acupuncture and phytotherapy |

Here is one of the biggest weaknesses of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). The overgeneralization that leads to possible, more comical, claims. To warn the reader: this article has nothing to do with bad reviews of TCM. It’s about a direct criticism to TCM. And it is also a joke. If you don´t have sense of humor don´t read.

According to the basic theory, the innate Jing (from our parents) is in the Kidneys. Kidneys may be associated with certain symptoms such as weakness of the lower limbs, urinary disorders or sexual problems. Impotence, increased urinary quantity are symptoms that reveal kidney diseases.
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I have introduced a new pluggin in the blog. This new pluggin, WordPress Popular Posts, serves to introduce the reader to the most read articles in the acupuncture blog. As such, you can now see on the wright sidebar, below the most recent comments, 2 new widgets that will allow the reader to know (1) what are the most widely read texts of the day and (2) what are the most widely read texts of Always on the acupuncture and phytotherapy blog.
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Test your power balance bracelet

I recently had a comment in the acupuncture portuguese blog saying that the power balance bracelet worked and that I should show evidence that it did not work. That it was a hoax.

In reality, the burden of proof is on people who claim it works and not in others. And without controlled studies or a minimally skeptic thought will hardly be able to do. Not that it’s difficult. As you will see is very easy to set programs to see if it’s true or not.

The next film belongs to an Australian television program where there are people who sell and defend the validity of the power balance bracelets and skeptical that define tests to prove whether the allegations are true or not. The results are not surprising: the power balance bracelet is a fraud. Unfortunately it seems that television programs with still some interest are difficult to do for portuguese TV that remain to sell products without any imagination.
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There’s a new fashion in Portugal and in the world. I´m talking about power balance bracelets. Power Balance Bracelets have a hologram that interacts with the magnetic field of the human body, restoring his energy and giving more strength, vitality and health to people who use it.

In reality it is not a new fashion. If the reader does well remember some years ago there were metal bands with two balls in their end … it did exactly the same: it interacted with the magnetic field of the person and give more vitality.

As the machinery of quantum medicine (blatant fraud and diagnostic machines), fashion tends to return. To be successful it takes a few basic ingredients: (1) technology unknown – almost miraculous, (2) pseudo-scientific discourse to fool most people that do not know science but which leaves the mouth open in amazement for someone who knows science and (3) associate the invention to someone extremely intelligent, kind solitary genius.
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I am licensed in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) from the Nanjing University, China. I practice Chinese medicine, day by day. I teach Chinese medicine and love writing about Chinese medicine. These are my tastes and characteristics that make it possible for the reader to read the texts on this blog.

Plenty of friends and so many readers constantly question my love for TCM, or how much my belief in it. This is because I systematically attack thoughts or public statements considered as absolute truths in these areas.

Others attack me for being a frustrated that would like to be a doctor because, often, I advocate new approaches to TCM, I question a lot of knowledge as established in TCM and defend scientific knowledge, because I like the scientific method and because I present a skepticism in which the opinion of many, is unhealthy … or at least somewhat less holistic.

They raise several questions: Am I an honest person who believes in TCM, but do not know what is this? Or am I a cheater who does not believe in TCM, and that it lives there anyway? Am I frustrated who want to be a doctor and never got it?
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The text on holism and empathy I showed how often people confuse empathy with holism. In That article I drew attention to the fact that many of the complaints of the patients are due to the fact that medical doctors are unsympathetic to the patient and do not devote the time that they would like.

Interestingly many doctors complain acupuncturists and other practitioners giving the idea that their clinical results are not due to the art they practice but only to our sympathy when treating patients. ”It is important for patients to talk to someone for some time” and other similar statements seem to justify the clinical results.

The accusations from both parties, are polite and politically correct statements that pass more aggressive messages. A kind of latent trigger points applied to interprofessional relations. And both have something of true in them.
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Yet not long ago there was a policy of “hide the knowledge” that revenge by practitioners of acupuncture in Portugal. Some older colleagues and teachers taught me that there should be very careful to pass the knowledge to others. Knowledge was to be hidden.

I still remember visiting the site of a new school in Portugal who advertised in the disciplines of clinical acupuncture “acupuncture points unknown to most Westerners.” We hide Knowledge and advertise this policy.

I never fully understood this policy: it was more like the typical behavior of esoteric schools, whose knowledge must be preserved and hidden, than schools with scientific thinking where knowledge must be shared and discussed publicly.
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The set of 3 articles (It is symptomatic – part I; It is symptomatic – part II; It is symptomatic – part III) on the importance of symptoms in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and WM (Western medicine) has created a lot of discussion and some interesting questions. At the end rool the feeling that “symptomatic” is something negative. It seems that the more symptomatic the weaker is the medicine. A reader raised the question:

“I consider this topic very interesting. It makes us really think. I would like to know then YOUR opinion about the “TCM is a medical system essentially symptomatic.”

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Too often we hear criticism of western medicine because they are “chemical“, ie are artificial, as natural products are best for your health because they are… natural. They do not have chemical stuff in them. This speech, intended to draw the attention of the listener to experience a more natural life … which for some is the same as saying, more holistic.

This statement is an environmental version of the already long fight between vitalism versus mechanism affecting alternative medicines. If the texts on translation of Qi is it discussed the development of science (mechanism) versus esoteric beliefs (vitalism) this statement is the underlying struggle between development of technology (artificial – of human origin) and “desire to belong to nature again or return to a “ecological phase of our existence.”

The conclusion is logical: science and technology are not able to provide a good life, healthy living, a full life. Instead fills us with chemicals and does not even make disappear that nostalgic longing to get close to nature. The phrase raised in the title indicates that the movement of alternative medicine is a movement that identifies with the environmental movement. For them, the environment is a victim of the activities of human being that is in love for the fascination of science and the welfare provided by technology. Very difficult to note that their criticisms contain a paradox.
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Right now, the world of non-conventional therapies (alternative medicine) is being completely vandalized by something called Quantum Medicine. The proponent of this outright deception intended to make the diagnosis of Western medicine and Chinese medicine, with mixtures of Ayurveda and other things with a single machine connected to a laptop.

Medical exam much more advanced, with the best technology can not provide the information that this machine offers. She even manages to make a diagnosis in Chinese Medicine (which he calls a diagnosis of acupuncture) without analyzing any clinical symptom or sign. For some a true wonder. For those with a little knowledge a complete fraud.
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