596 Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Ayurvedic herbal mixtures have been found to have bene“-
cial health effects. The herbal mixture MA-631may be used
to prevent and treat atherosclerotic vascular disease (Hanna,
Sharma, Kauffman, & Newman, 1994). Herbal mixtures
MAK-4andMAK-5have been found to be effective in angina
patients in signi“cantly reducing angina frequency and sys-
tolic blood pressure, and in improving exercise tolerance
(Dogra, Grover, Kumar, & Aneja, 1994).
The extant research surrounding TM appears to support its
proposed bene“cial ef fects on health, suggesting that TM
may be an effective complementary intervention for patients
suffering from a variety of psychological and physical prob-
lems. A Harvard study of elderly nursing home residents
compared the practice of TM with two other types of med-
itation and relaxation techniques over a three-year period
(Alexander, Langer, Newman, Chandler, & Davies, 1989).
The study found that the TM group had the greatest reduc-
tions in stress and blood pressure, and the lowest mortality
rate. A meta-analysis on the effect of meditation and trait anx-
iety conducted at the Stanford Research Institute found that
TM is approximately twice as effective as other meditation
techniques at reducing trait anxiety (Eppley, Abrams, &
Shear, 1989). TM has also been found in several studies to re-
tard biological aging (Glaser et al., 1992), to signi“cantly
reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol (Cooper &
Aygen, 1978), and to help in giving up harmful habits such as
cigarette smoking, heavy drinking, and illegal drug use by
incorporating more healthy dietary and lifestyle changes
(Alexander, Robinson, & Rainforth, 1994; Gelderloos,
Walton, Orme-Johnson, & Alexander, 1991). These studies
collectively suggest that practicing TM has bene“cial ef fects
on health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Similar to Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
diagnostic and treatment strategies involve a search for im-
balance and disharmony in each individual patient. The phi-
losophy of TCM begins with yin(shady side) and yang
(sunny side), which are opposing but complementary forces
that exist in a dynamic equilibrium (The Burton Goldberg
Group, 1995). Like Ayruveda, TCM focuses on interrelation
and interdependence of the whole organism with the external
world. In addition to being viewed in relation to their sur-
roundings, yin and yang are also used to correlate the body
and other phenomenon to the human experience of health and
disease, and all health treatments are aimed at keeping yin
and yang in balance.
Another concept that is crucial to understanding TCM is
qi,often translated with the term energy orlife force. While
the Western de“nition of ener gy is the capacity to do work, qi
implies that •the body is pervaded by subtle material and mo-
bile in”uences that cause most physiological functions and
maintain the health and vitality of the individualŽ (Micozzi,
1996, p. 195). According to TCM, this vital energy system
exists in the body along pathways called meridiansor chan-
nels. When energy is ”owing at normal levels, the body is
balanced and healthy, resistant to disease, and can activate its
own healing efforts. When imbalances or blockages occur,
physiological and pathological changes ensue. Practitioners
of TCM believe that all illnesses result from a disturbance of
qiwithin the body.
In TCM, there is no distinction between mind and body.
TCM believes that an individual•s emotional and physiologi-
cal experiences are reciprocal. Hence, aspects of the human
emotional experience are linked to speci“c physiological or-
gans (e.g., anger is related to the liver, joy to the heart),
and, thus, are causal factors in disease. There are three cate-
gories for the causes of disease: external causes (i.e., wind,
cold, “re, dampness, summer heat, and dryness, collectively
referred to as •the six environmental evilsŽ), internal causes
(i.e., joy, anger, anxiety, thought, sorrow, fear, and fright, col-
lectively referred to as •the seven af fectsŽ), and causes that
are neither external nor internal (e.g., dietary irregularities,
excessive sexual activity, overexertion, or complete inactiv-
ity; Micozzi, 1996). Each of the causes of disease disrupts
the balance of yin and yang in the body and disrupts the free
movement of qi. Successful diagnosis and treatment are
based on identifying the precise pattern of such imbalances.
This is accomplished by taking a comprehensive medical his-
tory, which includes asking about the nature of the patient•s
complaints, the presence of any excessive activities such as
sleeping or waking, diet, and sensations of •hotŽ and •cold.Ž
Treatment involves helping the person regain health by
reestablishing a normal balance and ”ow in the ener gy sys-
tem, so that the body may heal itself. All of the treatment
modalities in TCM are designed to achieve this harmony.
Healthy individuals also practice these treatment modalities
prophylactically to maintain health and prevent disease.Therapeutic ApproachesThere are a number of therapeutic approaches in TCM, of
whichQigongis the most powerful (Micozzi, 1996). Qigong
is a form of exercise-stimulation therapy that proposes to
improve health by redirecting mental focus, breathing, coor-
dination, and relaxation to mobilize and regulate the move-
ment of qiin the body to facilitate the body•s own healing
capacities (Spencer & Jacob, 1999). Tai Chi Ch’uan(also
called tai chi) is a type of martial art that uses slow,