Over the next few years it is planned to further develop the facilities into
an advanced teaching and research centre using the combined expertise of the
University of Bristol and the herbal profession.
Other elements of TCM^196
Chinese massage (tui na)
Massage has been an important element of TCM for at least 2000 years,
featuring in the Yellow Emperor’s famous text. The therapy uses hand
manipulation, pushing, rolling and kneading, on specific points and parts of
the body. It may be used to balance yin and yang and to regulate the func-
tion of qi, blood and the zang fuorgans as well as to loosen joints and relax
muscles and tendons.
Dietary therapy
Chinese dietary therapy is an important part of life in the country as well as
being included in many practitioners’ prescriptions. Knowledgeable Chinese
housewives often prepare special meals for common family ailments. Thus
a patient suffering from insomnia due to a disharmony of heart and kidney
might be advised to make a soup of lotus plumule (lian zi xin) to nourish
the heart and include morus fruit (sang shen zi) to enhance kidney essence.
These measures would be in addition to other TCM treatments, e.g. CHM
and/or acupuncture.
178 | Traditional medicine
Figure 6.13 Bristol Chinese Herb Garden.