Traditional versus modern Acupuncture

4. TAIWANESE/JAPANESE APPROACH TO AP

Having discussed some of the fundamental concepts of TCM and TAP we should now consider how much of the Traditional approach is actually used in modern AP today. This is a very difficult question to answer and it largely depends on the training and experience of the respondent.

First, let us examine some of the characteristics of modern AP.

Medical diagnosis in China Today: Side by side with traditional systems, highly scientific, western oriented medical systems co-exist. This also applies in India, Japan, Taiwan, and most of the Far East. In the same city, you may find the back-street charlatan, the high-street Oriental Doctor (Traditional) and the western-style trained medical specialist.

Many Chinese and Japanese doctors, trained in western medicine but also trained (and expert) in AP ignore or dismiss much of the Five Phase Theory, the Chinese pulse diagnosis method etc as irrelevant to modern medicine. Lined up against them, as (many or more) of their colleagues hold fast to these concepts. Thus, a westerner asking "How important are the traditional concepts today"? cannot arrive at firm conclusions based on talking to these persons.

We can also try to assess the problem by examining the amount of text space devoted to Traditional Concepts in the English versions of the AP textbooks from the far East. In general, few of these texts issued in the past 10 years give more than a cursory nod towards the traditional concepts. Most of them approach the treatment of clinical disorders from a pragmatic viewpoint (i.e.) Cookbook AP. Many modern AP textbooks place little importance on the Six Evils, the Five Phase Theory and its uses etc. Many successful AP practitioners do not use those concepts in diagnosis or therapy.

However, one should ask the question: why was the traditional aspect understated? Was it because the authors believed it to be irrelevant or was it because they thought that full discussion would "turn off" western readers? I believe the latter is nearer the truth. Because of conceptual differences, there are no words in our languages for many of the Chinese concepts! Full discussion would be tedious: like trying to discuss nuclear physics with a theology student. In support of this argument, we must note that some of the authoritative texts place considerable emphasis on the traditional (Essentials of Chinese AP; AP a Comprehensive text; Current AP Therapy; Pathogene et Pathologie Energetiques en Medicine Chinoise - Van Nghi 1971). The fact that the Barefoot Doctor's Manual gives little attention to it is probably because it is for the barefoot doctor, whose training is too short to assimilate the complex traditional concepts.

Thus, the terminology and concepts used in medical diagnosis depend largely on where the patient becomes ill and which doctor is consulted, as is the case in Ireland!