Chinese Medicine: Past, Present, and Future

What kinds of health problems would you see a TCM practitioner for?

Pain? Insomnia? Infertility?

These are the conditions that are on the forefront of a prospective patient’s mind as they may have seen those examples in television and movies. However, the list of problems that are treatable with Chinese medicine extends far beyond what you would expect.

If we look to Chinese medicine’s past we discover a history of treatment that ranges from imperial doctors to village elders. We see a concise system of medicine that is put to use to treat whatever is presented; whether it is as complex as a stroke or as mundane as athelete’s foot.

In modern times, we find that the Chinese medical worldview is an effective guide to surviving our scattered lives. The frantic pace we maintain and the stress that comes with it gives rise to many common problems. Irritable bowel syndrome, migrane headaches, and fibromyalgia cost our health care system millions through expensive and often inconclusive diagnostic tests. However, the seeminingly simplistic approach of eastern medicine can often diagnose the problem with a trained hand and keen observation and resolve the symptoms with nothing more than a few carefully placed needles.

The future of Chinese medicine is bright. Modern researchers are keen to revisit the classical texts as the philosophies within provide a framework for new discoveries. Quantum physics, psycho-neuroimmunology, and even pharmacology have used the groundwork of Chinese medicine as a starting point for possible breakthroughs.

Check out this article is an example of a classical herbs being used for possible treatment for extreme allergic shock.

http://www.examiner.com/holistic-health-in-salt-lake-city/two-chinese-herbs-prevent-peanut-induced-anaphylaxis

This is a great example of the new directions Chinese medicine is moving in and I can’t wait to see where else it goes.