More Than Needles 

There is a weird culture of medicine in America. We follow schedules to be checked by providers from birth until adulthood. Then it gets a little sketchy for most. Many women only see a Gynecologist every year or two until close to menopause, unless they become pregnant. Men see practitioners even less. They usually come into an office only if they have a problem or a significant other brings them to one. This routine of healthcare is problematic because it leaves a person without a primary provider who knows their health or any complications that may occur before they become large and chronic. We find a provider or make appointments when there is a problem. This fast-paced healthcare is one of the reasons behind the high chronic illnesses and for the confusion around healing.

The Home Remedies

There is also a culture of home remedies. Generations have passed down how to take care of the family through herbs, tinctures, baths, and various home remedies. We have traditions on how to get pregnant, how to deliver, and how to recover after giving birth. There are traditions on earaches, stomachaches, headaches, and anything else that ails you. Yet, not as many as there used to be. Many of the remedies were lost due to integration and assimulation.

Why Traditional Chinese Medicine?

This melting pot of immigrants has lost many of the remedies of our ancestors. This is especially true for the African Americans. Some customs seemed to have been kept through language, movement, and foods. But we are still very much disassociated from the knowledge of our ancestors. This is one of the reasons that I found traditional Chinese Medicine interesting.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been mostly unchanged since its inception. This is because China was a communist country that was closed off to most of the world and did not have as much interference from the Western world. The herbs, formulas, acupuncture, Tui Na, cupping, Gua Sha and other techniques were able to be passed down for centuries.

But I Don’t Do Needles!

I often hear the phrase, “I can’t do that because I’m afraid of needles.” Acupuncture and TCM are only recently beginning to be noticed in America. It is a slower movement in the Black population. Acupuncture is seen as sticking needles throughout the body. Needles in Western culture often bring the image of pain. So, thinking that this will hurt is common.

The truth is that Acupuncture is more than needles. Western medicine has appropriated the medicine by using the phrase “Dry Needling.” But these are not the same. Acupuncture is “Dry Needling” plus more. The skill used to become a Licensed Acupuncturist in most states includes becoming certified after attending school for years. It is not a weekend course. The places that the needles are inserted are direct, determined by your condition and manipulated for the purpose to improve your health.

In Summary

There are multiple treatments available that have been around for centuries. I learned that many of the traditions that I was taught in the south was taught on the other side of the world. We share many beliefs for living and taking care of each other. It was refreshing to have an explanation behind the act. I encourage you to investigate and learn more about Licensed Acupuncturists and TCM. It is a great add on to living your healthiest life!