Understand Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): Chinese Oriental Medicine in a clearer holistic context, including what it explores, how it is commonly used, and when thoughtful guidance matt
Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is a health system with roots stretching back more than two thousand years, built around concepts including qi, the balance of yin and yang, and the flow of energy through meridians, and encompassing practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and tai chi.
Key Takeaways
- TCM includes several distinct practices, most notably acupuncture, herbal medicine, tui na massage, and movement practices such as tai chi and qigong.
- In 2019, the World Health Organization added a chapter on traditional medicine, including TCM-derived diagnostic categories, to the ICD-11 global classification system, a decision that generated significant debate.
- A major 2009 review by University of Maryland researchers examined 70 papers on TCM, including acupuncture, and found the evidence inconclusive for most conditions due to weak study design.
- Acupuncture, the most researched TCM practice, has reasonable evidence for certain types of pain, but weaker evidence for many other claimed uses.
What Traditional Chinese Medicine Actually Includes
TCM is not a single practice but a broad system with several branches. Acupuncture, the insertion of thin needles at specific points on the body, is the most internationally recognized and most studied. Chinese herbal medicine uses combinations of plant, mineral, and occasionally animal-derived substances, prescribed according to a person's diagnosed pattern rather than a single named disease. Tui na is a form of therapeutic massage, and qigong and tai chi are movement and breathing practices intended to cultivate and balance qi. All of these branches share a conceptual foundation in qi, the balance of yin and yang, and the idea that energy moves through the body along channels called meridians.
The WHO ICD-11 Decision and the Controversy Around It
In 2019, the World Health Organization added a new chapter covering traditional medicine, including diagnostic categories drawn from TCM, to the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases, the global standard used to code health conditions. Supporters framed this as recognizing that a very large share of the world's population, particularly in countries where TCM is widely practiced, previously had no formal diagnostic codes that matched their care. Critics, including many physicians and scientists, argued that formally coding TCM diagnostic categories risks lending an appearance of scientific validation to concepts, such as qi and meridians, that have not been demonstrated to correspond to any measurable biological structure or process.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
A widely cited 2009 review by researchers at the University of Maryland examined 70 review papers evaluating various TCM practices, including acupuncture, and found that the great majority could not draw firm conclusions because the underlying studies were too small or did not meet basic quality standards for clinical research. Acupuncture specifically has the strongest evidence among TCM practices, with a reasonable body of research supporting its use for certain types of chronic pain, though even here, the effect size in rigorous trials is often modest and it can be difficult to fully separate real physiological effects from the placebo response, given the challenge of designing a truly convincing sham acupuncture control.
Common Misconceptions
A common misconception is that TCM is a single, uniform system with equally strong evidence across every branch. In reality, the evidence quality varies enormously between practices, acupuncture for certain pain conditions has meaningfully more supporting research than some traditional herbal formulations, which have been far less rigorously studied and occasionally raise safety concerns around contamination or interactions with conventional medication. Another misconception is that WHO recognition in the ICD-11 amounts to a scientific endorsement of TCM's underlying theoretical concepts; the WHO itself has stated the classification is intended to support data collection and does not constitute an endorsement of efficacy.
Safety Note
- Always tell your doctor about any TCM herbal products you are taking, since some can interact with prescription medication or be inconsistently regulated for purity and dosage.
- Acupuncture should be performed by a licensed, trained practitioner using single-use sterile needles.
- TCM should complement, not replace, evidence-based treatment for serious or diagnosed medical conditions.
Teaching Note from Shital Chute
Researching TCM for this site reminded me how easy it is to talk about alternative medicine as one big undifferentiated category, when the honest picture is much more textured. Acupuncture for pain has a real, if modest, evidence base behind it. Some herbal formulations do not, and carry real safety questions around purity and interactions. I think TCM deserves to be discussed with that same nuance, rather than either dismissed entirely or treated as equally well-supported across every one of its branches.
Featured Programme
The I AM Programme
Explore mind-body practices with a strong, modern evidence base for wellbeing.
Explore the ProgrammeFrequently Asked Questions
What practices are included in Traditional Chinese Medicine?
TCM includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na massage, and movement and breathing practices such as tai chi and qigong, all built on a shared foundation of qi, yin and yang, and meridian theory.
Did the WHO endorse TCM as scientifically proven?
No. The WHO added TCM-derived diagnostic categories to the ICD-11 classification system in 2019 to support global data collection, but it has stated this does not constitute an endorsement of efficacy.
Is there scientific evidence for acupuncture?
Acupuncture has a reasonable body of evidence for certain types of chronic pain, though effect sizes are often modest and separating the physiological effect from placebo remains scientifically challenging.
Are TCM herbal remedies regulated the same way as conventional medicine?
Regulation varies significantly by country and product, and quality, purity, and dosage consistency can vary, which is why it is important to disclose any herbal products to your doctor.
Can TCM replace conventional medical treatment?
No. TCM practices are generally best used to complement, not replace, evidence-based treatment for serious or diagnosed medical conditions.
Free Guide for Parents & Educators
Mini Mindfulness Masters
Simple practices to help children slow down, feel calm, and become more present. A free download, straight to your inbox.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe at any time.
Written by
Shital ChuteMarketing Lead, The Holistic Care | Mindfulness & Behavioral Health Educator
Shital Chute leads Marketing at The Holistic Care, where she shapes how the platform's mindfulness courses, books and free resources reach the families, schools and workplaces who need them. Alongside this role, she is a passionate advocate and educator for mindfulness and behavioral health, drawing on that perspective to help shape content that is genuinely useful, not just promotional.
Her work at The Holistic Care sits at the intersection of communication and care: translating research-backed mindfulness practices into clear, practical guidance for parents, teachers and adults navigating everyday stress.
