Chinese Medicine and Surgery
- Posted on: Mar 8 2018
Since acupuncture was introduced to general public in America in 1972 by New York Times reporter, it has made drastic improvement in accordance with modern technology. From electro-acupuncture to laser acupuncture devices, acupuncture has been evolved and incorporated into the mainstream medicine slowly. To the same extent, herbal medicine has enjoyed the support of pharmacological analyses and clinical trials. Despite its increasing popularity, a modern view of acupuncture in America is still limited to ancient and mysterious art.
Surgery is considered a new and more scientific method of treating illness. However, surgery is quite ancient and modern acupuncture techniques and equipment have seen enormous advances.
The great Hua Tou, who lived from 140 – 208 CE, invented several forms of surgery and was the first person in China to use anesthesia during surgery. His anesthetic herbal formula was lost during the warring era, but some of his works are still used today. The discovery of the Hua Tou Jia Jia acupuncture points are attributed to Hua Tou.
Regardless of its history and undeniable statistical evidence, people continue to question the scientific methodology regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture and all of Chinese medicine. There is no studies and publications every week about new research which demonstrates the benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Historically, the integration of acupuncture with surgery is approximately 2,000 years old.
Advancement in technology and science, western medicine has made rapid progress in its surgical techniques and widened its uses far beyond eastern medicine over the past 100 years. From surgeries being performed in barbershops in medieval time to brain surgery, it has shown remarkable improvement and eastern medicine had to take on a different role.
In a controlled study, acupuncture was shown to significantly reduce inflammation and pain levels in the post operative period following total knee replacement surgery. Acupuncture also measurably increased patient outcomes by efficiently restoring the range of motion to the knee. Putting it simply, a surgeon fix or replace a part and acupuncturist speeds the rate and quality of the recovery.
It is unfair to place all the responsibilities on surgeons for addressing patients’ condition. A surgeon performs surgeries but it is the recovery period that determines whether or not complications such as adhesions and infections ensue. Follow-up care with acupuncture helps to prevent scar tissue formation, clotting and osteophyte growth. Acupuncture also assists in reducing swelling in the local region and improves the micro-circulation of blood to peripheral nerve roots and rootlets. The improved circulation prevents infections and significantly reduces pain and speeds recovery periods.
Today, acupuncturists’ study focuses on continuing tradition and also on working together with mainstream western medicine. With advanced surgical techniques of western medicine and post-op rehabilitation protocols of eastern medicine, patients can expect optimal outcome of any surgeries.
Posted in: Acupuncture, Evidence Based Medicine, Pain
