Essay Example on Integrated Healthcare: TCM & Western Medicine Unite

Introduction

Have you ever thought of an integrated healthcare system with practitioners from various fields working together? Over the years, human health has been treated with different medical practices between western and eastern medicine, which have generally been viewed as opposites. The two types of medications posit different processes, especially in regard to the healing period. For instance, even though Traditional Chinese Medicine is generally slower than Western medicine, its practices have proven to heal the body in a more natural way. However, in the contemporary world, most scientists have faith in western medicine, which has undoubtedly been treating patients faster than traditional medicines. It's often a mystery how traditional medicine seen to work just as such as western medicine. As such, people choose their preferred medication depending on the type of illness and how quickly they want to recover from it. However, most researchers believe that it boils down to people's perception of holistic and science medications.

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Acupuncture

While most people are aware of acupuncture, most of them are still skeptical of its effectiveness. This is mainly attributed to the fact that they feel it's just another form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that does not have any medical basis. This might be true, but even though acupuncture originates from holistic medications, it has proved to be significant in western medicine as well. It is evident that acupuncture has earned respect from other cultures because of its impact on the Chinese tradition. The medication involves inserting needles into the skin in various parts of the body in the bid to reduce stress, relieve pain, and the overall well-being of an individual. Maybe the main purpose of acupuncture is to relieve tissue or muscle pain as a result of various disorders such as osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia. Many patients have testified that treating muscles and tissue improves the ability to function on a daily basis, at the same time reducing stress and anxiety on an individual (Zhang Et al., 2019). One of the main concerns of acupuncture critics is that the process might be painful and invasive. Even though these sentiments might be true, acupuncture often differs depending on the person offering the treatment. This seems to be a controversial issue as others posit that the insertion and removal of the needles are painless, and they find the medication comfortable and peaceful. Additionally, there are no risk factors in the treatments, meaning that the patient only stands to benefit from it. While not every aspect of eastern medicine translates in what many people view as what is acceptable in the modern-day medications, acupuncture makes the gap even smaller.

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant diversity of new drugs with natural products continuing to show their importance in pharmacopeias. As such, the number of treatments often relies on the type of condition and how the body of the patient reacts to the medication. For instance, it may take a couple of sessions in a week for the victim to notice the outcomes. Acupuncture is not also offered randomly, as the treatment depends on when it is medically necessary. The practitioner may prescribe a patient acupuncture if he complains of chronic pain that has been ongoing for more than six months and did not respond to other medications. According to the director of the Center for Integrative Pain Neuroimaging at Harvard Medical School, Vitaly Napadow, acupuncture cannot cure cancer, but it can be used in managing the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation.

In regards to safety, acupuncture is often safe as long as it is performed by a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. Similarly, when it is not performed correctly, it can have some negative effects such as soreness, bruising, and bleeding, especially on places where the needle was inserted. Traditional Chinese Medicine views all illnesses as a result of energy imbalance and deficiency of energy elements of the body. This is also applicable in the Qi, which implies the energy that runs through pathways of the body. Studies also suggest that most people do not benefit from acupuncture because the treatments involve both the patient and the practitioner.

Western Medicine

The majority of people across the world receive their healthcare from healthcare institutions or doctors, physicians, nurses, and other medical providers who practice western medicine. According to Sethi and Sethi (2019), the development of antibiotics is one of the most significant achievements of western medicine (Sethi & Sethi, 2019).. Antibiotics were discovered at the onset of the 20the century, and since then, they have modified modern medicine and proved to be an essential aspect of healthcare. The main aim of western medicine is typically to eliminate the source of a disease. The form of treatment does not fully does not wholly look into the contribution of the patient. However, it breaks down all aspects of the illness that may be occurring in the body, which allows the medications to target the disease and trigger quick healing. For most patients, healing only happens when both the intuitive and logical mind integrate, but with the modern-day economic mentality, if often seen as a disadvantage for western medicine. This can be attributed to the fact that it is difficult to find a western medicine practitioner who would examine the whole body as a unit and not just a single disorder.

Studies suggest that western medicine does not provide treatment to its full potential, which brings out the fact that western medicine researchers should take time to learn some of the concepts of Traditional Chinese medicine. It is unfortunate that mots healthcare institutions and pharmaceutical industries only aim at making profits rather than having the interests of the patient at heart. Zhang, Moalin and Haenen (2019).posit that doctors often feel entitled to the financial benefits of being a doctor because of the many years they have spent studying and working in the medical health system (Zhang, Moalin and Haenen, 2019). For many years, the health insurance industry did not provide cover for acupuncture costs because of the fear of losing money since materials used in acupuncture are generally cheaper.

Eastern Medicine

In the eastern medicine sector, one of the most significant achievements was the form of alternative medicine whereby thin needles got inserted into the body, which was a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. The technology was called acupuncture. There's a difference in philosophies and range in every variant of acupuncture and even techniques used depending on the country in which the procedure is performed. The Traditional Chinese medicine foundation started in China and spread throughout the world with time. In the recent world, nearly a quarter of the world has begun using traditional Chinese medicine as a first resort in treating illnesses in their hospitals. Attempts of treatments that entail the restoring of harmony and balance in the human body has made the TCM popular in the western countries. The knowledge of the history of a patient's lifestyle is important for consideration to a TCM doctor.

Whenever the eastern treatment is utilized, various Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques are used in the contemporary world such as Tai Chi, Cupping Therapy, Chinese Herb Formula, Acupuncture, and Moxibustion. Both emotional and physical health are closely related to specific organs of the body. The treatment approach is often determined after the unique symptoms, and the organ system of the patient is identified (Burke, Upchurch, Dye & Chyu, 2006). TCM has made significant steps to the overall health of Chinese people to the point that it is viewed as an independent medical system. The Chinese government has also put great importance in the treatment approach by formulating various guidelines and policies to protect and support TCM in its bid to become a globally accepted healing approach.

Both Practices Are & Are Not for Everyone

When balanced out properly in use, western and alternative medicine practices have advantages that could cause development together. When balanced out properly, the customers have no need visiting various health facilities helping to reduce the congestion and disruption during treatment in hospitals. Furthermore, customers would feel safer during the process of health care. According to various TCM practitioners, TCM comprises the promotion of community health, disease prevention, boosting the body's immune system and homeostasis. However, the process has its shortcomings when diagnosing patients since they have to use advanced western technology. Diagnosis, for instance of cancer, cannot be done by simply checking the pulse and acquiring subjective data. Many people would consider it to be against moral ethics when health facilities encourage customers to pay from their wallets without receiving immediate treatment and healing. People have no problem in trying acupuncture first when going for surgery or when being prescribed with opioids because they have nothing much to lose either way. The center of focus for Western medical technology is the treatment of diseases and pathology. Eastern medical technology puts more emphasis on the promotion of community health through natural healing. The need for more well-structured prospective studies arises when undertaking the acupuncture within the conventional western medicine standards. The eastern and western medical treatments are not accessible to everyone. The fact that the two practices are a scientific and spiritual approach, respectively makes it more challenging to make.

A Comparison between the Two Practices

In a more casual approach, we can argue that western medicine practice perceives the human body as a machine that has to be repaired when it breaks down. This approach cannot be disregarded at all because of its effectiveness in case of emergencies that require surgeries and complicated illnesses. When an organism is healthy, its body should be able to maintain homeostasis within its internal environment to create resilience. The eastern medical treatment practice focuses on the spiritual aspect of the body that leads to its self-healing process while promoting community health and better lifestyles making preference to natural remedies like meditation and herbal medicine to induce them to the spirit synthetically producing compounds that heal the body. Acupuncture is widely used by various people to numb pain, especially after major surgeries because they have been proved to be successful in the management of pain.

Conclusion

Both western and eastern medical treatment practices have benefits and shortcomings that are considered when comparing both practices. It will depend on the nature of the person making the comparison. Those who believe in the spirit will seek more spiritual ways of healing their illnesses. The body is treated in the mental, spiritual, physical and emotional aspects in TMC. A more civilized person will tend to believe in science and will, therefore, seek modern western approaches of treatment. However, these methods have adverse side effects after targeting a particular disease in the body. In general terms, the main point of focus for eastern treatment practices is community health and natural healing while that of the western practices is pathology and treatment of diseases. The lack of balance between the two practices and misunderstanding are the most significant causes for concern, but it is evident that both medical treatment practices are not available for everyone, and not everyone prefers...