A question I commonly hear when speaking to people about Traditional Chinese Medicine (also known as TCM) is: “Why do I need acupuncture*?” Often this is followed up with a statement like: “I’m in good health; what can acupuncture do for me?” The simple response I provide is: “Acupuncture can be used to help maintain good health. It’s as much proactive as it is reactive; it’s as much preventative as it is curative.” I then follow that up with a brief explanation of how acupuncture is a holistic medicine, viewing the body as a whole and treating it as such.
This perspective of embracing and treating the whole body is in stark contrast to Western medicine, which divides the body into pieces, directing patients to see specialists who provide care for specific areas and issues. Traditional Chinese Medicine is equipped to treat numerous health issues, as it has been evolving for more than 3,000 years. In contrast, Western medicine has been in existence for over 200 years. While I would never say one medicine is better than the other, I will voice my opinion and state that the time has come for the East and West to join forces and embrace each other in an effort to provide the maximum health benefit to humankind.
Through my years as an acupuncture patient, student and now as a practitioner, I’ve never met anyone whom I thought wouldn’t benefit from a treatment. Since there is no such thing as perfect health, every body can use a tune up just like every car needs an oil change. Our bodies are constantly working hard to maintain an internal balance. By including acupuncture in your regimen, you can help give your body the resources it needs to keep running properly. And if you’re not feeling well and dealing with health issues – whether that be of the physical or emotional kind – using acupuncture is a great way to help your body heal itself.
*Just for clarification: when I use the term “acupuncture”, I use it in correlation with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). TCM includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs and Asian bodywork. These three modalities are like legs of a table; all are of equal importance and are used together to provide the necessary support a patient needs.
