For thousands of years, people have flocked to traditional Chinese medicine to treat or prevent health problems with physical and mental therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, according to the National Center for complementary and integrated health (nccih). The theory behind traditional Chinese medicine is "Qi", that is, vitality, flows in the body through meridians or acupoints. By stimulating these acupoints, qi stagnation can be eliminated and health can be improved. The effectiveness of many traditional Chinese medicine practices, such as acupuncture, has been supported by scientific evidence. However, according to western culture, some related practices may seem very strange. We are looking around the world for the most bizarre health care methods inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. Read on to see if you've heard of them - or will try them!

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1. Believe it or not, urination therapy is very popular in some parts of China and is considered therapeutic, although there is no solid scientific evidence that it has any benefits. It was outlawed in China in 2016, but the times of India reported that after the laws were enacted, drinking urine has gained some popularity. Practitioners are even organized: the China urotherapy Association (CutA) has about 4000 members, as well as group chats, blogs and viral videos celebrating the effectiveness of the practice. Credit: Karen de Silva / image bank / gettyimages

2. Apitherapy, also known as apitherapy, has just begun to study the therapeutic properties of bees and their honey. According to a study published in the International Journal of food science, honey has many antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, as well as healing characteristics of trauma and sunburn. In addition to honey, bee venom therapy is a potential therapy for arthritis and cancer in China. Yes, it sounds painful. The effect of acupuncture and bee venom in the treatment of arthritis pain was studied. The results show that acupuncture and bee venom in the treatment of arthritis pain is promising, but more research is needed. We bet that some allergies are hard to detect!

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3. Stretching and pulse therapy? Yes. Also known as Pai is pat, Da is patted in Chinese. This treatment involves patting or patting yourself. At the same time, it assumes different postures to stretch your muscles to improve blood circulation and extract "Sha" or toxins. This treatment is not only a little off the mark, but also controversial. A BBC reporter recalled that when she received one of the treatments to relieve her knee pain, she felt "extreme" pain. It worked, but she wondered whether it was natural healing or platoon. Anyway, she is not in a hurry to explore again!

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4. According to an article in quartz, alligator farming is very popular in Africa due to the income from exporting these animals; 85% of alligators are exported to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. So why are they so obsessed with crocodiles? Their use in traditional Chinese medicine dates back to the 16th century, when it was thought that eating crocodiles could treat respiratory diseases such as asthma. They stewed it, boiled it or strung it with a fork.

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5. Hand massage (massage)

you may think that twisting your hands is a strange way to seek pain relief, but many Chinese doctors believe in the benefits of massage. It is a massage centered on meridians and collaterals, which is completed by massage, rubbing fingers, clapping, rubbing hands and other techniques similar to hand torture. A 2016 study published in the Journal of traditional Chinese Medicine found that this form of traditional Chinese massage therapy can alleviate pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and may even enhance extensor strength.

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6. Drinking dung tea has been widely reported in Hunan Province. In this article, a woman claimed that the mixture cured her cancer. Although the treatment sounds offensive, the science of fecal transplantation (FMT) is booming. In a New York Times video called gut hack, a scientist with irritable bowel syndrome tried to cure himself with a fecal transplant - and it worked. This is not possible in China, and it may take years of research before FMT is considered a credible medical procedure.

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7. According to an article in the daily mail, cobra consumption is a hot commodity in the Chinese and Asian traditional medicine markets. It is generally believed that these wild animals (such as Cobra) and some animals have exotic therapeutic properties, although there is no scientific basis for these claims. What's worse, it's seen as "the driving force behind the $20 billion illegal wildlife network." However, many articles in publications such as Smithsonian have looked at snake venom in detail, pointing out that although it can be deadly, it can also contain therapeutic properties that scientists hope to exploit. What do you think of Captain Suresh Sharma / moment / gettyimages?

do you know any strange therapy or practice inspired by or related to traditional Chinese medicine? We'd love to hear about them. Do some of them really work? Please leave a message below.

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