Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine, TCM for short, is a system of healing from China that has grown over centuries. It includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, dietetics and movement practices such as qigong and tai chi.
- Origin
- China, over many centuries
- Building blocks
- Acupuncture, herbs, tuina, qigong
- Evidence
- Some for chronic pain, thin elsewhere
- Suits
- Energy, stress, sleep
TCM describes health as balance, for example between yin and yang, and as the free flow of the life energy qi along channels, the meridians. Illness is seen as a disturbance of this balance.
Best known in the West is acupuncture. For some uses, such as certain chronic pain, there is evidence of an effect. In Germany, statutory insurers pay for acupuncture for chronic back pain and knee pain from osteoarthritis. For many other areas the evidence is thin.
At a hotel you usually meet TCM as part of a programme: an energetic diagnosis, acupuncture, massages and exercise. Good houses combine it with Western medicine and say openly what they expect from it.
Good to know
- Ask about the training of the therapists.
- Take Chinese herbal mixtures only from tested sources and after consultation.
- TCM does not replace a medical check of serious complaints.
At Luxly
Houses where you can experience it:
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Frequently asked questions
Does acupuncture hurt?
Usually hardly. The needles are very thin. Many feel a brief pull or a sense of warmth.
What is qigong?
A Chinese movement and breathing practice with slow, flowing movements. It is meant to relax and help concentration.
Related terms
Updated on 17 October 2026