Principles of Treatment and Prevention
This chapter covers the basic principles of treatment and the prevention of disease. The prevention principle is given top priority within TCM. It is greatly significant in controlling the onset and development of illness. The treatment principle incorporates a philosophy based on finding and treating the root causes of an illness. Vitally important is the strengthening of the body, through increasing its own power of healing to resist and dispel pathogenic factors. This is attained through a number of ways, some being the regulation of yin and yang, as well as treating the disease based on individual response to the seasons, and the geographical environment.
All of the above contained within this text are important segments of the theoretical system of TCM and originated from repeated practice and in turn guide clinical practice, providing the foundation through which to learn TCM and related subjects. When
studying TCM, one should emphasize the dialectical materialism and historical materialism in practice. Together, they make up the general ideology which enables students, along with much clinical practice, to fully understand the basic theories of Chinese medicine.
Western medical theory vastly differs from that of the Chinese medicine. Since this is so,a western oriented student must focus on deeply mastering the unique characteristics and philosophies of TCM. Students of TCM must attempt to remain unbiased in their distinction between the two medical systems ,and refrain from mechanically copying modern medicine's basic disregard of symptoms in favor of a "disease-specific' labe. Instead a student should forge ahead with the application of the viewpoints of TCM, and abide by its theoretical thinking, while purposely absorbing modern medical. Knowledgde in order to apply it to the deeper aspects of TCM's theory.
