Customer Reviews

Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Volume I Diagnosis and Treatment

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This and the companion book, the Materia Medica, are excellent books, for the students of Chinese medicine. This book is understandable to the beginner, as well as an excellent resource for students who are well into their studies.

I am very impressed by the amount of information contained in this book. This book presents a working picture of TCM, set in a straight foreward manner, giving the student a very useful module for diagnosis and treatment of imbalances in the body. TCM is a complete and self contained system set along far different lines than western medicine. It is very logical and practical. TCM works complimentary to western medicine, often time filling in the large gaps ignored by westen thought.

Westen medicine tends to be very heroic, producing miraculous feats with very acute and traumatic cases. Where as allopathic, or western medicine tends to see health as the lack of disease, Chinese medicine tends to look at health as a delicate balance of the functions between the multibple systems of the body. Systems are classified in TCM by function rather than physiological location. Where as allopathic medicine seems to be concerned with eliminating syptoms, Chinese medicine is concerned with eleminating the problem by its root, and restoring the delicate and harmonious blance of the body. Dr. Tierra's book addresses in quite some detail the recognition of patterns of symptoms, which when applied properly give a very advanced system of diagnosis within the frame work of Chinese medicine.

One of the greatest obsticals facing the practitioners of natural medicine is treading on the delicate toes of allopathic doctors by claiming to be able to treat diseases that they have named, without the use of their expensive chemical drugs. Traditional Chinese Medicine, because it is a complete and comprehensive system of balance restoration within the body, and because the approach and terminology is unique to itself, and often times much more specific has its own complete and unique method for the classification of imbalances. On its most basic level, the function of TCM is the restoration of balance betewwn yin and yang. This is broken down further into excess or deficient, heat or cold, on the external or internal. External, excess, and heat are classified as, "Yang," or hyper-metabolic; and internal, deficient, and cold are classified as, "yin," or hypo-metabolic. For example, when one is treating a fever one is clearing wind heat, or wind cold. This is an external condition but by examining accompaning patterns there may be internal causes.

Dr. Tierra gives very clear and useful explanations and modules for every principle he explains, as well as summaries for quick reference and easy memorization. My suggestion for digesting the material is to read book one all the way through. Then with a note pad go back over the material making notes for yourself sumerizing the principles presented in each chapter. Go through the chapters one by one making sure you have a grasp of the information before moving to the next. The picture will unfold in more and more detail as you progress giving an amazing and powerful tool in the prevention and treatment of disease and the maintaining of the balance of health.

This is a good, thorough introduction to diagnosis and treatment based on TCM. It is clear and detailed. Some color plates or illustrations in such sections as tongue diagnosis would have made this more useful for the beginner. Also includes a nice section on nutrition.

The book is written by 2 persons who are interested in not only Traditional Chinese Medicine but also the Holistic healing knowledge.
Surprisingly good compilation of TCM fundamental and easy to understand explanation make this book value your money. The content includes such as Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Diagnosis, etc. In my opinion, if you are looking for a compact book for quick understanding in TCM, this book is pretty good enough.(However if you are to be a practitioner you may need some serious textbook). The last thing I like (perhaps has nothing to do with decision to buy any book) is that I found the paper of this book is so fragrant and pleasant smell.

This book focuses on theory, principles, diagnostic methods & treatment essential to TCM. It provides insight and practical information in a clear and consice manner to allow you to apply meaningful applications of principles.

I have found it one of the easier to read books on the subject, although there are no pictures, you can easilty use this book in conjunction with the study guide mentioned below to fill in any questions you may have. It is more oriented toward the herbal side, you won't find much on accupuncture here. When used in combination with Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis Study Guide and Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Vol.II Materia Medica & Herbal Ref, this trio makes a wonderful "home study" course.

As a beginner level student of TCM, I have found this book to be invaluable. The teaching style is very clear and makes complex and, for me, foreign concepts fairly easy to understand. I am sure I will be referring to this book frequently through the course of my studies and beyond.