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Concepts of traditional Oriental medicine
1Pacific University, College of Optometry, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116, USA.
Background:
Traditional Oriental medicine is taught and practiced in many parts of the world, including the United States. It is based on centuries-old philosophies of disease causality and on empirical validation of diagnostic and treatment procedures. This article presents a perspective on traditional Oriental medicine.
Methods:
The traditional Oriental medicine physician considers the body to normally be in a state of balance or harmony that can be disrupted by certain pernicious influences. These influences affect various body systems in ways that can be detected using a four-part examination, which includes looking, listening and smelling, asking, and touching. During the examination, special emphasis is placed on analyzing the rate and rhythm of the pulse.
Results:
Illness results when there is disharmony within the body. Therefore, the goal of the Oriental medicine physician is to restore harmony in the patient. This can be accomplished by using techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and administration of herbal preparations.
Conclusions:
The underlying assumptions, diagnostic techniques, and treatments used by traditional Oriental medicine physicians can seem strange to Western-trained physicians, but they have proved efficacious for the treatment of patients over many millennia.