April 3, 2015 by Ndey Kumba Demba
Traditional Chinese medicine is perhaps, one of the most
controversial treatment methods of our time
It has undergone and is undergoing more scrutiny in recent
times than it did more than two thousand years ago when it was first used in
China. This is largely due to the fact that the practice has spread over the
years and has reached many parts of the world, notably, the United States where
many people are still divided on the treatment and its effectiveness.
The skepticism that arises concerning the various treatment
methods is heavily reliant on the fact that the treatments are not
scientifically proven. It is even harder today, to determine the effectiveness
of the treatments because remedies are tailored to fit a particular person’s
needs at a single point in time, so this makes it difficult to evaluate the
practice by Western standards. However, with all the controversies surrounding
the practice, some people are more reliant on the treatment and have seen success.
Traditional Chinese medicines use techniques and methods
such as acupuncture, herbal medicines, massage therapy and the energy therapy
known as Qi Gong. Among the following methods, the most used and least
controversial in the U.S. are acupuncture and massage therapy. Acupuncture is
often used as an anesthetic or pain treatment, and massage is used to remove
pain and blockages to the Qi flow while manipulating vital point along the
meridians. For some people however, especially firm believers of traditional
Chinese medicine, this method of treatment is more effective than Western
medicine. One such believer is Jennifer Jordan.
Jennifer Jordan was featured in an article titled “Facing
East Intrigued By The Promise Of Traditional Chinese Medicine” in a heath
journal in 2001 explaining how Chinese medications has worked for her for over
the five year period she started using it. On a particular day featured in the
article, her allergies were in “full bloom.” She had blemishes and described
her digestion as “sluggish.” Jordan had an appointment with Hong Jin, dean of
faculty, Oregon College and herbal medicine practitioner. Before meeting with
Jin, she answered pages of questions pertaining to illnesses, medications,
family history, sleep patterns, frequency of urination, moods, the color of her
menstrual blood, the number of blankets on her bed, the type of food she eats
and her cravings.
Her examination with Jin included a check of her pulse,
tongue examination, nails and lower eyelids. Jin said after the examination:
“Most of your symptoms reflect a lack of rest, not enough sleep. I can treat
your body, but I cannot treat your life.” A week after taking her herbs,
Jordan’s face was blemish-free, breathes deeply without a wheeze. She was
quoted saying, “the herbs really help. Plus, they remind me to pay attention to
my body.”
May Loo, a pediatrician and acupuncturist who teaches at
Stanford University was also quoted on the article saying, “My acupuncture
patients used to be people who are turning away from conventional things, in
medicine and lifestyles. Now the interest is mainstream, from CEOs to
janitors.” Loo empathized the need to leave the western mind-set behind and the
theory of germ if one is to use herbs properly.
Contrary to the beliefs of Jordan, Jin and Loo, some people
believe that Chinese medicine is deeply flawed. One such person is Yao Gong
Zhong, a professor of history and philosophy of science at the Central South
University in Hunan, China. Zhong is at the forefront of the anti-traditional
Chinese medicine and calls it “a lie that has been fabricated with no
scientific proof.” According to Zhong, for many pain treatments, the relief is
not physical but psychological, adding that most cures are based on “illogical
cultural beliefs.” Also at the center of this argument is the various animals
used in the preparation of medicines. For example rhinoceros and other
endangered animals are extinct in China because they are sought after for
medicinal purposes. Since they are extinct in China, they are illegally bought
from other places like Africa.
Since it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of
Chinese medicines, because treatment is individual, it is likely that this
practice will be debated for a very long, one side believing and the other
disbelieving. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal choice and what
works for whom.
Source of the article is here.
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