Taoist healing sciences have been incorporated into a broad spectrum of medical practices and treatments over the past 3,000 years and are collectively known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The link between early Taoist Shamans and TCM is evidenced in Confucius' quotation, "a man without persistence will never make a good Shaman or a good physician".
From a global perspective, medical treatments are divided into two broad categories: Western Medicine and TCM modalities like acupuncture, Chi Quong, herbal remedies and massage therapy. In the US and other Western countries, TCM treatments have been labeled "alternative medicine" or "holistic medicine".
In understanding TCM or holistic medicine it is important to contrast its fundamental characteristics with Western medical treatments. In general, TCM therapies are gentler and more natural than their Western counterparts. It is incorrect to argue that one system is better than the other, but instead it is important to understand that depending upon the ailment, a holistic treatment may be more appropriate that a Western procedure or vice versa. Today, in China, a stroke patient may be subjected to Western medical procedures to stabilize the emergency condition and then treated with TCM remedies to facilitate recovery and ultimately correct the bodily imbalance that was the root cause of the stroke. In the case of appendicitis, the only viable option is likely to be a classic Western appendectomy. However, with chronic back pain, a spinal operation should be a procedure of last resort and Chi Quong back treatments are remarkably effective, safe and relatively inexpensive.
The chart below contrasts Western Medicine with TCM at a basic level:
Western Medicine Traditional
Originated in Europe/US
200 years old
Invasive
Treat when sick
Treat specific symptoms
Introduce outside force
Chinese (Taoist) Medicine
Originated in China
2,000 years old
Non-invasive
Prevent illness
Treat body as holistic system
Activate the body's own healing process
TCM Treatments
With the proliferation of holistic medicine in the West, so called New Age healing has resulted in the creation of procedures that are a departure from Traditional Chinese Medicine and have limited basis in Taoist healing sciences.
This patient in a Shanghai hospital was treated with Western Medicine to stabilize a stroke and then Traditional Chinese Medicine to speed recovery
The discussion below represents a simplified explanation of the types of treatments that a TCM medical institution would provide and how they act as an integrated system.
There are three broad categories of treatments that TCM utilizes for both prevention and treatment of illnesses. They can be illustrated as a triad below:
Here's how Traditional Chinese Medicine or Taoist healing works as an integrated system:
TCM relies on activating the body's own healing process. The primary category in the Healing Triad represents physical therapies that have proven over the centuries to be the most effective. In broad terms, the workhorse and most effective treatments of Taoist healing are Chi Quong and medical massage. However, when the body has "blockages" from chronic ailments or pain, acupuncture is used to open those affected areas so that Chi Quong, massage and herbal remedies can work. (Acupuncture was invented for its pain reducing benefits 2,000 years ago). Nutritional therapies, including herbal treatments, boost the body's own immune system by acting in specific areas - similar to Western drugs, but using different functional principles based upon Chi. Finally, mental remedies tend to treat those chronic ailments brought on by stress and anxiety. This specifically counters the psychosomatic aspect of illness and meditation techniques can be very effective, depending upon the individual and the legitimacy of the meditation that is taught. Augmenting meditation with formal training in Taoist philosophy helps eliminate confusion about the every day world which further contributes to stress reduction.
