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Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a long-standing healing tradition with its own concepts, such as qi, yin and yang and meridians. This guide explains those ideas as traditional frameworks and keeps them separate from what biomedical research has or has not found, intervention by intervention.

It covers herbs and formulas, hands-on practices, dietary ideas, specific health concerns, how research is done, and how to find a qualified practitioner. Acupuncture, tai chi and qigong have their own guides, and TCM pages link to them. Herbal products can contain contaminants and interact with medicines, so safety comes first here.

Start here: What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? History and Overview

What would you like help understanding?

Safety first

  • Complementary therapies can interact with medicines and some are unsafe in pregnancy, in children or with certain health conditions.
  • Do not delay or stop medical care for a serious or worsening condition to try a therapy.
  • Choose a practitioner whose qualifications you have checked, and tell every clinician what you are using.

Natural Remedy Safety

Overview

What this section covers

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a body of health practices that, according to the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, has evolved over thousands of years. [1] It includes herbal formulas, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, therapeutic massage (tui na), dietary advice and movement practices such as tai chi and qigong. This section explains what each of these is, how it is described in its own tradition, and what research has and has not shown. For a first overview, start with What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?.

How the pages are organized

The section is arranged in sixteen collections, each with its own guides.

Traditional ideas and evidence are different things

TCM has its own vocabulary. Words such as qi, yin and yang, and meridians describe how the tradition understands the body. They are not measurements from a laboratory, and the pages here present them as traditional frameworks, not as biological mechanisms. A 2008 systematic review of studies on acupuncture points and meridians found the evidence did not conclusively support the claim that they can be told apart electrically. [2]

Whether a specific practice helps a specific problem is a separate question that research can test. A 2022 overview of 104 Cochrane reviews on TCM found only 5 reached overall positive conclusions, 42 said the evidence was insufficient and 54 could not draw firm conclusions. [3] NCCIH says some approaches such as acupuncture and tai chi may help certain pain conditions and quality of life, while studies of Chinese herbal products have had mixed results. [1] Each page here gives the evidence for one practice at a time, with a plain label such as promising but limited, mixed or insufficient evidence.

Safety pointers

  • Some Chinese herbal products have been found contaminated with undeclared drugs, heavy metals or the wrong herbs. [1]
  • Cupping and moxibustion can cause burns, skin damage and infection. [4][5]
  • Tell all your health care providers about any herbs or treatments you use. NCCIH advises not using TCM to replace or delay conventional care. [1]
  • Qualifications and rules differ by country and state. See questions to ask before a session and coordinating complementary and medical care.

If you have sudden severe symptoms, chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding or signs of poisoning, seek emergency care first. In the US call 911, and for poisoning call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. See poison help by country.

Explore Traditional Chinese Medicine

Foundations & History(10)What TCM is, where it comes from and how it is organized today in China and elsewhere, kept apart from what research has tested.
Core Concepts(16)Qi, yin and yang, the five phases, the organs, essence and the other traditional frameworks, explained in their own terms and never as proven biology.
Diagnosis & Consultation(12)How a TCM visit works: the four examinations, tongue and pulse, pattern differentiation and treatment plans, with the limits of each.
Herbal Medicine Foundations(12)How Chinese herbs are classified, combined, prepared and sold, with product forms and quality.
Classical Formulas & Patent Medicines(15)Well-known formulas and ready-made products: traditional uses, composition as published, evidence and safety.
Single Herbs in Chinese Medicine(27)Individual herbs as TCM uses them, with traditional properties, research and safety; ingredient guides elsewhere on the site are linked.
Other TCM Practices(16)Moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, tui na, ear seeds and Chinese movement practices, with what research shows for each.
Dietary Therapy & Lifestyle(7)Food energetics, congee, soups and seasonal ideas as traditional frameworks, with what nutrition research does and does not support.
Evidence by Health Concern(26)What research shows for specific TCM interventions in specific conditions, never TCM as a whole.
Specialty Areas(8)Women's health, children, older adults, skin, cancer care, pain and more as TCM practitioners describe them, with safety limits.
Safety, Quality & Regulation(16)Herb-drug interactions, liver and kidney risks, contamination, adulteration, animal and plant conservation, regulation and reporting.
Practitioners, Training & Access(11)Credentials, licensing, school and board certification, first visits, costs, insurance, telehealth and coordinating with medical care.
Research & Evidence(10)How TCM is studied: trial quality, publication problems, Cochrane reviews, drug discoveries from traditional sources and the role of placebo.
Related Traditions(3)Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and other East Asian traditions that share roots with TCM, and how they differ.
Comparisons & Claim Checks(12)Side-by-side comparisons and checks of common claims, with no universal winners.
Glossary & Reference(6)Terms, herb and formula indexes and quick answers.
Evidence and limitations. Traditional ideas are described in their own terms, then kept separate from what research has measured. Where research exists we say what it covered; "Proper evidence not found" means we looked and found nothing usable. Every approach is held to the same evidence standard.

Related comparisons

Related Wellness Goals

Research connections

Our pages cite the studies and official sources behind each statement. For the underlying records, see the evidence page for this goal and the Research Library.

Therapies Research and Evidence: How Much Research Exists and How to Read It Research Library Wellness Goals

Frequently asked questions

Is traditional Chinese medicine one thing?

No. It is a group of practices (herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, massage, diet and movement) that are studied separately, because each has different evidence and risks. [1]

Does research support traditional Chinese medicine?

It depends on the practice and the use. A review of Cochrane reviews found evidence for TCM overall largely inconclusive, so each practice needs to be judged for a specific use. [3]

Are qi and meridians proven to exist?

They are traditional concepts. A systematic review found the evidence did not conclusively show that acupuncture points or meridians are electrically distinguishable, and the studies were generally poor in quality. [2]

Are Chinese herbal products safe?

Not automatically. Contamination, wrong herbs and drug interactions have been reported. [1] See Chinese herbal products: quality and interactions.

Can I use TCM instead of seeing my doctor?

NCCIH advises not to use TCM to replace or delay seeking conventional care, and to discuss it with your health care providers. [1]

How do I find a qualified practitioner?

Rules differ by place. In the US, NCCIH says most states and the District of Columbia regulate acupuncture practice. [1] See qualifications and licensing.

References

  1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, US). Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know. Last updated April 2019. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. Ahn AC et al. Electrical properties of acupuncture points and meridians: a systematic review. Bioelectromagnetics 2008. PubMed 18240287. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Cochrane systematic reviews on traditional Chinese medicine: what matters, the quantity or quality of evidence? Phytomedicine 2022. PubMed 35104758. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. NCCIH (US). Cupping. Last updated November 2018. Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Adverse events of moxibustion: a systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2010. PubMed 21056845. Read 2026-10-22.

Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.

Education, not medical advice. This section is for general information. Supplements are not automatically necessary and do not replace a varied diet or medical care. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Naming a condition here does not mean a natural remedy treats it. Natural does not automatically mean safe.

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