Im P O, Yolton R L
Pacific University, College of Optometry, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116, USA.
Optometry. 2000 Oct;71(10):621-9.
Traditional Oriental medicine is taught and practiced in many parts of the world, including the United States. It is based on centuries-old philosophies of disease causality and on empirical validation of diagnostic and treatment procedures. This article presents a perspective on traditional Oriental medicine.
The traditional Oriental medicine physician considers the body to normally be in a state of balance or harmony that can be disrupted by certain pernicious influences. These influences affect various body systems in ways that can be detected using a four-part examination, which includes looking, listening and smelling, asking, and touching. During the examination, special emphasis is placed on analyzing the rate and rhythm of the pulse.
Illness results when there is disharmony within the body. Therefore, the goal of the Oriental medicine physician is to restore harmony in the patient. This can be accomplished by using techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and administration of herbal preparations.
The underlying assumptions, diagnostic techniques, and treatments used by traditional Oriental medicine physicians can seem strange to Western-trained physicians, but they have proved efficacious for the treatment of patients over many millennia.
包括美国在内的世界许多地方都在教授和实践传统东方医学。它基于数百年的疾病因果哲学以及诊断和治疗程序的实证验证。本文呈现了对传统东方医学的一种观点。
传统东方医学医生认为身体通常处于一种平衡或和谐的状态，这种状态可能会被某些有害影响所扰乱。这些影响以可以通过四诊来检测的方式影响身体的各个系统，四诊包括望、闻、问、切。在检查过程中，特别强调分析脉搏的速率和节律。
当身体内部出现不协调时就会生病。因此，东方医学医生的目标是恢复患者的和谐状态。这可以通过使用针灸、艾灸和服用草药制剂等技术来实现。
传统东方医学医生所使用的基本假设、诊断技术和治疗方法，对于接受西方培训的医生来说可能看起来很奇怪，但在数千年里已被证明对治疗患者有效。
