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Outstanding features of traditional Chinese medicine
Western medicine vs traditional medicine
The importance of understanding cultural differences in the medical environment
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The western and eastern hemispheres have very different approaches to health and medicine. In western hemisphere countries, such as the United States, medical practices are very scientific. Medicines and surgeries are common practices for the treatment of various ailments in western medical practices. Countries in the eastern hemisphere, such as China, are much more spiritual and energy based in their medicine. Many of Chinese medical practices have survived from ancient time because of their success. Unlike western medicine, Chinese medicine embodies the eastern hemispheres belief of strong connections between the mind and body. Both approaches to medicine have certain advances and limitations. The two approaches can even be used with one …show more content…
Chi originated in the center of the body, below the naval, and flows through out the body through meridians. Disruption in the flow of chi can cause many ailment. Instead of the numerous drugs prescribed for illnesses in the western hemisphere, a majority of prescription in China a herbal remedies. A class of medicine, known as “soup medicine”, consists of various plants, seeds, insects, and lizards are prescribed as pills would be in western medicine. They are packaged turned into soup in a “boil the medicine room”, which is comparable to a pharmacy in the United States. Up to sixty pots can be found boiling remedies in this room at any given time. The natural herbs in the mixture are selected without any consideration of their chemical …show more content…
The exercises endorsed by physician in china are not typical aerobic workout. The daily exercises practice locating the chi within one’s and learning how to control it. Tai Chi is a commonly practiced form of martial arts throughout China. Every morning, as the sun rises, parks are flooded with people practicing their skills. Motions exercised are not vigorous or rushed; they are slow and often correspond to the nature around the person practicing. The doctors in this type of medical practice are the teachers of the patient. The goal of the doctor is to teach their patient to control their inner chi and to find the imbalance of chi within the body. Mastery of tai chi required a lot of dedication and mental training. True masters are able to project their chi from their body to the outside world. Chi can become a physical presence in the world. Masters are able to ward of attacks by manipulated the chi of their opponent and using nothing more than the touch of a
Ross defines and differentiates between the terms healing and curing. She recognizes the fact that healing and curing are very intertwined and it can be hard to distinguish between the two terms. There are differences between the definitions in scholarly and general settings. She references an ethnographic study of healing versus curing conducted by anthropologists Andrew Strathern and Pamela Stewart in 1999 with native groups in New Guinea. The results of the study looked at how energy used by the different types of tribal healers to either cure or heal a patient. Eastern medicine focuses on how energy interacts with the healing process in connection within the mind. Whereas Western medicine is focused on the mind and the body separately. The practice is considered a holistic approach to finding cures. According to Ross (2013), healing is more a therapeutic process targeting the whole body and specific illness including emotional, mental, and social aspects in the treatment. The act of curing is a pragmatic approach that focuses on removing the problem all together. The life experiences of a person playing into how well certain treatments will heal or cure what is ailing them. These aspects can not be defined with textbook definitions. The interaction that the healing process has with energy is a variable in the success rate. Uncontrolled emotions can have a greater impact on the inside the body than a person can realize. The exploration of energy interaction within the body can be used for greater analysis of health care systems. (21-22). Are Western healthcare facilities purposely “curing” patients just so that they return are few years later? Is Western Medicine built upon a negative feedback loop? The terminolo...
In Southeastern Asian cultures, coining is a common home remedy used to relieve colds, headaches, and pain. Coining involve using a coin with balm oil to rub repeatedly on skin causing bruising (Nguyen, 1985). In Western medicine, coining is not view as a health benefit, but as health care providers, it is important to interject different beliefs from patients in which we are caring for. According to my grandma, coining is an effective home treatment that has been passed on for many generations. My grandma explained that when someone has a cold, it means the body has caught the wind, thus, we use coining to help scrape the wind away. Parts of our cultural value include curing ourselves of illnesses naturally and not rely on Western medicine. However gradually, I remember my grandma having frequent doctor visits due to her recurrent illnesses. Although my grandma was compliance with going to the doctors, she was stubborn with taking her medications. It was not until after several visits that the doctor became very adamant that her symptoms would get worst if she continues to refuse her medications. The fear of her symptoms will get worst forced her to cooperate. Although my family’s main health belief was coining; however, they accepted Western medicine when coining wasn’t effective.
One of the most relaxing forms of martial arts, T'ai Chi, can help to overcome such problems as arthritis, rheumatism, back problems, lack of balance, high blood pressure, stress, post-traumatic stress, lack of energy, and more. T'ai Chi is a non violent form of the martial arts whose roots are derived from the Chinese and correlated with Traditional Chinese Medicinal techniques. There are many forms of T'ai Chi, including T'ai Chi Chuan and T'ai Chi Chih; all of which have been studied for thousands of years to improve the Chinese way of life. There have been many records of the origin of T'ai Chi reaching as far back as over 3500 years ago. In addition to a Chinese Martial Art, T'ai Chi has origins related to Taoism, which revolved around calmness, "tranquillity of mind," and the improvement of health and persona (wysiwg://25/http://www.spiritweb.org/Spirit/tai-chi.html). Monks employed T'ai Chi as means of be coming more in tune with their bodies and their environment. Therefore, this martial art helped them to "defend themselves against bandits and warlords through physical health and spiritual growth" (http://www.maui.net/~taichi4u/overview.html).
An ancient Chinese proverb proclaims, "Nature, time and patience are the three great doctors". Nowadays more and more people choose to be treated by methods that are not based on Western systematic techniques that are the knowledge and practice of medicine which is usual in the West. These methods are known as “Alternative medicine”, which consists of homeopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic medicine and others. Chinese medicine is also gaining popularity among people. The alternative way of treatment has verified its efficiency and is methodically founded, but, unfortunately, has its little disadvantages and needs a scientific base. For that reason, the alternative medicine is not generally available in all countries, and people have to pay for their individual treatment. Whereas some people consider it an ambiguity and do not dare try it because they consider it might be quite dangerous or insecure, some others just think about it as nonsense and pay little or no attention to it. People who feel anxious or doubtful of it claim that if non-traditional medicine had really worked, then appropriate doctors would have used it. Nevertheless, since the early 1980s, the alternative medicine has become increasingly popular, and although it is not officially accepted by the medical base, some doctors do accept that such methods can be effective in treating some types of illnesses. Moreover, usual medicine has its boundaries, since some illnesses are untreatable and some others which are caused by mental troubles cannot be cured by its methods (Kowalski, 1998).
The philosophy and practice is composed of many different systems of traditional medicine, which are all influenced by prevailing conditions, environment, and geographic area within, where it first evolved into WHO (2005). Although it is a common
Acupuncture originated in China and it has been practice for more than 2000 years now. This modality is considered the main treatment within the traditional Chinese medicine. Its main concept is the conviction that the body possesses hidden channels identified as meridians. These channels allows for the flow of energy which is considered a vital life force through all the body. Acupuncture modality believes that when this energy becomes obstructed or imbalanced, sickness and symptoms can build up. It is only when this energy becomes unblocked by stimulating focal points in the meridians that health can be achieved again (Cherry & Jacob, 2010).
Medical anthropology addresses the symbolic, narrative, and ethical dimension of healing, medicine and medical technology in many different ways. One way they address these dimensions is by exploring how local and international communities view wellness, illness, disease and healing through different perspectives. Their goal is to examine how communities are able to function individually as well as look for themes within the structure and systems of different communities between various cultures. Anthropologists spend a lot of time exploring and discussing the theme of treatment within various communities. The traditional model to exploring this treatment is to look towards the biomedical system, which “employ different explanatory models and idioms to make sense of disease and give meaning to the individual and social experience of illness” (Kleinman 1973: 86), and often leaves out the social, economical and cultural factors that influence the concept of treatment.
In 2015, I was chosen to be part of the USA Team Delegation to attend the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea, as a Medical Intern. There, I was struck by the varied approaches to performance enhancement and the more holistic approach to medicine in general, exemplified through different stretching methods and ways to harness an individual athlete’s chi, or energy. In the Athlete’s Village, I experienced acupuncture from a smiling Korean doctor as he explained how they try to use less prescription medicine for their
The direct relationship between one and the ability to restore one's body to its original state of health may never be fully comprehended. The fields of medicine and health are two most paramount features affecting the daily lives of all beings. Throughout recorded history, various cultures concoct their own methods of alternative medicine for treatment and therapy which is then relied on by todays nations. Medicine in its earliest times begins with the ancient civilizations' assimilation with the world around and their beliefs on how things function. Ancient Greek medicine may have began with spiritual beliefs but Greek practitioners had steered the medical profession in the right direction for modern times.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine (WM) differ from each other in many ways. TCM favors a holistic approach, views the universe and body philosophically and develops inductive tools and methods to guide restoring the total balance of the body. In Chinese medicine, the correct balance between Yin and Yang make up the vital energy, Qi, an essential life-sustaining substance of which all things are made. Some Traditional remedies include herbal medicines, acupuncture, massage and moxibustion, an herbal heat therapy. Western medicine is closely linked to the scientific method and emphasizes biochemical processes causes disease, its treatment and health. This form of treatment views all medical phenomena as cause-effect sequences and relies on drugs, radiation and surgery to alleviate symptoms and cure diseases. As you see, the two types of medicine are completely challenged differently depending on the doctor, the diagnosis, and the treatment options. All of these are completely different when compared with each other.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction [NCCAM Backgrounder]. (n.d.).National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [NCCAM] - nccam.nih.gov Home Page. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm
Every year, approximately 230, 000 to 400. 00 deaths are caused by iatrogenic deaths ( in other words, these are deaths caused by wrong medical treatments). Two of the prominent yet some what contrasting types of medicine are, Ayurveda, the Indian traditional medicine, and Modern (aka western) medicine. Both of these have their own processes and methods of healing, which over the years have created their own followers. While Ayurveda addresses the root causes of the disease through identifying the imbalances in the elements, called “Doshas”, it also emphasizes on a spiritual lifestyle which for most people in today's world is a sea change. On the other hand, western medicine addresses the symptoms and provides instant albeit temporary relief for suffering. Needless to say there are more followers of the western medicine due to its immediate impact on subsiding the pain. Out of lack of awareness to the significance of traditional medicine, especially Ayurveda, many doctors and researchers are against the use of Ayurvedic and traditional medicines, which limits the potential of curing certain ailments of patients without additional side effects.
When you are sick you take medicine, but there are many remedies for the same problems. The use of herbal remedies traces back to the Chinese in the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well by a compiled book in China written back more than 2,000 years ago (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). Modern medicine has roots that are more recent in the development and production of synthesize drugs (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). The old generations took herbal remedies to improve their health, but now as time and people, progressed modern medicine comes on top. Herbal and modern medicines have good and bad points, but one has qualities that are more effective.
Over the centuries, ancients made use of several treatment methods. Two of them are modern medicine and traditional medicine. Alternative medicine is older than modern one. That effective therapy has used for many centuries on the patience when modern medicine has not occurred in the world. Because it has improved in China, it can be called Traditional Chinese Medicine. In contrast, modern medicine has been in used since 1900’s. In this system, drugs’ testes are done in safety laboratories with care and nicety, and their side effects are located before they are given to the patient. However, sometimes the side effects are not blocked so, people have to take another pill to get better. It makes people to take more chemicals into their bodies. Further, modern medicine has splendid efficacy on the fatal diseases. Even, alternative medicine which people’s ancestors utilized stayed in the background when modern medicine has just found, it works at the present time efficaciously. ****** Therefore, using alternative medicine is more helpful to get better than modern medicine because there are fewer drugs, side effects; there is placebo effect and holistic therapy.
On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as: The sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicit or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. (Zhang, 2000, p. 1) Traditional medicine is very different from modern medicine, and without disputing the benefits to modern medicine, it is essential to recognize the positive impact traditional medicine has upon people worldwide. A large aspect of traditional medicine is the usage of medicinal plants, which are the focus of this report.