Eastward on the Road to Health

Cupping

Integrating health practices of the East and West

In the age of essential oils and sunrise yoga, non-standard medical practices have demonstrated immense growing power. Eastern medicine, which includes all health-related products and practices from Asian countries, has been kept alive in Asian American households and influenced other cultures’ approaches to medicine as well.

Eastern medicine is commonly associated with traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic (Indian) health practices. Westerners may be familiar with cupping and coining, acupuncture and Reiki healing. These techniques represent just some of many health-related activities originating from the East.

TRADE MARK

YU YEE OIL

18 | fall 2019 Yu Yee Oil

BRIDGING A GAP

In the past, Eastern medicine practices were passed down within families or by word-of-mouth. As the world globalized, cultural overlaps in health care increased.

“I know physicians who trained in both [Eastern and Western medicine], including some of the students that I’ve had in the medical school,” said Dr. Laura Guyer, a health disparities and health education professor at the University of Florida. “Today, [complementary and integrative medicine] are receiving attention because they’re valid, and they’re important.” Although Guyer does not practice Eastern medicine, she respects its importance as an approach to health that fits into nonWestern belief systems.

Shivani Doshi, a UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience junior and member of the American Medical Student Association, supports integrative medicine.

“Integrative medicine is really cool because it looks at the body more holistically,” Doshi said. “I believe that the disconnect between [traditional and modern] beliefs is fixed by integrative medicine because it looks at the body, mind and soul.”

Integrative medicine is an area of study in health that employs Western and nonWestern treatments. Integrative medicine addresses several components of wellbeing such as lifestyle, environment and spirituality, with an emphasis on personalized attention. Treatments such as music therapy and meditation are used by integrative programs.

According to Duke Integrative Medicine, complementary medicine is an approach to health that uses non-Western practices as add-ons to Western methods. Alternative medicine completely replaces Western medicine with non-Western practices.

After working in public health, health education and the medical humanities, Guyer has learned the importance of diversity in the study of medicine.

For Doshi, integrative medicine has personal relevance. Some members of her family have had a complicated relationship with Western medicine because of their Eastern traditions.

Doshi’s grandmother, who was educated in nutrition, was diagnosed with kidney failure and turned down a dialysis treatment in favor of integrative medicine because she felt dialysis did not fully address her needs. Her grandmother believed she was misunderstood by her physician.

Family was the starting point for Doshi’s experience with alternative medicine. Now in college, Doshi still appreciates and practices Eastern and integrative medical techniques.

Every morning before school, Doshi practices Pranayama yoga. Yoga has roots in Indian tradition and is a popular integrative medicine technique. Doshi describes Pranayama as a “subset of yoga that focuses on controlled breathing.”

OINTMENT TIGER BALM

Tiger Balm

Dikshitha Shankar, a 20-year-old UF health education major and current president of the Health Educated Asian Leaders organization, also has experience with both Eastern and Western medicine practices. She is most familiar with South Asian home remedies.

Drinking turmeric powder with milk, Shankar said, treats sore throats. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports turmeric, a yellow-orange cooking spice, may also reduce heart attacks, skin irritation and osteoarthritis pain.

Shankar says that students and professionals alike should be open-minded to non-Western health care.

“I think I would encourage students to look into Eastern medicine,” she said. “Be knowledgeable about it. There’s no harm in learning about something new.”

We work with people and live in a society that is changing and becoming even more diverse. There’s not a one-size-fits-all health care — Laura Guyer

Guyer, Doshi and Shankar were all in agreement when it came to one thing: No matter what approach to health care you take, be informed.

Shankar recommends everyone look up scholarly articles to inform themselves. She also said she would enjoy seeing organizations or multicultural groups develop events to showcase unique, accessible healthcare practices like Eastern remedies.

“It’s important to do your research before you do anything,” Doshi said. “Integrative medicine should be a class at UF because we are creating the next generation of healthcare professionals, and we must adapt.”

PRODUCTS

Eastern medicinal products are slowly becoming a household staple in medicine cabinets around the U.S.

For many Eastern medicine users, Tiger Balm is synonymous with a cure-all. Tiger Balm is an over-the-counter salve used to treat headaches, sprains and other pains. It comes in a jar small enough to fit in your pocket. Its spicy, soothing smell comes from its mix of organic ingredients, which include eucalyptus and camphor, according to Verywell Health.

According to the product’s website, Tiger Balm was created by Chinese imperial herbalist Aw Chu Kin in the 1870s. The balm, one of the most popular medicinal products to come out of the East, continues to be sold today by the Haw Par Corporation.

Wood Lock oil and Yu Yee oil are other popular traditional Chinese medicine products.

Wood Lock oil is a honey-colored medicated oil used for pain relief, massage therapy and nausea. America’s FDAregulated version consists of wintergreen oil, menthol and camphor. Its iconic glass bottle packaging earned the product the nickname “Chinese whiskey.” Ashwagandha is a shrub that has been concentrated into dietary supplements in order to treat anxiety disorders, tumor growth and more.

CONTROVERSY

Medicine is a field full of misconceptions and rumors, and Eastern practices are no exception. Compared to Western medicine, Eastern medicine lacks the support of rigid scientific data. Many products are backed only by personal testimony.

According to Guyer, the lack of empirical evidence does not mean non-Western medicine is less effective or valuable. She believes a person’s wellness depends on self-perception that cannot be quantified. If alternative medicine practices meet one’s personal needs and they believe it works for them, then it can be a valid medical practice.

Currently, the FDA advises caution against many unregulated Eastern medicine products. Relying on medical advice from the internet, the FDA claims, can be dangerous.

Even with all of the controversy surrounding Eastern medicine, there is still a future for traditional Eastern medicine in modern health care, especially for patients searching for holistic remedies. A balance between both Eastern and Western approaches will continue to find its footing as health care evolves to meet all the nuances of human wellness.

Yu Yee oil is a similar product. Composed of menthol, paraffin and other organic ingredients, Yu Yee oil is commonly used for baby care.

Namman Muay Boxing Liniment is another well-known Eastern medicine product originating from boxing circles in Thailand. Athletes and massage therapists continue to use the liniment to rejuvenate tired muscles.

A number of herbal products have been produced from Ayurvedic traditions.

Derivatives of Ashwagandha, for example, are a popular herbal medicine product commonly used in Ayurvedic treatments. ®

WONG TO YICK ® 196 8

Wood Lock Oil