clarifying why we need to ...get along?

[Guest guest]

Dear Doug,

 

Let me clarify. The issue is not at all how we treat patients, but rather our

public image and our ability to communicate our medicine (theory, diagnosis and

treatment) to those in influential (FOR US!) positions who could care less about

our nomenclature. Let's face it, most of us have been raised and educated (or

brainwashed) by the western medical model. People think and communicate in the

language they feel comfortable in. The only time that there is usually a

paradigm shift, is if someone faces severe illness, trauma or crisis, and they

are shocked by being let down by the system that they put their trust in. Now

along with that first given there is a second: There is no other alternative

medical system which is as sophisticated, systematized, comprehensive,

time-tested and most importantly, successful as Chinese medicine--nothing comes

close. We must articulately convey that we are different and should not be

lumped together with other healing modalities.

There should be three distinct medical models: Western , Chinese, and

alternative, the latter being " a big top " including the plethora of other

modalities, apart from the first 2. This should be disseminated with

conviction and eloquence. I hate to use the term propaganda, but when enough

people hear a convincing argument wrapped in an attractive package long enough,

they start to believe in it. In our case, there is nothing disingenuous about

what we practice, on the contrary, we are very user friendly, the only

difficulty being our language. Therefore it should behoove us to get ourselves

validated and understood. That way, even if we use Western terminology which is

volatile or provocative (such as stating that we treat Western diseases), laws

will have already been enacted, and legislators will already have been

befriended, to indemnify us. We are getting bigger and our numbers keep growing

all the time, both in terms of practitioners and patients. " Hiding

behind TCM jargon or terminology " (I personally am not bothered by the term

jargon, and don't think that it has necessarily a pejorative connotation), is

like having a rapidly maturing adolescent choosing to stay in elementary school,

and trying to fit in, pretending that he belongs in 6th grade, because he is

socially immature, even though he is a head taller than everyone else and has

facial hair. The ideas I expressed about what we have to now do to manifest

our destiny, will enable us to mature evenly, in all respects. We have among

our colleagues, many of whom are in this group, so many brilliant, erudite,

articulate and charismatic scholars. All we need is the leadership and

assiduity to delegate and actuate.

To again quote the Misha, " If I am not for myself who will be for me. If I am

only for myself what am I, and if not now, when.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

Yehuda

 

wrote:

Uh-oh. Although I enjoy greatly being absolutely right I'm not sure

this is what the issue is

about. This whole idea of " we treat patterns not diseases " is frought with

problems. My

point was that if we want to claim that we treat diseases then everyone

alternative

medicine will have the right to say the same thing. I don't think we have the

ability or

money to take that on. We will get subsumed into the AMA and destroyed before we

will

be allowed to treat disease.

Dr. WWW's statement " We should not have to hide behind TCM diagnosis jargon in

order

to avoid notice. " is about our self-esteem. The problematic word is " jargon " to

many,

apparently. I would accept hiding behind TCM terminology.

doug

 

,

wrote:

>

> Doug is absolutely right. We do treat disease, let's be honest! (despite what

the law

currently says!) We don't live in an insular world. Isolationism may work in the

short

term, and we will definitely succeed in being able messengers to heal the

millions who

have been failed by the Western medical treatment paradigm and who come to us as

a last

resort, BUT, if we fail to articulate to legislators who have been brainwashed

by the big

money of the pharmaceutical companies, researchers, MDs and medical schools that

to the belief that their paradigm is mainstream, reasonable, and

ultimately (even

if they don't have a cure yet!) efficacious, then we are doomed to repeat the

fate that befell

19th century homeopaths and eclectic naturopaths: we will be regulated into a

corner and

ultimately be castrated and equated with massage therapists, maybe even having

to work

under MD's supervision. They want us out! We threaten their monopoly, even more

than

> chiropractors, because we practice medicine, not just manipulation. Can't you

see

that!!! The only approach we can take for that nightmarish scenario to not enter

into the

realm of possibility requires the following:

>

> 1. Solid education in Western medical terminology.

> 2. Published research supporting the premise that we can successfully treat

Western

Medically named conditions that is disseminated to our community and is readily

accessable.

> 3. Extensive opportunities and easy access for those of us who are unable to

translate

our terminology, whether in philosophy, diagnosis, or treatment into Western

applications

to be taught and reviewed how, so as to know what to explain when asked.

> 4. Moment to moment access to the latest Western medical developments, with

our

finest minds translating the information into Chinese medical language for us to

consider

our application of them.

> 5. BIG MONEY put into lobbying and lots of volunteer grassroots organizing to

enable

us to fight back and win ourselves a safe niche.

>

> To quote another inhabitant of LA, " Why can't we all just get along? " (Rodney

King,

> Mar 1991). We are so disinfranchised with so many different feifdoms, while

the

medical establishment has only one thing going against it--our trump card: the

growing

number of dissatisfied and sick patients that they either created or are unable

to resolve.

>

> If we survive the right way, then we win--because we are agents of healing

where they

fail.

>

> In the 60s they used to say, " dress British, think Yiddish. " We need to keep

our integrity

and not capitulate to the bio-medical paradigm that wants to swallow up

acupuncture and

herbal medicine, BUT, we also need to act smart, walk the walk and talk the talk

if we are

going to survive.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Yehuda

>

>

>

> wrote:

> But this is where the crux of the issue with the FDA lies. If we indeed say we

treat

diseases

> then we need the proof that we do. Forget about us for a minute, if this

wasn't required

> then everybody could make claims on treating diseases. It would be snake-oil

redux. I

> would glad enough just to say we can treat in our own TCM medical vocabulary.

>

> doug

>

> , " " <zrosenbe@> wrote:

> >

> > I agree with most of the points you are making, except for the

> > statement " we should not have to hide behind TCM diagnosis jargon " .

> > The language of Chinese medicine contains the essence of the subject,

> > and your statement implies that only 'biomedical jargon' is real.

> > Yes we treat disease, largely through pattern differentiation, but

> > medical Chinese language and principles is what we base our practice

> > on primarily. We shouldn't discount it in any way.

> >

> >

> > On Apr 29, 2007, at 4:12 PM, Dr. W. W. Waldrope DOM AP wrote:

> >

> > >

> > > I believe that a STRONG, concerted effort on our part is necessary to

> > > assure the continued existence of TCM as we know it. We are doctors

> > > and we should say so. Our pharmacoepia is comprised of herbal

> > > medicines that treat disease and we should say so. We should not have

> > > to hide behind TCM diagnosis jargon in order to avoid notice.

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Don't forget that the DAOM is brought to you by the same folks who brought you

the master's degree.

 

<<<It's that which makes the DAOM so very important, because, G-d willing, it

will prepare those of us who choose to proceed <<<academically, to learn in a

formal scholarly setting what so many of you have had to pick up piecemeal,

through continuing <<<education courses, personal research and the school of

life.

 

As usual, Zev nailed it.

 

> I agree with most of the points you are making, except for the statement " we

should not have to hide behind TCM diagnosis <jargon " . The language of Chinese

medicine contains the essence of the subject, and your statement implies that

only 'biomedical <jargon' is real. Yes we treat disease, largely through

pattern differentiation, but medical Chinese language and principles is what

<we base our practice on primarily. We shouldn't discount it in any way.

 

" Biomedicals? We don't need no stinking Biomedicals! "

-Hum fri bo gar,

Treasure of the Sierra Kunluns

 

 

Other random but pertinent thoughts.

 

The public wants Ac & OM. Even the evil robber barons, politcians and

skullduggers-for-hire must yield to the wave of market force. Forget political

infighting. Do a video media advertising blitz. Hire experts. Karl Rove

should be sending out resumes in a year or so.

 

And it's also possible that MD's don't want to knock us out of the market. Ac &

OM 's hourly rate is pitiful compared to the poorest paid medical specialty.

They've been lamenting the excessive caseloads and consequent influence on

quality of care for years so they don't need to open new markets and especially

not a market that would put them in the red. And aside from the pre-retirement

generation, most MD's respect Ac & OM when they see it in action.

 

Don't circle the wagons. Make friends by demonstrating. Take a doctor to lunch

and for treatment. Show them how you can help them.

 

JOE