From the discovered applications of penicillin, to the unexpected discovery of the (possible) cure for cancer, there is no doubt that Western medicine has had a positive effect on the well being of the global community.
However, when compared to the entire history of medical studies and practices, Western medicine is relatively new, and not without its shortcomings. In regards to pharmaceuticals, specifically, we often find that symptoms of certain ailments are being treated, but not the root.
There exists, outside of Western science, a number of centuries old medical and therapeutic philosophies that are still practiced today. One of the most well known of these is acupuncture.
Although, within the paradigm of Western medicine, it is labeled as “alternative” (or even “New Age”), the origins of acupuncture date as far back as 6000 BCE. The applications of this practice are aimed at repairing the root of any physical ailment, thereby circumventing the need to continually treat the symptoms of that ailment.
In a December 2015 article by ESPN, Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer describes how acupuncture has aided in his recovery from the two concussions he sustained this season.
After witnessing how acupuncture resolved a complication that arose during his wife’s pregnancy, Hoyer felt positive that acupuncture would able to treat his concussions in a manner that traditional Western medicine would be unable to address.
This video shows how acupuncture can help dramatically with brain trauma.
Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, neurologist, and executive director of The Sports Neurology Clinic, was asked his opinion about Hoyer’s decision to use acupuncture therapy. He responded by saying, “A lot of the things we find patients doing and physicians recommending are more to treat the symptoms rather than underlying cause… I try to be very specific about that, because the idea that something that makes your headache better or improve[s] neck stiffness or dizziness or some other aspect of concussion may not, or probably is not addressing the injury itself.”
