TCMCheck

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): history, concepts and how TCMCheck works

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a body of theory and practice that took shape in China over more than 2,000 years: diet, movement, acupuncture, massage and herbal medicine. This page explains where it comes from, which concepts TCMCheck uses, what is and is not known about it, and where you can verify the claims.

What is traditional Chinese medicine

TCM does not describe the body as an anatomy of organs but as a network of functions and relationships. Illness is seen as an imbalance, which a practitioner looks for through a pattern of signs that appear together: pulse, tongue, digestion, sleep, mood, feelings of heat or cold.

“TCM” in today's sense is a 20th-century construct. After 1950 the People's Republic of China organised it under state sponsorship, standardised textbooks and combined it with modern medicine. Present-day TCM is therefore a historically layered whole of old texts, regional traditions and modern systematisation.

Core concepts used in TCMCheck

The questionnaire scores eight tendencies. They are simplified “patterns” from TCM textbooks, not medical diagnoses:

  • Qi: driving vital energy, linked with movement, warmth, digestion and defence. Qi deficiency: fatigue, weak voice, tendency to catch colds.
  • Yang: the warming, activating side. Yang deficiency: feeling cold, cold hands and feet, little drive.
  • Yin: the cooling, moistening, calming side. Yin deficiency: dryness, afternoon heat, night sweats.
  • Blood (Xue): a nourishing substance that supports sleep and calm of mind. Deficiency: paleness, dizziness, dry hair and nails.
  • Dampness and phlegm: a heavy, sticky accumulation of fluids: heaviness, swelling, phlegm.
  • Qi stagnation: poorly flowing energy, often tied to stress and tension.
  • Internal heat: an overactive, warming tendency.
  • Blood stasis: impaired circulation, stabbing pain, dark lips.
  • Tongue diagnosis: the colour, coating, moisture and shape of the tongue are treated in TCM as one indicator. A photo can only be an orienting aid, not an examination.

Status according to the WHO

In May 2019 the World Health Assembly adopted the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), in effect since 1 January 2022. It includes an optional supplementary chapter on traditional medicine conditions. It is used to record and count traditional medicine services, is not intended for mortality reporting, and the WHO page does not present it as a statement that the treatments work.

What is and is not scientifically supported

Tu Youyou received the 2015 Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin against malaria. The Nobel Committee states that while searching for the active compound in sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) she returned to the ancient literature, which gave her clues for extracting it. It is one of the few cases where a traditional herb led to a drug that passed modern trials.

Most other TCM theory, including qi, meridians and tongue or pulse diagnosis, still lacks convincing evidence from modern clinical studies. Review sources (see below) also flag safety concerns: some herbal products can be toxic, interact with drugs or be contaminated, and trade in endangered species is a separate problem.

For this reason TCMCheck is not a medical device and does not diagnose. It is an educational tool that shows how a TCM practitioner might read your answers, and recommends an in-person consultation.

How TCMCheck works

The questionnaire has 24 questions. Each contributes to one or more of the eight axes. The score is calculated from the answers (0 to 3) and rescaled to 0–100. If a tongue photo is uploaded, a vision model (Claude by Anthropic) describes colour, coating, moisture and shape, and the result is blended with the answers. Neither the questionnaire nor the scoring has been clinically validated.

Answers and photos are not stored. Details are in the privacy notice. The PDF report you receive by email contains the chart, diet and lifestyle ideas, example recipes and the name of a classical formula a TCM practitioner might consider. Formulas are informational only; composition and dosage are always decided by a qualified practitioner after an in-person examination.

A short history of TCM

  1. c. 1st century BCE

    Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor): fragmentary texts of different medical lineages compiled in the Han period. Basis of yin-yang theory, qi and organ systems.

  2. 200–250 CE

    Shennong Ben Cao Jing: first systematic summary of Chinese herbal medicine (Eastern Han).

  3. 196–220 CE

    Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) collated by Zhang Zhongjing: the first medical work to combine yin-yang and five-phases theory with drug therapy; source of many classical formulas.

  4. 1578

    Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) by Li Shizhen: an encyclopaedia of drugs from the 16th century.

  5. early 20th century

    Chinese modernisers seek to curb traditional practices; practitioners reorganise selected elements under the name “Chinese medicine”.

  6. 1950–1960s

    State support in the PRC, standardised textbooks, integration with modern medicine; “barefoot doctors” from 1968 (Cultural Revolution).

  7. 2015

    Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin (Tu Youyou), inspired by an old herbal text.

  8. 2019 – 2022

    WHO adopts ICD-11 with a supplementary traditional medicine chapter; in effect from 1 Jan 2022.

Frequently asked questions

Is TCMCheck a medical diagnosis?
No. It is an educational tool for orienting yourself in TCM terms. It does not replace a doctor or a qualified practitioner.
Is TCM scientifically proven?
Partly. Some compounds from traditional plants (for example artemisinin) have been confirmed by modern trials. Most theoretical concepts (qi, meridians, tongue diagnosis) still lack convincing clinical evidence. See the evidence section and the sources below.
What happens to my tongue photo?
It is sent for a one-time visual analysis and is not stored. See the privacy notice for details.
Can I start taking the suggested herbs?
Not without consultation. The recipes are ordinary foods for healthy adults and the formulas are informational only. Composition and dosage are decided by a practitioner after an in-person examination; herbs can interact with drugs.

Sources for verification

The facts on this page can be checked in the sources below. If you find an error, please let us know.

Recommended reading (for practitioners and the curious)

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