More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Acupuncture Is About You
Many more people are utilizing complementary medicine today than ever before. You may wonder why. One part of the answer is that Oriental medicine has a different perspective. It puts the patient as a whole human being at the center of the process. The person is viewed from the body, mind and spirit perspectives. This allows the practitioner to see what the person needs on many levels instead of only physically. The emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental aspects of their life are taken into account in diagnosing and treating the person.
Questions asked during a traditional diagnosis include, in addition to physical and emotional symptoms, those concerning lifestyle, relationships, diet, sleep, and exercise. Any Western medical diagnoses you have received will also be discussed. Information gathered during this process will all be factored in, along with the observations of the practitioner, to design a plan of treatment that provides for addressing ways to improve the person’s overall life, not just physical symptoms.
As human beings we are complex. A symptom that appears to be only physical will often have other aspects that feed into the severity of the symptom. Additionally, two patients with the same symptoms might need very different treatments because they have different associated factors and individual patterns.
While looking at each person as both whole and unique, the complementary practitioner can also assess what this person would look like in optimal health and wellness. Recognizing that you are the expert on you, the next discussion will include options for treatment that include actions by both the practitioner and patient. This allows the patient to remain in charge of their own life. Each patient is a true partner with the practitioner in their healing journey.
