CAN WESTERN AND CHINESE MEDICINE BE COMBINED?
Yes. Modern medical wisdom seems to suggest that we combine what is useful from each source. Indeed, this is the case in China today. In medical schools in China the students learn 60% Chinese and 40% Western medicine and can apply both after training. Because Chinese medicine addresses the underlying cause of a condition rather than just the symptoms, it is often helpful to treat conditions generally unresponsive to western drug-oriented treatment. Examples include PMS, headache, vertigo, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, etc. Conversely, some conditions, most notably bacterial infections and conditions with structural changes, e.g., fractures or tumors, respond more rapidly to Western techniques. Very frequently the two methodologies can be combined to the patient’s greater benefit. Here are some examples: In the treatment of high blood pressure, acupuncture and herbs, along with dietary salt-restriction, can decrease the amount of anti-hypertensive medication required for blood p
