What is the most common reason why modern people consult a Chinese medicine practitioner?
According to surveys, more than 50% of patients who have consulted a Chinese medicine practitioner have done so because of musculoskeletal problems such as back pain.
In fact, the scope of diseases treated by Chinese medicine practitioners is not limited to this.
Chinese medicine can also regulate various difficult and complicated diseases, such as infertility, gynaecological problems, digestive problems, skin diseases, insomnia, autonomic nerve problems, anxiety, and paediatrics, etc., which can all be improved with the help of Chinese medicine.
Currently, Chinese medicine has accumulated a lot of treatment experience for the following diseases:
All kinds of short-term and long-term pain, including muscle, tendon and joint pain, headache, migraine, stomach pain, abdominal pain, neuralgia, urinary tract infection and hemorrhoids.
Gynaecological problems: such as menstrual pain, excessive or insufficient menstrual bleeding, irregular menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, chocolate cysts or uterine fibroids, leucorrhoea and other gynaecological problems, Chinese medicine can regulate and improve, and can also be used in conjunction with Western medicine for follow-up examinations.
Infertility: Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can improve the chances of conception. Recent studies have shown that acupuncture and Chinese medicine can improve the chances of conception. A 2011 Australian study showed that after four months of treatment for infertility with Chinese medicine, the success rate of conception was twice that of taking Western medicine or undergoing artificial insemination. (Daily Mail Australia, 2011)
Modern Chinese medicine is adept at precisely grasping and analysing changes in the menstrual cycle, identifying the causes of infertility, and achieving the goal of smooth ovulation and pregnancy by regulating the menstrual cycle.
Chinese medicine is also very helpful in improving the success rate of IVF. Research reports have pointed out that IVF patients who also receive acupuncture treatment can increase the chance of conception from 42.5% to 64.7%. Chinese medicine can also counteract the physiological changes caused by ovulation drugs, reducing side effects such as severe nausea and vomiting. This makes infertility treatment less painful for patients and more sustainable. (Judith et al., 2009)
Skin problems: Acne, eczema, psoriasis, roseola, urticaria, etc. Chinese medicine can treat the symptoms and the root cause of the problem at different stages. Treatment begins with relieving the symptoms, and once the symptoms are under control, the constitution is toned to achieve a longer-term solution to the problem, reducing or even eliminating the need for long-term use of steroids or antihistamines.
Integrative Chinese and Western medicine cancer treatments can improve patient survival rates, while also reducing the discomfort and after-effects of various Western medical treatments, and improving the patient’s quality of life.
Digestive problems: such as gastroesophageal reflux, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, etc., Chinese medicine can quickly relieve symptoms using acupuncture and herbs. Generally, after an appropriate course of treatment, in conjunction with the doctor’s orders, changing eating habits and lifestyle, the symptoms can be stopped without treatment and the symptoms will not recur.
Allergic diseases: Western medicine can only use antihistamines or steroids to provide short-term relief of symptoms, such as eczema, dyshidrotic dermatitis, hay fever, and asthma. Chinese medicine, through different stages of symptomatic and radical treatment and recuperation, can often achieve better and long-term control of allergic symptoms.
Autonomic nerve problems: Chinese medicine has a good effect on treating irritable bowel syndrome, as shown in this research result published in the American Journal of Medicine in 1998.
The research method was to divide IBS patients into three groups: one group took the same Chinese medicine, the other group was given different Chinese medicines according to their constitution, and the last group was given a placebo. The results showed that the conditions of the first two groups of patients were better than the placebo, and the treatment effect of administering medicine according to individual constitution lasted longer.
Treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes: At present, Chinese medicine is still unable to cure diabetes and hypertension, but it can alleviate the possible side effects of chronic diseases, such as numbness in the hands and feet in diabetes patients, to improve the quality of life.
Pregnancy and postpartum care: Traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on the physical conditioning of pregnant women during pregnancy, reducing the discomfort of morning sickness and giving the fetus a more stable prenatal growth. And during the postpartum confinement period, Chinese medicine plays an important role in restoring the health of the mother.
Blocked and inflamed breasts after childbirth: It is common for women to experience blocked and inflamed breasts after childbirth, with the breasts becoming hard as stones, or so painful that breastfeeding becomes impossible. Chinese medicine can be used to improve the situation with breast milk production or breast milk unblocking formulas, keeping the breasts unblocked and relieving the pain.
Chinese medicine focuses on a holistic approach to treatment
Why is it that Chinese medicine can deal with these difficult and seemingly incurable diseases?
Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths and different ways of thinking, providing alternative possibilities for treating diseases. Chinese and Western diagnoses are different. For example, when observing a tree, Western medicine focuses on the changes in the tree itself, from the structure of cells to microtubules, and can be cut and fixed at the finest level, but it cannot deal with the uncertain or invisible.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a holistic approach that looks at the environment surrounding the tree, including the state of the soil, the tree’s position in the forest and the impact of climate change on it. It pays great attention to dynamic balance. Chinese and Western medicine are fundamentally two completely different ideas and philosophies. There is no way to compare who is better. We need to respect each other. What can cure the disease is a good skill.
