The Differences Between TCM and CCM

Th eDi ffe r e n c e sBe t we e nT r a d i t i o n a l Ch i n e s eMe Me d i c i n ea n dCl a s s i c a l Ch i n e s e Me d i c i n e on 06/15/2007  by Eric Grey in Community and Cultivation 06/15/2007 by

This is an old article written when I was relatively new on the scene of Classical Chinese Medicine. While I’ve learned a lot since then – I still think it serves as an interesting introduction to the whole conversation.

Ont hi ss i t e ,It a l kal ota boutCl a s s i c a lChi ne s eMe Me di c i ne ( CCM)a st hes c hoolIs t udi e da t( a ndno w wor ka t )i sde v ot e dt ot hes t udyoft ha tpa r t i c ul a rf or m ofChi nes eMe Medi c i ne( CM) . CCM i sdi s t i ngui s hedf r om Tr adi t i onalChi nes eMe Medi ci ne( TCM)i nanumberofways , s ome meof whi c hIwi l lt r yt oma makec l ea rher e.Not et hatTCM i st het ypeofCM known wn( andus ed)byma many pe o pl ei nt heWe We s t e r nwor l d,a swe l la si nChi na . Thefir s tandmos tf undame ment aldi ffer encebet wee nCCM andTr adi t i onalChi nes eMe Medi c i ne ( TCM)i st ha tt hef o r me me rdr a wsmo mos tde e pl yf r om t heCl a s s i c a ll i t e r a t ur eo fCM whe ni nt e r a c t i ng wi t hpa t i e nt s . Thei nt a kepr oc e s s ,t hepa t i e nt doc t ori nt e r a c t i on, t heme me t hodsus e df ordi a gnos i s a ndt hef or m oft hedi a gnos i s , t hea ppl i c a t i onofa c upunc t ur e ,he r bsa ndot he rmo moda l i t i e s , t he r e a s o ni ngoutofpr ognos i s–a l loft he s es houl dbepr i ma r i l y( i fno tc o mp mpl e t e l y)ba s e don Cl a s s i c a ls o ur c e sa ndt he i rmos tf a i t hf ulc o mm mme nt a r i e s . TCM, a l t houghi tdoe spa ya t t e nt i ont o t heCl a s s i c s–a nds o me meTCM pr a c t i t i o ne r st a kei tont he ms ms e l v e st ode l v emo mo r ede e pl yi nt ot he c a non–doe snotr e l ypr i ma r i l yont he s es o ur c e si ni t spr a c t i c e . Wha ta r et he s eCl a s s i c s ? Thi si so pe nt os o me mede g r e eofi nt e r pr e t a t i o n.Mo s two ul da gr e et ha tt heHu Hua ngDiNe iJ i ng 皇帝 Ye l l o w Empe r o r ’ sI nt e r na lCl a s s i c ) , t heNa nJ i ng難經 ( Cl a s s i co fDi ffic ul t i e s )a ndt heShe n 內經 ( NongBe nCaoJ i ng神 農 本 草 經 ( Di vi neFar mer ’ sHer balCl as s i c )andt heShangHanLun傷寒

論( T r e a t i s eonCo l dDa ma ge )a r et hef ounda t i o na lt e x t so ft hi sme di c i ne . Ot he r smi ghta ddo t he r

me di c a lt e x t sa n da l lwoul dc e r t a i nl yi nc l udec o mme nt a r i e sa ndf ur t he rde v e l opme nt so ft he s e  bas i cwor ks .Al loft he s ebookswe r ewr i t t e ndur i ngorbe f or et heHandynas t y . Yo uma ybewo nde r i ngwha tpo s s i bl er e l e v a nc eb oo kswr i t t e n2 2 0A. D.a ndpr i o rc o ul dha v ef o r c o nt e mpor a r yme di c i ne … af a i rq ue s t i on.Thi si sa ni s s ueIwi l lc e r t a i nl ybedi s c us s i ngont hi s  bl og, butf ornow l e tmej us ts a yt hatmye mpi r i c alr e l at i ons hi pwi t ht hi smedi c i nehasl e dmet o  be l i e vet hatane ar l yr i gi dadhe r e nc et ot heCl as s i c spr oduc e se xc e l l e ntc l i ni c alr e s ul t s .Le tt hatbe okayf ornow. CCM s i mpl yt a ke si t shi s t or i c a la ndc ul t ur a lr oot sv er ys e r i ous l y .I tpa ysa t t e nt i ont ot hef a c tt ha t ma nyme di c a lc l a s s i c st houghti tofvi t a li mpor t a nc et ha tpr a c t i t i one r sc ul t i va t et he ms e l ve sus i ng t hear t s , c ont e mpl a t i on, i nt e r a c t i onwi t hna t ur ea ndvar i ouse s ot e r i cpr ac t i c e s .I ta s s e r t st hatt he Cl a s s i c a lt e xt sa r enott hemi s t a ke nr a mbl i ngso fapr i mi t i vepe opl ebutar e c o r dof( pa r t so f )a s o phi s t i c a t e dme di c a ls y s t e mt ha tha svi t a lr e l e v anc ef orc o nt e mpor a r ype opl e . CCM do e sn otma kei t spr i ma r yai mt oj us t i f yi t s e l fi nt hel a ngua g ea ndme t ho do fWe s t e r n s c i e nt i ficma t e r i a l i s m.I tdoe sno ts a c r i fic et hekno wl e dg et ha tc o me sf r om gr a ppl i ngwi t h di ffic ul t , of t e ns ymbol i c , l i t e r a t ur ef ort hes a keofqui c ka nde as yone s i z efit s a l lt r e at me nt pr o t oc ol s . Myper s onalexper i enc eoft hedi ffer enc ebe t wee nTCM andCCM hasbee npr of ound. Whi l e TCM ha ss o mea ppr oa c he st ha tha v ec l i ni c a le ffe c t i v e ne s sa ndwhi l ei t si ns i s t e nc eo nbe c o mi ng c l os e l ye nt wi ne dwi t hWe s t e r nme di c i neha sha daf e w pos i t i v ei mpa c t so nt hepr of e s s i on,i t doe s n’ tc o mec l os et ot r a ns f or mi ngpe o pl e ’ ss i t ua t i onsi nt hewa yt ha tCCM c a nandof t e ndoe s . Ibe l i e v et hi sh ast odowi t hCCM pr a c t i t i one r s ’a c c e pt a nc eo fa nda bi l i t yt owor kwi t h c o mpl e x i t y . Theh uma nbo dyi sa nunbe l i e v a bl yc o mpl e xt hi nga ndame di c i net ha ts e e k st o s i mpl i f yr e l e nt l e s s l yi ndi a gnos i sa ndt r e a t me ntc a n’ thopet oke e pup. Thi ngswi l lbemi s s e d, a nd t ho s emi s s e dt hi ngsa l wa y sha v et hepo t e nt i a lt ogr o wi nt oapr o bl e ma sb i go rb i gg e rt ha nt he or i gi nali s s ue .