Traditional Chinese Medicine (including Acupuncture)
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is the longest, professionally practised healing system in the history of the world with literature that dates back close to 2500 years. It is estimated that one third of the world's population uses some form of TCM making Chinese medicine one of the most dominant medicines even today.
Created by some of the cleverest Chinese scholars, TCM theory and clinical experiences have been carefully recorded and passed down through the generations in a series of books. The difference between Modern Chinese medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine is that TCM is based upon the study of Classical texts. TCM practitioners believe that failure to maintain these historical ideas and theories leads to a weak blending of western methodologies and practises with Chinese acupuncture locations and herbs. With this "blending" you may get lucky and have success but meet with an obstacle, and you have no clear way to decide what to do next in a treatment. Those options are discussed in classical text and based in TCM theories from hundreds, even thousands, of years ago.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has a wide and varied approach in treating all conditions except perhaps fast moving infections and surgeries. If you show up in the clinic with a fast moving infection like flesh eating disease, or an appendix which may burst, don't be surprised to be sent to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. TCM is not a heroic medicine but it is natural, well documented and if applied with wisdom it is side effect free.
You don't have to believe in Chinese medicine for it to work. It's not a case of mind over matter. You do have to cooperate with your practitioner during the consultation process and follow their recommendations. Some conditions only require a few visits. I have even had the experience of a patient failing to return for a second visit, only to learn years later that the condition resolved itself after a single appointment. Some conditions require 2 or 3 courses of 12 visits each. Some patients cannot be cured but do feel better and more balanced as a result of the treatments. Everyone heals at their own personal pace, just as everyone evolves a discomfort or a disease around their own personal circumstances. Plan on four visits to start, then speak to your practitioner about how your treatments are progressing and how often you should schedule a visit. As you start feeling better and better, you can plan more time between visits or move on to the next issue you'd like help with. TCM can handle a surprising number of issues. The Conditions/Diseases page contains a list the world health organization has approved in terms of treatable conditions for acupuncture. For anything else we can also use herbal formulas and food cures, Tuina massage, taichi, qigong, etc.
