Philosophy
To understand any system of healing it is necessary to understand the cultural context within which it developed. Culture articulates the philosophy and the world view that together define the way the system operates. The healer, the patient, and the techniques used in medicine are intimately tied up with the view that the culture takes of life. The western Scientific worldview is based on reductionist ideology- that is, it seeks to understand a system by breaking it down into its constituent parts. This has meant that the science and the practice of medicine are essentially reductionist too. Analytical specificity is emphasized, and holism- the view that approaches the person as a "whole" being, comprising body, mind, and spirit- is underplayed. This analytical emphasis has brought many marvellous insights to the treatment of disease, but it still lacks the overview that ties all aspects of the human condition together. Chinese medicine has the potential to help redress this balance. The worldview that underpins the principles and practices of Chinese medicine is based on the Daoist understanding of a universe where everything is interdependent and mutually interactive. Nothing is excluded; nothing is analyzed or interpreted without reference to the whole. When it comes to medical theory and practice, this view requires a set of assumptions and parameters quite different from those operating in Western medicine. As human beings we exist as an integral part of an energetic - energy-filled- universe. Within this universe our mind, body, and spirit are merely different manifestations of the same life force and consequently cannot be considered separately.

Thus practitioners of Chinese medicine define their patients' difficulties in terms that naturally emerge from the Daoist philosophical traditions. This diagnosis will place the signs and symptoms into an interdependent tapestry where physical symptoms, emotional reactions, and spiritual beliefs are set alongside social and environmental factors in order to understand how the energy dynamics of the individual lead to health or disharmony. .

The treatments used in Chinese medicine are also energetic interventions that seek to re-establish harmony and equilibrium for each individual within his or her unique environment. Thus, whether the practitioner uses acupuncture, prescribes herbal remedies, suggests Qigong exercises, recommends meditation practices, or, indeed proposes a Feng Shui reading to balance the energetics of the patient's environment at work or at home, there is an overarching commonality of purpose that will see these interventions as mutually interdependent and reinforcing.

The principles of Chinese medicine do not have to await the arrival of illness. Indeed, to understand these principles and to apply them in daily life is as much a part of the Chinese system of health as are the treatment specialisms applied. Thus, prevention and cure are not simply good practices in operation- there is no other way that such a system could operate.

From The Complete and Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive System for Health and Fitness by Tom Williams, PhD.