Most people perceive Chinese medicine to be about acupuncture, when in fact it is a multi-faceted approach to lifestyle and health. The Nei Jing, a classic text of Chinese medicine written in the 2nd century B.C. states, “Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure disease after it has appeared is like digging a well when one already feels thirsty.” The Chinese focus on eating well, meditation, and exercise to prevent disease, and if disease arises, they use acupuncture, Tui na (a form of massage or body work), and herbal medicine.

Acupuncture needles and characters describing a system of medicine date back to 5000 B.C. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) was formalized in 2500 B.C. with a text called “Bo Le’s Cannon.” The text described how to use acupuncture herbal medicine to treat horses. Over time many different schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicinals arose, and trained doctors for both human and animal care.

During the Socialization of China in the 40’s, the barefoot doctors were trained to use local herbs and a few needles to treat the vast rural population of China. During the late 40’s and 50’s, the Chinese government made a big push to standardize Chinese medicine. This formalization had benefits in that one doctor in Mongolia would be prescribing the same treatment as another doctor in Beijing, but also allowed the subtleties and art of Chinese medicine to fall by the wayside.

The basic premise of Chinese medicine is this: We are born with a certain amount of Essence, or Jing. Once the Jing has been used up, then the organism dies. During life, if one eats well, then postnatal Jing is developed from the Qi energy derived from food (Gu Qi). If one works hard, (but not too hard), exercises regularly, and sleeps well, then one’s Jing is conserved.

Qi is the Energy or life force that propels us through life, and allows us to perform all the processes required in our existence. Qi is a non-material substance, and governs shape and activity, and propels the Blood through the body. The Blood governs the tissue and moistens the internal environment. Blood is a material substance, as well as the process of generating, distributing and storing of nutrients.

Health is a state where everything is functioning in balance, and the body is able to fend off challenges to its protective systems. Disease arises when the systems are out of balance, and external pathogens can invade, or negative or excess emotions cause the organs to malfunction, or substances are generated internally that become pathogenic because the body is unable to clear them.