Main description:

Offering a systematic comparative approach to Western and Eastern medicine, this unique textbook enables students and practitioners of Chinese medicine to develop a core understanding of conventional medical language and treatments.

Acupuncture practitioners increasingly find themselves working alongside Western healthcare professionals. Now in its second edition, this book is a guide to conventional medical diagnoses, symptoms and treatments, and using examples drawn from the author's experience and knowledge of TCM it encourages reflection on how these diagnoses may be interpreted from a more holistic medical perspective. It includes introductory sections on physiology, pathology and pharmacology, chapters devoted to the physiological systems of the body and the conventional approach to the treatment of diseases that can affect them, and information on dealing with patients in practice.

Accompanying online material, including self-testing questions and answers and checklists for revision, is available for those wishing to use the text for systematic study.

Contents:

Foreword. Introduction. Note to the reader. Stage 1. 1.1. Introduction to medical sciences. 1.2. Conventional clinical practice. 1.3. Comparisons with alternative medical viewpoints. Stage 2. 2.1. Barriers to disease and susceptibility. 2.2. Processes of disease. 2.3. Cancer. 2.4. Infectious disease. Stage 3. 3.1. Gastrointestinal disease. 3.2. The Cardiovascular system. 3.3. The Respiratory system. 3.4. The blood. Stage 4. 4.1. Diseases of the nervous system. 4.2. The musculoskeletal system. 4.3. The urinary system. Stage 5. Diseases of the endocrine system. 5.2. Diseases of the reproductive system. 5.3. Pregnancy and childbirth. 5.4. Children's health. Stage 6. 6.1. Diseases of the skin, the eye and the ear. 6.2. Mental health disorders. 6.3. Conclusions. Appendix I. The functions of the organs: correspondence tables. Appendix II. Worked examples of the six-step method for interpreting the energetic action of drugs. Appendix III. Red flags: a guide for acupuncturists. Appendix IV. Tables showing categories of drugs for withdrawal from medication.