Tibetan Medicine Schools and Careers Guide
What is Tibetan medicine?
Tibetan medicine defines three main physiological systems, which control all the body's processes:
- Wind, creates circulation, such as, circulation of our blood, circulation of the nervous system's impulses, circulation of thoughts in our minds, circulation of food through our digestive tract and eliminative organs. The mind expressed as attachment or desire is manifested as the system of Wind.
- Bile controls functions such as metabolism, liver function and vision and allows our mind to function with discriminating intellect. The mind expressed as aggression, hatred, anger or the like is manifested as the system of Bile.
- Phlegm provides our body's lubrication, creates the will and allows us to have good memory among other things. The mind expressed as ignorance or incomprehension is manifested as Phlegm.
A disturbance in one or a combination of these three principle systems results in illness. The disturbance can come from diet, behavior or environmental factors. The manner in which these factors can result in illness will depend on the acute or chronic nature of the problem in an individual patient.
How is Tibetan medicine practiced?
The diagnostic techniques include visual observation, touch and interrogation.
Visual observation: primarily the practitioner studies the condition of the patient's tongue and urine. Secondarily the practitioner checks the patient's complexion, the color and texture of his/her blood, nails, sputum, feces and other general conditions.
Touch: after determining preconditions, the practitioner takes the patient's pulse by placing the three middle fingers at the patient's radial arteries.
Interrogation: there are three main elements to a medical interrogation: determining the causative factors; determining the site of the illness; and asking the patient about the sort of food and drink s/he has been consuming, and what kind of physical and mental behavior she/he has been experiencing.
Treatment can involve one or more option from 4 general categories:
- Behavioral modification can include meditation instruction, spiritual advice, counseling, exercise, or the reorganization of habitual patterns such as sleep habits and eating schedules.
- Diet may be altered after considering which types of food are harmful and beneficial, the amount of food to be eaten, the number of meals per day and the proper meal times.
- Herbal treatments range from simple to very complex, in a using anywhere from 3 to 150 herbs per formula. Each formula or set of formulas is prescribed to fit the condition of the individual patient. Herbal medicines often need to be modified at each visit.
- Physical therapies such as acupuncture, moxabustion (blood-letting), cupping, massage, and inhalation therapy may be used.
What Tibetan medicine degrees or certification are available?
While a full and comprehensive study of Tibetan medicine can take up to 7 years, short courses are also available.
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