Causes of cancer in TCM are generally divided into internal and external causes. Externals causes were originally related to the general forces called wind, heat, damp, summer heat, dryness and fire. In modern understanding, diet, lifestyle, and chemical factors are included in the external causative group.
Internal causes can be divided into four groups:
1. Emotional imbalances, which arise from excess or inappropriate joy, anger, worry (mental stress), anxiety (panic), grief, fear and shock
2. Accumulation of toxins in the internal organs
3. Systemic imbalance of Yin and Yang
4. Deficiency of Qi
The basic idea is that the external causes cannot cause cancer unless or until the body has weakened from internal causes. The various imbalances, called Qi stagnation, blood stasis, mucus accumulation, dampness stagnation and heat toxins, gradually cause cancer to develop over time. Because the causative factors can be controlled and treated with lifestyle, diet and herbal treatments, this becomes the primary TCM strategy for prevention. It differs from the aforementioned preventive measures only in that TCM-trained doctors are able to identify systemic imbalances within their paradigm and treat them in a more precise way.
Treatment
An increase of 1 degree in body temperature creates an environment where cancer cannot be active.
Practitioners of TCM believe there is no separation between the mind and body. They look at the interaction between mind, body and environment.
It is very different to Western medicine and uses a combination of various practices including:
– Herbal Remedies (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
– Acupuncture or Acupressure
– Moxibustion (burning moxa – a cone or stick of dried herb)
– Massage Therapy
– King Moxibustion
– Breathing and Movement exercises called Qi Gong
– Movement Exercises called Tai Chi
– Diet
