We are calling 'Chinese Medicine' that system of medicine that was started in the Asian continent before Christ. It's one of the oldest Traditional Medicines in the world. Chinese classical book, 'Huang Di Nei Jing', says that the lives of ancient people were following with nature. Also, it says that they had already realized that those natural systems were inside the body. It's amazing that the recently systematized study of ecology, or study of environment was the natural life-style, two thousand years ago.

Ancient Chinese classified all things into two types, one is Yin, a kind of heat, and the other is Yang, a kind of cold. Then, They also discovered five elements, which supply and restrain each other. These five elements are Wood, Fire, Soil, Metal and Water. They treated with these ideas that promoted an immunity system in an age when there were no chemical products. There are two types of approach in their treatment, 'symptomatic treatment' and 'radical treatment'. The first one is given to the shoulder when you have a pain in your shoulder. So, it focuses on your symptom. The other aims at restoring a overall balance including creating surroundings that promote a cure.

Therapist are always discussing which way is more effective. In my opinion, the endless discussion is futile because both can be important treatment for cure. When we try to see the long-term, we should make a balance. However, when you are in front of a patient who has severe pain, to remove their suffering as soon as possible is necessary.

We can say the same thing about our approach to the environment surrounding people today. It is necessary to cultivate the idea of inclusive maintenance of our environment. Also, we each human being who is the core of the environments, need to get a good education and accept our full responsibility. We can expect to live in a lasting environment when we all work together. But in fact, our time and budgets are limited.

There is a word "Mibjyo" which has the meaning of "It has no disease yet" in Chinese Medicine. Therapists are practicing not only with people who have diseases that have a name, but also with a conditions leading to disease. They check the balance between the condition, which the people have, within their personal environment and also the life style around them outside in their environment. So, Therapists' work is to maintain and upkeep the environment of their patients.

As we develop or awareness of environment, we should learn to live in a way that not only repairs the things already damaged but also realizes the conditions that are getting worse all over the would and work out how to support the whole as best and possible.

Tadanori Takada