Preface

I have been treating all kinds of patients for nearly 30 years, and I know how much they suffer.  Some even lose their lives!  But with the integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine – ‘TCM’ as we call it – and modern medicine, most of my patients improve or even become completely well.  Certainly, they suffer less and perhaps reach a higher understanding of life.  Even though TCM has been practiced in the United States for nearly three decades, most people still don’t know about this kind of advantage.  I hope through this book that American people can learn about TCM and can benefit from an integration of ancient and modern science.
 

The idea for this integration is simple.  When people suffer, they look for all kinds of help to relieve their problem and make them better.  They visit their doctor, and the doctor tries to help them, but sometimes modern medical treatment isn’t enough, and that is when TCM and MD’s can work together.  Many patients see MD’s while at the same time receiving treatment from acupuncturists.  Some patients undergoing dental treat-ment also see an acupuncturist to help stop the pain.  Some patients who have been in an automobile accident see a medical doctor, an acupuncturist, and a chiropractor all at the same time.  In California, some acupuncturists are already working in hospitals to help relieve the patients’ pain and help the healing process.

As integrative medicine evolves, hospitals may hire acu-puncturists to help patients recover from surgery or to assist in complicated cases or they will establish in-house acupuncture clinics for patients with special needs.  In my own experience, two hospitals have already allowed me to treat their patients.

TCM’s unique method of healing problems of the body, mind, and spirit is completely different from the western medical model, so if someone wants to study acupuncture and herbs, it is best that they leave their knowledge at the door for the time being.  

For example, suppose your patient has had diarrhea for several days and the patient reports that s/he has an infection.  Certainly, you think about disinfection.  But in TCM if the patient’s face is pale, if the pulse is slow and the stomach likes to be pressed, then your important job is not to disinfect or kill the germ. Even though you could do that with the methods available to you, your patient will not get better.  Instead, TCM principles will direct you to warm up the body, and in that way the patient will feel better.  To be honest with you, the herb used to warm you up is not meant to kill the germ although that can be a consequence.  The thing to remember is that if you act according to the principles of TCM, the patient will get better so there is really no need to think about the germ.  Please read and enjoy my stories, and you will gradually understand the principles and practice of TCM.