Chinese Medicine
- TCM Theory
- Acupuncture
- Auricular Acupuncture
- Chinese Herbology
- Pathologies and Patterns
- Eastern Nutrition
- Tuina (bodywork)
TCMcentral's Library
Acupuncture Directory
by Susan Schiff, M.S., L.Ac.
"My doctor says I have to live with it."
The symptoms: Migraines, reflux, arthritis, back pain, irritable bowel, anxiety, hot flashes, insomnia, depression, the list goes on and on. The prescriptions: Imitrex, singulair, vioxx, flexeril, prepulsid, prilosec, prozac, buspar, ativan, zoloft, premarin, paxil, zorvirax, the list goes on and on and on.
Are prescription drugs the language of health? It is the ability to mask what is really wrong and treat only the symptoms.
If your symptoms go away, does that mean you're all better, that you're healthy?
Why an alternative method?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) presents a rich and vast medical history that finds its foundation in wellness and prevention. To fully understand this concept, imagine that you have a family of four. every week you pay your doctor $5.00 per person as long as they remain healthy. That's $20 per week or $80 per month for a family of four. When your nine-year old daughter catches a cold, you call your doctor. He treats your daughter for free, and does not get paid as long as she is sick. He does not treat her fever or her cough or her runny nose, as they are all symptoms. He treats the underlying weakness in her system that allowed her to get sick in the first place.
Yes, the cough, fever and runny nose will resolve but the TCM doctor wants to be reasonably sure that two weeks from now your daughter does not relapse. She may be on a custom herbal formula for two to four weeks although she may appear without the symptoms after just a few days.
The intent is to bring the body back into balance, to keep the immune system strong and to get paid every week because his patients are well.
Wouldn't we all have more confidence in our healthcare practitioners if health and wellness were their true motivation?
Each medical modality presents both benefits and limitations. Western medicine has had a tremendous impact on our lives, and we have all derived great value from its superior diagnostics, crisis intervention as well as pharmaceutical advances, but it does have it's limitations. TCM does not stand alone in this principle. Chiropractic, Homeopathic, and Naturopathic schools of thought all embrace wellness as a foundation.
As we continue to live longer lives, we must accept individual responsibility for our health care decisions. The next time your doctor says 'You have to live with it'...understand that you might have exhausted his/her ability to help you, but it does not mean that you can't be helped through alternative methods. Instead of refilling a prescription for the rest of your life you just might want to rethink the future of your health.
