Is your medicine trending up or down? I have been asked this question a lot regarding TCM. Though COVID has thrown a wrench into this discussion, I’m going to discuss this question with COVID not in the equation. Concerning my own practice and experience, I would say that TCM has definitely been trending up.

There are several reasons for this. For one, private insurers are recognizing the advantages of offering Acupuncture to their members. There is now plenty of clinical research that demonstrates the true effectiveness of Acupuncture in treating pain and stress. Pain and stress are the two most popular disorders that prospective patients seek Acupuncture for; the insurers have just followed suit.

I have seen my cash patients increase. The primary reason is due to the fact that people are just more educated about the TCM modalities. When I first started my practice, most of my patients hadn’t even heard of Acupuncture and, thus, were very hesitant in getting a treatment. People were led to believe that TCM was just a “fad” and their practitioners should be viewed as practicing “shamans”.

Some of those beliefs were a result of that person’s own intrinsic bias. However, a lot of it was due to Western practitioners going out of their ways to fill these people’s minds with these views based on misinformation. Yes, this is a topic that will be discussed in a future blog.

Through continual education of the people by TCM practitioners and by a person’s own desire to learn the true facts od TCM, those misconceptions are now not as prevalent. In fact, I have patients conversing with me in TCM terms, like deficiency or stagnation, regarding their treatment. Many bring me literature or scientific studies bolstering the value of Acupuncture and Herbs.

I believe TCM is definitely trending up in the greater healthcare landscape.