The immune system is a complex system which helps the body to fend off disease. Lets take a look at how TCM sees the immune system.
TCM sees the body as an organic whole- every organ, tissues, the human person and the living environment are considered one and should not be separable from each other.
The immune system can be understood in 2 important components, namely the Vital Qi (正气) and the Organs (脏腑).
The Vital Qi comprises of the inter-connected balance between the Qi (气), Blood (血), Yin energy (阴) and Yang energy (阳). Any deficiencies or disharmony between any of the four elements can make one more suseptible to disease.
There are a total of 11 organs (五脏六腑) which also must work together to promote a good immune system. The theory of Balance or Harmony is very important in TCM.
Treatment seeks to bring the body back to balance so that the body's natural healing capacity can be maximised. An important tool TCM uses to diagnose any imbalance is through pulse taking. Pulse taking is the most important tool before a diagnosis can be reached as it will give an idea of how the Organs are working, as well as the strength of the Vital Qi.
After having understood what constitutes one's immune system, we will dive into the reasons why our immune system is so important.
Stay tuned to our next video. Till next time...
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