History, current situation, and prospects of traditional Tibetan medicine

Traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) is major component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Over thousands of years, the Tibetan people have gradually established a comprehensive theoretical system for Tibetan medicine and obtained rich clinical experience in the snow-covered plateau. The history of TTM has developed rapidly, especially since the establishment of the People's Republic of China, and remarkable achievements have been made with the great support for ethnic medicines from the Communist Party of China and the central government. In this paper, we give an overview of the history, theoretical system, common treatment methods, current development, and prospects for the future development of TTM.