Beware Chinese Medicine Quackery

Even as Chinese medicine is finally entering the mainstream of Western thinking and also medical treatment options, the sad reality points out that there is a lot of quackery being done in the name of Chinese medicine. This, of course, greatly detracts from the positive aspects of the discipline and erodes the gradually building trust Western patients are developing for the age old practice that is part and parcel of everyday life in China.

There are some clear indicators that a practitioner who professes allegiance to traditional Chinese medicine is quite possibly a quack:

* The cleanliness of the therapist’s place of practice is questionable. Hygiene has long since been known to be of importance in Chinese medicine and while you should not expect a sterile environment that smells of the harsh chemical cleaners many a doctor’s office uses, you also should not see grime and dust everywhere.

* If the therapist promises you a guaranteed cure in exchange for payment, be suspicious. Common sense should alert you to the fact that in medicine there are no absolutes and there is always the odd exception for each and every rule. Herbs that are known to treat migraines and other headaches may be effective in nine out of ten cases, but there is always the one case where the herbs will not perform as expected. Just as each person is different, so are the health challenges they experience and their response to herbs, supplements, and other treatment modalities.

* Stay away from agreeing to a certain number of treatments in exchange for a break on the cost. Who is to say that you really need to visit the therapist 10 times, when you may feel markedly better after only four visits? These agreements are usually drawn up in the form of legally binding contracts and you will still have to pay the money, even if you no longer visit the practitioner or decide that you do not feel comfortable working with her or him for any number of reasons.

* If you choose to undergo acupuncture, it is of vital importance that the needles used are clean. Regulated by various health agencies, there is an entire protocol written which seeks to guarantee the cleanliness of acupuncture equipment, including needles, yet it is sad to say that not every practitioner of Chinese medicine will follow the protocol. Failures to heed the warnings which are at the root of the cleanliness movement have led to the patient to patient transmission of infectious disease.

* Prior to selecting a practitioner, educate yourself on the treatment you are about to under go and the various components that factor into it. This means that you will be able to spot quickly and decisively whether the therapist is using a lot of mumbo jumbo in an effort to impress you or if the person is right on and straight forward in technique and assessment.

* Believe it or not, but the Better Business Bureau is also a great place to check out practitioners and clinics to find out if there are any complaints lodged against them and what the nature of these complaints may be.

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