What is Traditional Chinese Medicine about?

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TCM is a centuries‑old health system that sees wellness as a fluid balance of Qi or Ki (vital energy), yin‑yang dynamics, the five elements - earth, metal, water, wood and fire (represented by organs of the body) and a channel system that links everything together.

Practitioners diagnose “patterns” of disharmony by checking the pulse, examining the tongue, asking about symptoms, observation and physical palpation.

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Treatment can blend herbal formulas, dietary tips, movement practices (think Tai Chi), and acupuncture—the art of inserting ultra‑fine needles at precise points along the channels to smooth the flow of Qi and bring the body back into harmony.

Because TCM treats the whole person—body, mind, energy or spirit—it is categorised as an holistic health care. It approaches imbalance of wellbeing based on what is termed Ben Biao (root and branch) treatment.  Instead of treating only symptoms, focus is given to treating both the root of the disharmony as well as the symptoms that are manifesting from that disharmony.  It triggers and supports the body’s natural healing mechanisms so they can do their thing for lasting well‑being.

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A Quick Dive Into History

Ancient roots: 

Classic Chinese texts such as the Huangdi Neijing date back to the 2nd century BC, meaning the core ideas of TCM have been around for over 2,000 years.

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Australia’s first encounter: 

It is believed Chinese medicine was used with immigrants during the Victorian gold rushes of the 1850s. By the 1880s, acupuncture was already being documented in the country.

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How Australians Are Using It

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Acupuncture uptake: 

A national survey reported that 7.4 % of Australians had visited a practitioner for acupuncture, and 9.2 % said they’d tried acupuncture at least once in the past 12 months [biomedcentral.com]

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Broader complementary care picture: 

Roughly one in four adults used either acupuncture, chiropractic, or osteopathy in a given year, with acupuncture making up the 9.2 % share [nih.gov]

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Consultation volume: 

Chinese‑medicine practitioners collectively handle about 15 million consultations each year, highlighting TCM’s solid foothold in Australia’s complementary‑health landscape [biomedcentral.com].

These numbers show that TCM—especially acupuncture—has moved from niche to mainstream, backed by deep historical roots and strong contemporary demand across Australia.