What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Part 1

Hello everyone:

My name is Xiao Ying Li (Lily Li).

Because I understand both Western medicine and Chinese medicine, I would like to compare the two. I hope this helps you understand the strengths of each approach and gives you a clearer idea of the choices available when you become ill.

So what exactly is TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Let us begin with an example.

A woman had an ovarian cyst on the right side. Her Western doctors considered surgery the best option and removed the cyst.

Two years later, the cyst returned, this time on the left side. Because she was planning to have a baby, she did not want a second operation and decided to consult a TCM practitioner.

After TCM treatment, her condition improved without another operation.

How does TCM understand this result?

According to TCM theory, if the environment or condition within the body that allowed an illness to develop is not changed, the illness may return.

Imagine mushrooms growing in a forest. When temperature, light, and moisture are suitable, mushrooms grow well. Even if all the mushrooms are cut away, they may grow again if the environment remains unchanged.

Many human illnesses can be viewed in a similar way. A visible lesion can be removed, but if the internal environment does not change, the problem may develop again.

Western medicine began spreading in China around 1805. Before that, Chinese medicine had already been used for more than two thousand years and had accumulated extensive clinical experience.

An early and famous TCM classic, the Huangdi Neijing or Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, emphasises the principle of Tian Ren He Yi (天人合一): harmony between human beings and nature.

Bacteria and viruses are present everywhere. Under a microscope, many microorganisms can be found in the mouth, on the skin, and in the digestive system. Normally they do not make us ill because the body and these microorganisms remain in a relative balance. When this balance is disturbed, some of them may cause harm.

Different medical systems therefore developed different methods. Just as a mathematical problem can be solved in several ways, Western medicine developed antibiotics to target bacteria, while TCM places more emphasis on improving the overall condition of the body and restoring balance.

This traditional idea can be expressed figuratively as: “We remain in harmony, or you can no longer stay here.”

Modern medicine has investigated many antibacterial substances, but only some can be used clinically. Bacteria can change in order to survive and may become resistant to certain antibiotics.

TCM has been used for more than two thousand years. Its basic approach is not simply to destroy everything, but to help the body regain balance and restore harmony between the person and the surrounding world.

The contrast can therefore be summarised in this traditional phrase: Western medicine treats the disease; TCM treats the person who is ill.

In Chinese, TCM is called Zhong Yi (中医). “Zhong” can mean China, while “Yi” means medicine. The character “Zhong” also carries the meaning of centre or moderation: neither too far left nor right, neither too high nor too low. This idea of balance, moderation, and harmony is a central principle of TCM.