Like any chronic condition, chronic pain is something that has been around for some time. This means that it is not a passing problem, such as a one-off headache. Nor is it something that comes and goes - like migraines, for example – although its level of intensity may alter as time passes. Generally speaking, doctors consider constant pain that has not gone away for something like three to six months to be chronic. That said, some specialists believe that pain must have been endured for around a year to be truly chronic. There are many causes of chronic pain. In some cases, it may come about directly from another condition which is, itself, causing pain. In other cases, it may be that the brain is malfunctioning in some way to make people feel pain when there appears to be no cause. A typical form of chronic pain comes from spinal problems, usually because the nervous system in the spinal cord is sending pain signals to the brain. People with heart disease and certain respiratory conditions are more likely to suffer from this type of pain than the general population.
Based on over 3,500 years of accumulated knowledge and skills, traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM as it is often called, is an alternative health system that is used widely all over Asia and especially, of course, in China itself. There are several different disciplines within TCM, which include herbal medicine, massage, exercise regimes, acupuncture, bone-setting, cupping and coining. The origins of the sorts of traditional forms of Chinese medicine we see being practised today go all the way back to the Shang dynasty. Although some western physicians have little time for traditional Chinese medicine, a number of western-style field trials have shown success despite this not being universal by any means. Overall, TCM is continuing to win support and even admiration outside of its traditional heartland in China.
When computer programs and algorithms mimic the human ability to think, they are said to be using artificial intelligence. The 'intelligence' part of the phrase refers to the ability to build knowledge derived from acquired data. The 'artificial' part refers to the machine that is using that intelligence, usually a computer or, increasingly, a series of computers that can communicate with one another over the internet. The idea is that artificial intelligence will be able to replicate or at least offer something similar to human thought processes in the near future.
