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2-21-10 - Treating the Patient, Not the Disease
The importance of individual characteristics in the disease process has been recognized in China for centuries. Each individual has their own unique constitution, a physique that whether through nature or nurture can become unbalanced and eventually develop illness. It is however, possible in many cases to recognize this imbalance before illness takes hold and to correct it through a combination of treatment methods and conscientious changes in lifestyle. The emerging modern concept of “preventative medicine” is an accurate reflection of the Chinese tenet that “to treat an illness that has already formed is like digging a well when one is already dying of thirst, like sharpening one's weapons when the battle has already begun.” (SuWen)