Classical Chinese Medicine vs. Traditional Chinese Medicine: Why I Switched
Understanding the Landscape of Chinese Medicine in Kelowna
The majority of Registered Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners in Kelowna, British Columbia, and across Canada, were trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
TCM, as it is commonly taught and practiced today, was developed during China's Cultural Revolution. At that time, the Chinese government, under Chairman Mao Zedong, sought to standardize and revive Chinese Medicine to make it accessible, repeatable, and modern enough to fit within a Western medical framework. This approach led to a reductionist, symptom-based model of diagnosis and treatment, where diverse and complex medical theories were simplified and consolidated into a standardized curriculum.
While this systematization was useful for mass education and testing, it came at a cost: the philosophical heart of Chinese Medicine was lost. What emerged was a binary model—symptoms and diseases neatly paired with treatments—rather than the holistic, dynamic, and symbolic approach that defined medicine for thousands of years.
What Is Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM)?
Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) refers to the traditions and clinical approaches practiced before the 1930s, rooted in ancient texts such as:
The Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon)
The Nan Jing (Classic of Difficult Issues)
The Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage)
The Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet)
These foundational texts represent a living system of medicine, passed down and refined through generations, where the physician is trained to observe, feel, interpret, and respond based on the movement of Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids.
My Journey: From TCM to Classical Chinese Medicine
At Acupuncture Kelowna, I (Paula) practiced TCM for 8 years. Over time, I began to sense its limitations, especially when dealing with complex or chronic cases. The standardized diagnoses felt disconnected from real physiology.
Over the past 9 years, I have been unlearning TCM and immersing myself in Classical Chinese Medicine. The difference is profound.
CCM Is Rooted in Physiology
Practicing CCM requires a deep understanding of the body’s internal dynamics. It’s like the difference between following a recipe and learning to cook. TCM tells you what pattern fits what symptoms; CCM teaches you to observe how the patient's body behaves, how substances move (or don’t), and how to guide the body back to harmony.
Here’s a helpful cheat sheet:
Qi: Energy or gas-like substances in the body
Body Fluids: Everything fluid that isn’t blood (like saliva, synovial fluid, mucus)
Blood: Literal blood, often linked to nourishment and movement
A Classical diagnosis looks at how these substances are moving. Are they stuck? Are they deficient? Are they going in the wrong direction? In CCM, the body is an ecosystem, not a machine.
CCM Honors the Web of Relationships
Unlike TCM’s compartmentalized approach, Classical Chinese Medicine explores deep organ relationships. For example:
How the Kidneys and Lungs influence each other
How hollow organs such as the Large Intestine. Small Intestine, Stomach, Gall Bladder, and Urinary Bladder are related.
This perspective reflects an ecological model of the body.
CCM Challenges Misleading Labels
In TCM, we memorize things like “Liver Qi Stagnation.” But what does that really mean? The Liver is a solid, blood-filled organ. If it’s not emptying and filling like the Gallbladder, can it really “stagnate Qi”? Not in a literal sense.
This is where Classical Medicine brings clarity. We interpret Liver issues through the lens of blood—its quantity, its quality, its movement. That’s what makes physiological and clinical sense.
Why I Made the Switch
Classical Chinese Medicine allows us to:
Treat patients as whole, unique systems, not just as a symptom checklist
Understand how ancient wisdom reflects real human physiology
Prescribe customized herbal formulas that align with Classical principles
Guide lifestyle and dietary changes from a holistic, symbolic framework
And most importantly, it provides the tools to listen more deeply—to the body, to the patient, and to nature itself.
Why It Matters for You
If you’re seeking acupuncture in Kelowna, it’s important to know the difference between TCM and CCM. At Acupuncture Kelowna, we use Classical Chinese Medicine because it allows us to:
Go beyond the symptoms
Treat the root of the imbalance
Understand your body as a living, adapting system
Whether you're dealing with chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalance, digestive problems, pain, or emotional stress, Classical Chinese Medicine meets you where you are, with ancient wisdom and real-world insight.
We look forward to working with you.