Traditional Chinese Medicine Today

Chinese Medicine in the United States Today

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practiced in the United States since the time of the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Unfortunately the awareness of TCM in the United States is about at the point Chiropractic care was 40 years ago. But it is gaining more and more acceptance. Many studies have been done at major universities and medical facilities proving the efficacy of acupuncture. Other modalities within TCM have not been studied quite as extensively, but are being widely used, such as Chinese Herbology and Oriental Bodywork Therapy.

A number of fully accredited TCM universities are now established in the United States educating the next generation of nationally board certified Doctors of Oriental Medicine. And awareness of the efficacy of TCM is gaining more momentum within the traditional western medical community. In fact, acupuncture is now used as a treatment modality at the prestigious Mayo Clinic. Another western medical study on the effects of using acupuncture to treat infertility was completed in Germany 5 years ago. The results were overwhelmingly favorable showing a 24% increase in pregnancies among the acupuncture control group.

The importance of having proven TCM as a viable and effective treatment modality within the western medical community has incredible ramifications for patients as well as practitioners of TCM. At The Neeley Center for Health, we have been very blessed and encouraged to have established and been accepted into a large network of western medical doctors as well as other practitioners of “alternative medicine.” This allows the patient to receive the healthcare modalities best meeting their individual needs. Additionally, as awareness of TCM becomes more prevalent, insurance companies will become more compliant in paying for treatments. In summary, as TCM becomes more and more accepted within the healthcare system in the United States, costs to patients will become more offset by insurance.

Lastly, the advent of TCM becoming more and more popular in the United States helps establish us within the “village” of healthcare. I say this because of the Chinese idiom “It takes a village” meaning that very often the best healing takes place using a variety of modalities. For instance, if a person comes to The Neeley Center for Health complaining of back pain, we may very well refer them to a Chiropractor as well as using acupuncture. If we suspect certain very serious pathologies, we refer to an MD. If we detect unresolved emotional issues, we employ counseling and Rapid Eye Technology. It takes a village.