Yes, lah, it’s natural healing

New advances in science and medicine have improved cure rates by leaps and bounds. Concomitant with the advancement of modern or Western medicine and medical procedures however, is a resurgence of interest in traditional or complementary cures. Singapore is a leading medical hub that offers the best of both. While it offers premium and the most advanced integrated services in major specialties such as oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology and diverse fields, there are also 1,500 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) specialists who are monitored and subjected to tight regulatory control. To maintain the best standards in TCM, the Singapore government passed the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act in 2000. A government board is in place to accredit schools and courses, license, and regulate conduct or ensure ethics among practitioners.

Why the renewed interest in TCM?  The field is a 3,000-year-old holistic system of medicine that treats the mind-body-spirit as a single entity. Chinese physicians look for the underlying imbalances in the yin and yang because it is believed that incongruity between the two causes illness. They treat the patient as a whole entity, and do not concentrate on merely treating the symptoms or manifestations of a disease. This approach is not too different from that which is currently emphasized in Western medicine today. Whereas specialization once made doctors concentrate on lungs, heart, kidney, or whatever organ their training may involve, importance is now given to treating the person as a whole individual — not a disparate group of organ systems.  

The diagnostic methods of TCM are not very different from that of conventional medicine either. The practitioner is required to “observe, hear and smell,” to “ask” and to “feel.” Similarly, a medical doctor is trained to do a thorough physical examination, get a detailed medical history and to palpate and auscultate.

“TCM doctors and Western doctors should know more about each to work with the best aspects of both types of medicine, and to provide their patients with the best options,” said Dr. Ding Bang You, senior TCM Physician of the Bao Zhong Tang TCM Centre in Singapore. He graduated from the Shanghai University, is a member of the Shanghai Acupuncture Association, and has researched and published the results of his studies in medical journals.

Acupuncture is an external medical treatment that involves the insertion of hair-thin needles in specific points of the body. In his 18 years of clinical practice, Dr. Ding Bang You has successfully used acupuncture in treating pain from soft tissue injuries, sequela stroke and Bell’s Palsy or facial paralysis. Acupuncture for the treatment of insomnia, irregular menstruation and chronic diarrhea has likewise proven effective, and he shares that acupuncture is widely use for weight loss, body building and as a support treatment for those suffering from withdrawal symptoms as they quit smoking.

However, acupuncture is merely one aspect of TCM. Other treatment methods include tuina or acupressure that uses the same principles of acupuncture except that the hands and fingers are used instead of needles to apply pressure, and medicinal herbal prescriptions for specific ailments. A controlled approach and the use of scientific equipment to conduct medical tests are the current standards in TCM, while more thorough research and development in the field has contributed to the integration of natural remedies with conventional medicine to benefit various healthcare needs.

To make it easier for international patients to avail of either TCM or conventional medical treatment in Singapore, an International Patient Liaison Service is in place to make travel and accommodation arrangements or to assist with appointments and admission. The organization can also help with other concerns such as finding appropriate food or places of worship. Since Singapore has been ranked as having the best healthcare system in Asia, patients can have both state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment facilities and a regulated TCM environment for those seeking alternative therapy.

Dr. Ding Bang You debunks the fear that TCM uses endangered animals as components of traditional medicine. “No longer. This would be too expensive,” he says. Moreover, he explains that scientifically- backed data has shattered the myths attributed to esoteric and extremely rare components, making these unnecessary. The additional information should be good news for conservationists who would like to explore the benefits of TCM.

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Bao Zhong Tang Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre is at Blk 5 Level 1 Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608 with telephone number 63277 866. Or log on to www.baozhongtang.com.sg.

To learn more about Singapore Medicine log on to www.singaporemedicine.com or contact the Singapore Tourism Board Philippines, telephone 813-0946 or http://www.stb.com.sg