Eastern and Western Medicine Essay

The alternative medicine of Korean culture is called, Korean Oriental medicine (KOM). “It refers to the medicine native to Korea developed over a period of nearly two thousand years after being grafted with traditional Chinese medicine. It had been called traditional Korean medicine (TKM) since 1986 until recently. Before that, it was simply referred to as traditional Oriental medicine” (Republic of Korea, 2012). Chinese medicine was first introduced to Korea, during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C. – 668). It was followed by Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910) and developed its own unique nature as Korean Oriental Medicine. This traditional medicine perceives human body as a small universe and is based on the concept of “yin” and “yang”. According to this concept, it sees every object in the universe in two opposing forces, “such as the sun and moon, summer and winter, north and south, and male and female. It studies o-haeng, or the five phases or elements comprising the universe: geum (metal and rock), mok (wood), su (water), hwa (fire), and to (earth). It also studies the process of yuk-gi, or the Six Atmospheric Influences, in the realm of natural science, which are pung (wind), han (cold), yeol (heat), hwa (fire), seup (humidity), and jo (dryness). Western medicine focuses on the human body’s internal organs and is based on anatomy and cytology. It tends to find the cause of illness

In modern medicine, alternative therapies are poorly understood and studied. The preference for alternative therapies, and herbal medicine were indicated, and the fear of relinquishing information regarding these practices were almost paralyzing. It seemed as though they were ashamed to admit to cultural healing practices, and did not divulge information to practitioners regarding their usage. The cultural disconnect was present as alternative/complimentary medicines are valued as a culture, and “modern” practitioners cast judgment on their usage. This perceived stigma additionally limited the information shared by the cultural participants with modern medical treatments, potentially causing additional harm, as some herbals are potentially toxic.

The United States and India are very similar and different in various areas of life. These subsections describe their similarities and differences in a concise fashion. The Social aspect of both India and the United States refers to the societies within these two nations. Indian society is much more traditional, conservative, and religious.

Despite the growing evidence that many ailments respond positively to acupuncture, much of the Western World remains incredulous as to its healing abilities. The centuries-old Chinese practice of acupuncture, rooted in 'non-scientific' and 'non-Western' thought and medicine, has burgeoned during the late-twentieth century trend towards 'alternative medicines.' Numerous clients readily attest to the positive effects of acupuncture in treating such conditions as postoperative pain, asthma, and drug addiction. Even so, many people are skeptical that placing hair-thin needles into one's skin in an effort to change the flow of 'Qi'(pronounced Ch'i) through mystical pathways in

Similarities and Differences between Greek and Chinese Medicine When one compares Greek medical philosophy to Chinese medical philosophy there will be distinct similarities and differences that stand out. These similarities and differences become apparent when comparing natural and supernatural beliefs, as well as when researching the functions and physiology of the body itself. Another fascinating point, both Greek and Chinese medical philosophy believed in magic and used it when practicing medicine. Both philosophies believed in the idea of dramatic wind change in regards to sickness. There is also a cautious balance both perceived by Greek and Chinese medical philosophy between the body and the seasons, and five natural phenomena.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for over twenty-three centuries and is based on a very traditional belief of yin and yang, where everything is balanced. In this type of medicine it is believed that illnesses, injuries, pain, etc. are caused by an imbalance of some sort. For diagnoses the outer body reflects the inner body therefore Chinese medicine practitioners will look at certain parts of the outer body to find what is wrong in the inner body. Practitioners also take into consideration ones diet,

A lot of patients are also reluctant to take strong medication, of which the long term side effects are not always known or understood. In recent years, the popularity of TCM has shaped part of an increased interest in the cultural traditions of both China and the Far East as a whole. “This has marked itself in a propagation of information on and practitioners of, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Feng Shui” (Chinese Cures for British Ills, n.d.).

In ancient China, it was relatively rare to dissect or otherwise violate human bodies because of a teaching from Confucius that the human body is sacred and not to be cut with a knife^, therefore the knowledge of anatomy in ancient China weren’t often based on scientific knowledge, but instead assumption and reasoning.^ Thus many, if not all, of Chinese medicine are considered pseudoscience because it lacks scientific evidence for its effectiveness.^ Any effects from following traditional Chinese medicine are most likely to be psychological, as opposed to any actual biological healing taking place. And so, it’s still important to advise caution when using conventional medicines and go to the doctors as opposed to relying solely on alternative

In the Western Medical Paradigm, the average doctor practices on the philosophy that medical conditions (such as cancer and arthritis) are independent of their hosts, and that by designing a controlled therapy or prescribing the right pill, he can provide relief or yield an effective cure for his patients. Essentially, "Western" or Allopathic medicine is focused on targeting the disease or injury rather than building a strong foundation of health for the patient.

Eastern Medicine is a healing system that has been carefully developed all throughout China over the course of thousands of years, resulting in various forms of therapy. There are many focuses and principles in these methods, such as enhancing the body’s capacities and bolstering the body’s immunities for restoring and sustaining health. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a great emphasis on natural remedies; staying grounded to earth by exploring the body 's interactions with all aspects pertaining to life; involving the composition of earthly elements such as seasons, colors, water, wood, fire, music, and many more. They have systemically discovered that health is the balance of harmony and function within the mind, body, and spirit, creating forms of treatment to minimize the obstruction of flow within ones health. Alternative medicine is effective through numerous complex diseases, chronic pains, and emotional pains. Unorthodox means of treatment comes in several, diverse treatments that all differ, yet prove to be effectual and offer a distinctive experience and outcome from the familiar modern medicine and healing.

Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, is one of the oldest systems of medicine to exist among humans, and it is extremely prominent to this day. According to legend, the system has been in use since the third millennium BCE. The views of such an old system differ greatly from those found in modern western medicine. Perhaps most prominent is the fact that TCM focuses more on the patient than the illness. The system considers the human to be a microcosm of the universe, implying that the body is affected by the traditional Taoist forces of yin and yang, the five elements, and Qi in the same way the cosmos are. Each of these forces act upon the “zang fu,” or organ system, directly influencing a patient’s health. Healers use qigong to assist in the restoration of stability in the body. Achieving balance, both internally and externally, is the most important aspect of healing in TCM.

Acupuncture is the science of healing with needles through energy channels; it has a rich history and is now used around the world. The real question is, is acupuncture effective? How can we simply prove that sticking needles into a person’s body is actually taking away their pain or disease? How do we go from believing completely in Western Medicine to believing in Eastern Medicine? Although acupuncture is an Eastern form of healing, it has gained much credibility and respect in the West.

Religion plays a vital role in China’s use of acupuncture. Acupuncture originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine, and TCM emerged from religions philosophies such as Confucianism and Buddhism (Lewith, 2015). Confucianism is based on the idea that the whole body is sacred and should be treated as a complete system, therefore acupuncture evolved as a treatment. Buddhism helped kick-start the development of Taoism. Tao, the “way,” is a social philosophy that includes the concepts of Yin and Yang (Lewith, 2015). Yin and Yang helps maintain harmony between man and the world, therefore acupuncture is also used to restore the equilibrium in the body.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which involves “the implantation of needles to different depths at a great variety of points on the surface of the human body”, in order to “stimulate deep-lying nerve-endings” and regulate “the circulation of qi and blood round the body ” (Lu & Needham, 2002:1). The history of acupuncture can be traced back to the Stone Age according to archaeological discoveries and the earliest available records of its principles, theories and applications can be found in the canonical TCM text Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Chang & Zhang, 2012:37). For the following 2,500 years, acupuncture has been continuously passed on alongside other components of TCM. Nowadays, acupuncture is widely practiced in the East and become increasingly popular in the West. Many Western scholars attempt to separate acupuncture from TCM paradigm and use modern “scientific” methods to reveal its underlying mechanisms, but so far, such studies have not yielded sufficient evidence to support its “scientificity”. Thus, it has been labelled as “pseudoscience” or “quackery” (Ulett & Schwarts, 1982; Skrabanek, 1988; Renckens, 2002; Ernst, 2010; Pandolfi & Carreras, 2014; and Wikipedia ).

One important aspect of Chinese culture is Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. Chinese medicine has been around for quite awhile, and is still around today. In the United States, we see it as acupuncture and massage. TCM is still widely popular in its home country where it is still practiced as it was a few centuries ago. Chinese medicine is evolving to our modern day times, but it is keeping close ties to its roots. Chinese medicine is also becoming more affluent in different parts of the globe. It is a major part of Chinese history and culture, and the people who participate in it do so with great respect. With Chinese medicine, there is great history, procedures, risks, and how it lives in the modern world.