Tag: personalised medicine

Acupuncture & TCM: Body and mind

When I first had acupuncture many years ago, it made total sense to me that it worked equally on my physical body as well as my emotions. Body and mind. Mind and body. Of course they were interconnected….

 

As a simple example, if a client comes to see me for sore muscles then of course that’s what I will treat them for. However, if I look closer, I may find that they are also someone who worries and overthinks, which in Chinese medicine is a deficiency of the spleen. Which is responsible for muscle health. This adds another dimension to my understanding of their condition and therefore directs their treatment.

 

Western science however, tends to see them as separate. Yes, emotions can affect physical symptoms, but no, they don’t operate synergistically. However, there is a shift change among some scientists and doctors who recognise the need to understand why drugs may work on one person but not another with exactly the same condition. And from this develop drugs that work for individuals, not conditions. As such, phrases like ‘personalised medicine’ are starting to emerge. Which is good news for patients.

 

The principle of personalized medicine is intrinsic to the way we diagnose and treat clients. So when a client comes in with seemingly random symptoms, that don’t make much sense to their doctor, they will most often make complete sense to an acupuncturist!

 

It’s why we ask odd questions like whether you’re someone who feels hot or cold all the time, or what time you experience your headache, or whether you feel sad, or anxious.

 

Because we’re treating you. Not just your condition.

 

Read Michael’s story http://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/03/michaels-story/