My interview with acupuncturist, Dr. Lee Cho, was highly educational, and I learned a great deal about the history, philosophy, and practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of healing success that is thousands of years old. Moreover, Chinese medicine is based on a philosophy of healing that includes the mind, body, and spirit. In practice, its goal is to remove energy blockages. Dr. Cho was very helpful in explaining Chinese medicine’s history, philosophy, as well as its modern practice to me, and, in the process, taught me a great deal about my culture’s greatest medical contribution, acupuncture.
Dr. Cho, a family friend and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, is also a Western M,D. who received his education and training at UCLA, and learned Chinese medicine at Ghangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in China. Learning about the history, underlying philosophy, and modern practices of acupuncture taught me that my culture has contributed greatly to medicine, and gave me a sense of pride that Western medical science recognizes its benefits. Dr. Cho was very approachable and informative, as he explained that acupuncture’s origins date back to about a hundred years before the time of Christ. The first book of Chinese medicine, Dr. Cho explained, was the Classic of Internal Medicine of the Yellow Emperor. This ancient book is the basis of Chinese medicine, but especially covers the philosophy and practice of acupuncture. I learned that the philosophy that underlies the practice of acupuncture is relatively simple. Chinese medicine believes that diseases result from imbalances between two types of intertwined energies in the body called Yin and Yang. The goal of treatment with acupuncture is to achieve balance between these alternating energy currents. But, Qi is the main type of energy that flows through the body via energy channels called meridians. The theory of acupuncture believes that blockages in the flow of Qi can result in illnesses. One of the main theories that helps explain how acupuncture works is that the application of needles to areas in the meridians increase the presence of chemicals called endorphins, although the Chinese have different terminology for these chemicals. Modern acupuncture is used for a variety of today’s illnesses. For example, the modern practice can help with diseases such as conditions of chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, arthritis, and even post-surgical pain. In the United States, modern acupuncturists are also approved by most medical boards to treat patients for migraines, anxiety, and even nausea. Dr. Cho was very approachable and was not judgmental about my questioning. A very open and informative person, I thought he was a great choice to help me learn more about the contributions of Chinese culture to medicine, and helped me gain a new perspective on my heritage.
In conclusion, my interview with our family friend and well-trained acupuncturist, Dr. Cho, taught me that my culture traces a long history back to one of the first types of effective medical treatment. Moreover, the philosophy of acupuncture is based on ancient spiritual beliefs. Interestingly, Chinese medicine has been shown to be so effective that it is widely practiced to this day. My knowledge of my Chinese cultural background was greatly enhanced by the interview with Dr. Cho. Dr. Cho was very informative and taught me so much during our short interview, shedding much light on Chinese medical history, Chinese philosophy, and how modern acupuncture practice is a legacy of ancient China that is still commonly practiced. Overall, the interview gave me a sense of cultural pride, and I am grateful that he is a friend of our family.
Excerpts from Interview with Dr. Cho
About Chinese History and the History of Acupuncture
“Indeed, acupuncture is one of the main practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it has a long history that dates back to at least 100 years before the time of Christianity. In fact, acupuncture contributed to the health of Emperors and Nobles in China, as well as ordinary people. Really, it is one of the keystones of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, and has been in the spotlight very recently, especially because of the high price of many other so-called Western medical treatments. I expect that its long, venerable history will continue for many years, especially due to the fact that many of Western scientifically-conducted research has confirmed its efficacy in treating a number of modern illnesses and disease conditions.”
Philosophy of Acupuncture
“Acupuncture is based on a lot of spiritual beliefs that go back as far as Confucius, and especially Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. It is believed that acupuncture helps the alternating energies, Yin (passive) and Yang (active) of the body. In addition, it helps remove energy blockages in the Qi, which flows through certain mapped-out pathways called meridians. Really, the theory and philosophy are very interesting, and shows that ancient Chinese practitioners were medical scientists in their approach to acupuncture specifically, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, more generally.”
Modern Acupuncture Practice
“The ancient practice of acupuncture has been validated via Western scientific research studies, and should give our Chinese people a feeling of pride, but, of course, we knew these things long before Western science came along [laughs]. So, yes, modern acupuncture is approved for diseases that range from those that are characterized by chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia to types of more psychological illnesses such as anxiety and depression.”
