The Science & The Poetry
Traditional Chinese Medicine - the efficacy of herbal medicine and acupuncture - has been extensively tested and proven by both traditional knowledge and by modern science. We don’t have to just “believe” it works. Through both experience and science we KNOW that it works.
There are numerous scientific studies that show this - both from Asia and internationally. They study the effects of Chinese Medicine modalities on different diseases and conditions. They study the differences between “real” and “sham” acupuncture. They look at the relationship between frequency of treatment and results. There is a whole research world out there that loves to break it all down into its most minute and fascinating parts!
There is also extensive traditional literature that explains how and why this medicine works, albeit in a different language. And I’m not speaking here about Mandarin versus English, but about the ideas and imagery used. One way to describe this is that Western Medicine views the body as a machine, whereas Eastern Medicine views it as a garden. What I love about the Chinese approach of viewing and describing the body as nature is that it is accessible to people in a way that has intuitive understanding. One does not have to be a mechanic (or a doctor) to “get it”. The language that is used to describe phenomena in the body is the language that we use in our everyday lives. It is designed to illuminate, not separate or alienate the practitioner from the patient.
For my next few posts I will illuminate some Chinese herbal formulas and describe what they are for and how they work, from all sides!