Western VS. Eastern ?

So, the all out question that is constantly asked...

which is best WEST or EAST ?

When it comes to medicine...  You can argue that Western medicine is the best medicine as it has many advances such as fixing broken hearts, mending bones, life saving surgeries... Drugs that would allow the weakest child to survive and keep those who should have died years ago alive and healthy today! Medical advances are amazing aren't they? Just truly a marvel to behold! Without our new western medicine where would we be? But what did we do before there was the scalpel? Just think... what did we do when we were sick? We couldn't go to the pharmacy down the road... or beg a doctor to take time to see us. We were left to the mercy of nature... to die? Well no, its not that harsh... But in every culture we had our different cures, aides and herbal remedies to help us when we were ill. Some culture believe in evil spirits, some believe in purulents.. others believe its the will of god. Regardless what we believed we all depended on those elderly that were familiar with plant life and modalities to help aide us when we were sick! What am I getting at? Regardless where you live... we all were people of the land and we aided our family and friends by whatever way that would heal or get them better. Whether that was using cupping, needles, bones, soup, herbs or chanting. Just like our medicines, the east was perfecting their own, and was well advanced for the time and age it started.

Eastern Medicine is far older than the newer Western Medicine we are using now.. Eastern medicine was developed way back into the stone age. Using pressure or pricks on different aspects of the body, and lighting or eating particular herbs, scraping the body to allow areas to heal... Blood letting was also very popular. This medicine was the result of curiosity and trial / error science. Yes it was crude at the time, but through the ages and the development of tools and knowledge of the body, this form of science or Medicine was perfected. So something that aged, and knowledge behind it should be better than Western Medicine correct?

Not really... Why? Well can I as an Acupuncturist fix a broken bone? No, Can I as a TCM Practitioner perform life saving surgery to a baby whose heart was just not strong enough? No. But turn this around, Can A doctor take the time and energy and patience to really look at your body as a whole.. not just arm leg torso head.. but I mean emotions, right to memories and feeling to physical properties and symptoms and relate why a certain pain isn't going away because of difficult Qi due to a death? Or really listen to a patient and help them without use of drugs. Can a doctor really tell a patient I don't know why that bothers you.. but learn to live with it ?  TCM Practitioners, or Eastern Practitioners really can provide answers for those people. People of the West and Now All over the world rush to medication for every ache and pain. Which is over use of medication.. and a fault of Western Medicine. There are many faults to western medicine just like western living.... but that doesn't mean its all bad.

Both medicines cannot do everything, that is why its very important to integrate them and provide help for EVERYONE. I refer to a doctor any time I suspect a patient having problems that I know I cannot help with, such as heart problems, Severe mental disorders, pains that are extremely sharp.. or anything that is un explainable. I tell all of my patients before I even treat them, if at any time you experience anything your worried about.. such as flu, heart problems, extreme pain or anything you think is dangerous etc GO TO YOUR DOCTOR, because some people consider us as a primary care provider, we are a care provider but I stress that I cannot cure everything and we need our western doctors to help fight infection, disease and cure things that are miracles in themselves. If Acupuncturists/TCM Practitioners worked along side doctors we could help solve overwhelming issues of pain management, lessen prescriptions, help emotionally where doctors don't have the time. And help the unsolvable !

We both have our strengths and Weakness' but honestly we need a little Yin and Yang here and there. Eventually it will all come into balance, until then stay healthy and hope that its sooner than later :)

Roberta Hammond R.Ac, D.Ac. N.D