Discover a groundbreaking medical system that personalizes treatment by understanding the body's constitutional blueprint.
Eight-Constitution Medicine of Korea: Principles and Practice of Constitutional Acupuncture and Dietary Therapy introduces an innovative clinical model developed by Dr. Do-won Kuon, which classifies individuals into eight constitutional types based on the functional balance of their internal organs.
Bridging Eastern tradition and modern clinical insight, this book presents the theoretical foundations and real-world applications of Constitution-Acupuncture-a treatment system that aligns meridian therapy with constitutional diagnosis-and Constitutional Diet, which prescribes food as medicine tailored to the individual's type.
Designed for a global audience of Korean Medicine practitioners, acupuncturists, integrative physicians, healthcare students, and open-minded readers, this text combines diagnostic theory, treatment strategy, and clinical cases to guide safe and effective care.
Whether you're seeking to expand your practice, deepen your understanding of personalized medicine, or explore the future of integrative health, this book offers an essential and accessible entry point into one of Korea's most sophisticated medical innovations.
Joo, Suk-Won: - Dr. Suk-won Joo is a licensed doctor of Korean Medicine specializing in Eight-Constitution Medicine-a unique, personalized medical system developed in Korea that treats patients based on their innate constitutional structure. I have been practicing at Joowonjang Clinic of Korean Medicine since 2000, following a six-year medical program at Dongshin University. Prior to this, I earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University, an academic foundation that profoundly shaped my approach to medicine. The book offers a comprehensive and scientific exposition of Eight-Constitution Medicine (ECM), a clinical system that mathematically defines human constitutions and prescribes targeted acupuncture and dietary strategies. It introduces a groundbreaking tool-the Five-Phase Operation Method-which applies mathematical principles to constitutional acupuncture, offering quantifiable and reproducible treatment guidelines. In doing so, it bridges Eastern medical wisdom and Western scientific methodology. His engineering background has enabled him to interpret the classical ECM framework through the lens of physics and systems science. This book not only presents the theoretical foundation but also includes practical protocols, clinical case studies, and an updated constitutional diet chart. It is accessible to professionals, students, and general readers seeking integrative medical knowledge.
Kim, Young-Oak: - Doh-ol Young-oak Kim, the author Joo's teacher, is a world-renowned Korean philosopher in the fields of Chinese and Korean philosophy and public intellectual. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Korea University, his M.A. in Philosophy from National Taiwan University, and an M.A. in Chinese Philosophy from the University of Tokyo. He later earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Harvard University. Upon his return to Korea, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy at Korea University in 1982, where he began his academic career in effect in Korea. In 1986, under the harsh oppression of the Doo-hwan Chun's military dictatorship, he resigned from his professorship after issuing a "Declaration of Conscience," stating that he could no longer teach students as a scholar and mentor-a courageous act that intellectually and politically enlightened the Korean people. In 1990, he entered the College of Korean Medicine at Wonkwang University to explore the fundamental principles of the human body through Eight-Constitution Medicine and obtained a degree and a medical license in Korean Medicine in 1996.Under his academic influence, Dr. Joo also enrolled in the College of Korean Medicine at Dongshin University in 1993. When he established Doh-ol Academy, dedicated to educating young people who would lead future Korea, Dr. Joo joined the academy and studied Eastern and Western classics and philosophy under his guidance. After graduating from the College of Korean Medicine, Dr. Joo served as the director of Doh-ol Clinic of Korean Medicine, a clinic he founded in Daehak-ro, Seoul. There, I practiced as a doctor of Korean Medicine for three years, learning Eight-Constitution Medicine directly from him.Doh-ol Young-oak Kim is widely regarded as one of the most influential scholars in Korea, significantly impacting various fields such as Eastern and Western philosophy, religion, culture, journalism, arts, and so on, through his extensive writings and lectures.
Kuon, Do-Won: - Do-won Kwon, K.M.D. (1921-2022) was a pioneering Korean Medicine doctor and the founder of Eight-Constitution Medicine (ECM), an innovative medical system that classifies human physiological types into eight constitutional categories based on organ dynamics. His work profoundly reshaped modern Korean Medicine by introducing a mathematically structured, individualized approach to diagnosis, acupuncture, and dietary therapeutics.Dr. Kuon devoted his entire career to clinical practice, research, and teaching. Over more than five decades, he conducted extensive empirical studies on constitutional differences, developing the Constitution-Acupuncture Treatment, a method that adjusts organ-function imbalance through precise stimulation of constitution-specific acupoints.He founded Jaesun Clinic of Eight-Constitution Medicine, trained hundreds of practitioners in Korea and abroad, and authored foundational theses on ECM that continue to serve as core references for clinicians. His clinical insights, based on tens of thousands of patient cases, established Eight-Constitution Medicine as one of the most influential modern developments within Korean integrative medicine.Respected by scholars, physicians, and students alike, Dr. Kuon is remembered as a visionary who sought to unify traditional Eastern medical principles with scientific rigor, offering a new pathway toward personalized, constitution-based healthcare.
