My patients often ask me what the most important thing they can do to maintain their health. The simple answer is to tell them just live a “healthy” lifestyle. Most just take that at face value and assume that “healthy” lifestyle just means exercising regularly and eating healthy foods. This now doubt is a big part of what this term conjures up. However, when I tell my patients that, I see a deeper meaning behind this phrase.

          According to TCM, the “mental balance” is not limited to just having control over you mind and, thus, thoughts. Western medicine simply views the “mind” as separate from the rest of the body. They even have distinct fields of medicine designated for the evaluating brain functioning. Neurology is the field that most recognize as dealing with the physiological of the brain.

          In contrast to TCM, a neurologist will treat any brain issue as separate from the functioning of the rest of the body. They are trained to administer tests to evaluate brain functioning that are limited to assessing variables that are limited only to the brain. In contrast, a TCM practitioner is trained to look at any issue affecting the brain as part of the greater whole; in this case, the rest of the body.

          Why is this contrast so important? For one, a TCM practitioner is not limited to treating a brain ailment by only focusing on the brain. In a typical case, a neurologist will perform the standard tests and then administer the treatment protocols that he is trained to administer. In addition, he will prescribe medications that were developed specifically to help that brain disorder.

          The neurologist first move is not to consciously evaluate how this illness could be connected to another aspect of that patient’s bodily system. My first move is to look at which Meridians are most affected and ask the patient if he is experiencing issues, where they manifest on in the body…