Oriental medicine is a multi-faceted healthcare system that includes acupuncture & moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, Eastern dietary therapy, Qi cultivation techniques, and Asian bodywork .  Within each of these categories there are numerous different modalities or systems of thought.  However, at the root of all of the practices is the fundamental theory that emerges from Asia.

Qi is an Eastern concept that has a variety of definitions in the English language.  The most relevant definition to Oriental medicine is that of “any of various dynamic phenomena of the body”.  Qi in the body governs such processes as growth, development, physiological activity, metabolism, warming & defending the body, and the production of blood.  Qi flows through the body in an intricate system of channels, each made up of a variety of individual points.

Acupuncture and Moxibustion are two modalities that are commonly used together.
Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles into specific points along the channels, as determined by an Oriental medicine pattern diagnosis.  The therapeutic goal of acupuncture is to regulate the Qi and blood which flow through the body, its organs and its channel pathways.  When Qi flows unimpeded, the body is in a state of health.  When some cause interrupts the flow of Qi, illness or pain can result.
Moxibustion refers to the burning of the dried and crushed leaves of Chinese mugwort either on or in close proximity to the skin, to affect the movement of Qi in the channel.  Additional techniques that might be used with acupuncture and moxibustion include cupping, bleeding, electrical stimulation and cutaneous stimulation.

Herbal medicine has been an integral part of Chinese culture and medical practice for centuries.  The traditional Chinese materia medica includes substances from plants, fungi, animals and minerals.  There are over 5000 substances in the materia medica, although only about 400 are commonly used and taught in US schools.  Oriental medicine typically uses substances in combinations, known as formulas.  A formula may contain numerous components in sophisticated combinations designed to address imbalances in the body.  Chinese Herbal Medicine is an fundamental component of the MSAOM program at NYCC.

In addition to the practice of herbal therapy, Oriental medicine addresses health through dietary modification. Common foods are understood in terms of the theoretical constructs of Oriental medicine, including the nature or temperature of a substance, the flavors, and the organs that a particular food will affect. Recommending accentuation, integration or combination of particular foods can have profound influence on health and wellness.