Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, describes a range of traditional Oriental medical practices used in China for thousands of years. These include acupuncture, herbal medicine, joint manipulation (Tuina) and lifestyle modifications that include diet, exercise and martial arts, massage and meditation. As in other holistic healing arts, TCM defines optimal health as emotional, mental, physical and spiritual balance. In TCM, this balance is regulated by vital energy, called Qi (pronounced "chee"), and the opposing energetic forces of yin and yang influence the equilibrium between health and disease. A balanced diet is the root of balanced Qi.

The artful TCM practitioner does not look for a specific disease but attempts to diagnose the unhealthy phenomenon in each individual. A patient is evaluated in terms of their unique body, or constitution, and the focus is on finding why disease developed in the first place rather than searching for a cure. Because treatment centers on the person rather than the disease, synthesizing or piecing together signs and symptoms is fundamental to choosing appropriate therapy to balance Qi and restore a positive, harmonious feeling of wellness.