Chinese medicine as it is currently practiced in this country is not intended to be a substitute for Western medicine. It is generally practiced as an adjunct to more conventional forms of treatment. Most Chinese medicine practitioners believe that our medical system would be ideal if it truly integrated the strengths of Western medicine with the strengths of Chinese medicine, as they do in China. Western medicine is especially useful for acute situations such as trauma, heart attack, pneumonia, etc. The use of vaccines, antibiotics, steroids, life-saving surgery, and innovations such as advanced imaging techniques has brought extended life and health to billions around the world. Chinese medicine puts its focus on treating the whole patient and bringing all the bodily systems into balance and harmony. There is more emphasis on catching imbalances early, before they manifest as a disease process – on maintaining the healthy state instead of trying to fix something that is broken. For countless satisfied patients, Chinese medicine provides exceptional, cost-effective treatment for many types of chronic and acute medical conditions.
