What are Chinese Medicine Doctors and who can become one?
This is just one of many questions you might be asking yourself if you are looking into Traditional Chinese medicine. So let’s dig a little deeper shall we?
What should I expect when visiting a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor?
This is a common question we hear in the industry when patients are searching for the right practitioner. Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors or practitioners are also known as TCM Doctors, Complementary Medicine Doctors, Eastern Medicine Doctors or Natural Medicine Doctors.
To become qualified in Traditional or Eastern Medicine, one must complete a Health Science or Medical degree specialising in Chinese Medicine.
The length of study to complete such a degree can be 4-5 years full-time depending on what the person wants to specialise in.
Chinese Medicine is the umbrella term for a variety of specific skills such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, cupping, gua sha or supplementation prescriptions.
Some practitioners choose to specialise in just acupuncture or just herbal medicine or perhaps all the specific listed modalities.
This means, it is up to the patient to choose if they would like to see a Doctor who will focus on the physical aspect (acupuncture) or perhaps see one that does more internal medicine (herbal medicine).
When visiting a TCM Doctor, you can expect the practitioner to examine all aspects of your health from diet, lifestyle, sleep, exercise, stress levels and history of any health concerns.
They will endeavour to know essentially as much as they can about your medical history to then formulate a treatment that is right for you.
Who can become a TCM Doctor?
It is a common misconception in Australia that most TCM Doctors are from China. This is not true.
Anyone with a specific entrance score or previous Degree attainment can enroll into a Bachelor of Chinese Medicine in Australia. There is no age limit to those who can enrol and study this degree.
This also means that some Doctors have previous degrees in Western Medicine, Psychology, Chiropractic Medicine or Nutrition.
It is very common to see individuals come from different backgrounds prior to Chinese Medicine. For example, a patient may prefer to find a TCM Doctor that also does Chiropractic Medicine to get the most out of their appointments.
It is common to find many qualified TCM Doctors to be of a caring nature.
The realm of Traditional Chinese Medicine attracts individuals who are open to the science behind acupuncture, but even more so the energetics of the human body.
TCM practitioners look to find ways to ‘balance’ the body through physical ailments but even more so, spiritual and emotional release work. Each patient will gravitate toward different types of Chinese Medicine Doctors
Some patients prefer just needling and no massage/cupping, and some people love their appointments to focus on touch and massage. Finding the right TCM Doctor for who can take some time but there will be someone appropriate out there.
Another way to find the right Doctor for you is to call the practitioner and ask if they have any experience treating your condition or main complaint. Some Doctors focus on muscle complaints and some focus on gut or fertility concerns.
What is the idea behind Traditional Chinese Medicine?
When visiting a TCM Doctor, the practitioner is primarily focused on fixing the ‘root cause’ of your symptoms.
When we have a health presentation, this is a symptom of something ‘out of balance’. This may be chemical (hormones out of balance), dietary imbalance (too much of one food or not enough of some), lifestyle (over or under-exercising) or mental (too many mental worries or concerns).
Your Eastern Medicine Doctor will be concerned as to how to resolve the primary cause, instead of just correcting the imbalance. This is also why many people end up going to TCM Doctors as a ‘last resort’ when their medications do not help anymore or pain simply won’t go away.
Chinese medicine Doctors look at you as ‘whole’
The ‘all systems are one’ approach where the TCM Doctor will look at you as a whole is highly beneficial when treating persistent concerns. Not one organ or system in the human body works as a singular unit.
When fixing disease or symptoms, we must look at them all together and ensure nothing else goes out of balance while we attempt to correct the problem.
Some people view Eastern medicine as ‘ineffective’ and this may be because of the approach the TCM Doctor took.
Maybe they were incorrectly diagnosed or the progression of the disease is far developed so healing is taking a very long time. Maybe the patient does not see the Doctor frequently enough to signal to the body it needs to change and create new patterns.
What if you are still unsure if TCM is right for you?
If you are unsure if your local Chinese medicine Doctor can assist with your medical concerns, you could ask to speak to the TCM Doctor and express any concerns or hesitations.
Each Doctor will approach your health condition in their unique but professional way, so it is very important you understand why they are treating you with those methods.
Another reliable method is speaking to those who see the Doctor and discussing their success. Call your local TCM Doctor today or book in a time with Dr. Rosey to see if her methods are right for you.
