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BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine, as it is understood and adopted by those with a growing interest in complementary and alternative practices to biomedicine, is often used as an umbrella term for traditional medical practices from regions within and bordering the People's Republic of China. However, there are multiple distinct medical traditions in China, including that of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Mongolians.OBJECTIVE: It is important to recognize the commonalities and differences of these unique systems of medicine practiced by the 3 different cultures among China's borders. METHODS: Through an in-depth analysis of the individual beliefs and theories that form the foundation of each system, we trace the origins of the concepts that were synthesized into the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems. Furthermore, we compare diagnostic techniques and contrast treatment modalities among the 3 systems. DISCUSSION: We discuss humoral theory, constitution theory, elemental theory, organ theory, and yin and yang theory. We find that imbalance is the common cause of disease or illness, but the conditions and external factors that explain such imbalances differ among the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian systems. Through these comparisons, we seek to highlight the unique beliefs, practices, and treatments utilized by these cultures. CONCLUSION: The features and attributes, while not exclusive to each population, are nonetheless uniquely synthesized by each system and thus demonstrate the distinct nature of Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine, as it is understood and adopted by those with a growing interest in complementary and alternative practices to biomedicine, is often used as an umbrella term for traditional medical practices from regions within and bordering the People's Republic of China. However, there are multiple distinct medical traditions in China, including that of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Mongolians. OBJECTIVE: It is important to recognize the commonalities and differences of these unique systems of medicine practiced by the 3 different cultures among China's borders. METHODS: Through an in-depth analysis of the individual beliefs and theories that form the foundation of each system, we trace the origins of the concepts that were synthesized into the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems. Furthermore, we compare diagnostic techniques and contrast treatment modalities among the 3 systems. DISCUSSION: We discuss humoral theory, constitution theory, elemental theory, organ theory, and yin and yang theory. We find that imbalance is the common cause of disease or illness, but the conditions and external factors that explain such imbalances differ among the Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian systems. Through these comparisons, we seek to highlight the unique beliefs, practices, and treatments utilized by these cultures. CONCLUSION: The features and attributes, while not exclusive to each population, are nonetheless uniquely synthesized by each system and thus demonstrate the distinct nature of Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian medical systems. 背景:传统中药为越来越多的人们所理解,并将其作为生物医学的补充和替代医疗,它通常涵盖中华人民共和国境内各地区的传统医疗实践。然而,中国有许多独特的医学传统,其中包括维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族。目的:了解中国境内三种不同文化践行的独特医疗体系之共性与差异非常重要。方法:我们通过深度分析形成各个体系之基础的各种信念与理论,追踪了融入维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医疗体系的概念之根源。此外,我们比较了这三种体系之间的诊断技术和对照治疗模式。讨论:我们讨论了体液学说、体质学说、元素学说、器官学说和阴阳学说。我们发现,失衡是疾病的常见病因,但在维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族体系中,解释此类失衡的条件和外部因素不尽相同。通过这些比较,我们力求突出这些文化使用的独特信念、实践和治疗。结论:这些特点与属性尽管并非每个人群所专属,但却独特地融入到每一个体系,因此展现出维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医疗体系的独特性质。. ANTECEDENTES: La medicina tradicional china, tal y como está entendida y adoptada por un interés creciente en prácticas complementarias y alternativas a la biomedicina, se usa a menudo como un término paraguas para las prácticas médicas tradicionales procedentes de las regiones internas y limítrofes a la República Popular China. Sin embargo, hay muchas tradiciones médicas distintas en China, incluidas las de los uygures, tibetanos y mongoles. OBJETIVO: Es importante reconocer las semejanzas y diferencias de estos sistemas únicos de medicina que practican tres culturas diferentes entre las fronteras de China. MÉTODOS: Mediante un análisis en profundidad de las creencias y teorías de los individuos que forman la base de cada sistema, realizamos un seguimiento de los orígenes de los conceptos que se sintetizaron en los sistema médicos uygures, tibetanos y mongoles. Además, comparamos técnicas diagnósticas y contrastamos modalidades de tratamiento entre los tres sistemas. DEBATE: Estudiamos la teoría de los humores, la teoría de la constitución, la teoría elemental, la teoría de órganos y la teoría del yin y el yang. Averiguamos que el desequilibrio es la causa más común de enfermedad o trastorno, pero las condiciones y los factores externos que explican dichos desequilibrios difieren entre los sistemas uygur, tibetano y mongol. Mediante estas comparaciones, queremos destacar las creencias, prácticas y tratamiento únicos que utilizan estas culturas. CONCLUSIÓN: Los rasgos y atributos, aunque no son exclusivos de cada población, están, sin embargo, sintetizados en cada sistema y, por consiguiente, muestran la distinta naturaleza de los sistemas médicos uygur, tibetano y mongol. 背景:传统中药为越来越多的人们所理解,并将其作为生物医学的补充和替代医疗,它通常涵盖中华人民共和国境内各地区的传统医疗实践。然而,中国有许多独特的医学传统,其中包括维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族。目的:了解中国境内三种不同文化践行的独特医疗体系之共性与差异非常重要。方法:我们通过深度分析形成各个体系之基础的各种信念与理论,追踪了融入维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医疗体系的概念之根源。此外,我们比较了这三种体系之间的诊断技术和对照治疗模式。讨论:我们讨论了体液学说、体质学说、元素学说、器官学说和阴阳学说。我们发现,失衡是疾病的常见病因,但在维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族体系中,解释此类失衡的条件和外部因素不尽相同。通过这些比较,我们力求突出这些文化使用的独特信念、实践和治疗。结论:这些特点与属性尽管并非每个人群所专属,但却独特地融入到每一个体系,因此展现出维吾尔族、藏族和蒙古族医疗体系的独特性质。. La medicina tradicional china, tal y como está entendida y adoptada por un interés creciente en prácticas complementarias y alternativas a la biomedicina, se usa a menudo como un término paraguas para las prácticas médicas tradicionales procedentes de las regiones internas y limítrofes a la República Popular China. Sin embargo, hay muchas tradiciones médicas distintas en China, incluidas las de los uygures, tibetanos y mongoles.

Georgetown University School of Medicine offers an elective Mind-Body Medicine Skills (MBMS) course to medical students to promote self-care and self-awareness. Participating medical students reported better management of academic stress and well-being than non-participants. In this study, we sought to assess the stress-reducing effects of MBMS by measuring physiological changes in first-year medical students. Saliva samples were collected before (January, time 1 (T1)-pre-intervention) and upon completion of the course (May, time 2 (T2p)-post-intervention), as well as from non-participating medical students (May, time 2 (T2c)-control). The T2p and T2c collections coincided with the period of final examinations. Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) were measured. The mean morning salivary cortisol at T2p was 97% of the mean at baseline T1 which was significantly lower than for T2c (2.4) (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57–1.60, P =  .001); DHEA-S showed similar pattern as cortisol where the T2p levels were significantly lower than T2c (P <  .001) in both morning and evening collections. Testosterone ratio at T2p (0.85) was also lower than T2c (1.6) (95% CI 0.53–1.3, P =  .01). sIgA levels were not statistically different. On direct comparison, the T2c and T2p means were significantly different for all cortisol, DHEA-S and testosterone values. Participants maintained their hormonal balance within the normal range throughout the academic semester while the control group showed significantly increased levels, probably exacerbated by the end of the semester exam stress. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the physiologic benefits of a MBMS program in medical students.