foreign panel from Shanghai International Study University (SISU) took part in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cultural activity on May 20 to learn about the basic concepts and therapies of TCM.

This activity aimed to let foreign panel know more about Chinese traditional culture. Lu Yan, a dual-licensed Chinese and American TCM physician, was invited by Office of International Cooperation and Exchange (OICE) in SISU to introduce TCM culture to the foreign experts.

The members of the foreign panel were from International Faculty Club in SISU, which included foreign teachers from each faculty.

“TCM views that the human beings are closely linked with nature,” Lu said. “People's daily routine should confirm to the laws of nature.”

“That sounds similar to a time-restricted eating diet in my country that eats according to the body’s internal clock,” said Braden Lindstorm, an expert of American nationality.

TCM is holistic in its approach to treatment, and seek to treat the whole person and ascertain the root cause of the problems rather than the symptomatic approach of Western allopathic medicine, according to Lu.

As one of the key components of TCM, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain, according to Lu.

“This reminds me of taking Aspirin when I used to have back pain, but my back still hurt repeatly,” Roula Tsokalidou, an expert from Greece, said, “It has rarely hurt since I received acupuncture treatment.”

In order to explain how acupuncture worked, Lu specified the process of acupuncture for pain.

“In TCM, pain is generally regarded as a result of Qi-- life force or vital energy and blood stagnation,” Lu said. “The stimulation of needle insertion at acupoints may affect pain processing in the central nervous system and increase blood flow to certain parts of the body. This results in pain relief.”

In the end, Mao Xiaohong, deputy director of OICE, thanked the experts for their participation.

“TCM has taught me to see the body and mind as interconnected and to approach healing in a holistic way and I will share my knowledge with others,” Lindstorm said.