Is Modern Western Medicine any better than Traditional Chinese Medicine?
By James Moltzan
People in general, do not like change. Allopathic medicine also known as traditional medicine or Western medicine has been firmly ingrained in American culture for only about 200 years. It is what most people in the United States have grown up with and have come to understand as science-based healthcare. Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM has been in existence for thousands of years. Why is it then, often considered as a new “alternative medicine” within the United States?
Western medicine is actually at least a few hundred years old based upon using science to treat a person’s individual symptoms. This includes the use of technology, pharmaceuticals, and scientific data to treat diseases and illnesses. If a person has headaches, Western medicine addresses the symptoms of pain in the forehead and treats this by relieving the pain, possibly through a chemical that reduces inflammation throughout the body. Traditional Chinese medicine would look at headaches as an imbalance and look for the root cause of possibly stress that could be relieved with herbal teas, massage to the forehead and neck muscles or deep breathing qigong exercises to relax muscle tension.
TCM has over 3000 years of maturity from scholars observing naturally occurring patterns or cycles within the earth, and consequently within the human body. TCM is based upon treating the body as a whole by trying to balance all of the systems within the body and mind together. For example, we adjust our clothing throughout the year to adjust with the seasons being hot, warm, or cold. TCM suggests that the foods we eat should also be adjusted per the seasons of the year similarly. This could be the reason why we like a cool and refreshing drink during steamy hot days and a foamy hot chocolate or warming tea during the winter months. TCM goes ways beyond food consumption for the seasons to include what type of herbs, medicines, exercises, and even what emotions are affected by the cycles of the year.
In Western medicine each internal organ is independent and is treated separately. Each organ has a specific function unique to itself that may or may not affect other organs. The stomach has no direct connection to the spleen; the heart has no special relationship to the small intestines beyond providing blood flow. Our emotions of worry, fear, angry, joy and grief are not usually considered for affecting the functions of the organs other than stress affecting the heart more so than the other organs.
TCM views the lungs and large intestine, stomach and spleen, kidneys and bladder, liver and gall bladder, heart and small intestine as organ pairings that need to be in balance. This balance is slightly similar to Western medicine’s homeostasis or ability for the body to maintain a stable internal environment. When one organ is out of balance, this can cause the others one by one to all fall out of balance. Each organ relates to one or more emotions. Excessive worrying is thought to affect the functioning of the stomach. Fear is thought to affect the bladder.
Western medicine is based upon recognizing symptoms of an illness, usually relying upon questioning and then technology to confirm a patient’s condition. Methods include x-rays, test instrumentation, biopsies (a surgical procedure), blood and fluid tests. Instrumentation that tests certain organ functions are not always reliable. Such as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) only detecting heartbeat rhythm but not heartbeat strength which also can cause severe heart problems.1 Western medicine diagnosis can sometimes be considered invasive by involving the instruments or other objects into the body or body cavities for inspection. However, these methods definitely can offer insights to internal conditions unseen on the surface.
There are four main TCM diagnostic methods2:
- Inspection – to observe visible signs and external conditions of a patient which can include vitality, color, appearance as well as secretions, and excretions.
- Auscultation and olfaction – utilizing the listening and smelling to gather information about a patient’s voice, breathing, coughing, and odor.
- Interrogation – to ask various questions about patients’ family history, major complaints, living states, diets, sleeping habits, and such like these physical conditions
- Palpation (pulse examination) – Palpation examines a patient’s pathological changes of internal organs by using three fingers touching three specific positions upon the radial artery pulse at the anterior wrist.
The methods of TCM diagnosis are generally considered to be non-invasive, but also cannot see exactly below the surface of the skin.
If a person has stomach pain, they often are prescribed antacids to counter the discomfort. More severe ailments might warrant more aggressive options. Western medicine relies upon some of the following methods to treat the symptoms of disease and illnesses:
- Drugs, medicines, or pharmaceuticals – chemical substances that relieve or mask the symptoms or certain ailments but can also have severe adverse effects if used more than what might be determined as the proper amount or dosage.
- Radiation therapy – using beams of intense radiation energy to kill damaged or mutated cells.
- Chemotherapy – drug treatment that utilizes powerful chemicals to destroy mutated or cancerous cells in your body.
- Surgery – treatment of injuries, diseases, and deformities by physically removing, repairing, or readjusting of specific structures such as organs or tissues, most often involving cutting within the body.
TCM includes the following treatment methods:
- Acupuncture – the use of exceptionally fine needles to stimulate energy flow at the surface of the skin.
- Moxibustion – the burning of herbs on or near the surface of the body to stimulate energy flow.
- Cupping – the use of glass jars to create suction on the surface of the body to draw blood flow to specific acupoints.
- Massage – manipulation of the skin, fascia and muscles to break up adhesions within the tissue and enhance healing
- Herbal remedies – includes internal teas from natural herbs as well as external liniments and poultices.
- Movement and concentration exercises – such as tai chi and qigong (yoga-type breathing exercises)
A TCM doctor might treat a patient’s stomach pain by looking for the root cause and possibly find that an excess of eating spicy foods causing an imbalance in the stomach’s function of processing nutrients. Or possibly the patient has an emotional imbalance due to excessive worrying which affects the stomach function. The treatment might be to stop eating spicy foods and exercises to distract the mind from the constant thoughts of worry.
I do not necessarily believe that either Western medicine or Traditional Chinese medicine is better or worse than the other. However, I do think that there is much to be gained from the integration of the differing methods to achieve what is best for the individual and not a “one size fits all” solution for all of our various health issues. New and alternative might be how Americans perceive TCM because it has been relatively unknown within the United States up until a few decades ago. 3000 years ago, people could not imagine that an x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could allow one to “see” within the human body. Modern day doctors have a hard time believing that traditional Chinese medicine practitioners could perform surgery thousands of years ago. The most famous surgeon in Chinese history is Hua T’o having lived from 141–208AD.3
References:
1 A Wealth of Health by Frieda Mah, L.Ac., International Speaker
2 https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/chinese-medicine
3 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2009.05138.x
Jim Moltzan started his martial arts training at the age of 16, starting with Korean martial arts and evolving into BaguaZhang, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Jim has been training, studying and teaching for almost 40 years effectively educating hundreds of students.
Master Instructor Jim Moltzan has trained with a diverse group of masters and high-level martial arts teachers of many different disciplines. Jim’s specialty is teaching exercises to improve chronic conditions, working with people of all ages, especially senior adults. Offering guidance and instruction, Jim has also worked with Parkinson Disease patients through Florida Hospital. Jim gives regular lectures as requested by AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) and other groups regarding the benefits of Eastern practices.
He is the author and graphic artist of numerous journals, graphic charts and study guides relative to the mind and body connection and how it relates to martial arts, fitness and self-improvement.
Jim continues his training and teaching in the Orlando, Florida area conducting classes, seminars and lectures as his schedule allows. He balances his teachings and businesses with his own personal cultivation and time spent with his wife and two college-age kids.
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Jim Moltzan
407-234-0119
United Martial Arts Association 
I love this! Thanks for sharing.
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