US embraces Chinese medicine

NEW YORK. – Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is being used increasingly in the United States to cure modern problems resulting from stress caused by political and social upheaval, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

The practice, which is more than 2o00 years old, dates to the shamanistic era of the Shang Dynasty .

TCM includes acupuncture, cupping, pain moxibustion (a form of heat therapy), herbal medicine, nutrition, tuina massage (used with modern medical techniques to treat a range of conditions), and exercise such as tai chi and qigong, which combine movement and meditation.

It is used to treat arthritis, back, neck and knee pain, gastrointestinal disorders, high blood pressure, stress, anxiety, infertility and many other medical problems.

In the heart of New York City’s Chinatown, patients head to the second floor of a nondescript building, passing businesses where dressmakers create traditional qipao gowns, and other premises where kung fu is practiced.

In Suite 201, they visit Yi Qiao Wu’s busy clinic to tell the TCM master of their ailments and frustrations.

Dozens of certificates of accreditation from universities and other institutions adorn the walls of Wu’s practice. Folders are stacked high in the reception area, where patients wait to be treated.

A humble, unassuming man of few words, Wu has practiced in New York City for 28 years, before which he worked in China for 15 years.

One of his patients, a man in his 50s who requested anonymity, summed up the doctor’s ability by saying that Wu is gifted and his talent unmatched.