An Examination of Qi Through the Lens of Western Medicine

The concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and specifically the concept of Qi, are frequently difficult to reconcile with the biochemical systems approach of Western Medicine. However, an examination of the physical, chemical, and psychological mechanisms associated with treatments related to Qi reveals that an approach to medical treatment through Qi philosophy affects health in a physiologically recognizable manner, with Qi-based treatments acting on multiple biological systems at once. Though a physical manifestation of Qi cannot be demonstrated in scientific research, an understanding of Qi as a philosophical system that informs diagnosis and treatment of disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine increases the potential for integration of TCM medical knowledge into western medicine and encourages legitimization of the traditional Chinese medical perspective.