The blog you are about to read was an assignment in a communications class I recently taught at the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM). Students were asked to answer two questions: (1) "Where do you see Oriental Medicine in the future?" and (2) "How will you be a part of it?" This is one of the blogs we decided to publish. Please enjoy and remember to leave a comment below! Great job, Joshua!

Written By Joshua Ralls
(Master's of Acupuncture Student at VUIM)

Happening, even today, is the eradication of culture and history around the world. Schools no longer teach medical history, other than in a single, short lecture. We are taught that the practices, and even thought processes, that brought us the knowledge of the healing properties of plants and minerals is mad talk of shamans and drug-induced practices. Now, it is replaced with scientific studies of compounds which have properties to alter or prevent an illness. We do not find the importance of the history behind it to be worth knowing, or even delving into more to see if we could find even more uses that are beyond our knowledge now. This is something that cannot happen within Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).                

It’s understandable that in a “modern” age, where everyone is accustomed to prescription bottles and white-lab coat doctors, to have an ignorance toward alternative medicine. This is due to the loss of the history that is behind what made our medicine today. With so many people wanting to get acupuncture, possibly because nothing else has worked, Western doctors are now studying the applications and uses of Acupuncture and TCM. One such organization, the NIH, is doing just this on specific Acupuncture points. This, though, takes away many of the uses that these points have had for so long. For example, arthritis in Eastern medicine, would be called many things, one being dampness within the joints, due to an array of reasons. This would lead acupuncturists to use points that are known to transform dampness and treat the root of the issue that allows for the dampness to accumulate. The NIH did a study of how acupuncture can help with arthritis as the glucocorticoids in the body increase after needles have been inserted. This can be great for the person that is needing the evidence backed by the Western Medical community to help wrap their mind around how it works, but this should not be where it ends. This should be the gateway for the patient to see that it does work and can work on many other levels that modern science cannot explain, such as the use of elemental imbalances in the body.

In TCM, there are Five Elements: Earth, Water, Wood, Fire, and Metal. Each of these rule over an action and property within the body and corresponds to the twelve organ systems of the body in TCM. One of the oldest schools of thought in China is the Five Elements School, which focuses on the elemental imbalances within the body, as well as from the environment, and how to bring the body back to homeostasis. At one time, this was something almost everyone knew about to some extent, but now it is a mystery to many students due to school curriculums. Many schools, from what I have seen from the one I attend and have visited, have taken this practice out, due to the belief that it falls around the “mysticism” of ancient thought processes that do not hold a place in modern medicine. This will soon lead historical practices and the various modalities of TCM to die out, thus becoming another part of its history, lost and unused.

The need to keep the different modalities of TCM, such as the Five Elements of Eastern medicine, is important to the aspect of what acupuncture and TCM are. Where my education has lacked in such subjects, I supplement with my own studies and conversations with other students and acupuncturists. I cannot allow it to be information that only nourishes me, but also something that I fight to keep alive. I believe in the integration of Eastern and Western medical approaches, but I do not believe in blending them because this will lead to much of its eradication. Especially since Western medicine was brought to them only a little over a hundred years ago. Through my own work I will continue to keep this ancient knowledge alive, as to prevent it from becoming another part of a “foreign” culture to die.

Joshua Ralls is a licensed Massage Therapist and Esthetician and a Certified Herbalist and Reiki practitioner. He seeks ways to blend Western and alternative approaches to his work. His love for healing has now lead him to study Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

The blog you are about to read was an assignment in a communications class I recently taught at the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM). Students were asked to answer two questions: (1) "Where do you see Oriental Medicine in the future?" and (2) "How will you be a part of it?" This is one of the blogs we decided to publish. Please enjoy and remember to leave a comment below! Great job, Ming!

Written By Ming Su
(Master's of Acupuncture Student at VUIM)

I believe that Oriental Medicine (or Traditional Chinese Medicine) has a bright future ahead in the 21st century and beyond. Oriental Medicine is a holistic medical treatment which incorporates the use of acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion, physical therapies, and lifestyle changes to restore balance within the body.  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest continuous systems of medicine in history, with recorded instances dating as far back as 2,500 years.  Many TCM treatments are more effective than western medicine, especially in treating chronic conditions.  For thousands of years, TCM has been based on the observation of humans; the evolution of humans is ongoing, but they have not changed much for the last 600,000 years. Therefore, clinical data collected by TCM will be applicable to the current human population, if we can understand how to utilize this information. 

For example, a TCM diagnosis can reveal many conditions that modern image technology cannot reveal or detect.  Often times, there is something going on inside a human body that causes the person to feel sick, but there is no detectable mass or visible deformity that shows up in any image reading.  Most of time if you can see it, it is already too late. One of the major differences between Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine is the manner of treatment and procedures. While Western medicine is more fast-acting, it can be more invasive and the drugs prescribed to patients can also have unwanted side effects. One of the main benefits of Western medicine, however, is technology. Modern image technology can offer very detailed and precise images of the body that can help pinpoint the problem. On the other hand, TCM offers a window into the body without any invasive or time-consuming procedures. The best value for the patient is to combine aspects of both TCM and modern western medicine, which leads us to the next topic: Integrative Medicine. Integrative medicine will provide a great value to humanity. In the past, there have been many conflicts between TCM practitioners and Western medicine doctors due to misunderstandings.  I am very confident that the integration of TCM and Western medicine will provide tremendous benefits in caring for human beings.  That is why I believe TCM has a bright future. ​

By pursuing a degree in acupuncture, I believe I will be part of this bright future.  But I think for any TCM practitioner, practicing Integrative Medicine should be their top priority. One should not reject western medicine just because of their ideology.  We should embrace the advancement of western medicine and take advantage of the value it brings to patient care. For example, the modern western image diagnostic and blood panel tests can provide detailed information that will help in patient care.  By using my knowledge and expertise from my acupuncture degree and by embracing modern technological advancements, my personal goal as a licensed acupuncturist will be to develop an integrative physical examination that will utilize both TCM principles and modern technology-based tests and imaging to better serve my patients. By combining TCM and Western medicine, I believe I will bring my patients more and better options for treatment.

​Ming Su is pursuing a Master’s degree in Acupuncture at Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM). He earned a B.S. and a M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering. Ming is currently interning as an acupuncturist at VUIM clinic and wants to focus on senior healthcare, cosmetic acupuncture treatment, and individualized healthcare design. 

References:

1. https://tmrwedition.com/2017/09/18/lessons-from-chinese-medicine-for-the-future-of-healthcare/
2. https://www.outsideonline.com/2312896/should-athletes-try-chinese-medicine
3. https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/24/health/traditional-chinese-medicine-who-controversy-intl/index.html

As you begin reading this article, what position is your body in? Are you sitting down, standing up, lying down, or walking down the street perhaps? Whatever position you are in, stop and observe your posture. Would you consider this position “good posture”? If not, what would you change and how?

Chances are after reading these questions, you made an adjustment to your posture or at the very least thought about it. Here are two more questions for you.

1. Why do you think the posture changes you made are in fact positive adjustments?
2. How do you know?

As a health professional working in the industry for 20 years, I am stunned by the countless people suffering from the posture they are placing themselves in day after day. Of course, though, “bad posture” does not occur overnight, it takes time. Our bodies are built with protective mechanisms that help us unconsciously compensate through postural adjustment for injuries that make it difficult to place our bodies in certain static positions or move through normal ranges of motion. These mechanisms become learned responses that, if the injury requires a longer healing time, move towards becoming an unknown habit.

Take this patient, for example: Jennifer is a typical middle-aged office worker who spends the majority of her work week in a chair staring at a computer screen and sitting in back-to-back meetings. She decided to visit me for neck pain that comes and goes and ranges in severity from a 2 to an 8 out of 10. When she first arrived, I noticed that her head shifted off to one side just slightly, but I did not bring it to her attention right away. Interestingly, the direction her head shifted was towards the same side she was experiencing the neck pain. Later in our conversation, I brought this observation to her attention and she didn’t believe me, until I asked her to look in the mirror. She was absolutely shocked that she never noticed it before and even more shocked that all of the health practitioners she had been to for the pain had not seen it either. It was obviously too subtle for her to notice, and furthermore, it didn’t feel out of the ordinary.

What was the cause? It turns out, while using her computer at work for long periods of time, she would often get tired quickly and lean to the right side onto her desk while she maneuvered the computer mouse with her right hand. Over time, this change in position, due simply to lassitude, unconsciously formed into a debilitating habit. Aside from this, there was no other indication, past or present, that pointed to an event that might have led to the neck pain. Furthermore, she had been at the same job for nearly 15 years. She is lucky that all she had was neck pain!

Our posture determines not only what types of aches and pains develop, it also affects specific aspects of our physical and mental well-being, such as our breathing, our digestion, our balance, and not to mention, our mood. Emotionally, if you feel constantly depressed or upset, your posture will change to reflect this. And by holding on to this emotional stressor, you will find yourself letting go of “good posture”.

In Oriental Medicine, posture will determine the quality of Qi and Blood circulation throughout the body. In the example above, Jennifer experienced one-sided neck pain that began to radiate to other areas like her upper back and affected the big picture of her overall posture forcing her to reposition her body more so to one side rather than being balanced in the center. She allowed for weakness to develop on one side and severe regional tension on the other. Needless to say, the quality of Qi and Blood circulation easily transformed into stagnation and excess on one side with a deficiency on the opposite side. Had we not addressed it when we had, it might have reached the point of stasis or an even worse condition.

As an acupuncturist, I am always analyzing my patients’ posture every time they come for treatment. If something stands out, I tell them directly, and we work on it from head to toe. We look together at how they stand, how they sit, and how they walk. When they lie down on the treatment table, I observe what position they place themselves and also where they end up (on the table) by the end of the session, if the tools being used are not forcing them to remain in one position.

Understanding one’s posture is the key to understanding one’s health. And healthy posture is the gateway to good health in addition to providing you with more energy. Here are a few basic tips for examining posture from head to toe. You can easily do these yourself or prescribe them to your patients.

• HEAD: Raise the crown of your head (not your chin) as if a string is attached pulling your head upward.
• SHOULDERS: Regardless of where your shoulders rest, gently raise them up, push them back slightly, and rest them down comfortably in their new position.
• PELVIS: Roll your pelvis forward (from the bottom) as if someone is pulling your tailbone from back to front while you gently contract your abdominal muscles to lift the front of your pelvis.
• HIPS TO TOES: Relax your hips and rotate your feet until your toes point forward and your feet are parallel with each other.

How do you feel? If you feel slightly uncomfortable, that sounds about right. You probably need a little more practice to help your body adjust to this new “normal”. But over time, you will notice a significant difference in how you feel, the amount of energy you have, and maybe even how you look!

Don’t believe me? Go look in the mirror.

If you’ve ever had an injury or aches and pains that just wouldn’t go away, (and who hasn’t, really?!), you know how much that can affect your life. You’re trying to be healthy, you’re eating better, and trying to go out for a run or to that yoga class you love, but the pain is so distracting and makes it hard to be present with what you’re doing. You used to love tying your shoes to go for a run or stepping into class, or even just getting down on the floor and playing with your kids. But now it’s not even fun anymore because all you’re thinking about is how to get into a position that doesn’t hurt.

You don’t have anything ‘major’ going on. It’s just the nagging knee pain or the pain in your heel every time you put your foot down. You feel like it’s not so serious that you need to go see someone for it. And really, who would you even see for such a thing? It’s just something you have to live with, right? I mean, you are getting older and that just goes along with it, doesn’t it?

As a holistic health physical therapist, I can tell you that the answer is  No.  More than likely, you don’t have to "just live with it!" These types of things are what we specialize in. If you are having a problem that has lasted more than a couple days, that isn’t going away on its own with rest, ice, heat, or exercises that you may have learned on Google, then you should schedule an appointment with a physical therapist.

More than likely, you have some soft tissue or joint restrictions going on that require specific manual therapy to fix the issue and start the healing process. You probably also need some help figuring out better ways to move your body or little tweaks to improve your posture. You could also benefit from a program of the right exercises for your specific problem, instead of just basic ones found on the internet. It’s commendable that you’ve tried so many things to help yourself, but sometimes those things just aren’t enough and require a little more specialized treatment.

When you work with a holistic physical therapist, no problem is too small. If it is bothering you and keeping you from doing what you love to do or causing pain or discomfort while you do it, then it’s worth looking into. We will do a comprehensive evaluation to look at what’s going on, see how your joints are moving, what the muscles, tendons, and ligaments feel like. We will check your strength, your range-of-motion, and see how you do with specialized movement tests. We’ll chat about how long it has been going on, if you’ve had other problems before, and what other areas of your body are feeling like. We’ll talk about what else is going on in your life, such as are there any stressful events or are you having trouble falling and/or staying asleep? We’ll figure out how this problem has been affecting your life and what it has been keeping you from doing and why it is causing you to feel pain while you do it. Together we’ll create a treatment plan that takes all of those things into account, with a goal of getting back to doing whatever it is that you need or want to do as quickly as possible.

​Going to physical therapy doesn’t have to be a big event! It’s just something you do when something isn’t feeling quite right and you know you just need a little assistance with feeling better and getting back to the important things in your life. An expert physical therapist can show you how to take your health back, put the pain behind you, and learn ways to prevent it from happening again in the future!

About the Author

Dr. Stacy Snow is the Owner of Tranquil Place Physical Therapy & Wellness in Falls Church, Virginia. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a holistic health physical therapist who focuses on helping her clients feel better and get back to doing what they love to do. To schedule a complimentary 30-minute in-office Discovery Session to see if physical therapy is the right solution for you, you can reach Stacy at Dr.Snow@tranquilplacept.com or by scheduling here. Your health is your greatest asset. Stacy can help you create a plan to take the best care of it, and you!

The anticipated outcome from acupuncture treatment is something that is never guaranteed. In fact, the same is true for every form of medicine, including, and especially, prescription drugs. There are only results that are directly affected by the mind's and the body's openness to receiving the recommended course of action albeit allopathic or alternative. Few can argue, though, the frequent and near-immediate results and consistent efficacy of acupuncture and oriental medicine for those with diagnoses of abstract origins presenting through symptoms of immeasurable bounds.

I can think of two clear and simple examples that fit this description: pain and stress. Although strongly correlated through the progression of disease, the treatment of the former has catalyzed a disastrous and life-threatening epidemic fueled by opioids. Lives have been lost, and many still are being ruined, at the cost of not simply saying "I do not know the cause of your pain and suffering." Humility is the first step in treating these experiential illnesses of the individual, not the collective.  Healers must accept the fact that they do not know the origin of one's pain or one's stress. And if, by chance, or by skilled interaction, we arrive closer to the source of suffering, we must at all costs avoid the most cursory of responses, judgment coupled with arrogance. As a health advocate and licensed medical practitioner, I can firmly state that the duty of every healer, doctor, or scholar is not to know the answer to every question of health, the human body, or the human experience. I say experience because these two unfortunate, yet necessary, diagnostic mysteries are exactly that; experiences. And once someone in a healer's position begins to understand and witness the experience of another's pain or stress without distraction by insensitive imperception, then, and only then, can the gate of healing be pushed open.

I also have witnessed acupuncture and oriental medicine having a broader approach to and much longer lasting effect on the transformation of, and occasionally the ending of, one's pain and suffering. Ultimately though, the capability of the practitioner will have the largest impact overall, which could potentially negate my initial comment of how acupuncture and oriental medicine can produce astounding results by simply broadening the perspective that healing is a partnership created via the openness of sharing joined harmoniously with empathic listening. It requires not a specific brand of practitioner, but rather, a unique and compassionate individual with the capacity to listen between the words and look beyond the thick surface of superficial suffering.

Almost all pain and stress stems internally and is usually a sure combination of physical manifestations fed upon by emotional disturbances generated by self-made lifestyle patterns. Once the process of categorizing these diagnoses begins, the need for experience ends. Your unique, individual experience is then aligned with another's based on commonalities found in your personal descriptions, which are then confirmed by a professional's analysis of them. At this very moment, the uniqueness of your suffering is ignored, the path to its origin is overlaid, and your living, breathing experience has been slayed by the label of pain and/or stress.

All hope is not lost though. You must search for a healer and practitioner, such as myself, whose ears are not clogged and whose eyes are not veiled by the learned behaviors grounded in the need to fix everything. Instead, I wish to understand your experience. I wish to hear your story of what you and the rest of society call pain or stress. Share with me, if you will, your personal experience and invite me along to learn and explore the landscape of the unique road of health you have been traveling on. I believe your story has purpose and is full of meaning for us both because an experience is a journey that is enjoyed twice as much in the company of another. So, I invite you to allow me to share this journey with you. For I am ready when you are.

Peacefully,

Photo credit: © Viatcheslav Dusaleev - ID 5509229 | Dreamstime Stock Photos

It is 9 o’clock in the morning, and you are searching the internet for a doctor who can take a look at your ankle you rolled during an evening soccer match yesterday. The pain is bearable yet still throbbing, not to mention your ankle is now the size of a tennis ball. While searching, you come across several acupuncturists not far from where you live.  This reminds you of your close friend's sports injury who told you was helped with acupuncture. Recalling this, you look further and notice some of these acupuncturists appear to have Asian names and some do not. Assuming your thoughts are correct, you choose to contact an Asian practitioner because, of course, they MUST know more about what they are doing since they are Asian. Plus, their methods are probably more authentic. Right?

Wrong.

This common assumption is incorrect and is damaging to the profession of Oriental Medicine. It spreads even further into the many fields of medicine serving the public today leading to further discrimination of minorities, ethnicities, and genders. Since when has it become so acceptable to discriminate against a trained, licensed, and well-qualified health professional whose only interest is helping you live your life with as little suffering as possible? Dare I insert the word “racism” into this message and invoke a conversation laced with hate? This is not my intention, but it seems the injection of such is nearly unavoidable. Sadness ensues me when I hear that simply because my race is different from others, I must “learn to accept the truth” that was etched by others into the foundation of medical history. A foundation seemingly built upon “should-bes” rather than “could-bes”.

Yes, I am not Asian. What’s your point?

Times change. Shouldn’t people do just the same? Sure, I am not fortunate enough to be a descendant of an ancient lineage of Asian doctors famous for serving the masses, developing world-renowned healing techniques, or safeguarding the health of a royal family. What I am, however, is inspired, motivated, and interested. Inspired by the history, literature, and origins of the medicine I practice; motivated by my mentors, teachers, students, and patients; and interested in the unique life stories of people like yourself. Healers are not formed or defined by their ethnic roots let alone by similar patterns repeated in society. They are also not defined by what they see in their patients (e.g. health conditions), but rather by what they help their patients to see in themselves and how they empower them to change and make wise choices for the sake of their own health. More personally, when I search for someone to provide me with care, I refrain from making assumptions about their abilities I have yet to experience firsthand. For these abilities may be exactly what I need on my road to recovery. Of course, one's experience is an acceptable form of measure when making the choice to have someone evaluate your health. Experience, though, is achieved no differently than the height and strength of an oak tree. The seed must be planted and nurtured well enough for it to sprout and begin its journey out into the world.

Sadly, during my years of exploring the Asian medicinal and martial arts, I have been a victim of subliminal discrimination, false assumptions, and impossible expectations. I have been viewed as an outcast, thought of as “the unique one in the family”, and doubted repeatedly to the point where others give up and change their career altogether. I have been called in Chinese a "waiguoren", or literally "outside country person", which is ironic because I'm fairly sure I was born in this country where I am also licensed to practice this medicine. Wouldn't that technically make you, the name-caller, the outsider? This is beside the point of this message though, and while I endured this constant bombardment of negativity and bullying, I studied rigorously, forged my mind, and trained my body. Not so that I could defend myself, but rather so that I could learn to open my eyes and heart for the sake of every patient that enters my treatment room. And to this day, I still repeat these previously painful words in my mind so that I may remind myself they are not definitions of who I am or who I have become. For the people who have uttered them do not have permission to define my existence or evaluate my abilities with false pretense. If only we could learn to listen to someone’s story without writing the end before it was told.

So again, yes, I am not Asian. Who am I then, you ask? I am someone who cares. I am someone with hope. I am someone worth reaching out to who will care for your well-being, no matter your race, gender, appearance, or societal status. I am someone whose hope is for you to create memories laughing and playing with your children while they are still young and innocent; to remember what it was like to open your heart to your beloved mother and father before they took their last breath; to never forget the feeling of the soft breeze grazing across your skin as you stand in your hometown hundreds or thousands of miles away. True healing comes from within ourselves and will take you anywhere you wish to go. Besides, your healing has nothing to do with who I am, only who you will become. 

So, I ask you. The next time you search for a care provider, will you choose based on their name, their ethnicity, their gender, or their ivy-league education, or lack thereof? Will you close the fable-filled storybook modern society has been reading to you over the years and begin writing your own story of how you see the world of healthcare and how you wish to be cared for? Have you even asked yourself HOW you wished to be cared for? It is certainly a conversation worth having with yourself. 

After all, you may not be Asian either. But there is certainly no one else like you. Never forget that.

It’s 2016, the year of the Fire Monkey, and I have taken on the task of teaching a university course to the next generation of Oriental Medicine practitioners. The course is on the subject of Qigong; a highly researched, highly practiced, and highly misunderstood art in today’s society.

Qigong, (also known as Qi Gong, Chi Kung, and Chi Gung) is a distinguished art form aging into youthfulness leaving no material trace within its immaterial footsteps. Defined as "any training or study dealing with Qi which takes a long time and a lot of effort" (Yang, 1997), Qigong is one of the oldest healing art forms ever written about dating as far back as the discovery of written word in China. (Tang, 2013)  It has drawn from the well of wisdom filled by some of the world's most respected scholars, Lao Zi and Confucius; it has spawned the healing practices of Oriental Medicine that has now become a trustworthy and competitive form of healthcare; it has survived acts of discrimination, countless wars, and even the Cultural Revolution in China; and now, it is prescribed by medical practitioners who decades ago never dared to sit in the shadows of the Oriental Medicine healing tree. Throughout this journey, Qigong has humbly proven time and time again to be a rich and promising daily practice that can yield results you can actually feel, even if you don't understand why.

So what is holding Qigong back? Well, a few possible answers might be the following:

- (Human) Qi can be felt but not seen.
- Scientific researchers know Qigong works but are not sure how.
- There is a severe lack of training and understanding by those prescribing Qigong.

Being a licensed Oriental Medicine practitioner myself, this last point really hits the mark. Surprisingly, in the majority of Oriental Medicine schools today, students are only required to complete one course during their three to four years of study. In total, that is roughly 30 hours in a program comprised of over 3,000 hours of intense training and study. Does this sound like a program designed to bring well-rounded healers into mainstream medicine? Well, if you did the math, you will see that this is less than 1 percent devoted to an entire branch of Oriental Medicine. (Pulse Holistic Health, 2012) One that was traditionally prescribed to patients before acupuncture and herbal medicine were even considered. Furthermore, Qigong, as well as Tai Chi (more accurately know as Tai Ji), are typically taught as physical education-type courses in these medical programs with little to no focus on theory and application. On a similar note, think of how much Qigong training western medicine physicians receive during their own education; probably none, or close to it. In my opinion, this is a huge, gaping hole in the medical field which has been filled with nothing more than lost potential; especially for patients. An even bigger problem is that this is unfortunately happening across the country and, perhaps, across the globe.

It appears the research-driven approach has become the guiding principle for the creation and acceptance of acupuncture and herbal medicine programs in today's society. The intense focus on these two branches of medicine has unfortunately starved the remaining branches of this supposedly wholistic medicine tree leaving them to become bare, brittle, and malnourished.

Is it not hypocritical that we call our medicine wholistic in nature when we are in fact devoting such a large amount of time towards studying such a small part of its whole? The unfortunate truth in this dilemma is that we, wholistic medicine practitioners as we often consider ourselves, have dissected our own medicine in the same judgmental way that many wholistic practitioners discriminate against western medicine practitioners as supposedly dissecting the human body in a disgraceful manner by refusing to treat it as one whole living organism.

How is it that we have traveled so far down this rabbit hole? Are we truly following in the footsteps of our ancestors by nourishing the roots of this ancestral healing tree in this ignorant manner? Are we instead cutting down the entire forest and planting only the seeds we believe will be the most fruitful? Coincidentally, the latter seems to be the theme for Qigong as we tread through modern times.

On a more positive note, Qigong and Tai Chi have both been saviors in keeping Oriental Medicine alive. Don't believe me? Search the internet for a research study on one of these two art forms and you are guaranteed to find something. In fact, frequent studies have shown positive results comparable to that of or far-reaching general exercise benefits (Rendant, 2011). Still not convinced? Check your local hospitals and compare how many Qigong and Tai Chi instructors regularly provide services versus Acupuncturists and Herbalists. Even the First Lady was caught practicing (and plugging) Tai Chi in China during one of her visits. (Bloomberg Business, 2014) The art forms of Qigong and Tai Chi are large pieces of the foundation, as well as the history, of Oriental Medicine which many practitioners have never fully acknowledged.

Now, do not assume I am persuading you to think that Qigong is the missing piece that we all need to focus on and study more. I am not pretending to be a salesman. Rather, I am directing you to examine the fullness of yourself as either a healer or a patient, and I urge you to never stop questioning the quality of care you provide, as well as receive, and the training it took to get you there. And above all, never assume that what you are doing is the ultimate answer to all of your questions, or worse yet, all of your "problems".

There is stillmuch to be learned about the art of Qigong, including its purpose in today's society. First steps first though, we must teach it in a way that draws upon its past and builds upon its future. There are very few scholars and teachers in the field of Qigong (and Tai Chi) that are way ahead of the crowd in this regard. So, as was done for many centuries, we must seek them out and absorb their wisdom with our roots for the branches of Oriental Medicine depend on it.

​  
Study and live well,

​
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Justin is a licensed and board-certified Acupuncturist, a professor of Oriental Medicine, including Tai Chi and Qigong, as well as the owner of My Metro Medicine. He has been working in the healthcare industry for nearly 20 years. He has two beautiful children and a lovely wife to which he is forever grateful. For more information about Justin, click here.


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Sources:
 
Bloomberg Business. "First Lady Michelle Obama Learns Tai Chi". Bloomberg video, 2:37. March 25, 2014. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/b/841afa55-b758-44ef-944e-a598d868c2f6​.

"Eight Branches of TCM", Pulse Holistic Health, last modified in 2012, http://www.pulseholistichealth.com/resources/eightbranchesoftcm/.

Rendant D, Pach D, Lüdtke R, Reisshauer A, Mietzner A, Willich SN, Witt CM. "Qigong versus exercise versus no therapy for patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial." Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Mar 15;36(6):419-27. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181d51fca. PubMed PMID: 21178832.

Tang, Didi, "China Discovers Some Of The World's Oldest Writing," Associate Press, July 10, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/10/china-oldest-writing_n_3574624.html.

​Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong (Wolfeboro, NH: YMAA Publication Center, 1997), 7.