What influence has Taoism had on Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Taoism has had a profound and systematic influence on TCM. Yin-Yang and Five Elements were not originally Taoist — they were already developed in the Huangdi Neijing — but Taoism systematized these theories and applied them to health cultivation. Ge Hong, Tao Hongjing, and Sun Simiao were both Taoist masters and great physicians, leaving behind medical classics still used today.

"Taoist medicine" (Daoyi) specifically refers to medicine rooted in Taoist theory, adding concepts of jing-qi-shen, dantian, and neidan to the meridian-zangfu framework, emphasizing disease prevention and health cultivation. TCM is the medical manifestation of Taoist philosophy; Taoism is a key practitioner and transmitter of TCM theory.