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It is difficult
for a doctor
with a typically
Western
education to
approach the
enormous world
of Oriental
medicine. Even
more so when
considering that,
as the range of
specializations
and
fragmentation
offered by
Western medicine
is very complex,
so is that of
Eastern
medicine.
First of all we
have to free the
field of
equivocal terms
as eastern and
western
medicine:
eastern and
western
relatively to
what? What are
the reciprocal
influences and
dependencies?
Are we talking
about
philosophical
thought or the
therapeutic
approach?
Reference books
like the Yellow
Emperor’s
Classical Text
of Internal
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Medicine where for the
first time the system of
meridians and the
functions of the
acupuncture points are
described? Galeno’s
texts? The later
Harvey’s texts; etc.? Do
we consider Avicenna (Ibn
Sina), author of the
medicine canon (Kitab
alQanun fi alTibb or
Liber canonis medicinae)
Eastern or Western? In
this article we will
briefly depict a
comparison between the
TCM (Traditional Chinese
Medicine) and its
scientific evidence in
light of modern
scientific research.
In fact, there is a
growing interest in TCM
which includes:
1. aknowledging its
benefic potential,
2. a diffused
dissatisfaction for the
occidental therapy
models
3. an inclination
towards the holistic
health concepts
4. fear for the
collateral effects of
medicines (1,2,3) |
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In fact the TCM is one
of the most ancient
forms of medicine in the
world and it is now used
in the West as an
alternative or
complementary therapy
(alternative in
substitution of orthodox
medicine, complementary
to sustain it) (4).
It is difficult to
summarize in few lines
the philosophy behind
the TCM but we can say
that, from the point of
view of prevention and
rehabilitation, the use
of some techniques like
Tai Chi and QiGong are
welcomed by so-called
orthodox medicine, but
more controversial are
TCM therapies on real
pathologies, especially
when acute; although the
treatment of chronic
pathologies is becoming
more accepted. |
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For example,
some studies
have
demonstrated an
improvement of
the risk factors
and
physiological
values on
cardiovascular
pathologies with
acupuncture; the
techniques of
exercise
mentioned above
have shown
efficiency in
the improvement
and conservation
of the health
conditions in
elder and in
patients
affected by
different
pathologies (5).
Particular
attention is
given to the
exaggerated use
of medicinal
herbs with
unknown
components and
with obscure
long term
effects. |
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It is clear that in
severe and acute
pathologies the use of
remedies and techniques
of the so-called
orthodox medicine is
necessary, as it
directly cures the
symptoms; if we want to
accept a more “holistic”
vision of health, in
chronic conditions a
softer profile is more
acceptable to the
patient.
We must take into
consideration the
expectations of a
patient and his doctor
and, at the end, the
influence of the
“mental” component on
the body reactions,
which is, though, always
at the limits of the
official science.
Whereas the approach of
TCM in thousand year old
philosophies has a sure
validity, the tradition
cannot be enough in
modern science which
needs concrete evidence
obtained following
validation criteria
unanimously accepted; on
the other hand, orthodox
medicine cannot ignore
or refuse techniques and
knowledge which have for
thousands of years kept
millions of people
healthy, and often
healed them.
The desire is that the
dialogue between the two
kinds of medicine can
continue, with the
purpose of the wellbeing
of the patients rather
than the prestige of one
or the other school, in
the hope that the times
of ”IPSE DIXIT” are gone
forever.
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1. M. Kreitzer and D.
Jensen, Healing
practices: trends,
challenges, and
opportunities for nurses
in acute and critical
care. AACN Clin Issues
11 1 (2000), pp. 7–16.
2. M.M. Kaler and P.C.
Ravella, Staying on the
ethical high ground with
complementary and
alternative medicine.
Nurse Practitioner 27 7
(2002), pp. 40–42.
3. A.H. MacLennan, D.H.
Wilson and A.W. Taylor,
The escalating cost and
prevalence of
alternative medicine.
Prev Med 35 (2002), pp.
166–173
4. Whitworth and A.
Burkhardt, Complementary
therapy and cardiac
surgery. J Cardiovasc
Nurs 12 4 (1998), pp.
87–94
5. Davidson P, Hancock
K, Leung D, Ang E, Chang
E, Thompson DR, Daly J.
Traditional Chinese
Medicine and heart
disease: what does
Western medicine and
nursing science know
about it? Eur J
Cardiovasc Nurs 2 3
(2003), pp. 171-81.
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By:
Dr. Antonio Paoli
Facoltà di Medicina,
Dipartimento di Anatomia
e Fisiologia Umana,
dell’Università di
Padova
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