Most countries in the world use evidence-based medicine to treat patients. This is the part of medicine that is based on evidence-based medications, treatments, and further prevention to avoid disease. Some countries deviate from accepted evidence-based medicine by contrasting their traditional therapies. The most widespread phenomenon of other medicine is China. This type of medicine is not based on curing a specific disease; Chinese medicine is primarily aimed at restoring the energy balance of the body. Treatment methods originated back in the days of ancient China when doctors were called healers, and most diseases were not yet known to humanity.
It may well be that in those days, Chinese medicine was quite effective due to the lack of alternatives. But today, when medicine has made many fundamental discoveries in treatment, diagnosis, and prevention, Chinese medicine looks unconvincing and even dangerous. According to China Health Statistics Yearbook 2018, there were 2,641 million visits to traditional medicine practitioners in 2017 (Aw et al., 2019). To understand the magnitude of the problem, this number is equal to 32% of the total number of visits to medical professionals. Due to the fact that the methods of traditional Chinese medicine were invented back in ancient times and have not been particularly modernized over time, there is a risk of not only not curing but also harming the patient by skipping the disease or making the damaged body even worse.
The origins of the problem go back to ancient China, about 5 thousand years ago, as part of the science of “education of life,” which, in addition to medicine, includes various methods of psychophysiological practices, nutrition and others (Britannica, 2019). It is a philosophical system that views the human being as a part of nature, closely connected to it and subject to its influence. At the same time, man is an organic whole, with the “dense” and “hollow” organs at the center, and the connection between them is ensured by a system of meridians. And this philosophy may well have been relevant at that point in time. But with the development of technology, which long ago showed what humans are made of, the above assumptions do not fit. In today’s reality, Chinese medicine is popular with people who refuse to take modern medications. In their opinion, all current drugs are no more than poisons, which may relieve one disease, but will trigger another (Oyugi et al., 2021). There is also the so-called “conspiracy of pharmaceutical companies and doctors,” through which most patients become addicted to drugs. It is for such reasons that people are willing to turn to traditional Chinese medicine, ignoring the obvious facts about the evidence-based nature of Chinese and modern medicine.
To solve such problems, it is necessary to examine the reasons why people are willing to turn to alternative medicine. If the reason is the same drugs, it may be required to choose a course of treatment that is more focused on physical rehabilitation through sports, massages, and other procedures. In addition to examining the reasons, it is necessary to make evidence-based medicine more accessible and informative. Perhaps a certain percentage of people will choose the path of evidence-based medicine if they answer questions that intrigue them about drugs or therapy. Promote the benefits of established treatment, and conduct research on the effectiveness of evidence-based therapies. We shouldn’t forget that some of the people who turn to alternative medicine are people who have an incurable diseases. These patients should be provided with palliative care to relieve their symptoms and improve their quality of life. Such actions will lead to a greater awareness of the population and their understanding.
One of the main misconceptions of adherents of traditional Chinese medicine is that supposedly in this type of medicine, there is practically no medication treatment. Allegedly, even the drugs that do exist are pure biological natural medicines. Unfortunately, this statement is partly true. Some Chinese medicines have been contaminated with toxic compounds, heavy metals, and pesticides. These trace elements have detrimental effects on the human body; they can cause cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension, or even give rise to cancer (Xu & Xia, 2019). There is also a question about the relevance of using Chinese medicine methods today. These include acupuncture (needle therapy), herbal medicine, massage, acupressure (pressure point massage), and heat therapy (John Hopkins Medicine, 2019). There is no denying that some of the techniques described above have positive effects on the human body. For example, thermal acupuncture has a positive impact on a person’s circulation, while therapeutic massage can help with spinal and muscle pain.
However, replacing classical, evidence-based medicine with alternative medicine is not the right thing to do. Some chronic diseases, such as AIDS or type 1 diabetes, require lifelong supportive therapy, which consists of particular drugs and techniques. Also, some acute conditions, such as appendicitis and peritonitis, need to be treated by surgery, with a maximum of 1-2 days for their treatment. Otherwise, the risk of death of the patient will be equal to almost 100%. Another problem is that alternative medicine is not part of the official services. For this reason, the chance of falling into the hands of a charlatan who will extort money from the patient, giving in return ineffective and, in some cases, traumatizing treatment, is much higher than in classical recognized medicine.
References
Aw, Yiengprugsawan, & Gong. (2019). Utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners in Later Life in Mainland China. Geriatrics, 4(3), 49.
Britannica. (2019). Traditional Chinese medicine – Herbal therapy. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Web.
John Hopkins Medicine. (2019). Chinese Medicine. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Web.
Oyugi, A. M., Kibet, J. K., & Adongo, J. O. (2021). A review of the health implications of heavy metals and pesticide residues on khat users. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 45(1).
Xu, J., & Xia, Z. (2019). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – Does its contemporary business booming and globalization really reconfirm its medical efficacy & safety? Medicine in Drug Discovery, 1, 100003.