Why is Traditional Chinese Medicine Unique?
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic system of medicine based on an
energetic model rather than the biochemical model of Western medicine.
Holistic means that no single part of a person can be understood except in its
relation to the whole. A symptom is not traced back to a single cause, but is
viewed in its relation to the whole body.
Energetic means that vital energy (called Chi or Qi in Asian culture) is the
foundation of life and health: it is the life energy animating our physical
body.
The ancient Chinese recognized the vital energy behind all life forms and
life processes. In developing an understanding of the prevention and cure
of disease, ancient physicians studied this system of cyclic energy flowing
in the human body along specific pathways (meridians). Each pathway is
associated with a particular physiological system and internal organ: this
system of energy is the foundation of acupuncture theory.
Disease is considered to arise from a deficiency or imbalance of vital
energy (Chi) in the meridians and their associated physiological systems.
This imbalance or diagnosis is determined by taking into account all
circumstances in a patient's life: all physical, mental, and emotional
components are considered. Western medicine by contrast usually isolates a
disease to a specific organ, system, or region of the body.
The pathways or meridians of energy communicate with the surface of
the body at specific locations called acupuncture points. Each point has
a predictable effect upon the vital energy passing through it. Modern
science has been able to measure the electrical charge at these points, thus
corroborating the locations of the meridians mapped by the ancients.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has also developed methods of determining
the flow in the meridian system using an intricate system of pulse and
tongue diagnosis. Findings from these methods are combined with other
signs and symptoms to create a composite diagnosis. A "personalized"
treatment plan is then formulated to induce a balanced state of health.
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