Acupuncture – Western vs. Chinese medicine

Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine where tiny needles are inserted to specific part of the body. It originated in China. Aside from that,what exactly IS acupuncture all about? How does anyone know what it can do?

Western medicine:

When we are sick here in the U.S., we have been taught that we go to see a doctor. The doctor will check us – our temperature, our heart rate, our oxygen levels, or whatever, to see what might not be operating correctly. If something seems amiss, the doctor gets to figure out what it is, and then tries to correct the problem.

If you have a fever, they might try to determine the cause of the fever, they might try to treat the cause of the fever (for example, antibiotics to fight a bacterial infection), and they might try to reduce the severity of that fever (medications to bring down fevers).

Chinese medicine:

Acupuncture is one part of Chinese medicine and is used to help someone be in better (healthy) balance. Other aspects of Chinese medicine include herbal medicine, qi gong, tai chi, massage (shiatsu or tuina, for example), diet, and lifestyle.

Together, all of these pieces help to treat anything that is amiss in you.

Western medicine vs. Chinese medicine:

Basically, both western medicine and Chinese medicine have been developed to treat anything going on with you and your health.

Western medicine and Chinese medicine both have strengths and weaknesses. In future posts, we’ll discuss some of the areas of strengths of Chinese medicine and acupuncture.