Western Medicine vs. Tibetan Medicine

Western Medicine and Tibetan Medicine have irrefutable differences. This, however, does not mean that they contradict each other. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Western scientists are faced with a question regarding traditional medical systems: Should they be dismissed as unscientific, or should they be regarded as complementary sciences of medicine? Our goal is to explore the latter and delve into Tibetan medicine as a complementary practice to an already structured medical frame.

Fig. 8. This image shows the similarities between anatomical concepts from both Western and Tibetan viewpoints. The Vitruvian Man, a common Western medical reference that depicts bodily proportions, is overlapped by a Tibetan man showcasing the location of several nerve points across the body.

Source: Tibetan Medicine and the Subtle Anatomy

Tibetan medicine is the most comprehensible form of Eurasian healthcare and the world’s first integrative medicine as it is based on analytic models that are rationally defined.1 This strengthens its ability to be a complementary source for Western medicine.

Westerners are most likely familiar with the Vitruvian Man created by Leonardo Da Vinci. This image depicts the proportions of man and the range of motion of his arms and legs. The image above, however, depicts a Tibetan man, overlapping Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, marked with several nerve points across the body. This highlights Tibetan medicine as a complementary form of medicine and how it has the ability to add more to a person’s medical experience. Each image has a separate goal, however, by combining both Tibetan medicine and Western medicine by putting a rough Tibetan medical anatomy of several body parts on top of an image of the Vitruvian Man, we obtain a complex image that represents the collaborative aspects of both practices and the “full picture” that is a result.

To support this claim of medical cohesion, the Tibetan medical community, centered at the Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute) in Dharamsala, India, has committed their focus on modern scientific research that produces both clinical and laboratory studies that demonstrate the efficacy of Tibetan medicine.2

In unison with the Men-Tsee-Khang, we will outline several of many studies based on modern scientific methods that highlight the efficacious results Tibetan medicine provides.

Medical Studies

Yogic Breathing

Tibetan medicine and Western medicine are not two completely different realms. While one methodology focuses on scientifically proven methods and the other focuses on the actual person itself, it does not entirely separate the two types of medicine. Take yogic breathing for example.

Fig. 9. These images depict the practice of yogic breathing, a Tibetan art that is being studied by Western science for its irrefutable benefits for a multitude of physical and mental illnesses.

Source: Effects of Yogic Breath Regulation

Yogic breathing revolves around the idea that breath contains the body’s life force (prana), and that working on it can strengthen health and improve well-being.3 This type of breathing consists of different intentional and controlled movements and postures that each have a specific set of goals to achieve. Some examples of different Yogic breathing techniques include the three-part breath (Dirga Pranayama), alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana), and lion’s breath (Simhasana).

Several different yogic breathing techniques are being studied largely by modern, Western science as they have clinically shown irrefutable benefits for illnesses and mental impairments such as inflammatory responses, anxiety, PTSD, and mood disorders just to name a few.4 For example, a 2018 meta-analysis looked at several past studies that were conducted to examine the effects of Yogic breath regulation. After having participants briefly practice yogic breathing, it was found that they had several neurocognitive effects. Just to name a few of the effects, briefly practicing yogic breathing led to:

  • Decreased reaction time
  • Enhanced spatial awareness
  • Enhanced dexterity and hand-eye coordination
  • Reduction of anxiety
  • Decreased blood pressure

Yogic Breathing is just one example of Tibetan medicine currently being implemented into Western medicine.

COVID-19 Treatment and Prevention

The devastating effects of COVID-19 ravaged across the world for several years. This recent pandemic hospitalized and caused the deaths of millions of people, but could traditional Tibetan remedies provide a possible answer to some symptoms of the deadly disease?

In long-term practice since ancient times, traditional Tibetan medicine has accumulated praise for its efficacy in treating infectious diseases such as the Plague.5 In order to discuss the treatments currently in use for COVID-19, we must first understand the pathogeny of COVID-19 in Tibetan medical theory.

Fig. 10. This image showcases the pathogeny of COVID-19 in traditional Tibetan medical theory. Top left: Babada, Top right: Three primary energies (Loong, Tripa, and Baekan), Bottom right: Seven essences and three excrements, Bottom left: Symptoms

Source: Traditional Tibetan Medicine to Fight Against COVID-19

According to Tibetan medical theory, COVID-19 is thought to come from “Babada” invasion due to the factors listed in the image (seasonal irregularities, poor diet, bad behavior, and an accumulation of evil-qi).6 This concept of Babada invades the human body in a similar fashion as a microorganism or bacteria. This invasion results in the disorder of Loong, Tripa, and Baekan, three primary energies that need to be in balance with the body to achieve a happy and healthy life.7 When Loong, Tripa, and Baekan are not in balance, it causes abnormalities in the seven essences and three excrements which subsequently induce symptoms such as coughing, vomiting, and fever.8

One of the most prevalent Tibetan medicines used to prevent infectious disease, Jiuwei Heiyao Fangwen Powder (JHFP), aims to restore Loong, Tripa, and Baekan within the body. This powder can be orally administered or made into a sachet. According to clinical trials, JHFP achieved good results when it came to the prevention and control of SARS, Influenza A, and COVID-19.9

Another commonly used Tibetan medicine used for the treatment of COVID-19 are Liu Gan Pills (LGP). Consisting of 21 herbs, LGP is recorded to have heat-clearing and detoxifying effects.10 Wang et al. obtained clinical results on LGP that pointed to its ability to relieve fevers, headaches, nasal obstruction, cough and body aches in patients with COVID-19.11

Kidney Disease

Although there is no current cure for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), there are several ways to relieve symptoms as well as increase the longevity of kidney function. Today, there are over 60 different Tibetan medicines being used in modern medicine to treat CKD, some of which even have antidiabetic properties.12

Through a series of studies, it was found that the Tibetan medicines listed in the table can protect the kidney by improving the expression of several factors in renal tissue, which inhibits the damage caused on the renal epithelial cells.13

Fig. 11. The most common families of Tibetan Medicine used to treat kidney disease

Source: Tibetan Medicines for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

These herbal remedies are often made from different plants found in Eastern Asia that possess several different healing qualities. Although these plants grow in different climates and environments, they are widely available and easily accessible.

Fig. 12. Commonly used medicines for the treatment of kidney disease

Source: Tibetan Medicines for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Explore Recent Medical Studies!

These studies outline just a handful of hundreds of peer-reviewed, published studies based on modern scientific methods. To do your own research, simply look up “Tibetan Medicine” on scientific databases such as the NIH (National Institute of Health), or PubMed!

Traditional Tibetan Medicine: Therapeutic Potential in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Traditional Tibetan Medicine in Cancer Therapy by Targeting Apoptosis Pathways

Tibetan Medicine for Diabetes Mellitus: Overview of Pharmacological Perspectives

Traditional Tibetan Medicine: Therapeutic Potential in Lung Diseases

Tibetan Medicine Duoxuekang Capsule Ameliorates High-Altitude Polycythemia Accompanied by Brain Injury

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Sources:

  1. Andersson, Erik Jampa. “Tibetan Medicine and the Subtle Anatomy – Shrīmālā: Tibetan Medicine, Holistic Ecology, and Traditional Sciences.” Shrīmālā | Tibetan Medicine, Holistic Ecology, and Traditional Sciences, July 12, 2020. https://www.shrimala.com/blog/tibetan-medicine-and-the-subtle-anatomy. ↩︎
  2. Fitzgerald, Devon Marie. “Tibetan Medicine: Carving a Niche in the Modern Medical and Scientific Community.” SIT Digital Collections. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/81/. ↩︎
  3. “What Is Yogic Breathing? Benefits, Types, and How to Try,” Medical News Today, accessed April 29, 2024, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-is-yogic-breathing. ↩︎
  4. Saoji, A. A., Raghavendra, B. R., & Manjunath, N. K. (2019). Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 10(1), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2017.07.008 ↩︎
  5. Zhang, Kun, Lijie Wang, Jiayan Peng, Kangzhuo Sangji, Yuting Luo, Yujiao Zeng, Yongzhong Zeweng, and Gang Fan. “Traditional Tibetan Medicine to Fight against Covid-19: Basic Theory and Therapeutic Drugs.” Frontiers in Pharmacology 14 (February 16, 2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1098253. ↩︎
  6. Ibid. ↩︎
  7. Ibid. ↩︎
  8. Ibid. ↩︎
  9. Ibid. ↩︎
  10. Ibid. ↩︎
  11. Huang, Fangfang, Ying Li, Elaine Lai-Han Leung, Xiaohua Liu, Kaifeng Liu, Qu Wang, Yongqi Lan, et al. “A Review of Therapeutic Agents and Chinese Herbal Medicines against SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19).” Pharmacological Research 158 (August 2020): 104929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104929. ↩︎
  12. Pu, Lili, Chunhong Yang, Liqiong Yu, Shiling Li, Yaqin Liu, Xinan Liu, and Xianrong Lai. “Tibetan Medicines for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2021 (October 6, 2021): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/7845848. ↩︎
  13. Ibid. ↩︎