I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 240 - 108: The Young Man Is Interested in Acupuncture? (Part 2)
But when observing and treating, it’s necessary to prioritize functionality.
And when adjusting functionality, it’s also a dynamic process, not static.
Just like an experienced prescription, a formula long used may not work for a particular person.
This brings up the point that although it’s an experienced prescription, if the disease changes, the situation changes, the environment changes, the prescription loses its intended effect.
So at such times, the prescription must also change.
Take the five movements and six climates, for example. This year’s atmosphere is different from last year’s. The first half of the year is ’Taiyin Damp Earth Governs the Heaven,’ so dampness is prevalent. But in the second half, it’s ’Taiyang Cold Water in the Spring,’ where coldness is dominant, so the prescription for a cold in the first half differs from the second half.
It sounds mysterious, but this is the essence of traditional Chinese medicine.
Often, the West criticizes traditional Chinese medicine as being metaphysical without scientific logic, yet they massively introduce Chinese medicine while criticizing it.
Chinese medicine has formed a global craze worldwide.
Many Western countries have even established Chinese medicine courses in universities for this reason.
While frantically grabbing Chinese medicine, they are also trying to cultivate their own Chinese medicine practitioners.
Whether it’s Japanese Kampo, Korean Chinese medicine, or in the United States where Chinese medicine is rampant...
Here, I have to mention something.
In recent years, the American public and medical community have gradually recognized the safety, efficacy, and widespread applicability of traditional Chinese medicine, with more and more Americans willing to accept Chinese medicine treatment.
Nevada in the United States passed the legalization of Chinese medicine as early as 1973, marking the first Traditional Chinese Medicine Act in U.S. history.
Not only acupuncture treatment, but the use of herbal medicine is also legalized, and the act acknowledges the independent status of Chinese medicine, ensuring it is unaffected by Western medicine. Two years later, the state further amended the Chinese Medicine Act, stipulating insurance companies cover costs for acupuncture treatment.
Moreover, 34 states in the United States recognize the NCCAOM exam for Chinese medicine, and aside from a few states that create their own exams, this certificate is considered a national standard license.
They even treat Chinese medicine as an independent medical system, spending over $120 million annually on research and development of complementary and alternative medicine, with dozens of research projects on Chinese medicine, herbs, and acupuncture.
If Chinese medicine were truly metaphysical and as unscientific as criticized by the West, why then would they frantically embrace it while criticizing?
No one is a fool, and neither are these Western powers.
When treating them as fools, perhaps it’s they who continue to laugh at us for viewing Chinese medicine, which has stood strong in the medical field for millennia, as something to fear or discard.
On one hand, some maliciously shout that Chinese medicine is unscientific and should be abolished; on the other, global capital frantically invests and expands in the world market for Chinese medicine, snatching talent and secret formulas, and patenting trademarks.
Foreigners are certainly not fools. Although they can’t clearly explain Chinese medicine’s six meridians and six climates, nor understand its yin and yang, its acknowledged efficacy as a treatment worldwide is a pursued fact.
Since the modern era, under the world order dominated by Western civilization, Chinese medicine has been increasingly pressured, yet paradoxically, during multiple near ’life-or-death’ situations, it hasn’t been obliterated or abandoned but has, in today’s 21st-century technological civilization, spread widely to many countries, something unprecedented globally!
Regrettably, most citizens never understand: Compared to possessing, losing is always easier.
As this traditional medicine with five thousand years of history conquers lands abroad, it dwindles at home. This is very ironic.
Lu Xuan looked at the "Inner Canon" in front of him, somewhat lost in thought. At this moment, he pondered a lot. Traditional Chinese medicine does indeed show significant disadvantage compared to Western medicine at home, but with the nation’s revival of Chinese medicine, more and more people are willing to trust it.
The United South Chinese Medicine Association is just the tip of the iceberg. However, what Lu Xuan sees is the prosperity of Chinese medicine rapidly resurging. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
After watching for a while, Lu Xuan closed the "Inner Canon" and returned it to its original place.
Lu Xuan glanced at the doorway, and because Room 249 was further inside, there was nearly no one in sight at the entrance.
However, the noise from the second floor was incessant.
"There’s really no one signing up. I should have advertised a bit at the Health Center."
Even though he had expected it, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but smile bitterly when there wasn’t a single patient.
But it’s not that he hadn’t thought about promoting.
It’s just that without full certainty, notifying prematurely could cause an embarrassment he couldn’t afford if something went wrong midway.
First fulfill the words, then follow through.
Seeing no patients, Lu Xuan didn’t stay seated in the consultation room and got up to the doorway, watching the densely sitting crowd outside, then glanced at one consultation room after another.
Most consultation room doors were closed due to the large number of people and the loud noise. Closing the doors prevents disruption to the doctors’ diagnosis and also protects patient privacy, achieving multiple purposes.
Since it’s Saturday, major players who usually don’t do consultations were present today.
On the nameplates, Lu Xuan saw the nationally renowned Elder Huang in traditional Chinese medicine and elders from a family of traditional Chinese medicine heritage. Planning to go in, he saw both rooms had several patients waiting, so he decided against it.
Thus, he kept walking until he reached the acupuncture room and stopped.
Unlike other consultation rooms, the acupuncture room door was always open, inside sat two or three doctors in white coats.
Lu Xuan, instinctively looking down, noticed the white coats hung inside weren’t worn, so he shook his head and smiled.
Lu Xuan was visiting the United South Chinese Medicine Association for the first time. Earlier, he assumed it only had internal Chinese medicine, not expecting acupuncture, cupping, and other treatments.
Seeing several patients receiving acupuncture treatment inside, Lu Xuan, curious, walked in.
As Lu Xuan entered the acupuncture room, Zhou Jiande, who was performing acupuncture on a patient, subconsciously looked up: "Young man, have a seat; I’ll attend to the remaining few before seeing you."
After speaking, without minding Lu Xuan, Zhou Jiande focused on channeling Qi into the patient.
Lu Xuan, intending to explain, saw the indifference and had to drop it, glancing around the arrangement inside before focusing his gaze on Zhou Jiande performing acupuncture on a patient.
After watching for a while, Lu Xuan had to admit that compared to Zhou Jiande, who had been immersed in acupuncture for decades, his own techniques were inferior.
Perhaps in diagnosis, Zhou Jiande couldn’t match his advantages, but in terms of technique, Lu Xuan felt few could rival Dr. Zhou in front of him.
A doctor invited for consultations by the United South Chinese Medicine Association, let alone Yong City, ranks among the best nationwide.
Competing techniques with Dr. Zhou, Lu Xuan believed he wasn’t yet at that level.
Precisely for this reason, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but move closer, observing meticulously from the side.
Zhou Jiande’s acupuncture technique was delicate, whether in needling or lifting, extracting, rotating, the proficiency reached an extremely high level. Comparing himself, if he were to needle this point, the effect wouldn’t be as good as Zhou Jiande’s.
This detail alone reflected how solid the acupuncture foundation of Dr. Zhou was.
As for Lu Xuan, his proficiency was lacking considerably.
As he observed, Lu Xuan noted the nuances in Zhou Jiande’s acupuncture technique, intending to try needling himself later.
Acupuncture involves needling and rotating and requires practice. With no patients, one practices on oneself, and indeed, needling some points have no harm.
This is a distinction between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.
In Western medicine, whether medical equipment or drugs, it’s primarily tested on patients.
In traditional Chinese medicine, practitioners generally try medicines themselves, and the same applies to acupuncture. Generally, acupuncturists start by needling themselves before daring to needle patients.
Perhaps noticing Lu Xuan’s intent interest, Zhou Jiande, still performing acupuncture, suddenly said: "Young man, interested in acupuncture?"
