Whereas Western medicine looks closely at a symptom and tries to find an underlying cause, Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the body as a whole. Each symptom is looked at in relationship to all other presenting symptoms. The goal of the TCM practitioner is to assess the entire constitution of the patient - considering both physiological and psychological aspects. When a Western doctor sees a distinct disease the Chinese physician sees a ‘pattern of disharmony’, which is disturbing the patient’s bodily balance. Searching for signs and symptoms a western doctor might never heed, the TCM practitioner prescribes a treatment that will re-harmonise the patient.
