updated - 'Western Medical Acupuncture' - a horrible hybrid concoction - I guess they want to distance themselves as much as possible from TCM acupuncture.

'Western Medical Acupuncture' - a horrible hybrid concoction - I guess they want to distance themselves as much as possible from TCM acupuncture.

Recently, I was buying a book from Amazon (actually a very good book called) 'An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture' when I came across this scathing and highly offensive review (to an otherwise good book)

(you can find this book, and the TCM hostile review on : http://www.amazon.co.uk/...3071772/ref=rdr_ext_tmb)

The review is from a person who is hiding behind the title name "not buying into metaphor medicine' (afraid it seems to give their own name, or say who they are): 

''At a time when all too many are willing to follow a guru into a belief-system based approach, i.e., TCM, and abandon their scientific education, this book antidotes the prevailing fascination with myths and metaphors by providing fact-based, straightforward instruction. I applaud Drs. White, Cummings, and Filshie in their publication of a clinically meaningful text packed with legitimate information that medical professionals should be expected to understand if they are going to advertise themselves as acupuncturists.''

My response to this rather bigoted and offensive put down of TCM was as follows:


''I find your review a little inaccurate - as TCM is not based on `myths and metaphors' as you seem to imply - but a highly coherent rational paradigm based on generations of empirical clinical observation. It does beg the question of whether you have studied TCM or not? Or is this only your personal prejudice - you are then exhibiting the very behaviour and belief-systems you appear to be condemning!

I agree with you that Drs. White, Cummings, and Filshie in their publication of their Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture text do present a `clinically meaningful text packed with legitimate information that medical professionals should be expected to understand if they are going to advertise themselves as acupuncturists', but then so do many TCM texts - if you have read any, that is.''



It is very very sad when educated doctors or medical professionals (as I assume this person is) are so narrow-minded (or possibly this person is just a dim-wit journalist or book reviewer). I can only assume that this person is a rather arrogant and blinked medic - who cannot understand (more likely doesn't want to understand) a paradigm different to his or her own.

Is the dominant medical culture of biomedical science so threatened by TCM that it arouses such passionate hatred and bigotry. Fortunately we no longer get burned at the stake as witches by the inquisition, yet I detect the same level of intolerance alive and well in our 21st century.

Personally I find the term 'Western Medical Acupuncture' something of a horrible hybrid concoction. What it really implies is a cut down, rudimentary 'trigger-point' impoverished kind of acupuncture, without any of the rich and highly sophisticated conceptual framework that underpins TCM.

I would also like to post this text onto any blog page of the websites of the BAcC, British Medical Acupuncture Society, or General Medical Council (UK, AUS, or NZ) but sadly I do not have a member log-in for these sites. I would be happy if anyone want to post this text to the World Acupuncture, or Australian Acupuncture Societies. 

This text is also on my own blog - if you have any comments (you'll probably have to copy and paste these links into your browser) :

go to blog, signature line - bottom of page on:

www.christchurch-osteopathy-acupuncture.co.nz - 

For more on this please also see (you might have to copy and paste these links into your browser:

http://www.christchurch-...re/scientificBasis.html 

and the excellent cartoon (video) - highly recommended - on:

http://www.christchurch-...ture/traditionalDry.html