Wrap-Up: Overall Feelings on Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and alternative medicine is a holistic approach to health care. The goal of Chinese medicine is to restore the proper balance and flow of energy, while strengthening the body's defenses. This, as we have studied and practiced, is believed to be attained through acupuncture, herbal medicine, and proper exercise and nutrition. Many believe that alternative medicine has cured them of illnesses, prevented them from becoming sick, and has greatly contributed to overall well-being and healthfulness.

We realize that we have only been participating in these practices for three and a half weeks, which means that we have only dabbled into the truth of these very complex and long-term healing and preventative processes. We acknowledge that in order to see measurable changes, we would have had to practice acupuncture, reflexology, herbal treatments, and yoga/pilates for months, if not years. That being said, we have still given a lot of thought about how these nontraditional treatments can fit into our Western society. Is there room for Eastern medicine to exist alongside Western treatments? Can the two be practiced together? Should health care providers cover any Eastern practices?

In order to more fully answer these questions, we interviewed one of Stanford's most well respected cardiac surgeons, Dr. Robert Robbins. We also interviewed Menlo's athletic trainer, Jon Cohen.

Our interview with Dr. Robert Robbins:

For most of our interview, we discussed the legitimacy of Eastern medicine, and the potential of combining it with Western medicine. We thought he would have an interesting perspective, considering surgery is so technical, and nontraditional practices are so spiritual.

On benefits experienced due to Eastern practices, Dr. Robbins explained, "Even if it is the placebo effect, if you think you're feeling better, then maybe there is something to it... I know people who live by chiropractors, especially for back problems, and after going a few times, they claim to feel a lot better. That one too [chiropractory] I don't get as much, but even so, it is probably better than getting multiple surgeries on their back." He went on to say that there is a concrete difference in the healing power between these two treatments and therefore, acupuncture isn't going to provide the same results as open heart surgery. However, he did say that "Prevention is sort of the basics. We are getting more and more refined now to be able to detect and prevent things. None of this alternative stuff can compete with actual surgery or diagnostic tests, but if someone knows that they have an issue, maybe a predisposition to a type of cancer, then they can use some of these methods-yoga, maybe acupuncture- as prevention or stress reduction." Dr. Robbins believes that there is a role for nontraditional treatments in our Western society, but would like to see more hard data to prove their effectiveness. Even so, he is an avid supporter of yoga and believes that relaxation tactics will lead to a longer and healthier life.

Our interview with Jon Cohen

In this interview, we discussed more of the practicality of combining Eastern and Western medicine, rather than the theory behind Eastern techniques. On the differences between Eastern and Western treatments, he said, "Western medicine is much more on the treatment side and we’re much more reactive here – we give people drugs from depression, or pills for weight loss. With Eastern medicine they really focus on the centering of the body and the person as a whole, rather than the drugs for treatment. So they give peolpe more herbal remedies that are much more natural. I don’t think there’s one method that’s right or wrong – I think that whatever works for the individual should be what they use." He went on to explain his belief that the two can definitely be combined in our society; because they work in such different ways, they can complement each other.

Our Thoughts

We both believe that alternative medicine can have a significant positive effect on the body. While we did struggle with yoga, we don't deny that it relaxes the body and the mind, which has an overall positive effect on the person. Like Dr. Robbins said, relaxation is crucial because it can help people to lead longer and happier lives. In yoga, there is time for reflection and awareness of the body, mind, and self. This may not produce a measurable medical change but definitely improves quality of life (and flexibility!).

Similarly, we believe that acupuncture can play a large role in pain relief if the patient is willing to accept that it works. Not only is it beneficial in pain relief, but it can also help in a variety of other ways by addressing the root problem rather than the symptom. In addition, it is beneficial for relaxation and stress reduction.

Both of us struggle to accept the concept of qi, or energy flow. While practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine believe that acupuncture works because it enhances the patient's qi and therefore improves bodily function, we believe that it has a distinct physiological effect aside from qi. Since it hasn't been studied as extensively as many Western tactics, there more room for doubt of its validity. That being said, there are many studies suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture for medical reasons that have nothing to do with qi.

However, our opinions on reflexology are a little different. In an interview with a family friend, Debra Cibilich, she explained that reflexology saved her many foot surgeries. She is a competitive dancer and had been to several doctors who all recommended surgery. But Debra underwent many painful reflexology treatments, and could "feel the webs tangled in her feet before the treatments, and afterwards could feel the webs untangling". We don't doubt that the reflexology improved the pain in her feet. She clearly had tight muscles in her feet, and therefore, a deep massage such as reflexology made all the difference for her. In this type of situation, we would recommend reflexology. However, we do not believe that reflexology can improve organ function. We have not seen enough data to believe that there is a correspondence, and think these ideas are a little far-fetched. On top of that, it's almost too painful to endure.

Overall, we believe that there is a place in our society for nontraditional medicine. It can't replace Western medicine, but a combination of the two can have many beneficial effects. Western medicine can be used for treatment, while Eastern works better as prevention. Obviously, there are cases where Eastern practices can treat-such as acupuncture for back pain or reflexology for foot pain- but as a whole, Western practices are generally going to be more effective for treatment.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the time allotted to research and practice this fascinating field of medicine. We hope we have kept you entertained, and even tempted you to try these different practices now to relax your bodies, and in the future if you have an injury. Thank for you for following us!