There are lots of contradictions in such question: would you like to trust a traditional Chinese doctor when you actually got a fever? None of my classmates in previous school would do. Although there is much effort we need to do to fully trust mechanisms of those treatment offered by Traditional Chinese Medicine,(TCM), there is also a growing body of solid proof that indicating some treatments, like acupuncture and herbal medicine, are supported as effective as western medicine by many research.
First, to clear what TCM is, TCM originated in ancient China, and has been developed for thousands years. Basically, TCM doctor use herbal medicine, mind and body practice to treat or to prevent healthy problem. Here in America, there are probably not many authentic TCM practitioners. Most of wield guys you see in china town are possible liars. TMC is not about taking your pulse and telling you how much Yin or Yang or, similarly, how much hot or cold in your body. That would be some old-school science which western doctors might have done 1000 years ago when they diagnose Humours.
It is undeniable that western medicine is effective and faster, but its effects accompanied with harm of some certain organs, then lead the immune regulation system out of balance. That’s why whoever eats too much pills would turn pale and easily get sick. Unlike those purely symptomatic treatments, TMC’s essence is based on the same thing as the Chinese philosophy—”balance”. TMC emphasizes a comprehensive nursing of our body as a whole. For example. Dietary considerations have always held central importance in Chinese medicine. Before other kind of intervention, Traditional Chinese doctors always tend first to their patient’s diet. By adjusting patients’ diet, it is possible to change Yin and Yang in your body. Thus TMC practitioners would help maintaining the balance by suing other substance interfering. Basically, Chinese dietary Therapies are science teaching you how to eat healthily.
Acupuncture are the other way of TMC treatment, it is about insertion of very fine needles through the skin at some certain points on the body with the intention to relief the pain. In TMC theory, acupuncture is based on channel network theory of Qi, the circulating life force. Qi tends to collect and travel along with a certain pattern called Jing Luo. At the places where Qi collect, those are the “meridians” of acupu
ncture. The recent study found that the Jing Luo theory are corresponding with Gate theory of pain.
Acupuncture excites the pain inhibitor
y nerve fibers for a short period of time, thereby blocking pain, but the effects of acupuncture can last for some months after the acupuncture needle has been removed. Another way to explain is counter pain: If pain is created in one part of the body then pain experienced in another part of the body is not noticed. However, there is no explanation about the long term effect of acupuncture in some type of serious pain.
Conclusively, Chinese medicine may have much to offer us in a sense that we could not explain right now.. Actually, the matter is that TMC does work in many aspects, and has been shown to do so. TMC teach us how to prevent illness and disease, how to optimize our health, and how to enhance our being. Looking at those things, it’s never bad to learn good stuffs, right?
work cited:
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm
Being Chinese, I can attest to the numerous times my mother made me take Chinese medicine. One quote I find to be intriguing is “It is undeniable that western medicine is effective and faster, but its effects accompanied with harm of some certain organs, then lead the immune regulation system out of balance. That’s why whoever eats too much pills would turn pale and easily get sick.” I find this quote to be extremely relatable, because my mother had said the same thing. I guess only time can tell if TCM is effective or superstitious.
Hi, I’ve also write a topic about Traditional Chinese Medicine, I think TCM should be clarified as pseudoscience, you can see more information in the blog I wrote here