History of Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine, along with other East Asian Traditions developed over several thousand years.
The first complete text book of medicine in the world’s history is the Shan Han Lun (傷寒論) published around 200AD. This book is one of four important texts that form the core of traditional Chinese medicine theory.
Chinese medicine offers sophisticated understanding of how the body/mind works as an integrated system. It has evolved over years because like western medicine it is a living tradition that develops and grows.
Core concepts in Chinese medicine such as Yin/Yang (陰陽) and Qi (氣) are very old. Chinese medicine is a mix of these very old concepts and ways of working with health, and more modern ways of looking at disease introduced by western medicine.
Chinese medicine relies on the effectiveness of the practitioner as well as the actual treatment. Chinese medicine includes practices of Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, massage and practices such as qigong.