Obviously, the big topic of today is the Corona Virus or COVID19. The effects associated with this virus has stretched all facts of society including the world’s economy, infrastructure, politics and even in starting revolutions that resemble past revolutions such as the French revolution.

It is only logical to appreciate that COVID19 has affected healthcare. However, the effects that will be long lasting is not being properly evaluated at this time. We are already seeing how the “administrative” side of medicine is taking on an increasing role in patient treatment. The most glaring example is how many patient’s death were labelled as a result of COVID19 eventhough the cause was diagnosed as something else by the attending physician.

I see these trends as only getting worse in the future. I’ve seen many changes in my field, TCM. First of all, I appreciate that practitioners need to follow the new guidelines to treat a patient such as wearing masks/gloves and taking temperature checks. I, personally, am having very difficulty in the abiding by these regulations.

However, I am seeing certain trends that are a product of Corona virus that are sure to impact the future of TCM, especially in the US. One trend concerns the awakening of people of how important it is for them to strengthen their immune systems. Strengthening one’s immune system goes hand in hand with preventive medicine.

I am seeing more patients come to me because they want to use Acupuncture to help them tonify their blood and immune response system. This is a good trend. For one, these patients are becoming more educated about “real” causes of aliments and the importance of putting their health foremost in their life’s priorities.

I must point out that the administrative side of TCM in the US is not intruding like in Western medicine. Ironically, this trend in Western medicine is pushing more people to TCM because they are looking for more affordable healthcare and are becoming more educated about their bodies.