20ME18 - Demystifying Qi: Understanding the Concept of Qi in Botanical Medicine

Speaker: Jason Miller, DACM, LAc The concept of "Qi" has been a stumbling block for collaboration and understanding between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern science for decades. Qi is often considered a non-scientific or pseudoscientific concept – primarily due its inability to be measured. In TCM, qi (in the body) is considered an immaterial substance that represents the functional quality of human physiology. Many botanical medicines from traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) are characterized by the way they affect the qi of the body. In the past several decades, a significant amount of scientific research has gone into understanding the molecular composition and biomedical actions of medicinal plants. A reverse engineering approach involves studying the molecules and their actions and then correlating with TCM concepts.