Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is as diverse in its practice as western medicine. It is employed in both acute and chronic illnesses, and it includes
internal and external pharmacological therapy. Chinese herbal medicine includes the use of plant, animal and mineral substances. Preparations are administered, similar to western medicine, via a number of routes:
TCM is based on an understanding of health and illness which differs substantially from that in western medicine. Clinical phenomena are interpreted by reference to theories of bodily operation which are alien to the western-trained scientific eye. A brief overview of the key differences between Chinese and western medicine is provided.
