Further Analyzing the Case II

…The best way for the reader to appreciate this sense of integration between the ailment and the whole body is to understand the intake process in TCM. TCM practitioners definitely value all objective or quantifiable measures like rating the pain on a scale from 1-10. Our patient rated her pain a six. In this sense, we are similar to the Western Practitioner. However, as I mentioned before, the TCM intake is the first step in assessing the patient’s total wellbeing. This is what I mean by integration.

However, what I want the reader to understand is that any nonobjective data does have the potential to alter the resulting treatment plan in a real way. Western practitioners cannot say this. In my experience with Western practitioners, they do take into account “subjective” factors in their intake. However, they very rarely use such data to alter their treatment plan in a meaningful way.

Let’s take our patient to demonstrate the difference in approach. I will first discuss how a TCM practitioner, in general, would treat her knee pain. Because a TCM physician is trained to see the body as a whole unit, with each part harmonizing with the other, he would not only focus his treatment on the most affected Meridian but also would treat its related Meridians. I must point out that the affected Meridian is in the area of the pain most of the times. The concept of treating by way of Meridians is a topic that will be discussed much more in future blogs.

Thus, the patient’s left lateral pain is the focus of the treatment. However, it is addressed by healing the whole-body system not just the area of pain, itself. TCM practitioners are also trained to appreciate how stress or other emotional issues can affect her left lateral knee pain. Thus, certain Acupuncture points or herbs will be prescribed accordingly. I remember that I discussed this patient’s current and past mental state extensively with her during the intake.

Western practitioners, for the most part, don’t consider any factor other than the source of injury as pertinent. The fact that they now have incentives just to push a drug to treat the pain, in this case the left lateral knee pain, just narrows their focus that much more. In fact, they would most likely refer this patient to a psychiatrist to treat her stress. However, they would not factor this stress in their treatment of her left lateral knee pain.

The difference in taking into account “subjective” factors in treating pain between a Western and TCM practitioner should now be apparent to the reader.