Acupuncture Vs Chinese Herbal Medicine

In modern medicine, alternative therapies are poorly understood and studied. The preference for alternative therapies, and herbal medicine were indicated, and the fear of relinquishing information regarding these practices were almost paralyzing. It seemed as though they were ashamed to admit to cultural healing practices, and did not divulge information to practitioners regarding their usage. The cultural disconnect was present as alternative/complimentary medicines are valued as a culture, and “modern” practitioners cast judgment on their usage. This perceived stigma additionally limited the information shared by the cultural participants with modern medical treatments, potentially causing additional harm, as some herbals are potentially toxic.

There are still many people on both sides of the spectrum that are skeptical about treatment methods that differ from what they are used to. The validity of an herbal healer in the western world is more likely to be questioned than that of a medical doctor; while in the east, families may have been seeing a healer for decades and are more likely to question the validity of a doctor practicing western

An fascinating part of alternative medicine, and a popular method of debunking alternative medicine, is the psychological anomaly of the placebo effect. Interestly enough, this mainly arises around the subject of acupuncture and acupressure, both of which are within the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) category of CAM. Acupuncture is a practice which gained popularity within the United States as the story of a man name James Reston’s experience story spread like a wildfire across the nation. He had received an operation to remove his appendix while spending time, living in China. For the operation he was given standard drugs to serve as an anesthetic to numb any pain he may feel during the surgery, but it was his out of hospital care which he would report back to the US. After the

This issue of campus carry has been around for a long while, because some people believe that guns ensure safety and others believe they bring danger. While on one side, there are pro-gun activists who want to see the college community safe from crime, on the other side stand the peace activists who want to prevent violence on campus caused by guns. The controversy has been brought into the light of the media recently with UT Austin’s legalization of concealed handguns on campus.

Having spent my early years in China, I grew up with both the Western medicine that my parents practiced and Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been passed down for thousands of years. When I got sick, I took painkillers and antibiotics as well as herbal medicine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, diseases is thought to be due to imbalance of the life energy force qi. While I know about its curative treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and cupping, I have always felt it has a greater emphasis on preventing disease from occurring in the first place. A vital part of Traditional Chinese medicine is eating a balanced diet as well as meditating and exercise. I can’t speak to the effective of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating disease, but its doctrines promotes a healthy lifestyle with little reliance on actual medication. Medical care in China is also more hospital based than that in the US. There were very few primary care physicians in China, so people needed to go to the hospital if they wish to see a physician. With large population, wealth disparity between rural and urban area and the sheer expense of medical care, it made sense why some people continued relying on Traditional Medicine. My upbring meant that I was exposed to and more importantly can appreciate that there might different approaches to

Licensed acupuncturists and herbalists in New York State have the role of offering affordable traditional healthcare services. They use the doctrines of oriental medicine where they examine a patient by looking asking relevant questions and touching them to be able to record a whole case history. Acupuncturists and herbalists are autonomous care providers, and hence a patient does not require a referral from the doctor to receive treatment from the practitioner in New York (Bao et al., 2013). Licensed herbalists and acupuncturists have the role of advising patients of the circumstances under which and the importance of seeing a physician at given times. In this sense, herbalist and acupuncturists in New

Despite the growing evidence that many ailments respond positively to acupuncture, much of the Western World remains incredulous as to its healing abilities. The centuries-old Chinese practice of acupuncture, rooted in 'non-scientific' and 'non-Western' thought and medicine, has burgeoned during the late-twentieth century trend towards 'alternative medicines.' Numerous clients readily attest to the positive effects of acupuncture in treating such conditions as postoperative pain, asthma, and drug addiction. Even so, many people are skeptical that placing hair-thin needles into one's skin in an effort to change the flow of 'Qi'(pronounced Ch'i) through mystical pathways in

The Chinese culture is rooted around the medical tradition that illness is a state of cacophony clashing with the natural and social environment. This tradition is called systematic correspondence and it sums up the Chinese medical model with a goal of reinstating harmony and balance. Solutions are to return patients to a previously healthy state using herbal medicine, moxibustion, acupuncture and massage therapy. Moxibustion uses dried plant leaves ignited and held close to the skin to bring about the flow of Qi. The terms caring and curing are used interchangeably and represent the unmistakable mandate that the person as a whole is to be cared for, not only the ailment.

In addition an article I found reiterated that folk medicine has been implemented by Mexicans for many generations and is intertwined in their country’s history. The areas in Mexico that are urbanized use modern health treatment methods to treat ill residents and in contrast locations that are categorized as rural are more prone to depending upon folk medicine to aid sick individuals. I perceive that global countries which are highly industrialized would not regularly implement this form of medical treatment and instead prefer to use contemporary health care to treat illnesses. Therefore people within the United States that may reside in a rural area and do not have instant accessibility to affordable health care options and believe in alternative care options could facilitate the usage of folk medicine to help varying forms of sickness. “Contrary to those beliefs, however, traditional medicine has proven to be quite effective in treating both chronic diseases and psychological problems, especially those associated with stress, which frequently stem from social alienation, anxiety or loss of self-esteem. In light of the benefits of traditional medicine, many Asian, African and South American countries have allowed the development of a dual system of medical care in which individuals can

People coming from different parts of world have unique health risks as compared to the residents of the United States. But the risk of certain diseases increases when people stay in USA for long period of time. For example, the incidence of breast cancer is low in Africa and Asia, so the immigrants of from these countries may not understand the importance of yearly mammogram and may become non-compliant. Each culture has its theory about sickness and its cure. For example, in Chinese culture hot and cold types of foods are used to treat different diseases. In Indian culture, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Acupuncture, and Naturopathy are alternative medicines recognized by the Government to treat diseases. “Having knowledge of the patient's cultural perspectives enables the nurse to provide more effective and appropriate care” (Maier-Lorentz, 2008, p. 38).

One important aspect of Chinese culture is Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. Chinese medicine has been around for quite awhile, and is still around today. In the United States, we see it as acupuncture and massage. TCM is still widely popular in its home country where it is still practiced as it was a few centuries ago. Chinese medicine is evolving to our modern day times, but it is keeping close ties to its roots. Chinese medicine is also becoming more affluent in different parts of the globe. It is a major part of Chinese history and culture, and the people who participate in it do so with great respect. With Chinese medicine, there is great history, procedures, risks, and how it lives in the modern world.

Acupuncture first originated in China, but spread to Japan, Korea, and Asia. Europeans were introduced to it around the seventeenth century. Chinese medicine was not accepted immediately because of the sanitation problems, which will be discussed later. Acupuncture derived from Taoism, “a religion of unity and opposites” (British Broadcasting Company). Taoism teaches about two major concepts: Yin and Yang, and Qi. Many Chinese people also believe these concepts as truth.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which involves “the implantation of needles to different depths at a great variety of points on the surface of the human body”, in order to “stimulate deep-lying nerve-endings” and regulate “the circulation of qi and blood round the body ” (Lu & Needham, 2002:1). The history of acupuncture can be traced back to the Stone Age according to archaeological discoveries and the earliest available records of its principles, theories and applications can be found in the canonical TCM text Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Chang & Zhang, 2012:37). For the following 2,500 years, acupuncture has been continuously passed on alongside other components of TCM. Nowadays, acupuncture is widely practiced in the East and become increasingly popular in the West. Many Western scholars attempt to separate acupuncture from TCM paradigm and use modern “scientific” methods to reveal its underlying mechanisms, but so far, such studies have not yielded sufficient evidence to support its “scientificity”. Thus, it has been labelled as “pseudoscience” or “quackery” (Ulett & Schwarts, 1982; Skrabanek, 1988; Renckens, 2002; Ernst, 2010; Pandolfi & Carreras, 2014; and Wikipedia ).

From curing Malaria to relieving migraines, and lowing blood pressure Traditional Chinese Medicine has been widely used around the world for all sorts of ailments. Their unique and natural treatments are appealing to many but the lack of evidence and horror stories seem to cast a dark shadow over TMC, making it not nearly as popular in the Western world as it is in China and the rest of Asia. Although Traditional Chinese Medicine has been ridiculed for years for their unconventional ways of healing, scientific studies and personal accounts demonstrate the minds deep connection to the body opening up an alternative yet valid form of medicine.

Historically, ayurveda can be linked to India. The Hindu culture practiced ayurveda faithfully. However, there was no tangible evidence of such practices until there was a historic meeting in the Himalayas where it was decided that literature would be created to support ayurveda (Tillotson, Caldecott, & Bajracharya, 2011). There were numerous doctrines created to address every point of health and wellness from internal medicine to surgery (Tillotson, Caldecott, & Bajracharya, 2011). Over thousands of years, ayurveda has pervaded much of eastern civilization. Western society has started to incorporate alternative medicine in