Who or What is the Barefoot Doctor

Barefoot Doctor manual for techniques on healingThe story of the Barefoot Doctor begins with Traditional Chinese Medicine, but native healers around the world like village medicine women or tribal shamans serve a similar function.

The Barefoot Doctor is traditionally a folk healer who helps the country’s people regain their health in areas where there is little access to medicine. In China, in the 1950s and 1960s, most rural villages had a Barefoot Doctor who used herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and other methods as primary health care. These were usually farmers who were trained like medics, rather than city trained doctors.

When Traditional Chinese Medicine begin to be introduced to the West in the 1980s, one of the first books that students read was A Barefoot Doctor’s Manual, a translation of a Chinese paramedical text that explained herbs and acupuncture. The ideas, herbs, and techniques from this book, and others like it, are still being taught in acupuncture schools, and being used by such practitioners as martial artists, herbalists, and massage therapists.

Barefoot Doctor techniques
A Barefoot Doctor performs acupuncture on a farmer

Over the years many of the public have been introduced to Chinese herbs by practitioners, and books, and realize how simple and effective herbs are. It is our goal to give people easy access to these remarkable “barefoot” remedies from China. We encourage our customers and clients to become their own Barefoot Doctors by learning about and using Chinese herbs for themselves, their friends and families.

Chinese herbs, such as patent remedies, are effective over the counter (OTC) remedies for many health conditions. They can be used safely without esoteric diagnostic methods like pulse or face reading. This, we believe, is in the spirit of the Barefoot Doctor, bringing simple health solutions to the People. As a famous herbalist once said, “There should be an herbalist in every home and a master herbalist in every community.”

You can read more about the Barefoot Doctors of China in this article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_doctor