Abstract
To explore advantages of Chinese medicine (CM) by analyzing differences in the origin of philosophy for human health between CM and Western medicine (WM). Methodologically, a distinctive feature of CM is its systems theory, which is also the difference between CM and WM. Since the birth of CM, it has taken the human body as a whole from the key concepts of “qi, blood, yin-yang, viscera (Zang-Fu), and meridian and channel”, rather than a single cell or a particular organ. WM evolves from the Western philosophic way of thinking and merely uses natural sciences as the foundation. The development of WM is based on human structures, or anatomy, and therefore, research of WM is also based on the way of thinking of decomposing the whole human body into several independent parts, which is the impetus of promoting the development of WM. The core of CM includes the holistic view and the dialectical view. Chinese herbal medicines contain various components and treat a disease from multiple targets and links. Therefore, Chinese herbal medicines treat a diseased state by regulating and mobilizing the whole body rather than just regulating a single factor, since the diseased state is not only a problem in a local part of the body but a local reflection of imbalance of the whole body.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Engel GL. The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science 1977;196:129–136.
Chan CH, Chan CL, Ng SM, Ng EH, Ho PC. Body-mindspirit intervention for IVF women. J Assist Reprod Genet 2005;22:419–427.
Ideker T, Galitski T, Hood L. A new approach to decoding life: systems biology. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2001;2:343–372.
Ma Q, Lu AY. Pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, and individualized medicine. Pharmacol Rev 2011;63:437–459.
Nicholson JK, Lindon JC. Systems biology: Metabonomics. Nature 2008;455:1054–1056.
Sun DZ, Ju DW, He J, Lu Y, Wu F, Li C, et al. Tumor interstitial fluid and postoperative recurrence of tumors: an experimental study for verifying hypothesis of “tumor-phlegm microenvironment”. J Tradit Chin Med 2010;16:435–441.
Wiig H, Tenstad O, Iversen PO, Kalluri R, Bjerkvig R. Interstitial fluid: the overlooked component of the tumor microenvironment? Fibrogenesis Tissue Repair 2010;23:12.
Wang JY, Xu L, Zhang RX, Lao L. Traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2011;9:129–134.
You J. Significance and necessity of developing quality of life questionnaire for cancer patients adapting to traditional Chinese medicine. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2006;4:473–477.
Lin LZ, Zhou DH, Zheng XT. Effect of traditional Chinese medicine in improving quality of life of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer in late stage. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med (Chin) 2006;26:389–393.
Liu X, Hua BJ. Effect of traditional Chinese medicine on quality of life and survival period in patients with progressive gastric cancer. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med (Chin) 2008;28:105–107.
Xiao XH, Wang JB, He CH. On the rational exertion for the prescriptions and drugs of TCM in preventing and treating SARS. China J Chin Mater Med (Chin) 2003;28:664–668.
Zhao CH, Guo YB, Wu H, Li XH, Guo XH, Jin RH, et al. Clinical manifestation, treatment, and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome: analysis of 108 cases in Beijing. Nation Med J China (Chin) 2003;83:897–901.
Zhen C. Medical history from SARS to pneumonia. J Peking Univ (Chin) 2003;35(Suppl):106–110.
Tong X, Li A, Zhang Z, Duan J, Chen X, Hua C, et al. TCM treatment of infectious atypical pneumonia—a report of 16 cases. J Tradit Chin Med 2004;24:266–269.
Liu BY, He LY, Liang ZW, Tong XY, Hu JQ, Jiao Q, et al. Effect of glucocorticoid with traditional Chinese medicine in severe acute aespiratory syndrome (SARS). China J Chin Mater Med (Chin) 2005;30:1874–1877.
Lau JT, Leung PC, Wong EL, Fong C, Cheng KF, Zhang SC, et al. The use of an herbal formula by hospital care workers during the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in Hong Kong to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome transmission, relieve influenza-related symptoms, and improve quality of life: a prospective cohort study. J Altern Complem Med 2005;11:49–55.
Poon PM, Wong CK, Fung KP, Fong CY, Wong EL, Lau JT, et al. Immunomodulatory effects of a traditional Chinese medicine with potential antiviral activity: a self-control study. Am J Chin Med 2006;34:13–21.
Yang MH, Li M, Dou YQ, Liu Y, Luo XD, Chen JZ, et al. Effects of Bushen Huoxue Granule on motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. J Chin Integr Med (Chin) 2010;8:231–237.
Zhang M, Liu X, Li J, He L, Tripathy D. Chinese medicinal herbs to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;18:CD004921.
WTX, Munro AJ, LGJ. Chinese medical herbs for chemotherapy side effects in colorectal cancer patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005;25:CD004540.
Shin SS. Development of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine and change of medical policy in China. Uisahak 1999;8:207–232.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project (No. 20100480096)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, Dz., Li, Sd., Liu, Y. et al. Differences in the origin of philosophy between Chinese medicine and western medicine: Exploration of the holistic advantages of Chinese medicine. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 19, 706–711 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1435-5
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1435-5