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The first written Chinese medical text originates from the second century B.C. Although Chinese medicine has evolved greatly since then, many of the fundamental principles established at this time remain the core principles that guide the practice of Oriental medicine today. These core principles were derived from the observation of humans and nature and are deeply routed in clinical study. Centuries ago, x-rays, ultrasounds and blood texts were unavailable to Oriental medical doctors, but they divised meticulous techniques of pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, abdominal palpation and other ways of determining and detecting imbalances within the body. Today, Oriental medical doctors use these same techniques, though now they have the advantage of being able to supplement this knowledge with information about blood tests, ultrasounds and other conventional medicine techniques when a patient has had this testing done by their physician.
Yin & Yang
Yin and yang are terms that relate to opposing forces. There can be no yin without yang, no darkness without light, no rest without activity, and vice versa. Generally within the body, yin refers to the substantial, material aspect of the body, whereas yang refers to energetic, dynamic aspect of physiological processes. There is always a dynamic interplay of yin and yang in the body: for example, the food we eat (yin), is transformed by the process of digestion (yang), into nourishment for the body (yin), which provides us with energy (yang) for our bodily functions. If yin and yang are out of balance, then there are physical imbalances in the body. For example, if the process of digestion (yang) is weak, then our food (yin) will not be properly and cleanly broken down, resulting in excess mucous (excess yin) conditions within the body. This is a very simplistic discussion of a complex subject, but is just meant to illustrate the dynamic interplay of yin and yang within the body.
Organ Systems
In Oriental medicine, organs are perceived as functional systems, with the functions allocated to them often consisting of more than just the functions of the physical organ that they represent. For this reason, in most English-language literature on the subject of Oriental medicine, the organ systems as represented in Oriental medicine are captialized, where as the organ as understood in conventional medicine is not. For example, the Spleen system in Oriental medicine encompasses, at least in part, the functions of the pancreas, the spleen, and the intestines. Similarly, the Kidney system encompasses the functions of the kidneys, adrenal glands, urinary bladder and reproductive system, as well as some functions of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.
Meridians
Traditional Oriental Medicine recognizes a number of meridians, or energy pathways, on the body that run along the surface of the body and also connect internally to their associated organ system, and often to a few other organ systems as well. Thus, by stimulating a point on the leg, the stomach and intestines may be stimulated, or by treating a point on the arm, lung function can be enhanced. From a conventional medicine viewpoint, there is some evidence that meridian pathways may have an embryological origin and/or may also have myofascial relationships (the myofascia is the connective tissue that surrounds and connects muscle tissue).
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