What is Complementary Medicine?
If alternative medicine or therapy is used alone or instead of conventional medicine, it is called "alternative" medicine. If the treatment or therapy is done along with or in addition to conventional medicine, it is referred to as "Complementary Medicine" as the two practices complements each other. For example, many
Chinese
hospitals use acupuncture to reduce the pain during the surgery instead of anesthetics. This is complementary medicine. Later, we refer to the use of sesame oil as a complementary treatment for cancer. Dean Ornish uses life style changes to combat heart disease. These are all examples of complementary medicine
Understanding Oriental Medicine
Traditional Oriental medicine encompasses a diverse range of systematic techniques, including acupuncture, herbal medicine,
acupressure, qigong, and oriental massage. Its most distinctive feature lies in its focus on diagnosing disruptions in vital energy, known as "qi," in both health and illness. Diagnosis in Oriental medicine relies on classical methods, including observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, which involves assessing pulse quality and body part sensitivity.
The professionalization of Oriental medicine has taken various paths in both East Asia and the United States. In the Peopleβs Republic of China, established after the 1949 revolution, practitioners receive organized training in schools of
traditional Chinese medicine. These schools cover a wide range of subjects, including acupuncture, oriental massage, herbal medicine, and pharmacology. However, the clinical approach, involving diagnosis and treatment planning, aligns more with traditional herbal medicine. Graduates typically attain certification in one of the four specialty areas, roughly equivalent to a bachelor's degree in Western countries.
In the United States, the professional practice of Oriental medicine centers around acupuncture and oriental massage. Approximately 6,500 acupuncturists practice in the United States. The American Oriental Body Work Therapy Association, comprising around 1,600 members, represents practitioners of tuina,
shiatsu, and related techniques. Many American acupuncture schools are transitioning into "colleges of oriental medicine," adding courses in oriental massage, herbal medicine, and dietary interventions. They offer diplomas, master's degrees, and doctor's degrees in oriental medicine. The practice of oriental medicine is most extensive in New Mexico, where the acupuncture community has established it as an exclusive profession. Its legal scope of practice is similar to that of primary care M.D.s and D.O.s (doctors of osteopathy), and the state statute restricts other licensed health professionals in New Mexico from advertising or billing for oriental medicine or acupuncture services.
Extensive research has been conducted in China on traditional Chinese medicine. However, only in the past quarter-century have biomedical scientists in China characterized and identified active agents in many traditional medical formulas. The use of traditional Oriental herbal medicines and formulas in China and Japan has been studied for therapeutic value in various areas, including chronic hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, atopic eczema, immunological disorders (including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,
AIDS), and certain cancers. It would be beneficial to replicate these studies in the United States, evaluating U.S. clinical populations according to high-quality research criteria.
What is Holistic Medicine?
Many of the alternative practices pay attention to the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health, in addition to the physical body. Therapies like hypnosis and visualization claims to be able to change physical conditions through purely mental interventions. They believe that our bodies are remarkably resilient machines, capable, with some occasional prodding or intervention, of healing themselves. The name "holistic medicine" came from this unification of the mind and the body. Holistic practitioners treat the "whole person" as opposed to the individual organs of the body where symptoms occur. The importance of self care and preventing illness are stressed by holistic practitioners.