Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the most complex,
highly-developed traditional healing theories in the world. The
major components of TCM are herbal medicine. Other aspects
include acupressure massage, exercise systems such as Tai Chi
(pronounced “tie chee”) and Chi Gung, and theories about
architecture and interior decoration known as Feng Shui
(pronounced “fung shwee”). TCM attracts many people today
because of its holistic emphasis, its ancient origins, and its
Eastern feel. However, as yet, there is only limited scientific
evidence that it actually works. Primitive acupuncture needles
dating back to around 1000 BC have been discovered in
archeological finds of the Shan dynasty in China. The
theoretical framework underlying the practice of acupuncture was
first set forth in the Inner Classic of Medicine or Nei Jing,
first published in 206 BC. Chinese herbal medicine received its
first rudimentary theoretical foundations at about the same
time, but it was not until the twelfth century that the