Chinese Traditional Medicine

Chinese traditional medicine comprises four interrelated therapies: Zhong Yao (herbal medicine), Zhen Jiu (acupuncture and moxibustion), Qi Gong (vital energy exercises), and Tui Na (therapeutic massage), although some purists prefer not to include the latter two theories. There is no distinct demarcation between clinical medicine and public health practice. Chinese traditional medicine considers a person's well-being physically and mentally. It approaches health with due consideration to nature in all its complexity and multidimensionality. Enhancing natural healing is central to Chinese medical practice. The basic concepts underlying all Chinese medical therapies are the Taoist doctrine of yin and yang (the theory of opposites); the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth); and "Qi" (pronounced chee), the vital energy of life that circulates in the human body via a system of pathways.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a different paradigm from that of Western biomedicine, and the world depicted in the former is not easily translated to the latter. Chinese medicine treats the body as a microcosm that follows macrocosmic laws and is continually influenced by macrocosmic factors, such as the seasonal patterns created by conjunctions of sun, moon, and stars. It defines health as the process of refining body essences, cultivating vital and spiritual forces, and maximizing physiological functions. Generally, biomedicine treats the body as a sovereign entity and sees health as the absence of pathology.

In China today, there is an effort to integrate Chinese traditional medicine and biomedicine in clinical practice and research. Doctors trained in biomedicine regularly prescribe herb-based antibiotics, and traditional doctors often depend on X-rays and scientific instruments for their diagnoses and treatment of injuries.