stimulant and because of this, it is sometimes called Mormon tea. In the 1800s, tea brewed from a Chinese shrub was served in brothels with the claim that it could cure gonorrhea and syphilis. The tea used in this context come from none other than the plant called Ephedra (Ma Huang).

Several species of Ephedra (Ma Huang) are native to North China and Inner Mongolia so the legend about Genghis Khan’s guards might not be that far-fetched. ‘Huang’ is taken from the name of the Chinese father of medicine, Huang Di. But Ephedra (Ma Huang) are not used as cure to STDs today; it will not cure STDs.

1. Ephedra (Ma Huang): The Plant

Ephedra (Ma Huang) comes from the family Ephedraceae. Its species include Ephedra major, Ephedra trifurca, Ephedra nevadensis, and Ephedra sinica, the Chinese plant to which Ephedra (Ma Huang) refers.

The leaves of Ephedra (Ma Huang) are yellow-green or light green. Its stem separates at the top to form branches, growing to an average of 20 inches (50 cm). The stems of Ephedra (Ma Huang) are long, narrow, and sprawling with tiny leaves and small greenish yellow flowers. Tiny nodes called joints can be found on the stalks.

Many species of Ephedra are found in deserts or arid regions throughout the world. They can be colored green, gray, or red, depending on the species. Ephedra (Ma Huang) is the only species of the plant that is native to Asia and it is the species with the most number of health benefits.

2. Ephedra (Ma Huang): Medicinal Values

A substantial amount of prescription drugs and over-the-counter decongestants used the isolated alkaloid elements, including ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, obtained from Ephedra (Ma Huang). Ephedrine is a successful bronchodilator if taken orally. It can be used in the treatment of mild to moderate asthma and hay fever.

The use of Ephedra (Ma Huang) as a medicinal plant dates back to approximately 2800 B.C. in China. It is only in 1923, that the West began to take interest in Ephedra (Ma Huang) when their medical practitioners discovered its many uses. Subsequently, the substance ephedrine has become widely used as a nasal decongestant, a central nervous system stimulant, and a treatment for asthma in America.

Ephedra (Ma Huang) can also suppress the appetite. In fact, this is one of its most popular uses. Most diet drugs contain ephedrine to act as appetite-suppressants while increasing the body’s metabolic rate and aiding in fat breakdown. Ephedra (Ma Huang) has thermogenic properties which help in the breakdown of fats into energy. If taken with caffeine, substance found in Coffea arabica, Camellia sinensis, and Cola nitida, its thermogenic capabilities can be intensified. Ephedra (Ma Huang) has also been used by people who are trying to quit smoking because it contains substances that can reduce cigarette-craving. It can also promote uterine contraction and menstruation.

Nicknamed as the “Tree of Life”, the Ginkgo tree is considered as the oldest living tree species. According to geological records, this plant has been growing on earth for the past 150-200 million years.

The first people to discover the many uses of the ginkgo biloba are the Chinese monks who revered it as a sacred herb and cultivated it on temple grounds. The species was later brought to Europe in the 1700s where it became a commonly prescribed drug used in countries, such as France and Germany. Today, the ginkgo tree is one of the well-researched herbs in the world.

Ginkgo Biloba Herbal Remedy

The ginkgo tree has been used for thousands of years as a medicine to cure all sorts of diseases. Today, modern scientific findings have led to the discovery of two active compounds present in the ginkgo tree that were responsible for its excellent natural antioxidant properties. These substances were later dubbed as “ginkgolides” and “bilobalide.”

Ginkgolides and bilobides are the main constituents found in ginkgo biloba herbal remedy products found in most drugstores. Ginkgo biloba herbal remedy is said to be effective as an antioxidant and an inhibitor of platelet-activating factors. It is also said to benefit the central nervous system in general. For this reason, ginkgo biloba herbal remedy is usually used for memory loss. In fact, ginkgo biloba herbal remedy products are common in the market as treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, that memory disorder occurring mostly among the elderly.

Ginkgo biloba herbal remedy is also said to improve poor circulation to the extremities. Its natural properties make this herb beneficial to people who are depressed, dizzy, and emotional. According to a small Swiss pilot study of 14 patients suffering from depression, ginkgo can boost cognitive-psychomotor performance and in the process, reduce the number of nighttime awakenings. Their results show that ginkgo biloba herbal remedy can increase both short wave and slow wave sleep.

In this study, scientists gave half of their subjects a prescription antidepressant and gave the other half a ginkgo biloba herbal remedy. After a period of six weeks, they surveyed the results.

Although they were unable to find out exactly how the herb works, they were however able to discover properties in the herbal supplement that can benefit stressed out patients. Researchers found that ginkgo can significantly lower down stress hormone activity in the body. The results of this study were later confirmed by researchers at Switzerland’s Basel Physchiatric University in a larger, randomized, and double-blind trial.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was developed between 1330BC and 221BC during the era of Chou Dynasty.

The theoretical scientific foundation of this medicine is based on the relationship between human body, as a universe and the nature. As a universe, human body requires the balance of yin and yan – an interconnected system of qi (“breath”, “life force”, or “energy”), blood and jing (“kidney” or “semen”), other bodily fluids, including five elements of the body (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), emotions, soul, and spirit.

A professor of University of Technology, Sydney stated that the balance concept in human body is generated from a combination of human thought and Chinese religious ideologies which are Confucians and Daoism. The cyclic rhythm of these three aspects indicates one’s “essential bodily processes to accord with the need for natural harmony.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine has become widely practiced and clinically refined as a remedy for many illnesses.

Due to its cost effectiveness, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was standardized during Mao Se Dong regime and its theoretical scientific foundation has not changed. This standardization resulted in the adoption of TCM to become and integral part of Chinese public health system. It is an affordable drug for the poor who cannot afford modern drugs.

With its static scientific theoretical condition, some theorists who are influenced by western medicine tried to eliminate TCM and thereby, by 1900s, Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) whose root theoretical foundation is from TCM but pharmaceutically modernized was introduced.

The emergence of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) was coincided with the introduction of pathogenic theory of medicine, which is a theory that explains diseases are caused by microorganisms. However, the effort to replace Traditional Chinese Medicine with Classical Chinese Medicine was not successful.

In practice, acupuncture and Moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine are the common known Traditional Chinese Medicine used as therapeutic treatment. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine also include Tui na or message therapy, Chinese foot therapy, Qigong and related breathing and meditation exercise, Tai Chi Ch’uan and other Chinese martial arts, Feng Shui, and Chinese astrology.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is not commonly used in western countries by is widely used as therapeutic drugs and remedy in China and other Asian countries including Southeast Asia.

In daily traditional practices, Traditional Chinese Medicine is applied by only family related individual or it is passed from a generation to generation to preserve the traditional values of the medicine and those of the Chinese.

Different from graduates who study modern medicine in university; graduates of Traditional Chinese Medicine who study at university get better opportunity in terms of knowledge wise. They also learn to diagnose diseases in Western medical terms, prescribe modern drugs, even can undertake minor surgery. In Chinese public health care system, the Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates become a specialization.

Being an integral part of China’s public health system, Traditional Chinese Medicine is accepted into the mainstream of education system. Thereby, the country’s pharmacology education is divided into two types of pharmaceutical theory and technology which are the traditional and modern medicine and produces two kinds of graduates – those for the traditional remedy and those for modern remedy.

As years progressing, through open trade between China and western countries, Traditional Chinese Medicine is introduced into Western society as complementary or as alternative therapeutic drugs.

Even universities are opening the door for students to learn Traditional Chinese Medicine or the state allows graduates of Traditional Chinese Medicine to open practices but does not allow them to prescribe drugs produces by pharmaceutical of non traditional types, neither are they allowed to diagnose diseases in Western medical terms nor perform surgery. In Australia, for example, the state separates this line of practice and Western traditional practice. The graduates of Traditional Chinese Medicine are not qualified to practice that require them to prescribe Western drugs. The state legislative framework also requires that Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates be licensed and registered so are the medicines they prescribed to their patients, otherwise, the Chinese herbs used as remedy are deemed as poisons.

An ancient herb, guglipid is derived from the resin resembling a gum from the mukul myrrh tree. It dates back to thousands of years ago and has been used in India’s traditional Ayuverda medicine.

1. The Mukul Tree

The mukul tree, or Commiphora mukul, the plant from which gugulipid is extracted, is a small, thorny plant that grows throughout northern India. It produces a gum-like resin called guggul. Sometimes, guggul is also referred to as guggul gum, guggal, gugglesterone, guggulu, and gum gugal.

The gugulipid tree is closely related to the Commiphora mukul tree or common myrrh, which was used as one of the first medicines. There were even hieroglyphic notations of its use during the ancient Eqyptian times. With such a close relation, many scientists believe that gugulipid may have many of the same properties as myrrh as even their ancient status is similar.

2. Health Benefits

In the 1960s, researchers in India discovered an ancient Sanskrit medical text, Sushruta Samhita. This classical book of medicine described the prescription of gugulipid for the treatment of medoroga, a disease that closely resembles symptoms of high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries. To test this ancient theory, Indian scientists used gugulipid on animals. They later found that gugulipid both lowered cholesterol levels and protected against the development of hardening of the arteries.

A culminating study was subsequently conducted, examining the effectiveness of gugulipid on humans. Although of its potency are still quite preliminary, the Indian government was impressed enough to approve it as a treatment for high cholesterol.

In the Sushruta Samhita, gugulipid was also suggested for fat loss and the relief of arthritis. Some recent studies have noted benefits for these conditions, as well as acne and several other conditions. In the ancient times, the people used gugulipid in a crude, powdered form. Today, gugulipid is available as a supplement in a more refined form.

Additionally, guglipid was used as early as 600 B.C. as treatment for people who suffer from a condition associated with regular overindulgence in rich foods and sedate lifestyle – a condition we now call as atherosclerosis. Present scientists have researched the benefits of gugulipid on atherosclerosis and they were able to find that the refined resin of the mukul tree inhibits formation of plaque that hardens arteries. Furthermore, active ingredients in gugulipid called guggulsterones can encourage levels of fat in the body to drop. This in turn lowers the risk of heart disease.

3. Buying Information

Before you go out and buy yourself a gugulipid supplement, be sure to consult your doctor first. If you have liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or diarrhea, there’s a good chance that your doctor may advice you against taking the supplement. Pregnant women should also not take it.

During product selection, look for one that is clearly marked as a gugulipid supplement and not guggul or guggulu. The latter products are crude, unrefined forms of the resin and may contain toxic compounds, which in turn may cause loss of appetite, stomach pain, diarrhea, and rashes. Gugulipid on the other hand has been refined and contains only the active ingredients without the toxins.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is mainly used in China but throughout the years it has been spreading through out the world. It is a form of medical treatment practises that have passed down from generations to generations. However, there is no scientific basic to support the use of this medicine. Nevertheless, this is debatable. Two well-known types of Traditional Chinese Medicine are Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is usually associated with having emerged from China and is mainly used on many parts of the body especially when chronic pain is present. Acupuncture, which literal means needle, involves the placing of needles at specify places on the body.

1.1 Types of Acupuncture

There are different types of Acupuncture. There are Korean, Japan and of course Chinese Acupuncture. One of the purposes of Acupuncture is to regulate the flow of the body’s energy. Since it is the belief in Traditional Chinese Medicine that when there is an imbalance in the flow of the body’s energy, sickness befalls that person. Therefore Acupuncture tries to regulate the flow of the body’s energy, in the correct manner once again.

Sterile needles are usually used in this treatment and it is also standardise practice to use these needles only once. Acupuncture is practice in Canada, the United States of America, Australia and the United Kingdom and other places. Places where Modern medicine is mainly practice.

The practice of Acupuncture on patient or patients is said to be relatively safe. In the United Kingdom, the British Medical Journal, 2001 reported that out of 66,229 cases of persons who have used the Acupuncture treatment only 134 reported minor cases of negative response.

1.2 Side Effects of Acupuncture

There are certain side effects that patients may experienced with the using of Acupuncture to treat their ailment. However these side effects are mainly common to all. There are dizziness, a slight bleeding at the time that the needles are removed from the body, and a little bruising.

2. Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine is also a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Herbology as it is also known, is the use of flowers and various parts of plants to treat an illness; and for the overall good health of ones body. In addition to the plants and flowers, certain parts of animals may also be added to the herbal potion. When it comes to Traditional Chinese Medicine it is not a matter of one treatment treats all. It is a matter of dealing with a person’s ailment on an individual basic. On a different level looking pass the obvious, there are no two individuals whose bodies functions in the same manner. For example two persons may receive some bad new at the same time. One of those people’s bodies may reach to the news with a headache, while on the other hand the other person’s shoulders may start to hurt. Therefore due to this individualism, this is one of the advantages that Traditional Chinese Medicine has. So with the headache and the shoulders pain, with Traditional Chinese Medicine it may require different treatment for both persons. One person may be advised to take a certain Herbal potion, while on the other hand the next person may be advice to go for a session or two of Massage Therapy.

Massage Therapy is also a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are many types of massages. There are Deep Tissue Massage, Chair Massage and Foot or Sole Massage. Massage, basically speaking is placing appropriate pressure on certain parts of the body in order to take away the pain, or maybe to relax the body.