The Promise
of Blending Western and Eastern Medicine
As
I approach the midway point of my second semester of studying Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) I realize that I believe much more strongly in the
effectiveness of these ancient healing arts. I have begun to work on recharging
the Qi in my body by performing Qigong exercises and improving my abdominal
breathing. I stimulate my Qi meridians throughout my body daily to improve the
flow of Qi in my body. I even have performed some acupuncture on myself that I
am convinced has helped relieve some minor arthritic pain as well as other
symptoms that I have developed over the years.
I
foresee a time when many physicians will utilize acupuncture to fill some voids
that I have witnessed in Western Medicine. Patients with aches and pains,
chronic cough, urinary complaints and other common health issues often are
either overlooked by Western physicians or inadequately treated. TCM treatments
of acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and herbal therapies may offer an
effective alternative to pharmaceuticals and surgery with less risk and fewer
side effects. I have seen benefit from these "manipulations of Qi” and
believe that as the Western public becomes more aware of TCM it will become a
commonplace mode of therapy.
Perhaps,
even more exciting to me is the use of TCM as an adjuvant to Western Medicine.
We know that sophisticated Western laboratory and diagnostic testing is very
effective in establishing Western diagnoses that are amenable to pharmaceutical
and surgical therapeutics. TCM, used as an adjuvant to these treatments offers
a unique opportunity to improve the constitution of individuals thereby
increasing their natural ability to fight disease. Also, by working through a
different pathway TCM holds promise to increase the effectiveness of the
Western Medicine treatment.
This
is the reason TCM/acupuncture... combined with Western Medicine provided by
high quality IVF centers... offers patients their optimal chance for pregnancy
success.
David Kreiner, MD
Manager/CoFounder, Long Island IVF
Medical Director, East Coast Fertility
