Yu Elaine, Amri Hakima
Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Maolecular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center Washington, DC, United States.
Glob Adv Health Med. 2016 Jan;5(1):79-86. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.116. Epub 2016 Jan 1.
Traditional Chinese medicine, as it is understood and adopted by those with a growing interest in complementary and alternative practices to biomedicine, is often used as an umbrella term for traditional medical practices from regions within and bordering the People's Republic of China. However, there are multiple distinct medical traditions in China, including that of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Mongolians.
It is important to recognize the commonalities and differences of these unique systems of medicine practiced by the 3 different cultures among China's borders.
Through an in-depth analysis of the individual beliefs and theories that form the foundation of each system, we trace the origins of the concepts that were synthesized into the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems. Furthermore, we compare diagnostic techniques and contrast treatment modalities among the 3 systems.
We discuss humoral theory, constitution theory, elemental theory, organ theory, and yin and yang theory. We find that imbalance is the common cause of disease or illness, but the conditions and external factors that explain such imbalances differ among the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian systems. Through these comparisons, we seek to highlight the unique beliefs, practices, and treatments utilized by these cultures.
The features and attributes, while not exclusive to each population, are nonetheless uniquely synthesized by each system and thus demonstrate the distinct nature of Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems.
随着人们对生物医学补充和替代疗法的兴趣日益浓厚，传统中医常被用作中华人民共和国境内及周边地区传统医学实践的统称。然而，中国有多种不同的医学传统，包括维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族的医学传统。
认识中国边境地区三种不同文化所践行的这些独特医学体系的共性与差异很重要。
通过深入分析构成每个体系基础的个体信仰和理论，我们追溯了融入维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医学体系的概念的起源。此外，我们比较了这三种体系的诊断技术并对比了治疗方式。
我们讨论了体液理论、体质理论、元素理论、脏腑理论和阴阳理论。我们发现失衡是疾病的常见病因，但维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医学体系中解释此类失衡的病症和外部因素有所不同。通过这些比较，我们试图突出这些文化所采用的独特信仰、实践和治疗方法。
这些特征和属性虽并非每个群体所独有，但每个体系都以独特的方式将其融合，从而彰显了维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医学体系的独特性质。
