A living tradition, handed down to us over several millennia, in which some of the world’s most brilliant physicians have contributed the results of their observations and extensive clinical experience.
As with any other field of human endeavor, progress is achieved through the refinement of both theory and practice in relation to specific positive outcomes in the real world. In this process, what is works consistently is kept, while that which does not is discarded. In between these two poles is a large grey area, which represents the 'work in progress'. It is here that we have the ongoing lively debate and discussion that underlies the continued vitality and relevance of this great medical tradition.
TCM is unique in that while the broad overarching components of its theoretical base have remained unchanged [i.e. yin-yang (complementary opposites), wu-xing (five phases), ba-gang (eight principles)] the smaller details, involving the interpretation of clinical scenarios (i.e. diagnostics and therapeutics), have generally been guided by what actually works in the real world.
This is in stark contrast to much of Western medicine (WM), which up until recently has attempted to follow a seemingly ‘scientific’ approach by relating everything to the basic sciences of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, immunology and pharmacology. However, the recent broad acceptance of evidence based medicine has turned this around and has redirected WM onto a more clinical results-based (i.e. empirical) pathway.
Medicine is really just as much an art as a science. TCM has never lost sight of this, while WM, with its periodic seismic shifts in which it reinvents itself every 50 years or so, sometimes does. Both systems have critical strengths that may provide enormous benefit when combined. I believe that the medicine of the future will be a system that does just this.
In producing and maintaining this website, my aim is to contribute to the process of uncovering and exploring these strengths in order to facilitate the integration of TCM and WM. In this way I hope to assist practitioners in providing the best possible care for their patients.
