More than one thousand years ago, Tibetan Herbal Medicine came into being as an integration of the rich medical oral traditions of Tibet with Indian, Chinese, Persian and Greek medical systems. Tibetan Herbal Medicine treats the whole person, and derives from medical tantras passed down from the Buddha. Doctors are trained in the use of mantras, sacred sound and visualizations, in addition to herbal remedies, dietary recommendations and surgical procedures, to bring harmony and balance to the body-mind complex. They work together with Lama’s and Tibetan Astrologers to advise the person on how to maintain this balance in their lives.

The basic theory of Tibetan medicine is to keep balance between the three humors, of the body. The humors are Wind, Bile, and Phlegm. When the humorsare balanced, then the 7 bodily sustainers are also balanced. The 7 bodily sustainers are:

1. Essential nutrients, 2. Blood, 3. Muscle, 4. Fat, 5. Bone, 6. Marrow, 7. Regenerative fluid

An example of the interaction between the balanced humors is digestion. When we eat or drink, it goes to the stomach, where the Phlegm helps mix it, the Bile helps digest it and the W indhelps separate the essential nutrients from the waste products. The essence of the essential nutrients then forms blood, the essence of blood forms muscle tissue, the essence of muscle tissue forms fat, the essence of fat forms bones, the essence of bones forms marrow and the essence of bone marrow forms the regenerative fluid.

gSowa rigpa (or traditional Tibetan medicine) involves balancing the 3 humors, 7 bodily sustainers and 3 excretions. When balanced, the person is said to be in a state of health. If there is imbalance in any of these energies, then there will be ill-health.

Tibetans believe there are short and long term causes of imbalance. Some short term causes are: Wind imbalance arises through eating lots of light foods, lots of mental activity, talking, stress, sex and a lack of sleep. Bileimbalance arises through eating lots of heavy, fatty foods, straining the body through heavy physical activity, especially in the heat. Phlegmimbalance is caused by eating lots of raw foods, sedentary behavior and exposure to damp conditions.

The long-term causes of imbalance ar e the “three poisons” of desire, hatred and delusion.

When you visit a Tibetan physician , he or she will first perform a visual examination of your skin, nails, tongue and urine. They then listen to the quality of the pulses at your wrist. There are six distinct pulses at the radial artery of each wrist that correspond to the internal organs. Tibetan physicians feel for the width, depth, strength, speed and quality of each pulse, which defines the illness, its location, hidden complications and its etiology. Pulse reading is the crucial diagnostic tool in Tibetan medicine. Finally, they will ask about your diet, and your physical and mental condition.

If the illness is not serious, then the Tibetan physician will treat a patient’s diet and lifestyle before giving medicines. In many cases, behavioral changes resolve the imbalance without further action. Tibetan medicines take various forms, from decoctions, powders, general pills, precious pills, and syrups. Depending on the condition, adjunct therapies may be prescribed. Some disorders are treated by blood-letting at one of the body's seventy-seven blood-letting points. For others, moxibustion (the burning of the herb moxa on different energy points), and golden-needle therapy may be used to stimulate the energy channels of the body. Many diseases of the nerves and muscles, as well as pain and insomnia are treated with gentle massage using various medicinal oils. Medicinal baths and natural spring baths are used for skin disorders, chronic arthritis, gout, cold types of rheumatism, and stiffness. With chronic illness, the course of treatment may be very long.

In Tibetan medicine the cause or the root of the illness is treated, not the symptoms. In the medical texts it is said that “without treating the root or the cause of the disease it is like having a poisonous tree and just cutting off the leaves and branches without pulling it up from its roots. If you just cut the leaves and branches it will still continue to grow.”