In Soul this Wednesday (8), Lívia Baylão and the specialist in Chinese medicine, Ismael Pinheiro, talk about the topic: “Chinese medicine and Western medicine: encounters and disagreements”. Pinheiro is the author of the book “The cellular interstice – where Chinese medicine and Western medicine meet”.
Ismael Pinheiro reports that there are many differences between Chinese medicine and Oriental medicine, the first of which is the fact that Chinese medicine has existed for more than five thousand years. “It was developed within a paradigm characteristic of its time and Western medicine, if we look at chronological time, it is very recent, it is a hundred years old,” he explains.
Thus, the specialist raises the discussion about the inclusion of Chinese medicine in so-called alternative medicines, highlighting that it is practiced by many people in several countries around the world. “Until recently, Chinese medicine was considered an alternative medicine, but nowadays there is a lot of talk about complementation, that in reality one condition complements another”, he says.
Alternative medicine?
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that more than half of the world’s population practices Chinese medicine. The majority, of course, live in China. “Apart from other countries such as Vietnam, Japan, India, Indonesia, which also have this practice very ingrained in their basic health conditions”, he highlights.
For him, then, alternative medicine would be something practiced by a minority, a fact that he disputes in relation to Chinese medicine. “If we were to use these concepts, Western medicine, being a minority, would be alternative medicine, it would be the opposite of that, but nowadays we talk a lot about complements. There are advantages and disadvantages, positive and negative aspects to both medicines,” he says.
Soul
Chinese medicine is the official medicine of China. So, on today’s program, Ismael Pinheiro talks about the pillars of Chinese medicine and how it conceptualizes health and well-being. Watch the full interview on Soul this Wednesday (8), at 8 pm, on the Sagres TV channel 26.1. As well as on AM 730 radio or on the Sistema Sagres YouTube channel. Don’t miss it!
*This content is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. In this matter, SDG 3 – Health and well-being.
