"Acupuncture is one of the most popular and effective contemporary healing techniques, practised in almost every country on the globe. Acupuncture is part of a comprehensive medical system that has survived over the millennia. Not only is it safe, in the hands of fully trained practitioners, but its clinical applicability is enormous.

The World Health Organisation has compiled a huge list of medical conditions that are amenable to treatment with acupuncture, including chronic respiratory problems, such as sinusitis and asthma, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, such as headaches and low back pain, digestive disorders, such as colitis and gastritis, and chronic menstrual problems. This is apart from the treatment of mental and emotional disturbances and certain behavioural problems, such as addictive habits."

The Natural Family Doctor. A. Stanway, Century Publishers, London.

A Timely Caution

Acupuncture is not Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine is not acupuncture. Acupuncture is part – and only a part - of TCM.

To imagine that Acupuncture is TCM is as mistaken as to imagine that, say, surgery is western medicine. Surgery is only part - a small part - of conventional medicine. Furthermore, and in light of this, one should be fully aware of the fact that acupuncture is not good for every medical complaint, just as surgery in western terms is not good for every medical complaint.

Acupuncture is good for what acupuncture is good for – but it is not good for everything – just as surgery is not good for everything.

Three further considerations follow from this:-

1. Acupuncture alone is not sufficient to attempt to treat every medical problem that might present. It is for this reason that TCM – as an entire medical system – involves much more than just acupuncture.
2. A so-called ”Acupuncturist” is not necessarily a fully trained TCM practitioner.
3. Not all acupuncture is TCM Acupuncture.

From the very outset, almost thirty years ago, the ICTCM and the PRTCM has striven to educate the public to these facts. Why? Because both bodies are of the firm conviction that a person’s health is one of their most precious and fragile commodities that, consequently, should be treated as such.

The utmost care should be exercised in choosing a medical practitioner to whom one entrusts one’s health-care.