| I began studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1988 and have been practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine since 1992. I practice in the Pacific Northwest and have a wide experience atypical of the usual private practice. The main fascination has always been and still is very simple – that diverse healing effects can be elicited by stimulating areas on the skin. A very low-tech method with sophisticated results and few side effects. I also have a life long appreciation for the beauty of plants and of their healing effects. Initially I was also caught up in the allure of what appeared to be an ancient, holistic medical system.
Within a few years however something like boredom set in with the seemingly endless circuitousness of the closed systems of Chinese Medicine. There was the sense that any health condition could be rationalized in these systems but proof of efficacy hinged more on belief in dogma than open-ended free inquiry. In addition, the elaborate systems of pulse and tongue diagnosis began to appear more and more unverifiable and subjective. |
 |
The fresh revolutionary nature of scientific doubt began to resurface in my mind, turning me away from grand traditional theory to a simplified empirical approach.
Simple efficacy, economic accessibility, and minimal side effects are the conditions necessary to any wise healing method either ancient or modern. In a sense we can walk out of the museum with a few fine needles, some simple guidelines on where to place them and a few simple plant-based medicines leaving all else behind for scholarly interest. Most of my ongoing learning comes from those who today are exploring this forward moving revision on a solid biomedical basis.
I would like to thank my wife, Julia Stoops; artist, writer, teacher, and founder of Bluemousemonkey web design for her beautiful work in constructing this site. |
