What is T.C.M.?

T.C.M. is the commonly used abbreviation for Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is a powerful medical  model , diagnostic and treatment tool.

T.C.M. style of treatment is very much based on analysing out an illness into a set of patterns of pathology - or 'syndromes' - every pattern clearly and precisely corresponds to particular clearly defined symptoms, and a corresponding pulse pattern or pulse quality. Once the syndromes have been identified, the priority for treatment is established and set acupuncture points are used for each pattern of dysfunction.

Chinese medicine reads the pulse on the radial artery, as does Western medicine, but in Oriental medicine we read and interpret 6 pulses on each wrist, with each pulse representing a particular organ and system. Pulse volumes are measured and noted, the weaker the pulse in a system, the lower the energy is in that system, and pulse qualities are also clearly noted. Chinese medicine recognises 28 pulse qualities, including obvious ones such as too fast, or too slow, but we also have clearly defined and recognisable pulses such as choppy, wiry, leather, hidden, knotted, deep, slippery.... Each and every one of these pulses has particular significance, they all inform the treatment strategy, and reflect the progress of the patient.

Chinese Medicine also uses Tongue Diagnosis - tongues can be;

• too long,
  
• too short,
•  pale pink,
•  white,
  
• red,
  
• purple, 
• thinly coated,
• thick coated,
  
• cracked and  split
• peeled or burnt in patches, where there is no longer any healthy coating remaining
  

  In addition to the tongue being examined, 12 pulses, 6 in each wrist, all on the radial artery, and 28 pulse qualities are all noted and help build build a complete diagnosis picture upon which the treatment protocol is established. 

Susan Nelson-Sheldon is one of a  small number of practitioners in the U.K. who has trained and qualified in both Five Element and T.C.M., she firmly believes that fusing the two systems together produces the strongest, most powerful elegant and precise results.