It’s not uncommon that a patient does not tell their medical provider that they are receiving acupuncture treatments. When I learn this, I sadly ask myself, “Why?” Some patients seem to feel that a doctor will reject acupuncture as a form of treatment, speak poorly about the therapy or treat the patient as an uneducated moron. There’s plenty of research that shows acupuncture is not quackery. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is simply a different kind of medical practice with unfamiliar wording. It’s truly hard to judge something one doesn’t understand. And if someone is judging acupuncture without any knowledge of it, from my experience, their opinions are based on assumptions, hearsay and lack of education. It’s ok not to be educated in everything, even if you’re very smart!
When it comes to treatment protocol for a patient seeing many types of practitioners, I feel cooperation is key. Patients have the freedom of choosing what treatments they feel can benefit them. Taking a pluralism approach to healthcare is key in advancing forward as a society. Our medical system is broken and with a pluralism approach, I feel we can work together for the greater good of the patient and our fellow people.
Proper education with valid information is important for both practitioners and patients. Medical professionals should feel as though they are experts in their field, and most likely have the appropriate training to claim so. However, they should not condemn practitioners in other fields. It’s rare that a medical practitioner is well-versed in all forms of medical practice throughout the world. To me, different practices are similar to different languages. Unless you understand the concepts behind the language as well as the language itself, it can be hard to judge where one may be coming from. We must have the same perspective when considering different types of medical treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in tradition and theory and verbiage that many people in the West don’t understand.
We all have our own personal experiences with medical systems and medical providers. Hopefully our own experiences do not create cloudy judgment in our jobs as practitioners, and instead, allow us to offer the proper support and appropriate guidance to each of our patients. We may not always agree with another’s opinions, but that does not mean that they are always wrong. Instead of condemning, we should educate each other.