Chinese Herbal Therapies and the American Traditional Practice of Medicine - Case Study Example

Traditional medicine all over the world, be it American, Chinese or Indian, has its roots in the traditions, earth, existence, humanity and the universe.  These medicines focus on over-all healing, which includes harmony of the mind, body and the soul. Healing occurs when someone is restored to harmony and connected to universal powers (AIDS InfoNet, 2005). This is holistic healing or spiritual healing and its focus is on the person rather than the disease. These healing systems, which are away from the western science or medicine has been given the name of ‘alternative medicine’ and today has coverage under employers health care plans (William, 1999). The terms "alternative medicine," "complementary medicine," or "unconventional medicine" refer to diagnostic methods, treatments and therapies that appear not to conform to standard medical practice, or are not generally taught at accredited medical schools (AMA, 1997). This essay will compare the history and the training for acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapies with the American traditional practice of medicine. According to the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) traditional healing has been defined as “practices designed to promote mental, physical, and spiritual well-being that are based on beliefs which go back to the time before the spread of western ‘scientific’ bio-medicine (cited by Hill, 2003). The American traditional medicine is not based on western science. It is based on the understanding that man is part of nature and health is a matter of balance (Health & Healing, 2003). It is based on the belief that natural world cannot be perceived by the external eye or technology. Nature has unseen but compelling forces which has to be experienced directly and intuitively. It is based on the beliefs held by the tribes, where the members of the tribes are recognized as healers. On the other hand, "Chinese medicine," often called "Oriental medicine" or "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)," encompasses a vast array of folk medical practices based on mysticism (Barrett, n.d.). There is no formal course or written guidelines for the American traditional medicine. These are handed down from one generation to the next, through visions, stories and dreams. Each individual is treated different and the healers use their intuition and the power as necessary. Native Americans prefer traditional healing but of late traditional Native American healing practices are being requested by Native Americans and non-Natives alike (Madrona, 1994). Some hospitals have also included Native American healers as their staff. Traditional American medicine relies heavily on symbolism, especially with reference to gods associated with healing says, the Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon (Dharmananda). This is based on the dynamic energy system and relies on faith and prayer. The development of the inner self reflects in the outer world. A fire on the mountains symbolizes agony within a person and the rain quenches the fire, which means the agony is dissipated. The fire and the rain are the internal processes of the person (Madrona). According to Samuel Thompson, an expert in roots and herbs, disease was the result of a decrease or derangement of the vital fluids, brought about by a loss of animal heat and believed that vital energy could be restored by means of steam baths and cayenne (Capsicum annum), (VHS, 1996). A Traditional Medicine Congress (2004) was sponsored by eight national organizations. This was to set the standards, arrange certification or accreditation for health care professionals involved in traditional practice of medicine. The goal of the Traditional Medicines Congress is to benefit public health by ensuring access to traditional medicines in a manner that provides a reasonable expectation of public safety. While formalizing American Traditional Medicine is only a recent phenomenon, teaching TCM is more than 50 years old. China Academy of TCM was started in 1955 and is the largest most important national center for research, health care and teaching (CATCM, 1996). Scientific research is a major task of this Academy. TCM is a system of health care based on the standardization of medical practices that originated in China 2500 years ago. Two classic medical texts, the Nei Jing (compiled from 100 B.C. to 100 A.D.) and the Nan Jing (written circa 100 to 200 A.D.) presented the core concepts of TCM. These core concepts suggest that the human body is a microcosm of the basic natural forces at work in the universe (Therapies, 2000). . Traditional Chinese Medicine is a sophisticated system of techniques and methods, which include acupuncture, herbal medicine, acupressure, qigong, and oriental massage (Wang, 1996). It is developed through the observation of the sick, and through the effects of physical forces and natural products on human health. It is an integral part of the Chinese culture. It is based on the five elements, namely, metal, fire, wood, earth, and water. The modality to use TCM is an extensive pharmacopoeia of over 6,000 herbal and other natural products for the prevention and treatment of disease and the promotion of health (Williams et al., n.d.). TCM has twelve thousand years of success behind it (Wikipedia, 2004) but acceptable standards and proof are still lacking (Vadscorner). Even though documentation has improved, reconciling these with the different systems and the methodology of beliefs can be difficult. American Traditional Medicine, on the other hand, may be more than 40,000 years old but the culture never developed so there was no documentation available until 500 years ago (Health & Healing, 2003) . It was never recognized as a formal body of knowledge nor did it have standardized practices whereas TCM is a recognized study. As the tribes died out the traditional knowledge was also lost but once again, the Native Americans have become interested in preserving their culture. There is a history of Belize in Central America, which has several types of traditional healers like birth attendants, bush doctors, granny healers, spiritual healers, and snake doctors (Chanecka, 1998). Most of the TCM philosophy is derived from the Taoist philosophy (Wikipedia, 2006). It formed a part of the barefoot doctor program in China which extended public health to rural areas. The elements of TCM theory is based on the Eight Principal Patterns of disharmony, sometimes called the Eight Entities - Heat, Cold, Excess, Deficiency, Interior, Exterior, Yin and Yang. (Wicke, 1991). The therapeutic technique of Chinese medicine relies on the ying and yang energy or the dynamic and the static energy. This is also defined as opposing energies, such as earth and heaven, winter and summer, and happiness and sadness (UMMC, 2004). There are three major causes of disease according to UMMC - external or environmental factors, internal emotions, and lifestyle factors such as diet . Disruptions in the ying and yang energy affect the flow of qi (pronounced as ‘chi’) or vital energy, which causes imbalance known as disease. Hence, a diagnosis of where disruption has taken place is necessary to restore the regular flow of ‘chi’. A TCM diagnosis can sound like a weather report (Therapies). TCM recognizes the importance of six climatic factors and seven emotions in the pathogenesis of diseases (Medboo, 1999). It places prevention as primary factor and treatment as secondary. Acupuncture is the stimulation of special points in the body by the insertion of fine needles. It was based on the principles of TCM. Although it originated in the far East about 2000 years ago, its history can also be found in north American medicine (Vickers & Zollman, 1999). This energy circulates between the organs along the channels called meridians. Disturbance of ‘chi’ leads to illness as per Chinese belief whereas the American traditional medicine associates illness with disharmony in the system. Practices like acupuncture, Qigong and herbs in the TCM can help restore the balance. The diagnosis is noninvasive and includes questioning (medical history, lifestyle), observations (skin, tongue, color), listening (breathing sounds), and pulse-taking (Barrett). Training for acupuncturist takes upto four years of full time training and then they may acquire university degrees on completion of training (Vickers & Zollman). Some go in for further training in Chinese herbalism. The accredited acupuncture training courses include conventional anatomy, physiology, pathology, and diagnosis. Chinese find a close relation between diet and health. A balanced diet keeps the ‘chi’ flow normal, which today modern science also believes in. The Chinese soup may contain certain herbs important for health but they do not classify this as medicine because this is a part of their daily diet and culture. Some Chinese herbal medicines like ginseng are popular in America too. While there is a long history of herbal medicine in China, the US government does not recognize it as a legitimate form of health care (Wang), even though wild American ginseng root is available and is valuable because of its medicinal properties. In Chinese medicine, Asian ginseng is considered hot or a mild stimulant while the American version is cool and works as a calming tonic. This has therapeutic properties according to TCM. Clinical trials conducted in Toronto, however, suggest that American ginseng can lower blood sugar in Type II diabetics (David, 2002) but Lab tests have revealed that 9 out of 22 ginseng supplements do not meet the international standards of purity and quality as dangerous amounts of lead and other metals have been found. Nevertheless, the use of herbs in America too is ancient, for example, quinines origins in Cinchona bark (AMA). Most healers and herbalists use herbal remedies and it is widely believed that whole plants are better than isolated chemicals from these plants. The various techniques of TCM address a wide range of illnesses. While acupuncture is very effective in relieving chronic pain--caused by such ailments as arthritis, sinusitis, headache, PMS, and back pain, it also brings relief in nausea and other discomforts in cancer (Therapies). The approach of practitioners of TMC differs from how clinics in Mexico and US approach cancer. TCM makes no claim to cure cancer; they offer therapies which are either compatible with cancer therapies or that counteract the side effects of radiation or chemotherapy (Lerner, n.d.). The Chinese herbal remedies are useful in the treatment of common cold and flu apart from chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. The massage techniques like anmo and tuina are useful in unblocking qi and easing stress and tension. The history of Chinese herbal medicine dates back to 2500 to 3000 years ago. It uses language, which is poetic and rich with metaphor. The Chinese herbalists may not be able to give scientific names to diseases but are able to read the mind and the personal life of the patient as happened in a case of an American woman who was a French gourmet Chef (Wicke, n.d.). The terminology in Chinese herbal remedies represents the symptom-sign patterns found in people with poor health conditions (Wicke, 1999). ‘Kidneys Not Grasping The Lung Qi’ is an example of a poetic sounding phrase, which would mean that the patient has difficulty breathing, especially during inhalation, fatigue, aching pains in the lower back that are relieved by heat and massage, chronic low-level tinnitus, and possible difficulty retaining urine. TCM has been distilled and refined through experience of thousands of years and needs to be respected and understood. Today the world is aggressively looking to solutions alternative to western science in the field of health related problems. TCM, with its wide scope and possibilities is definitely an answer but the Native American has also recognized the importance of its own culture while adopting the Chinese techniques of treatment. TCM is a recognized, standardized, formalized method with proper training, certification and degrees. There are Institutes and Hospitals in abundance offering training and treatment. The American Traditional Medicine has only started looking into formalizing and certification in 2004. The ancient traditions and culture cannot be ignored because at their base lie the solution to all our problems. Philosophical issues have been preventing the westerners from understanding and accepting the traditional health practices. 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