Alternative treatment approach

Atopic diseases: A perfect illustration of the principles of TCM

 

Diseases described as atopic are great examples for demonstrating the fundamental difference between Traditional Chinese Medicine and conventional medicine.

 

In conventional medicine, the collective term “atopy” – from the ancient Greek “atopía”, meaning “out of place” – is used to describe allergic reactions which may occur in various locations on the body. Atopic diseases manifest themselves in different ways and in various places. They can even occur in parts of the body that have had no contact with the triggers.

 

TCM with a cause-related approach to treatment

Conventional medicine focuses on treating symptoms, for example by administering antihistamines. By contrast, Traditional Chinese Medicine tracks down the causes of the problem. This cause-related approach is one of the greatest strengths of TCM. As opposed to the short-term treatment of symptoms, it forms the basis for lasting treatment success in a wide range of illnesses and complaints.

 

Allergic asthma and the principles of TCM

One example of atopy in the conventional sense is allergic asthma. This disease presents in a range of ways in various locations, particularly the respiratory tract, the bronchial tubes and chest. TCM considers the cause to be a weakened immune system: for years, the body’s natural defence mechanism has been learning the wrong responses. This malfunction might be the result of blocking the course of inflammatory diseases by taking medication, for example. Rarely challenged, the immune system increasingly “forgets” to mobilize its own defences. What’s more, the blockages caused by medication leave inflammatory substances in the body, which cause diseases to flare-up again and again.

 

Reactivating natural defences

A TCM therapy taking a long-term approach, for example acupuncture in combination with detoxifying methods such as cupping, will lead to a reduction of the inflammatory substances present in the body and give the immune system back its natural powers. It will “relearn” how to react to inflammatory reactions using the defence mechanisms nature originally intended.