The system of medicine that we all grew up with has many different specialties and tools to support patients. A physician can utilize blood work, radiology or orthopedic tests, among others, to determine the identity and cause of a disease or injury. Physical therapy, medication, and surgery are among the many potential options for addressing a patient's disease.

The Oriental medical system is also comprehensive in that it has numerous tools and modalities for diagnosing and treating patients. Because this is an ancient system, devised before technology facilitated medical care, the diagnostic and treatment methods rely extensively upon doctor/patient interaction. Most of the information a doctor needs about a patient's disease is gleaned directly from dialogue with that patient. Signs of illness are subtle, found in the tone of a patients voice, the variations of pulse, slight colorations of skin tone, body scent, tongue color, etc. As simplistic as these methods may be, their success has provided life saving support to millions of people over thousands of years.

Treatment modalities include: acupuncture, the "surgery" or most invasive tool in the system. Please see the Acupuncture section of this site for more information. Herbal medicine has been highly perfected throughout Asia and used as a primary modality since the sixth century BC. Exercise in the form of martial arts as well as dietary therapy, unique massage forms and moxabustion, the burning of specific herbs to heat acupuncture points, are all modalities you are likely to encounter when you see a licensed acupuncturist. Breathing techniques, meditation, and temperature and water therapies are also highly valued.

This ancient system utilizes a concept called "chi". Chi is life force, the stuff that a person has when alive and does not have, though a body remains, when dead. Some aspects of this force may be compared to the soul or spirit. Other aspects run the body and mind. Though chi has no comparable concept in western thought, we do know its presence can be documented through measurement of electricity as it moves through the body. The manipulation of this life force is a primary goal of healing in the Oriental medical system. When "chi" becomes imbalanced or disorganized, disease results. By moving chi with all the skills available to them, physicians practicing Oriental medicine can restore health to their patients.

Medical doctors are primarily of value to us when we are sick. If an illness occurs, we utilize their care to determine the problem, help us recover or at least alleviate our symptoms. In China, physicians were traditionally paid to keep their patients well. If a patient received regular treatment and followed their doctor's lifestyle instructions, they should, theoretically, remain healthy. If a patient became sick under those circumstances, it was the doctor's responsibility to heal that patient at no cost.

Thus the Oriental medical system is highly sophisticated in its ability to maintain optimal wellness. A good diagnostician is able to see the tendencies that will result in illness years before illness manifests. By addressing these tendencies before symptoms erupt, disease can be avoided. This is the ideal of Oriental medicine and results in greater longevity, a philosophical, religious and cultural goal of many Oriental societies.

The information on this site is not designed to substitute for proper medical care. If you have any health concerns, please see your physician before exploring other options. If you wish to learn more about Oriental medicine, please see the Resources section of this site