Complementary Medicine
Jefferson Breland
(2/2022) I have been receiving acupuncture to address health concerns and maintain my well-being since 1991. In that time, I came to understand I could be an active participant in my own health and not just wait for "something" to go wrong.
Since I began my journey to become an acupuncturist in 2012, I have learned that the practice of acupuncture and how it fits into our county’s healthcare system can be confusing and is often misunderstood.
This makes sense since the very name of this column may be a source of confusion for some of us. I include myself in this number since until recently I thought "Complementary" was simply a semantically convenient synonym for the oft derided "Alternative." Complementary medicine sounds way more polite than Alternative medicine.
According to the National Institute of Health- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH-NCCIH), complementary medicine is defined as "the use of non-conventional modalities together with conventional medicine."
Alternative medicine as defined by the NIH-NCCIH, as "the use of non-conventional modalities in lieu of conventional medicine."
Examples of non-conventional modalities include special diets, dietary supplements, herbs, homeopathy, osteopathy, meditation, hypnosis, music therapies, relaxation therapies, acupuncture, massage, spinal manipulation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, dance therapies, art therapies, psychological and nutrition.
Additionally, Integrative medicine is defined as the blending of standard Western medical practices with other practices of Western health care such as psychotherapy, nutritional coaching, physical/occupational therapies, as well as un-conventional modalities. The goal of Integrative medicine it to provide "whole person health." One may think of it as a health care meal where your main course is Western medicine and non-conventional medicines are the sides you get to choose.
Please note that the above definitions are from one of the major institutions of modern, Western, conventional medicine. (I am glad that the NIH-NCCIH exists. In my opinion, it is a move in the right direction. ) In my, albeit limited, survey of major medical institution websites, I have noted major misunderstandings of many of the non-conventional modalities listed above.
These misunderstandings exhibit a limited understanding of the methods, the healing mechanisms, and theory of the non-conventional modalities.
A possible source of these misunderstandings is a superiority bias combined with a lack of curiosity. "Our medicine is the best medicine." "Conventional medicine works really well, so why should we attempt to understand different systems?"
Well, I have many examples of the limits of conventional medicine. These examples are the patients who walk through my door and say their doctors have performed every known test and based on the numbers from the tests, they still don’t know what’s wrong.
Conventional medicine is amazing. It has helped millions and millions of people as it has evolved since the founding of the American Medical association in 1847. In 1893 Johns Hopkins University- School of Medicine opened and became the standard model for medical schools.
Western conventional medicine is not just based on modern science. It also reflects our cultural beliefs, such as our beliefs on well-being, life, and death; therefore, it views the human body, human mind, and the human experience through our specifically American lens.
Classical or Traditional Chinese medicine offers a different point of view of the human body, mind, and experience. Its beliefs are rooted in the different systems of Chinese language, philosophy, science, religion, and society which significantly and fundamentally differ from ours in the West.
Chinese medicine is the longest continuously practiced system of medicine in recorded history. There is evidence of its use dating back approximately 3,000 years. The oldest Chinese medical text was compiled about 2,500 years ago.
One of the chief lessons I have learned as both a patient and practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." This may seem obvious. In this country, generally speaking, we are taught there is "really" only one way of doing healthcare- modern, conventional, evidence-based medicine.
The longevity of Chinese medicine is remarkable in human history. It has helped the peoples of Asia survive every sort of disease, epidemic, famine, and injury for at least two and a half millennia. One might think that the continuous use and success of Chinese medicine might qualify as the evidence-base of its efficacy and legitimacy.
Chinese medicine is not one thing. It is a broad system of medicine incorporating acupuncture therapies, herbal therapies, massage therapies, and medical qigong therapies. These categories might add to some confusion; for example, what is medical qigong? The names are unfamiliar as are the concepts behind them.
Within each of these categories there is a variety of beliefs and techniques. In Chinese medicine as in Western medicine, there are different schools of thought that have evolved over time based on their effectiveness.
In conventional Western medicine, the practice of medicine has shifted towards specialization. Doctors focus on one particular aspect of the human body. Globally, there are over 70 commonly recognized medical specialties.
Throughout the history of Chinese medicine many of these same specialties were practiced by one doctor. I am sure there were practitioners who focused on certain aspects of human health, like bone setters, but in general, Chinese medical doctors were general practitioners. They practiced orthopedics, pediatrics, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, immunology, gerontology, neurology, nephrology, hepatology, endocrinology, dermatology, cardiology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, periodontics, pharmacology, hematology, surgery, and anesthesiology all under one small roof. They recognized that conditions were related to energetic imbalances in the body. By treating the imbalances, not the specific disease, they treated all conditions.
Traditional Chinese medicine has succeeded because of its faith in the innate healing ability of the human body. We see the body as a whole connected to mind, and spirit. When I work with a patient my goal is to help stimulate their healing abilities and offer them a different way of looking at their health so they can make informed, empowered decisions to take care of themselves. My goal is to help them become their own primary care physician so to speak. I don’t want them to practice medicine without a license, I simply hope they can assess their health and make choices that are right for them.
From my point of view, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are the ultimate complementary medicines. They can complement your healing on their own or fill in gaps not recognized or treated by other modalities, including Western medicine.
I want to help. That’s why I do what I do. I believe I provide a service that helps in a profound and natural way. According to the modern American health care and insurance system, I practice Complementary or Alternative medicine. Curiously, for thousands of years in other parts of the world, I my practice would have been considered conventional.
If you would like to learn more about what I do. Let’s have a conversation. Be well.
Jefferson Breland is a board-certified acupuncturists licensed in Pennsylvania and Maryland with offices in Gettysburg and Towson, respectively. He can be reached at 410-336-5876.
