Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Just in case anyone is wondering why I bother with this forum or my website any longer, it is because I still have a mission to complete. I believe there is much information contained in traditional chinese texts and modern research from china that can be beneficial to improving healthcare in America. The health of the independent profession of acupuncture is really of no consequence to me. In fact, there are many elements of the profession that work counter to my personal interests. These include dogmatic adherence to traditional concepts and an opposition to modern research techniques by many in the field. Currently, a particular interest of mine is the role of inflammation in many chronic illnesses. There is a major research push underway by the major pharmaceutical companies to identify anti-inflammatory substances that cross the blood-brain barrier, impact low-grade inflammation, and do so with minimal side-effects. For an interesting related article about chinese herbs, see: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/lox.htm The idea that the only safe and effective way to treat chronic illness is with polypharmacy is just a hypothesis for which there is little or no evidence. The idea that only polypharmacy can get to the root of an illness w/o causing significant side-effects may or may not be true. It is just as likely in my mind that modern pharmacology is so rife with side-effects because the drug industry has been focused on extremely powerful substances that work like sledgehammers in the body. Many of the milder plant constituents may in fact be very safe and effective when used as isolates or single herbs. For example, this certainly seems to be the case for dan shen in the treatment of cardiovascular pathology. I would apologize if this position bothers some of you, but to be honest, that's not really any of my concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 " Just in case anyone is wondering why I bother with this forum or my website any longer, it is because I still have a mission to complete. I believe there is much information contained in traditional chinese texts and modern research from china that can be beneficial to improving healthcare in America. The health of the independent profession of acupuncture is really of no consequence to me. In fact, there are many elements of the profession that work counter to my personal interests. These include dogmatic adherence to traditional concepts and an opposition to modern research techniques by many in the field. " Hi I think we are similar in our missions to improve healthcare in America. Perhaps I am one of the dogmatic adherers to traditional concepts with an opposition to modern research but...I'll clarify my thoughts on this because it's really not so simple. Apropos of recent discussions here, what I am opposed to is the abandonment of traditional concepts before we even know what they are. The majority of the wealth of Chinese medicine is not here in America yet. Rather than a dogmatic adherence to these concepts, many of us are working to excavate them from the rubble of " colonization " . We do not know how to practice Traditional Chinese medicine in it's full glory yet. How can we abandon it for western concepts before we know it in it's own right? Isn't this the continuance of the colonization? How can we decide that it is not enough to treat chronic and acute illnesses when we don't even have it yet? And we really don't. What is there to be uncovered is rich a powerful beyond what we know and it's getting watered down and then criticized because it is so watery. What I have trouble with is how easily practitioners jump to western concepts and modalities when the Chinese medicine they learned fails them. If we assume, when our results are not good, that this is because we do not understand it sufficiently, then begins the real journey of study and learning. This has been my path and it has taken me and my students toward becoming more and more effective clinically. You are right that " The idea that the only safe and effective way to treat chronic illness is with polypharmacy is just a hypothesis " but, the hypothesis we choose guides our path. You are terribly wrong when you add " with little or no evidence " . I can't imagine how the evidence of 2000 years of written record has dropped off your radar. I find it exciting to be involved in the movement of Chinese medicine to this country. It's been amazing to watch as more and more wonderful texts are being translated and taught and understood. I think it is wrong to criticize practitioners for being incompetent or schools for being insufficient. Of course we are. We are just babies in this field. Why criticize? Why not understand why we have these inevitable limitations and work to grow? In some ways we've been the blind leading the blind but with good intentions and our sight is improving because of our commitment. Let's keep going. Sharon Sharon Weizenbaum 86 Henry Street Amherst, MA 01002 413-549-4021 sweiz www.whitepinehealingarts.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Any member of a group that questions the fundamental assumptions of that group will have trouble within that group. Nothing new there. However, it is only those who do question such fundamental assumptions that make radical new breakthroughs. Bob , wrote: > > Just in case anyone is wondering why I bother with this forum or my website any longer, it is because I still have a mission to complete. I believe there is much information contained in traditional chinese texts and modern research from china that can be beneficial to improving healthcare in America. The health of the independent profession of acupuncture is really of no consequence to me. In fact, there are many elements of the profession that work counter to my personal interests. These include dogmatic adherence to traditional concepts and an opposition to modern research techniques by many in the field. Currently, a particular interest of mine is the role of inflammation in many chronic illnesses. There is a major research push underway by the major pharmaceutical companies to identify anti-inflammatory substances that cross the blood-brain barrier, impact low-grade inflammation, and do so with minimal side-effects. For an interesting related article about chinese herbs, see: > http://www.itmonline.org/arts/lox.htm > > The idea that the only safe and effective way to treat chronic illness is with polypharmacy is just a hypothesis for which there is little or no evidence. The idea that only polypharmacy can get to the root of an illness w/o causing significant side-effects may or may not be true. It is just as likely in my mind that modern pharmacology is so rife with side-effects because the drug industry has been focused on extremely powerful substances that work like sledgehammers in the body. Many of the milder plant constituents may in fact be very safe and effective when used as isolates or single herbs. For example, this certainly seems to be the case for dan shen in the treatment of cardiovascular pathology. I would apologize if this position bothers some of you, but to be honest, that's not really any of my concern. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 " In some ways we've been the blind leading the blind but with good intentions and our sight is improving because of our commitment. Let's keep going. " Sharon, I completely agree. In particular, I agree that we need to recognize that our knowledge of CM is not very mature and keep trying to improve it. As for quitting the profession, a number of years ago, I too walked away from this profession in dismay. Frankly, I didn't want anything to do with this profession and those who practiced it. So I took a year off to write a novel. However, I eventually drifted back to CM. (OK, the novel wasn't very good.) But, when I came back to CM, I came back with a very different emotional point of view. I have no idea whether or not our profession will continue in its present form, and I have no attachment to that. I do what I do because I'm relatively good at it. My hope at this point is that someone, somewhere, at some time will find what I do/have done to be useful. Could be my patient, could be someone else's patient; could be a L.Ac, DC, ND, MD, a pharmacologist, or a health food store clerk; could be during my lifetime, could be long after I'm gone. Who, when, or where that is/will be is of no particular concern to me anymore. I do what I do because, after 30 years, that is what I do. Bob P.S. It also helps to have a very rich life outside of CM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 How can we abandon it for western concepts before we know it in it's own right? Isn't this the continuance of the colonization? How can we decide that it is not enough to treat chronic and acute illnesses when we don't even have it yet? And we really don't. What is there to be uncovered is rich a powerful beyond what we know and it's getting watered down and then criticized because it is so watery. >>>>>>> While i agree we should not just abandon anything, what we can easily do is to look critically at documented outcomes in China (as many of us go there often). As i have said many times, at least in my experience, there is a lot of exaggerated claims, much cultural assumptions but when i looked at them as an observer did not per out as good clinical outcomes (even though stated as such). What we need as a profession is to develop a much more critical observation skills. As long as there is this idea that there is always more out there in the treasure house one tends to minimize failures. Oakland, CA 94609 - sharon weizenbaum Friday, January 05, 2007 4:36 AM Re:wondering why? " Just in case anyone is wondering why I bother with this forum or my website any longer, it is because I still have a mission to complete. I believe there is much information contained in traditional chinese texts and modern research from china that can be beneficial to improving healthcare in America. The health of the independent profession of acupuncture is really of no consequence to me. In fact, there are many elements of the profession that work counter to my personal interests. These include dogmatic adherence to traditional concepts and an opposition to modern research techniques by many in the field. " Hi I think we are similar in our missions to improve healthcare in America. Perhaps I am one of the dogmatic adherers to traditional concepts with an opposition to modern research but...I'll clarify my thoughts on this because it's really not so simple. Apropos of recent discussions here, what I am opposed to is the abandonment of traditional concepts before we even know what they are. The majority of the wealth of Chinese medicine is not here in America yet. Rather than a dogmatic adherence to these concepts, many of us are working to excavate them from the rubble of " colonization " . We do not know how to practice Traditional Chinese medicine in it's full glory yet. How can we abandon it for western concepts before we know it in it's own right? Isn't this the continuance of the colonization? How can we decide that it is not enough to treat chronic and acute illnesses when we don't even have it yet? And we really don't. What is there to be uncovered is rich a powerful beyond what we know and it's getting watered down and then criticized because it is so watery. What I have trouble with is how easily practitioners jump to western concepts and modalities when the Chinese medicine they learned fails them. If we assume, when our results are not good, that this is because we do not understand it sufficiently, then begins the real journey of study and learning. This has been my path and it has taken me and my students toward becoming more and more effective clinically. You are right that " The idea that the only safe and effective way to treat chronic illness is with polypharmacy is just a hypothesis " but, the hypothesis we choose guides our path. You are terribly wrong when you add " with little or no evidence " . I can't imagine how the evidence of 2000 years of written record has dropped off your radar. I find it exciting to be involved in the movement of Chinese medicine to this country. It's been amazing to watch as more and more wonderful texts are being translated and taught and understood. I think it is wrong to criticize practitioners for being incompetent or schools for being insufficient. Of course we are. We are just babies in this field. Why criticize? Why not understand why we have these inevitable limitations and work to grow? In some ways we've been the blind leading the blind but with good intentions and our sight is improving because of our commitment. Let's keep going. Sharon Sharon Weizenbaum 86 Henry Street Amherst, MA 01002 413-549-4021 sweiz www.whitepinehealingarts.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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