Magical traditional Chinese medicine: TCM and martial arts share the same origin

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, athletes challenged their limits repeatedly. When the athletes stood on the podium, another star team from the Winter Olympic Village also took the spotlight: the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) support team.

Inside the Winter Olympic Village, the Department of TCM was full of appointments every day, providing Chinese and foreign athletes with TCM treatment services such as acupuncture, Tui-na (massage therapy), and orthopedic treatments.

In China, medicine and martial arts share the same origin. Throughout history, learners of Kung Fu relied upon themselves to treat their own injuries. Wuqinxi, Liuzijue, Baduanjin, Taijiquan, and other traditional exercises have a history of thousands of years. Past dynasties have left behind many ancient records that integrated medical practices and martial arts, which prove these practices’ health value.

Olympic athletes receiving treatment from the Department of TCM have also been amazed by Chinese Kung Fu and the simple motions of pulling, kneading, and rotating. They felt immediate relief from all of their sports-related sprains and muscle strains, as well as being fully restored back to their previous state of fitness. With the experienced practitioner’s hands, and unaided by any equipment, a patient who previously couldn’t even bend his knee could gradually kick up slightly after a few minutes of pressing, shaking, rubbing, and rotating the affected area.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics became a window to transmit the culture of TCM to the world, and the athletes in attendance were fortunate enough to have seen and experienced the benefits of TCM personally.

Medicinal treatments based on Chinese Kung Fu practices can successfully aid athletes. Based on TCM theory and the unique knowledge of Chinese martial arts and physical therapy, these treatments can apply syndrome differentiation (called “Bian Zheng” in Chinese) to diagnose patients and while providing remarkable curative effects. For example, Chinese Kung Fu practices include various breathing methods to balance one’s Yin and Yang and nourish the body. These treatments are also beneficial for the general public and not only for athletes.

In the United States, TCM practitioners have likewise inherited the Chinese traditions in medicine and martial arts. With their superb TCM skills and proven curative effects, they are well-known among patients suffering from chronic diseases associated with bone injuries.

By balancing tendons and bones, harmonizing Qi and blood flows, and eliminating disease, patients feel relief from their pain and are filled with a new hope.

For thousands of years, generations of TCM practitioners have worked hard to explore, continuously innovate, and enrich their treatment methods through the Chinese traditions of medicine and martial arts. 

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