Role of traditional Chinese medicine in integrative medicine

Complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) is getting more and more important in improving human health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with her thousands of years history and contributions to the health of Chinese people, definitely is vital in CAM in China. Medical sciences including CAM and mainstream medicine, with unified specific aim, could be integrated and become integrative medicine. During the integration, TCM would contribute much more in the progress with her cultural background and clinical efficacy. This paper will discuss how TCM takes part in the inte gration via her function in clinical practice.