Abstract
The article begins with a short review of similarities between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and original Hippocratic medicine. Both
were holistic, and taking every aspect contributing to illness into account, both followed the dictum, “first do no harm.” A key difference
between the two, even 2400 years ago, was the Hippocratic emphasis on scientific medicine. The explosion of science and technology in the
latter half of the 2nd century was applied to Western medicine, which became ever more complex, specialized, and reductionist, losing much
of its original holism. The strength of TCM is its holistic approach and techniques such as acupuncture, so necessary for the management for
patients who have chronic illnesses such as pain for which Western medicine has few answers
were holistic, and taking every aspect contributing to illness into account, both followed the dictum, “first do no harm.” A key difference
between the two, even 2400 years ago, was the Hippocratic emphasis on scientific medicine. The explosion of science and technology in the
latter half of the 2nd century was applied to Western medicine, which became ever more complex, specialized, and reductionist, losing much
of its original holism. The strength of TCM is its holistic approach and techniques such as acupuncture, so necessary for the management for
patients who have chronic illnesses such as pain for which Western medicine has few answers
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 39-43 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Chinese Medicine and Culture |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Mar 2020 |