Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been an integral part of Chinese culture for thousands of years.

If you're new to TCM, here are five popular practices you might want to explore during your stay in China.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the philosophy that health is achieved through the balance of the body's energy, known as 氣 (qì), and the harmony between the human body and the natural world.

中醫
zhōng yī
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

01. Acupuncture

Acupuncture (針灸 zhēn jiǔ) is one of the most well-known TCM practices (中醫療法, zhōng yī liáo fǎ). It involves inserting fine needles into specific points (穴位, xué wèi) on the body to stimulate energy flow and restore balance.

針灸
zhēn jiǔ
acupuncture

Duration: 60-70 min
Relaxation Level: ??????
Muscle Tension Relief: ??????*

*This scale is subjective - use it for reference only.

NOTE

Tiny needles are placed in the body at specific points and you likely won't feel anything, although it may ache when the correct depth is reached. If you feel some pain, you could say:

我感覺有點痛。
Wǒ gǎn jué yǒu diǎn tòng.
I feel a bit of pain.

02. Cupping

Cupping therapy involves placing heated cups on the skin to create a suction effect. It's commonly used to relieve muscle tension (通經活絡, tōng jīng huó luò) and detoxify the body (驅邪排毒, qū xié pái dú).

拔罐
bá guàn
cupping

NOTE

Cupping therapy can cause small, painless bruises (瘀血, yū xuè) that usually fade in a few days. These marks are normal and not cause for concern.

Duration: ~60 min
Relaxation Level: ??????
Muscle Tension Relief: ??????

03. Gua sha

刮痧 (guā shā) or scraping therapy is a technique that involves gently scraping the skin with a flat, smooth-edged tool to stimulate the flow of blood and lymph.

刮痧
guā shā
gua sha; scraping therapy

刮 (guā) means "to scrape," while 痧 (shā) refers to the distinctive red or purple spots that appear on the skin surface due to scraping.

Duration: ~60 min
Relaxation Level: ??????
Muscle Tension Relief: ??????

04. Tuina, or Pressure Point Massage

推拿 (tuī ná) is a form of Chinese therapeutic massage that involves various techniques such as kneading, pressing, and stretching. If you wake up with a stiff neck (落枕 lào zhěn), tuina would be a good remedy.

推拿
tuī ná
pressure point massage
Literally "push-pull"

Duration: ~60 min
Relaxation Level: ??????
Muscle Tension Relief: ??????

NOTE

Tuina is a safe and common type of massage in China, but remember that it's not a gentle or relaxing massage. You may feel some discomfort (不適, bù shì) during or after a session.

05. Moxibustion

Moxibustion involves burning dried mugwort (艾草, ài cǎo) near the skin to warm and stimulate specific points on the body, improving circulation (改善血液循環, gǎi shàn xuè yè xún huán) and boosting the immune system (增強免疫系統, zēng qiáng miǎn yì xì tǒng).

艾灸
ài jiǔ
moxibustion

Duration: ~30 min
Relaxation Level: ??????
Muscle Tension Relief: ??????

NOTE

Moxibustion may be worth a try if you're exploring complementary and integrative treatments, but remember that it's better to be done by a skilled practitioner.

來源：That's Mandarin
編輯：萬月英