Sarah GOTHEIL
Chinese medicine
An age-old medicine
Chinese medicine, ä¸åŒ» (Zhong Yi), is a very ancient medicine whose sources go back several thousand years. The oldest writings that have reached us are some 2500 years old and still form the theoretical basis of Chinese medicine today.
These foundational theories include the theories of Yin and Yang, of the five movements (Wu Xing), of “vital energy” (Qi) and of “meridians”. Meridians are channels through which “Qi and Blood” circulate, linking all parts of the body: the surface to the depth, the extremities to the centre, the tissues to the organs, etc.
Chinese medicine has developed and expanded over the centuries into a coherent set of theories and practices while also integrating modern and scientific data.
It consists of a vast body of literature detailing human anatomy and physiology, pathology, causes of disease, diagnosis and methods of treatment.
A vast body of knowledge
Chinese medicine precisely describes:
Special interests
1
A unified medicine
In Chinese medicine, body and mind are one and the same, and influence each other
2
An integral medicine
Chinese medicine describes a network of "channels" (meridians) linking all parts of the body, making it possible to understand and treat the causes of many disorders
3
A causal medicine
The aim of Chinese medicine is to treat the root causes of the illnesses that lie behind the symptoms
4
A preventive medicine
Chinese medicine aims to maintain health as well as to treat or slow down pathological processes
5
An individualised medicine
The patient's background and life history are unique, as are their disease and treatment
6
An ecosystem-based medicine
Chinese medicine takes into account the human being in their environment and the influence of this environment on the body and health