The philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is preventive in nature and views the practice of waiting to treat a disease until the symptoms are full-blown as being similar to "digging a well after one has become thirsty." In compliance with this, TCM makes a point of educating the patient with regard to lifestyle so that the patient can assist in his or her own therapeutic process. The TCM practitioner educates the patient about diet, exercise, stress management, rest, and relaxation.

  As Traditional Chinese Medicine views the human body as a reflection of the natural world-the part containing the whole-the TCM doctor thinks and speaks in analogies with nature. The flows of energy and fluids in the body are spoken of as channels and rivers, seas and reservoirs. A diagnosis might describe the body in terms of the elements-wind, heat, cold, dryness, dampness. Despite this poetic language, TCM is not a folk medicine but an all professional discipline, based on an alternative, complete system of thought.

  The terms yin and yang are used by the TCM practitioner to describe the various opposing physical conditions of the body. These terms stem from a basic Chinese concept describing the interdependence and relationship of opposites. Much as hot cannot be understood or defined without first having experienced cold, yin cannot exist without its opposite yang, and yang cannot exist without yin. Together, the two complementary poles form a whole.

  Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., of Santa Barbara, California, explains that when applying these concepts to the human body, yin refers to the tissue of the organ, while yang refers to its activity. In yin deficiency, the organ does not have enough raw materials to function. In yang deficiency, the organ does not react adequately when needed.

  Maoshing Ni, D.O.M., Ph.D., L.Ac., Vice-President of Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Monica, California adds that these two conditions are forever connected, though, in a system of interdependence and interrelatedness. For example, a yin deficiency in thyroid hormone levels, the raw material of the thyroid gland, would eventually cause a yang deficiency in the thyroid, as its function becomes impaired by the lack of hormones. Likewise, poor thyroid function, a yang deficiency, would eventually result in a yin deficiency, as the gland's output of hormones decreased.

  Traditional Chinese Medicine also introduces a major component of the body, qi(also referred to as chi), that Western medicine does not even acknowledge. According to Dr. Ni, qi is difficult to define. He calls it life force, and it is all inclusive of the many types of energy within the body and is essential for life itself. This vital life energy flows through the body following pathways called meridians.

  These meridians flow along the surface of the body, and through the internal organs, with each meridian being given the name of the organ through which it flows, such as "liver," or "large intestine." Organs can be accessed for treatment through their specific meridians, and illness can occur when there is a blockage of qi in these channels. Therefore it is essential in Traditional Chinese Medicine to keep the qi flowing in order to keep up health. The healthy individual has an abundance of qi flowing smoothly through the meridians and organs. With this flow, the organs are able to harmoniously support each other's functions.

 

  Another important concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the interrelationships of the organs to each other. Ten organs are arranged into a system that places each in one of five categories: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. This system, called the Five Phase Theory, is based on the supposition that each organ either nourishes or inhibits the proper functioning of another organ, just as the basic elements also act either adversely or beneficially on each other. Dr. Ni says that the Chinese have, for thousands of years, watched how things worked around them in order to understand why things happen, why things transform from one thing to another. They've taken this same conceptual model and applied it to the human body and found it really works well.

  For example, as fire melts metal, so does the heart, which is associated with fire, control the lungs, which are associated with metal. Likewise, as metal cuts wood, the lungs control the liver; as wood penetrates the earth, the liver controls the spleen; as the earth dams water, the spleen controls the kidneys; and as water quenches fire, the kidneys control the heart.

  Dr. Ni explains, the organs are also divided up into two groups of yin and yang organs. The heart, spleen, lungs, kidney, and liver belong to the yin group, because they are what we call more substantial organs, more solid, whereas, the yang organs are hollow organs like the small intestine, stomach, large intestine, and bladder, where things just pass through. They're more functional-remember, yang is function, action, and yin is more passive, solid, substantial-that's why they're categorized that way.

Element	Yin Organ	Yang Organ
Fire	Heart	Small intestine
Earth	Spleen	Stomach
Metal	Lungs	Large intestine
Water	Kidney	Bladder
Wood	Liver	Gallbladder

  Dr. Ni adds that there is a synergistic relationship in all the organs, as in all the elements, so the interactions are a little more complex when deciphering disease symptoms. Once Dr. Ni was visited by a patient with stomach ulcers for which the prescribed medication gave some relief, but had a side effect, constipation. He took a laxative to deal with the constipation, but then he developed a cough and chronic bronchitis. The medication prescribed for the bronchitis also had a side effect, a urinary tract infection. He also developed lower back pain. Additional antibiotics for the urinary tract infection then caused liver problems-a congested feeling and pain. Finally he became irritable, emotionally unbalanced, and had difficulty sleeping. 

  Deficiency in earth (stomach) led to deficiency in both metal organs (large intestine and lungs). As the metal organs weakened, it impacted the water (kidney and bladder), and in turn affected wood (liver) which affected fire (heart)-so that all five organs became involved in the Five Phase Theory sequence. The original problem had been caused by excess stomach cold, due to qi deficiency. This had been caused by poor digestion of the raw food diet he had adopted, but the subsequent problems were caused by the medication he had been taking. Dr.Ni took him off the medication and treated him with acupuncture, herbs, and food therapy. After about two and a half months he became healthy.