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I started visiting a Chinese doctor nearly a decade ago when I gave up my teaching job and my health insurance. Although I was quite surprised by never needing my insurance again once I let go of that stressful job. But since I still wanted annual wellness visits, and had to pay out of pocket anyway, I decided to give traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) a try.


I was pleasantly surprised to find that their practices are the complete opposite of the assembly-line, stacked, appointment-style doctors we’re accustomed to.

During your visit with a Chinese doctor, they begin with a consultation. At my last appointment, I was so emotional that the consult pretty much felt like a therapy session, which is actually the point. In TCM, they understand the impact that your mental and emotional health plays on your physical health. So before addressing any external symptoms, we talked about what was happening internally.

What was mind-boggling for me at this particular appointment, though, was the fact that the doctor walked in, looked at my face for a moment briefly, and then told me my kidney’s energy was stagnant. Then later told me that was the root cause of my left knee pain and lack of sleep. The accuracy is impeccable!

In addition to visual observations, my Chinese doctor will also read my pulse, study my ears or eyes, and even make assessments based on my voice vibration. I was blown away by all of this so I did a deep dive into TCM and learned that their observations allow them to locate the source of unbalance, which organ it’s related to, and which meridians are impacted.

After the observation is complete, acupuncture and massage are offered as a treatment to bring balance to your body’s energy flow.

TCM is an ancient practice that focuses on bringing balance to the energy flow in your body. The practice is based on understanding whether your Qi energy is properly flowing, and if it isn’t, figure out how to restore harmony.

Whether you are suffering from a specific ailment or simply want to maintain overall wellness, there are tons of benefits to being seen by a Chinese doctor. In the last 10 years, I’ve visited mine dozens of times as an overall self-care practice. I am a huge advocate of exploring alternative wellness practices, especially when you don’t have access to traditional insurance plans. This was the case for me when I first started going, so it eased my mind about my health.

Pro Tip: Search Chinese Medical Doctor + Your City in Google!

At my traditional Western doctor, I’m treated like a patient. At the Chinese doctor, I’m treated like a person.

Based on my experience, especially after two hospital births and almost a decade of practicing TCM, the medical system has its own east vs west beef. I wholeheartedly believe Eastern cultures truly focus on well-being, whereas Western medicine focuses on making money. The number of Black women who have experienced malpractice and have cause for mistrust in medical professionals is absurd. We are often left with lingering questions after visits, made to feel like our needs don’t matter, and ridiculed for wanting our choices respected.

Besides the mistreatment of Black women in Western medicine, the focus seems to be primarily on prescribing pills and surgery referrals rather than solving issues by getting to the root cause.

Eastern medicine, on the other hand, focuses on the whole person, not just symptoms. It almost feels like a therapy session combined with a traditional doctor’s visit based on the care and concern shown.

You would be shocked to hear how traditional Chinese medicine has been used to treat modern-day illnesses and enhance overall wellness. Some of the most common reasons people seek support from Chinese practitioners are infertility, anxiety, insomnia, body aches, and back pain.

Would you consider trying a non-traditional wellness practice like Chinese medicine?

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Feature image by RuslanDashinsky

 

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